"Hi, I'm Cassie Suthorn...and welcome to Jackass."

[abtakha]

[Backdated to before Miscun]

Since she was given a personal shield by some grateful groundies (as she was beginning to call the hapless inhabitants of the worlds the fleet kept stopping by and helping out), Cassie had been itching to try this. It only took some tinkering and buying, and she could take care of the questions she was burning to answer.

She was at the range. More specifically she was on the range. Right where you're not supposed to be. Though with a lane to herself. Small comfort as she had a variety of types of small arms pointed at her and was setting them off by remote control. As each projectile hit the shield, there was a glimmering as it was stopped, suspended in midair and dropped to the ground. She laughed when a neat row of bullets from her Stoner rifle stitched the air in front of her, which vibrate and pulsed with the shield's efforts at slowing then stopping them.

Better to know it here if it was gonna fail her, where the hospital was closeby, than in the field, she reasoned, though that could have just been her thrillseeking tendencies talking.

Comments

[crux_npcs]

There are some who use the very same range. Just, most of the time, other people weren't around when it happened.

His uniform was one that was currently unfamiliar to most in the fleet. It was only now that they were allowed to have semi-free reign to visit places outside of their classified areas. The range seemed like a relatively 'normal' place to visit but apparently there were some pretty hardcore people here.

The kind of people who don't mind getting shot at.

After the moment of surprise, he quickly shot a salute to announce his presence, heels clicking together and armored gauntlet clacking on his helmet.

"Ma'am! I do not believe targets on the firing range were meant to be living beings!"

[abtakha]

Cassie walked towards the man in the light battle armor. She looked up (as she did to most people) at him with a defiant glare.

"Name and rank?" She asked, challenging him.

[crux_npcs]

He didn't lose his posture nor his salute. The reply came sharp and crisp, the same way he seemed to keep everything about himself.

"Specialist Gunther, at your service!"

[abtakha]

Cassie smiled a Cheshire Cat grin. She had him.

"I'm lieutenant, junior grade, Cassiopia Suthorn, head scout for the 17th Recon Regiment, the meanest mercs this side of Outreach, before my involuntary transfer here. As your superior, I'm now drafting you to help me. Hit me with that little pop-gun of yours."

[crux_npcs]

"While you make a good point, I only follow orders from one person."

Now that things were a little more informal, his stance relaxed into something more of a parade rest.

"And as another note, I am also under strict orders to not harm any of the guests under any circumstances. To fire at you would be a violation of those orders."

[abtakha]

Cassie made a note to find out who this person was. She folded her arms.

"Specialist, the only pinche way you could harm me would be if this personal shield wasn't capable of stopping fire from an infantry scale weapon, as HQ told me in no-kuso terms it could. So either way I've been put in unneccessary danger by the high command of this fleet."

[crux_npcs]

"Then my suggestions is to cease for the time being. I will make sure this is sorted out and will return to you with proper answers that are better than guarantees."

Namely, he's taking these kind of complaints very seriously, even if it wasn't a complaint.

[abtakha]

Poor Gunther. Cassie's now dug her heels in and his attempts to make her follow common sense are only going to make it worse.

"Go ahead. But I spent a long time setting this up, so I'm gonna finish my own testing if yah don't mind."

And with that she begins to set the next gun in place.

[crux_npcs]

If she wanted, he wasn't going to stop her. Gunther simpler gave her the warning he felt obligated to give. Anything after that and it was interfering too much.

So he took his place a little further away, to do his own practice. That was why he was originally down here.

I'm imagining him singing the Ding Dong Song btw

[abtakha]

Eventually Cassie is satisfied that her new shield is capable of stopping a single shot from pretty much anything the fleet has in stock. She'll stop there. Even she's not reckless enough to chance whether it can stop an SRM round, which are expensive anyway.

She leaps over the barrier and walks over to Gunther.

"Don't recognize that uniform. What branch you with, anyway?"

[crux_npcs]

"AFLAK."

He answered in between cracks of his rifle. Once he's satisfied, he pulls himself up so he can face her.

"I'm afraid anymore would be too much."

[abtakha]

That told her enough though. Cassie rolled her eyes, then immediately regretted it. This AFLAK could be like the loutish bullies in her home Cappelan Confederation's Maskirovka. Or they could be more like the ninja assassins of the Draconis Combine's DEST. Best not to antagonize them until she had an idea one way or the other.

[crux_npcs]

He did take her reaction the wrong way. But not in a bad way.

"It may seem silly but we do have operational protocol to follow."