Bot Training: Another Target Range

[Kup]

"Whichever hand you find yourself using when you don't stop and think about what hand you wanna use first, that's your primary hand," Kup explains. "Most Transformers aren't, for the most part, completely ambidextrous - that's no preferences - though we're closer to being it than humans. Still, there's usually some quirk of code here or a hardware glitch there that leads to folks favoring one hand or the other. Remember what I said about practicing using different stances and the off hand, though. Just keep sighting them the same way - that's the real key. When the sights get sloppy, the shots get sloppy." Kup puts the safety back on the pistol and lays the pistol on the table. "And Holi, just practice with what you can use. If you like, we can see about having a rifle sized for you built, but that's up to you."

The veteran points to a catapult looking device laying next to the table. By it is a simple pile of rounded disks. "Once you folks get comfortable with the static targets, you can move on to those. You'll need to trade off who's operating that thing, though. And, of course, being good here doesn't say whether you'll be able to hit what you're aiming at on an actual battlefield, with the other side firing back. It's mostly a method for learning the basics, as we've got a few people who have a bit of heat condensation behind the audio sensors." Here, Kup looks at Gizmo. "We'll work up to simulating more accurate battlefield conditions at a later date."

Kup now turns to the group as a whole, and gestures towards Mirage and Perceptor. "I've got to move on, but these two both are excellent shots. If you need help, they're ones you'll be wanting to get tips from." Of course, Perceptor, for all that he's a good shot in non-combat conditions, is more suited for a lab than a battlefield, and this Mirage is new enough to the war that he described having some reluctance when it came to firing on a fellow Cybertronian. But in a non-combative range like this? Yeah, both of them are going to have good advice.

"Practice hard, folks. I'm not going to wish you luck. That's not what this is about. But good practice." And with that he turns and strides off.

---

OOC: Out of thread.

[Long Haul]

Long Haul has been here hovering in the background for awhile now. He's green in more ways than one! He has his little pistol, the one that doubles as a welder, out, and he's presently pointing it towards the ground. Of course, he often has to point it towards things that he doesn't intend to shoot, but that's because it's multi-functional!

The Constructibot steps forward, maybe a bit nervously, and looks at the group at large. "Erm, hi, folks," he greets. Then he steps up to the line. He attempts to copy the stance Kup had been using, cupping one hand under the other, and he lifts the pistol and spends a good three minutes aiming before he finally fires five shots.

Not a one hits.

Long Haul sighs.

[Wheelie]

Wheelie answers Mirage's question first. "Usually one shot is all Wheelie needs, one shot to distract and away he speeds! Wheelie can fight and even win, but mostly it's been about saving his skin. But when push comes to shove, I'll be past enough to shock, just watch out when I shoot my firerock!"

As if to prove his point, he lets off another volley and then another, and then another. There's several seconds delay between them, but as he already had his firerocks out and in his pullback hand, less so than if he'd had to totally reload. His accuracy has dropped by the second shot, dipping low, while the third barely skims the target.

Once that is done, he accepts the gun from Perceptor and aims down it carefully, examining the unfamiliar weapon for a moment before squeezing the trigger. He jerks slightly with the firing, but his aim is basically good, nailing a target in what would be its shoulder.

[Mirage]

Mirage actually does a bit of a double take at Perceptor's accuracy. He drawls, "Perceptor, just in case Kup ever decides we're to play skirmish games, I'm calling dibs on you now. Very nice. Are you as accurate with heavier weaponry?"

He lifts a hand as Kup leaves, then nods at Holi and Long Haul. To Wheelie he says, "Not bad. Accuracy sacrificed for speed of course, but that is fairly normal."

Perceptor seems to have Wheelie well in hand, so Mirage steps up to the targeting line next to Long Haul, rifle in hand. "Don't get discouraged. Practice may be only part of the equation, but it will help." Mirage lifts the rifle, aims, and fires off three shots in one swift movement. All three strike a target roughly 200 yards down making a tight, perfect triangle in what would be the center of the chest. You could cover all three with a playing card.

"Aiming is important, but don't over think. The longer you spend lining up a shot, the more tense you become. Here," he shifts his aim to a fairly close vehicle, and shoots, putting a round through what would equate to the engine block, "try there. Just point and shoot."

[Firebolt]

"OH OH lookit this!" Firebolt yells as she comes skidding up behind those looking at the range, transforms and then points. "This is like, oooh. Man, guns. I have been shooting things and throwing things at things and shooting things some more out in my lil spot, can't be too underprepared, huh?"

She eyes the range and then nabs her weapon of choice... Off her back. Her boomerang looks a little more beaten up, but geared. "I found stuff and made it magnetized to me," she talks half to herself and looks down at her free hand and one-hand-claps it together. Some of the things found in junk are pretty useful.

Snapping her head up, she looks at the target range and then marches forward boldly. "Lemmie know when, Cap'n!"

[Holi]

Holi nods wordlessly at Kup's advice. He isn't sure he'd like a rifle – his pistol works well enough for him, after all, even though he rarely finds the opportunity to make use of it – but practise he can and practise he will.

Dutifully mindful of those already on the line, and pausing to glance at Firebolt in her enthusiastic arrival, Holi steps up to one side; he checks both charge and safety on his pistol for the nth time before turning off the safety and carefully taking aim on a target that is as yet unscathed. Those who bother to look at him will see a very typical, youthful look of concentration on his face, mouth set into a determined line. Three shots in a quick, almost nervous burst; only one hits, roughly mid-torso on the target. Two successive shots follow, more measured, one striking a 'shoulder' and the other dead center of the 'chest'. It's almost a grouping.

[Perceptor]

"Depending upon the ordinance, and given the opportunity to to examine the specific characteristics of said weapon, generally, yes," Perceptor replies to Mirage. "It's a matter of combining physics, the appropriate calculations based upon the weapon's properties, and visual acuity. I am most accurate with my photon cannon, however, stationary targets are significantly easier to target than mobile targets."

He turns a faintly wry look up at the spy for a moment. "I am, however, passable enough not to instigate a 'friendly fire' incident."

"Nicely done, Slingshot," he offers as he turns back, adding for Mirage, "But, yes. I generally strike what I target. As I said, visual acuity."

"Well done, Wheelie. This weapon was not designed for someone of your stature; I will work on constructing you something more appropriate to assist in your accuracy. Additionally, your slingshot fires at a significantly lower velocity, and so requires a bit more compensation for gravity than a pistol such as this," he explains, reaching over to place his hands over Wheelie's to correct the minibot's aim. Clearly, he is preparing to launch into a dissertation about the specific principles of physics and photon dynamics and electrical discharge that make utilizing the blaster effective, when Firebolt's arrival distracts him and neatly derails the SCIENCE! lesson.

"Ah, welcome, Firebolt."

[Gizmo]

Gizmo knows Kup's comment was somewhat directed at him, and he tries not to look dismayed by it. He's got a point, after all -- outside of sci-fi movies (which make this shooting thing look SO much easier than it is) and a few close calls with Decepticons while on hacking runs, he's a frontline "newbie." Well, all the more reason to keep up the practice here, then, rather than be caught on a battlefield unprepared and have his aft handed to him.

He fires one more time... and grins widely as he finally hits his target squarely.

"WHOOO!" he hollers, pumping both fists in the air. "Got it!"

[Skyfire]

Skyfire walked up and unlimbered his double-barreled particle cannon, carefully pointing the muzzle at the ground. He looked around at the various Bots practicing and being assisted by Perceptor and Mirage; apparently they were the range masters for this exercise.

"Perceptor? Are any of these long-range targets entirely expendable? I would like to calibrate my fire control; I'm not certain of its precision after all the damage and crashing," Skyfire asked. "Considering I didn't manage to hit Spinister with my cannon when he flew head-on at me, nor Thundercracker, but only scored hits with my missiles... Well, I don't think I need to test my missiles here, but you can see where I might have doubts about my cannon."

[Slingshot]

Slingshot nods at Kup's instructions and starts alternating hands between each shot. This handily requires him to re-align each shot before he takes it. It takes him a good while, between half a minute and two minutes, to get each shot lined up right. When he doesn't take that time, his shots go wild, but going so slowly really sticks in his craw.

He's sticking with the basic stance Kup showed him for now, half-remembered advice from Skydive reminding him that practice makes perfect.

... He hasn't heard from his other-self reflections of his brothers in a while.

With that thought, Slingshot glances off to the right, visor dimming. His stance loosens, and he slowly lowers his pistol as he goes diving through his mind for the faint reflections of his Aerialbot brothers.

They're not anywhere.

The pistol clatters from his suddenly lose hand, and Slingshot transforms and roars skyward.

---

Slingshot is out of thread. PM me if anyone wants to give chase, and I'll make a thread for that.

[Long Haul]

"Good job, Gizmo!" Long Haul says encouragingly. After all, Gizmo has hit a target! Long Haul hasn't. He steps out of the way - quite the crowd forming here. Maybe he should head towards the melee section?

He lines up to aim again, and starts firing - miss, miss, miss, lucky shot, miss - when he's disturbed by Slingshot's sudden take off. The Constructibot looks up after Slingshot, then looks at the others, then looks up after Slingshot again, then points at the pistol that the Aerialbot had just dropped.

"Wasn't that his personal pistol?" he asks.

[Wheelie]

Thank goodness for interruptions! Wheelie is fairly certain that if he has to listen to Perceptor for any length of time, he might have to dig a hole in his head with his knife in order to let all of the boredom out.

He watches Slingshot go. "Jetbot flees and takes to the sky, but Wheelie can't help but want to know why!"

[Mirage]

"Hmmm, looks like some of you are getting a feel for it at least," Mirage says. "Nothing spectacular as of yet, but no one is completely hopeless either." Mirage attempts to clasp Long Haul's shoulder, meaning it to be an encouraging gesture, but coupled with his words and tone, it might come off a bit patronizing.

When Skyfire shows, Mirage can't help but give a him a look that is a little longer than polite. He really does look like Jetfire. And then there are the other similarities. Mirage is about to speak when Slingshot darts off, leaving his pistol behind

"Oh, for the love of Primus! Are you people not taught proper weapons care in your reality?" He doesn't appear at all concerned about the Aerialbot's sudden departure as he crosses over and picks up Slingshot's pistol. He checks it over for damage, then fires a couple of shots to make sure all is in working order. He then subspaces the pistol. "I'll hold this till he comes back. If he doesn't, or I'm not here when he does, Perceptor, Je-Skyfire, would you let him know I have it?"

Without waiting for a reply, Mirage moves toward the rough skeet machine set-up. He can still help those working with the stationary targets, but he'll also be available for those who want to try their luck with a moving target.

---

Cross posting that last to a new thread, to help keep things more managable. Anyone who wants to harrass get help from Mirage is free to wander over there.

[Firebolt]

Firebolt looks about ready to say something before she watches Slingshot blast off. She watches him go before turning back to the range and then stares at the targets.

"So. I can, like, attack these, right?" She says, before answering her own question. She draws her arm back and then hurls her boomerang at a target which is easily hit by it. The boomerang lodges itself into the middle of it. Firebolt stares, before holding out both of her hands and then, magnetically, the boomerang is yanked back. "Whee! Go junk that I found that works!" She says gleefully.

[Holi]

Holi's hard at work focusing on his target – two more shots to the chest! – and lining up his sights for another go-round when Slingshot takes off. Any concentration the Micromaster had is now a frayed little mess at the back of his mind, where concern has shoved it. Can't have it getting in the way.

He hasn't spoken to the Aerialbot much, if at all. Is that sort of thing normal for him? And who to ask about it, for that matter?

"…Mirage, sir?" begins Holi, deciding he'll go with the superior who isn't currently busy with someone else. He pauses only to give Skyfire a shallow bow in greeting before scurrying after the spy. Unfortunately, he misses Firebolt's boomerang demonstration.

---

OOC: Out of here and off to Target Training with Mirage.