(no subject)

[hecu_marine]

The sight of Shephard out behind the bar with a bow and a damn big quiver of arrows is not an uncommon one around here. The longbow is not, however, the Marine's sole pre-gunpowder weapon of choice. In the part of Corps history during which he enlisted, the Marines were the only US armed force to receive any training at all with swords.

Granted, it was largely for ceremonial events; this is why Shephard's style looks nothing like Corps training moves. He's practicing what Bumi taught him to do with a Mameluke saber, not anything his old DI ever did.

Not that he expects to have to, you know, sword anybody any time soon. But it is far from a bad idea to keep in practice with all your weapons.

[Tinytag: Sabine Wren]

Comments

[explosive_artist]

Sabine is out in her helmet as she approaches the targeting range and spots someone with a kind of sword. Being a curious sort, she pauses to watch.

Melee isn't her normal MO, but she can appreciate its appeal.

[hecu_marine]

Shephard's form is okay. Nothing spectacular. He looks like he's repeating moves to knock the rust off before moving on to something more sophisticated.

Or stopping when he realizes there's someone else presend. "Need the range?" he says.

[explosive_artist]

Sabine takes off the helmet, shrugs and shakes her head.

"No rush. I was just bored and thought I'd knock a few out. Is that what you fight with normally?"

OK, she actually was going to test some new tweaks she'd made to her targeting system, but it can wait. This guy seems interesting.

[hecu_marine]

"Naw, but it don't hurt to have some backup if your guns ain't available," Shephard says. "Mostly what I use's projectile throwers. Couple energy weapons, nothin' too hefty."

The OSIPR is nice and all but it's just not the same as either a sniper rifle or a really good shotgun, to his way of thinking.

"You?"

[explosive_artist]

"Various combustibles or these guys," she says, pulling out one of her blasters and spinning it, gunslinger style, before reholstering it. "Shorter range than a rifle but they pack a nice punch and can retarget quickly."

[hecu_marine]

"Nice," says Shephard approvingly. "I go for long range, myself, most of the time. Sniper work, mostly. It don't hurt none to have a good fast backup with a solid kick to it if you got to hit somethin' closer in than that, though."

[explosive_artist]

"I can respect a good sniper weapon. Requires a steady hand and good focus."

[hecu_marine]

"Grew up huntin'. A fair few years of that'll set you up with a lot of the right skills, I reckon," Shephard says. "Fast draw'n fast aim, now, you gon' need good reflexes for that."

[explosive_artist]

"I've never hunted, to be honest. The planet I grow up on didn't have much in the way of animal life. Well, I've hunted sentients but I'd think that was different. As a bounty hunter, I mean, not some sort of trandoshan thing."

[hecu_marine]

"Yeah, that's a whole 'nother story," Shephard says. "Can't say I recognize that one word, though. What's 'trandoshan' mean?"

[explosive_artist]

"They're a sentient species of bipedal reptiles. Hunting is a big part of their culture and many take to bounty hunting as a means of legally taking on challenging prey. The less savory ones don't care about legality and will kidnap likely challenges to hunt on small moons and other private locations."

[hecu_marine]

"Gotcha. Ain't got those in my neck of the woods," Shephard says. "Earth ain't a real popular kind of planet for folks from places other'n Xen these days. Mind, some of the Xen critters're damn fine hunting, but there's no bounty on 'em that I know of."

[explosive_artist]

"You're an Earther than? I'm from Mandalore and as far as I know, there's no Earth in my galaxy."

It is a big place though, so she's not ruling it out yet.

[hecu_marine]

Shephard nods. "Can't say I've heard of Mandalore, but that ain't a surprise," he admits. "Earth ain't exactly what you'd real in touch with the rest of our own galaxy just yet."