At the Range
Posted on Fri 8th Aug, 2025 @ 9:29am by Commander Heriah Rex & Lieutenant JG Kellian Michaels
1,618 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
The Phoenix Gamble
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: Current
Heriah had scheduled a time to meet with Kellian at the holodeck. She wanted to test out her new phaser as well as check out Kellian's marksmanship.
'As well as check out Kellian.'
She arrived upon the agreed upon holodeck but a minute or two early. She had her phaser holstered and kept her hand on it as though she was ready for a fight or if she was itching to draw and get to using it already. Heriah decided to give Kellian another moment. Then she would head on in and start shooting targets.
Kellian stepped into the practice range a few moments after Heriah. "Hello," he said as he set his phaser case down. Like Heriah, he too wore his sidearm in a holster. "What would you like to start with, this evening, Commander?"
Heriah had her phaser out and was pointing it around. It did not yet have its battery pack inserted. Even then, she was sure not to point it at Kellian. "I have not had a chance to zero this thing yet. Perhaps the zero range simulation for starters." She lowered her phaser and turned to look at Kellian.
'You should definitely show him who's who when it comes to shooting. Then take him to your bed. Then kick him to the...'
"And then...perhaps we can skip basic qualification. I think we are both advanced enough to start at Level 5."
Kellian nodded and set up the zero range simulation for her. Zeroing her weapon would significantly increase her accuracy. He gave a soft snort of laughter. "Yes, basic qualification would be extremely boring. I can't imagine you've had to do that in quite a while."
A target appeared along the far wall. "Yes," she said as she retrieved her phaser and a battery pack. "Computer, phaser target practice underway. Any phaser fire inside this holodeck by either myself or LT Michaels should not trigger any station security warnings. Authorization Rex Lima Seven Theta Omega Five."
=^="Authorization Code accepted."=^= returned the Computer.
She looked to Kellian. "The last time I did basic qual, I hit 40 out of 40," she slapped in the battery and gave it a tap to ensure it was seated properly, "and about as instantly as the targets popped up. So..." and she took aim, adjusted her stance and breathed. "I've not even given this thing a test fire yet." She fired and the phaser beam impacted the wall above the target and to the left. "Hmm," she hummed as she looked at her phaser. "Well, as long as my grouping is fine." She fired again and the beam impacted the same area; off by a few inches though. "When was the last time the previous owner fired this thing?" she asked as she readied herself for another shot. Heriah adjusted her stance again; appeared not very confident in her grouping.
Kellian frowned. "It shouldn't be doing that. It was working fine when I test-fired it for you, or I wouldn't have assigned it to you. Its only previous user was Commander T'Venderath, who was the XO before you." He glanced at her phaser. "May I?"
"Sure," she said as she slipped on the safety and handed the phaser to Kellian, making sure to keep the business end of it pointed toward the far wall. "Must be the way it is zeroed added to how I hold it."
'Maybe, once you are done, you can show me how you hold it.'
"Maybe, once you are done, you can show me how you hold it," she said. "I know that just a slight shift in finger placement can make all the difference."
Kellian shrugged. "To me, grip shouldn't affect the weapon's accuracy, at all," he said. "I know they say grip can make a huge difference, but I feel like that's excusing poor workmanship somewhere. You should be able to fire a phaser--or use any weapon--accurately, whether it's held in the right or left hand and no matter the user's species or sex. The automatic target detection system is supposed to take care of sighting. Grip shouldn't even be an issue." He removed the top faceplate and peered at the focusing crystal's placement inside. Kellian gave it a dubious look. "It seems all right to me, but it's possible the alignment could be off by a minuscule amount that could misalign the firing."
He replaced the faceplate and ensured that it was secure. "Here's how I hold it." He held it in his left hand, with his thumb on top of the phaser so he could use the control buttons. He handed it back to Heriah, with the business end still pointed toward the wall.
Heriah took hold of the phaser and went to aim again. "The grip," she said to herself. "That was why I was asking for the ZX-90 when you issued me this. You see, the ZX-70 and the 90 have very similar grips. The 80..." and she sent a stream of phaser fire down the range. It impacted the target but almost missed, "...well...let's just say Rex's previous host, Luftine, was a particular man and was in love with the ZX-70. His meticulousness when it comes to this has stuck with me. So, when I qualled last at Starfleet, we used the ZX-90. This one, just feels...different." She fired again and hit the target in what would have been a person's neck; grazing it however."
Rex stood there, adjusting the positioning of her fingers somewhat, attempting to hold it as he had shown.
"Oh! Well, if that's the issue, we still have some 70s," Kellian said. "They're good, solid weapons. I can issue you one of them until the 90s come in, and if you decide you want a 90, you can exchange your 70 for one then."
"No," she said, "I know I can get beyond Luftine's particular-ness."
'Just like you can get beyond your desire to have him behind you, arms wrapped around you, showing you how he holds it.'
After exhaling a hum of irritation, Heriah held her breath and fired again hitting the mark dead center of the bullseye.
"There," she said, lowering her phaser, "not a problem. At least, not anymore." She smiled at Kellian.
Kellian's eyes widened. "Nice," he said. "How did you compensate for the phaser?"
"I compensated for Luftine," she said. "Previous host." Heriah aimed and fired, again hitting the bullseye. "He hated the way the ZX-80 feels in the hand. So much that he could not fire one adequately. Refkin, however. Well, symbiontic memory has taught me to overcome any and all difficulties. Luftine wanted to be rid of difficulties and have them replaced by something easier. Refkin enjoyed hardship." She readied her phaser and took aim again. "So I channeled Refkin." She fingered at the controls and disabled the auto-targeting function. "Sending a phaser beam forth once more, she still hit the bullseye, within less than a degree of error.
Satisfied with her progress, Heriah lowered her phaser, set the device to safe and took a step back.
"I like the way Refkin thought," Kellian said. He took out his own phaser, which he practiced with pretty often, also turned off the auto-sighting, and fired three quick bursts at the target. His shots weren't as precise as Heriah's, but they were all close to the center of the innermost circle, with little spacing between them.
"Nice grouping," she said. "And there was plenty about Refkin you would have liked." Heriah holstered her phaser. "What do you think? Level 5 qual range next? Or an old fashioned shootout?"
Kellian considered that. "Level 5 qual and then a shootout?" he suggested. "It's good to practice against people who aren't holograms."
"Agreed," Heriah said. Then, "Computer," there came a bleep, "load Phaser Range Qualification Level 5. Parameters are as follows. Corridor; standard Starfleet vessel. Intersections spread equidistantly at intervals of 50 meters ranging from 50 to 300 meters. Targets; Breen, moving and appearing at random with no more than 3 at a time. Total; 20 targets. If targets are exposed for more than 1 second, they fire back. Close parameters."
=^="Parameters accepted. Program ready."=^=
"Activate program." As the scenario faded into being, she and Kellian found themselves in the corridor of a Neo-Constitution Class starship. Heriah motioned with her hand for Kellian to take a few steps back to be concealed from view of the targets. "Run program."
It took a few seconds. It was always at random when the first target(s) shows themselves. This time, it was 2 and Heriah dispatched them both quickly and easily. 3, 4, and 5 were also similarly taken out with #5 just about to fire back. 7 and 8 showed and, by the time Heriah shot #7, the 8th Breen managed a phaser beam back at her. Rex, rolled along the floor dodging the beam then aimed and fired back, dispatching #8. The 9th target was alone and proved an easy mark. 10th and 11th were also easy hits with #10 being at the 50 meter mark where Heriah would have had to actively try to miss in order to not hit it. The 11th target was at the 300 meter distance but she manage to hit it before it could return fire. The rest of the qual went in a similar fashion all until she was faced with her 20th target. After dispatching #19, #20 managed a shot which impacted Heriah in her left shoulder and, as she fell back, she managed a return fire impacting target #20 in the neck.
The computer paused the program automatically as the final target was gone. Heriah fell back onto the floor in something of an embarrassing display. Still, the computer returned with, =^="Qualification passed. Score, 20 out of 20 targets."=^=
By Commander Geraldine "Geri" Severide on Mon 18th Aug, 2025 @ 1:53am
Love a good armory post!