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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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May 6, 2013 14:20:26 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 6, 2013 14:20:26 GMT -5
Dutch would watch the odd pair as they walked down to set up the target. He huffed a laugh before shaking his head. No one could say the DLA didn't seem to attract characters. His rifle would be shouldered off and into his hands. In practiced motions Dutch slapped in the slug clip, rounds from the bulk ammo chosen so they didn't use the higher quality slugs.
"Easy enough."
He replied with a couple nods. Dutch moved ahead of the two, taking a kneeling position. The same position he had used countless times when hunting in the fields of Dantooine. His rifle shouldered and his eye peering down the iron sights, he waited for his arms to steady. But they wouldn't. "Damn..." Dutch lowered the weapon and began to take in slow, steady breaths. You got this...
Again the rifle was raised, a slow exhale made as he lined up the rifle and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out in the range, and out of instinct Dutch worked the custom action to reload the next shot before checking his hit. Not even near the bulls-eye, but on the target.
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 6, 2013 14:46:38 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 6, 2013 14:46:38 GMT -5
"Eeeeeen, is not so bad," Bosco said. "Means plenty of room for improving."
Bosco dropped to take Dutch's spot, bracing his stance rather than kneeling. Unlike most of his kin, Bosco had no patience for miniaturized weapons, and so looked rather ridiculous with the full-sized sniper rifle back against his shoulder. No tripods or bipods, that was part of the bet.
He fired a confident shot. The center of the bullseye glowed bright red.
"Ehh, not bad," he grinned. "Your turn."
Grizzelda had already sized up her target. She strolled over to the space Bosco vacated, and didn't even bother to stop walking as she shot from the hip. The target seemed unchanged.
"Haha! This is what you are getting for being a hotshot, first letter for you, Grizz."
"Hm?" she was unphased. "Check again."
With narrowed eyes, Bosco fluttered closer to the target. When he reached it, a wave of his hand enlarged the capture, and it was clear that there were two shots at the bullseye, nearly right on top of each other. Bosco swore and muttered "Showoff."
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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May 6, 2013 15:17:02 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 6, 2013 15:17:02 GMT -5
"Just like your stench old man." Dutch said as he shifted away. He watched the Toydarian take his shot, and did his best not to scowl at the near perfect shot. Wasn't surprised though, Bosco had been shooting a rifle since before Dutch was even born.
But then Grizzelda strode up, and Dutch clearly saw what happened before Bosco realized it. She had drilled near directly over Bosco's shot. Dutch couldn't quite explain how he had tracked the shot better than the old sniper, but it made him uncomfortable for some reason. Wasn't the first time he felt that way since waking from the coma.
He shook it off and motioned for Bosco to move back and out of the way. Dutch knelt in the same spot with his jaw set and his eyes gleaming. One slid closed, the other narrowed down the sights. Still the barrel wavered, not nearly as bad as the first shot. He waited, and began to note almost a pattern in the way the barrel moved. The trigger was pulled, the shot rang out. The slug hit the target, this time in the third farthest ring from the middle on the opposite side. His grouping was terrible, but it was closer.
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 6, 2013 15:40:54 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 6, 2013 15:40:54 GMT -5
"Tsk tsk," Grizzelda said, "It's Bosco's turn to pick."
The Toydarian fluttered away from the target. "Time to be making this a little more interesting."
Grizzelda raised her scope to the target. 514 meters. "You call this interesting?" She jeered, as Bosco took the shot. Just barely off-center. "After you," Grizz beckoned to Dutch.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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May 6, 2013 15:52:08 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 6, 2013 15:52:08 GMT -5
Dutch huffed audibly in response. Once again he took up the stance and peered down the iron sights. He followed the wavering of the barrel, doing his best to let his body steady itself. His finger went to pull the trigger but a cramp in his bicep and back suddenly screamed out, and he growled as the shot completely missed the target. Dutch dropped the rifle to his knee and used his free hand to start massaging the muscles up and down his arm and shoulder.
"Frakkin' dammit. How much longer is this crap gonna last?"
He swore again a few times and rose to his feet to move out of the way.
"Alright Sunshine, at least take the gasbag down a peg or two."
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 6, 2013 16:12:16 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 6, 2013 16:12:16 GMT -5
"What's that?"
There was already a second shot through the Bullseye of the target. Bosco muttered again. "I don't know why you do this to yourself," Grizzelda chided, "It only puts you in a sour mood."
"Just shut up and be getting on with it."
She walked them to the far wall of the cavern, a thousand yards. This time she kneeled, taking time and care to steady the rifle. It moved rhythmically with her breath. She exhaled, and at the bottom of her breath pulled the trigger. The shot hit just left of center of the target. Confirmation that this scope had been pulling lately, she'd calibrate it later.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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May 6, 2013 23:59:41 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 6, 2013 23:59:41 GMT -5
"That's alright, we'll go feed him after this and he'll cheer right up. I hear Glitch and Candi made their famous dantlberry pie...."
Dutch's mouth watered just at the thought of it. Say what you could about their living condition, but everyone did their best to bring comfort to one another, even if it was something as simple as a pie.
He rolled his eyes at Grizzelda's shot, mirroring Bosco's own rolled eyes.
"Crap. H-O already. You really must get some sweet satisfaction from kicking men's arses, don't you?"
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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May 7, 2013 13:46:56 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 7, 2013 13:46:56 GMT -5
"They're the ones who keep coming back," she crooned.
Bosco muttered something indecipherable but clearly malevolent as he took Grizzelda's place.
His shot hit just outside the bullseye.
"Good shot."
Her patronizing tone did not please Bosco. She looked expectantly at Dutch.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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May 7, 2013 13:57:28 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 7, 2013 13:57:28 GMT -5
"Don't expect me to be askin' for more, Sugar."
Dutch huffed. He rotated the arm that had cramped up as Grizz looked his way. Both eyebrows raised in response.
"Ah, right. Gotta go so you can show me up."
He grinned and moved forward to take his stance. Rifle shouldered Dutch lined up and pulled the trigger. To his surprise it was only an inch or so away from Bosco's. He blinked. Once, twice. Surprised by how close he had gotten this time.
"Huh."
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 7, 2013 16:50:13 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 7, 2013 16:50:13 GMT -5
"Hm," Grizzelda said, with a hint of a genuine smile. "So you do learn."
That made it Dutch's turn again. "My suggestion," she said, leaning in conspiratorially, "Pick a tallish piece of rubble to hide behind."
It took Bosco a moment to process this, but suddenly he whipped around. "Hey, none of this dirty playing!"
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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May 8, 2013 10:50:21 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 8, 2013 10:50:21 GMT -5
Dutch chuckled as she teased Bosco. He was still quite impressed with himself, even more so that he hadn't put as much effort into aiming the shot, just sort of trusted his rifle and went with it. Still huffing in silent laughter, he winked at Grizz.
"Nah, I got another idea."
He cradled his rifle and jogged over to the taller piece of rubble, far to the right on the range. The shoulder strap to the Frankford was slung over to let Dutch use both hands to scramble up. Now a few meters off the ground, Dutch knelt and aimed. But then smiled. Instead he stood up, and held the rifle one handed. The trigger pulled, and the slug slammed into the target in the second to closest zone. Again making his jaw set in disbelief. What was happening? Dutch turned a grin down to them and shrugged.
"Who's next?"
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 9, 2013 11:31:08 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 9, 2013 11:31:08 GMT -5
Though Grizzelda didn't show it (her poker face had won her more than a few million credits, cumulatively) she was... Well, impressed was still the wrong word. She had known, from her first few interactions with Dutch, that there was something special about him. It took much more than special to impress Grizzelda, but, it had at least made him worth her time.
Grizzelda had been born with some degree of natural insight, but for the most part her ability to spot fire had come from being burned. This kind of instinct, the kind that Dutch had just displayed, was something different entirely. It was an uncanny ability to see either what things were, or what they could be. In her travels, Grizzelda had met a handful of people with this instinct. Most of them were Jedi.
"Bosco, I think the kid's been holding back on us," she grinned, and Bosco couldn't help but smile as he grumbled "Lucky shot."
Luck had nothing to do with Bosco's pegging the target just opposite Dutch, though admittedly it did have a bit to do with Grizzelda's slice just outside Bosco's. Bad luck.
"Good shot," Bosco sneered, and Grizzelda shrugged. Let not anyone doubt that the Toydarian was indeed a brilliant and experienced sniper. "Now," Bosco stroked the coarse whiskers on his chin, "What to be doing next... Eh, this target does the moving, no?" Grizzelda nodded and Bosco fluttered off to fiddle with the target.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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May 9, 2013 11:41:57 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 9, 2013 11:41:57 GMT -5
"Kid? Ain't you only like a couple years older?"
Dutch said with exasperation. He couldn't deny that Grizz was clearly more experienced in life, but did that earn him the title of kid? He certainly didn't think so.
"Luck ain't got nothing to do with it. That was pure skill my friends."
He chuckled as he worked his way down the boulder. Dutch watched the other shots, Bosco's close but hers not so much. Seemed the battle maiden could fault as well sometimes. But when they mentioned the moving target, he blinked.
"It... moves now? Since when did we get one of them?"
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 9, 2013 12:42:11 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 9, 2013 12:42:11 GMT -5
"Oh that's mine," Grizzelda said, jumping down from the rubble. "Stationary targets spoil your training. Plus it's handy for settling bets. Case in point." She nodded at Bosco, as the whirr of the target's repulsers lifted it off of the stand. It stayed in the same plane but began to move around erratically, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, sometimes stopping.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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May 9, 2013 12:47:44 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 9, 2013 12:47:44 GMT -5
"Huh. Makes sense. And don't be stealing all of Bosco's credits, I've already had to dig him out from gambling debts before."
Dutch placed one hand on his belt buckle for a moment, until it hit him.
"...Dammit Grizz, you're the one who's been stealing all his creds, aren't you?"
He shook his head before turning his attention to the moving target.
"Mind if I take a couple practice shots first?"
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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Fire cannot kill a dragon.
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 9, 2013 15:17:10 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 9, 2013 15:17:10 GMT -5
Grizzelda grinned. "Dutch, stealing is wrong."
Bosco nodded at Dutch's question, "Sure. Grizz and I are the ones with the score to be settling. You are having H," he added offhandedly.
"And that's a Hor for you, but not the fun kind."
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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May 9, 2013 15:22:03 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 9, 2013 15:22:03 GMT -5
Dutch huffed.
"Since when are those fun? I don't want no Huttese Pusblisters. Screw that."
He waved off the pair. Couple of crooks, yet they were his crooks. Dutch moved to kneel in front of them, shouldering his rifle. He began to follow the target, having difficult keeping up with it.
"Any advice?"
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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last online Oct 30, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
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May 9, 2013 15:44:42 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 9, 2013 15:44:42 GMT -5
Grizzelda crouched behind Dutch and followed his efforts. She placed a hand against his shoulder blade and rolled it back toward his spine.
"Don't choke up on the rifle too much. If you can't move, it can't move. Instead of hiking up your shoulders, tighten your core, like a Kiegel. Catch the recoil by squaring up right, not muscling into it." She corrected the angle of his shoulders. "When you're marking a person it's as much psychology as math. How are they going to move, what are they going to do next. With something random, like this, you have to tune out the conscious voice in your head, and just react. Breathe."
She put her right arm over his and guided the rifle to follow the target, fluid, steady movements.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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May 9, 2013 15:50:06 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on May 9, 2013 15:50:06 GMT -5
Dutch did his best to not clench up at Grizz' proximity. He did his best to ignore her presence, and focus on following the target. That was not easy. Not easy at all. His breath struggled to relax, but the more he breathed, the more he could feel his muscles unwind. Her words made sense, not all that different from hunting. But instead of waiting for the target to cease moving- this time you tracked them.
He nodded at her words, now ignoring her breath on his skin and her hands on his. Dutch felt like he reached some sort of understanding, like meditating almost. Not that he ever had the mind or patience for such a think. But he trusted himself, trusted his body as it moved in a rhythmic way.
And then he pulled the trigger, tagging the target near the top. His lips pulled down, impressed with himself.
"Huh."
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Kella
Fire and Blood
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May 12, 2013 21:56:34 GMT -5
Post by Kella on May 12, 2013 21:56:34 GMT -5
"Much better," Grizzelda grinned.
"Let's be getting on with it then," Bosco said, fluttering away from the target to double Dutch's distance. Once the other two were behind him, he took his shot, and hit the ring outside the bullseye. Still a lethal shot, all things considered.
"Go for it, Dutch," Grizzelda gestured.
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