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Time to prepare for the real deal

Posted on Fri Sep 28th, 2018 @ 5:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant Seregon French & Ensign Raymond McBain
Edited on on Sat Sep 29th, 2018 @ 12:57am

Mission: Holographic Horrors
Location: holodeck
Timeline: in transit to Meroset 347

McBain had slept not very much between the projects he was working on and the research to be prepared for the away team. He knew Frenchie who was to meet him here was also on a team. This MACO was a great asset but it took some getting used to so that was why he was here. To make sure the Security Chief could use the features of her armor. McBain had two replicated Tr-116 battle rifles for this as well. The Chief was likely to be a shooter on the team she was on. That made the battle rifle a primary tool for her. He sat down at the beginning of the course and rested while he waited.

As French made her way to the training area, she thought about her good friend Alex Sexton. Little did she know, he was already on board the USS Hera. But she would find out soon enough. She entered the training area and saw McBain. "McB, you ready to do this?" She asked.

McBain nodded with a smile, handing her a TR116c battle rifle. "Going to toss you in at the deep end Lieutenant. Your a leader and lives depend on you so I will be tougher on you than others." He continued smiling, "it is not personal, I just see this as necessary considering the time we have before it gets real." He raised his own rifle, "watch than repeat what I did." He held the rifle at port arms and cleared the chamber, checked the barrels than returned the weapon to port arms. He had no idea how much she knew so he began at the beginning. As he saw how well she did he would push on to the next thing.

Seregon had a knack for going along with her trainers and then at the end showing then that she could and would master a thing or two. There was an old drill called the 16 step manual of arms. So when they took a break, she tried to see if she remembered it.

So she began at the position of attention. With the butt of the weapon on the deck, she snatched it up to port arms and then right shoulder arms. Then to left shoulder arms, then to port arms and then to present arms just before going to inspection arms opening what would have been the exit port on an older weapon, clearing the weapon and then going back to port arms and back down to order arms. It was a bit difficult with this weapon, but it worked. Several of the security force looked on as she performed the routine with very little difficulty. Then the clapping started. She smiled and ordered them to chill out!

"I don't expect you all to be able to do that, but if you want to learn it, stay after class and I will teach it to you. Now let's let McBain clear us do we can move on!" Said French

Mcbain nodded letting those present have their moment. After all confidence was important. He activated the program and a town appeared nearby. The buildings were in ruins and things moved in the shadows. Above a few buildings harpies stood on roofs waiting to launch. "Your objective is to get across town to the transport. Anyone who reaches the transport succeeds. There are non-hostiles so watch what you shoot at. The bullets and weapons are in the program so to display the enemy forces toughness."

McBain activated a Minotaur silhouette Weak points are eyes, nose, throat and chest over the heart, elbows and knees. Hit the head and might as well be throwing spitballs, high in the chest, sides, back, the thick hide will deflect most hits. They are strong and fast but not really agile. Letting them get a run than get out of the way might work." McBain next showed a harpy, These can fly and are very quick. They will evade incoming fire. They can be wounded and once wounded slow enough to take down. Last are these statues and I have very little data on them. My advice is to take out their eye gems and disable their beam weapon. Other than that I think grenades at the ankles might topple them? That is all I have for now. Lieutenant and your first four on the line." McBain shrugged once you cross the line the scenario begins."

Seregon took her cue from McBain. "Ok listen up. Remember the first time we were gassed in the academy. You had to have faith in your gas mask. Well this is no different. Your suit have advantages, use them. Crewman, you and I will jump above the Minataurs and once past them, a shot to the base of the neck in the back. We're trying to snap the back bone. And when we land, role into a ready position to shoot Harpies and then again at the Minataurs. You two crewmen shoot harpies from the moment we cross the line. Once we have shot at those two monsters twice, we concentrate all our fire power on the statues and then again on the Minataurs if they are still a problem. Ok?" And she got a head nod from all three. "Ok, stack on me. Weapons hot. Let's do this on 3.2.1" and all hell broke lose!

As soon as the team crossed the line minotaurs on both sides charged forward with impatient zeal, heads down protecting their vitals they came at the group strong and fast. The harpies screamed and launched into the air. One crewman was hit by a beam from a statue on his third step and frozen in place, simulating being turned to stone.

So Frenchie and three of her team left! Upon seeing the one member hit, French rolled behind cover and regrouped. The baddies were turning around for the second attack. French took out a statue and barely ducked from getting hit. She leaped high and shot a harpie before landing mere feet from a Minataur. So close it was hard to miss hitting him in the eyes. One down and one to go. The other crewman had taken down both Harpies now and there was one Minataur and a couple statues. The other Minataur was in the process of getting a head of steam when he got blasted from two sides..that's when all three crew members went down, hit by statues!

"Damn it, we almost had em!" Freaking horse shoes and hand grenades, she thought to herself. "Reset and let's go again!" She yelled.

The scene reset immediately All those wounded were back on their feet with maybe a light bruise. The minotuars were deeper back now and the harpies this time were not in view. People in windows were merely shadows so if they were a threat or a innocent was not easy to determine. "The scene will not play the same way twice. Remember single shots will not put any of these things down, three shot bursts and keep firing. The replicators in the rifles should last for hundreds of shots. Ready?" He looked at Frenchie "cross the line and it begins anew."


This time nothing charged right at them, the statues began firing those beams right down the middle of the street forcing the team to move into the flanks, splitting the group The pair away from Frenchie were hit from the first building as two Minotaurs charged them through the walls with three harpies leaping down from above. This was an ambush scenario!

They were beat again. Seregon was getting pissed! So she ordered the scene set again.
They stacked on the Lt. They all moved well together in this shoot don't shoot scenario. Weapons at the ready, they could hear the first Minataur before they could see it. This time with confidence up, it was almost unfair to the monsters. As soon as the first Minataur was visible the group volley fired on it taking it down. Then the aimed for all the statues at once, taking all of the but two with grenades, like McBain had suggested earlier. Harpies were in the air but could not get close. The group was tight and engaged monsters simultaneously in all direction, u till there was only one Minataur left. They made it to the end of the street, but between them and the shuttle was no mean don of a bitch Minataur. As he leveled himself on them and began to charge. A handgrenade went off at his feel causing him to raise up slightly. Making most of his volunarble spots easy targets for Seregon and one of the other crewmen. As they unloaded on the beast, it's nostrils flared and it bellowed. Another golly of fire and a grenade did the trick. Just as they thought they were clear. A window opened and bolts of what looked like lightening flew at them. They were hit but not out. As they unleashed holy hell on the figure in the window. Falling forward over the plain to safety.

McBain released the security teams and looked at Frenchie. Once alone he asked, "So you knew how to use the armor, and you knew how to use the battle rifle. So why did you still need me?"

Seregon smiled. "I needed to know that you are the real deal and you are. Also, even the best need a refresher from time to time. And you gave me my confidence back. I've been out of action for a while. And things change. Reading up on something is not the same as doing it. I needed this and you delivered. That's why. Are we cool?" She asked.

"Sure." McBain smiled, it came easy to him. "You were honest with me, if you had lied than no we would not be cool. Okay now which do you prefer Gladius (three foot double edged straight blade), or a German hunting saber (another three foot blade but curved, both have a point). Or do you prefer two weapons? You wanted a refresher time to give it a go." Mcbain took one of the sabers himself and moved off away from Frenchie. "The armor gives us an advantage but not much as these guys are very strong. I was taught to move and that appears true here as well. Movement is survival, stop moving and you die."

McBain crossed the line at a run. He leaped horizontally letting a beam pass under him. He landed lightly with a forward roll but spun away to the left as another beam struck where he might have been if he stood straight up. He moved out of view of the statues behind the houses. A Minotaur came around the house from the other side but McBain leaped to the roof. He ducked under a winged claw of a harpy and slashed up under the same wing almost severing it. McBain slashed the harpy from behind as he moved behind her almost severing her head. He took two running steps and leaped over the Minotaur. It charged trying to gore him andhe spun away slashing the Minotaur behind the knee cutting the tendons. The beast swung around leading with a massive backfist. McBain stayed low under the swing and slashed the femoral artery of the other leg. He continued on his way as the Minotaur tried and failed to pursue. He did a forward roll and than leaped into the transport.

Now standing beside Frenchie once more. Keep in mind there are no points for a kill, only for survival and completing the mission. Which is to get to the transport alive." Mcbain was still breathing hard as he waved for her to go. "Your turn."

"Give me a minute." And she walked over to her bag and pulled out a small padd. Finding the item she wanted, she tapped the site to site tab and a packaged was transported to their location. The box was rectangular and about 4.5 ft long. It was black with a felt type finish. When she opened it McBain saw a Sword that he immediately would recognize being the weapons officianoto that he was. Seregon reached down and picked it up. Anyone could tell that she had used it before.

"The weapon of the Samurai. Razor sharp and deadly. This is my blade of choice." As she strapped it to her back so she could reach it during combat. "Now I'm ready." She said taking on a completely different persona. There was no doubt, that she was dangerous.

Everything about her had changed, it was like the blade transformed her into a modern day Samurai, a term she had heard Alex use several times.

McBain shook his head "Lieutenant, you were at the briefing. You do realize that beautiful katana will barely scratch those things. They are more dense than steel. They have some magical quality in their hides. It was why I went to LT sh'Zoarhi to have these shorter blades made. They are far less elegant but the thicker, heavy blades allow for the tungsten/rhenium wire." He held up the Gladius and the hunting saber. “I also requested a couple war axes. They are heavy but the armor enhancement helps with that. The thing is those heavier blades are easier to balance and allow room to add in the dense wire material." McBain felt bad for her but he shrugged "if we had adamantine I would have asked for longer blades." McBain was glad he had suggested this melee session now, if she had gone on mission with the Katana she would have been ineffective at best and at worst dead.

Seregon heard his protest. But she wanted to see what she could do. If they did not work. So be it. After she failed miserably she conceded. “You were right. It won’t work. Let’s try it your way. “

McBain showed her two short swords he had made by the Chief Engineer already. One was a double edged Gladius stabbing sword. The other was a hunting saber with a slashing blade, but also pointed. Both blades had a section of the dense tungsten/rhenium wire affixed to the cutting edges. "I prefer the saber weapon myself as I want to be moving as much as possible. You are welcome to either blade or both."

Seregon took the doubled edged blade and went to work. Immediately taking out the statues closet to her before getting a piece of the first Minataur and bouncing off that one in the right direction I might add to the second Minataur over its head and dealing a devastating blow to the base of its neck and the top of its spinal cord bringing it to a staggering stop. Head flailing from side to side she left it in favor of the two harpies that were now in pursuit. She hit one head on and just about cut it in half taking the other by surprise and hitting it as well. She herself hit the ground and rolled. Up until now she had spent most of het time airborne and dealing death and destruction. She rolled and sprinted for the safety of the transport taking a swing at the last operational statue as she went. Success!

"How you like me now?" She asked with an attitude to boot!

McBain just smiled and walked over the the holo deck controls. "With the right weapon, you'll be alright. You got skills!" Said McBain and turned and left the holo deck!




 

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