Author's Note: (Original Character) Takes place in the Star Wars universe 9 ABY. One of the splintered imperial factions, the Vast Empire, survives and continues to Thrive. This is a story about one of their troopers and her training after enlisting in the army. More stories about Havock and other Vast Empire troopers can be found at .com/main/
Havock slapped the hydrospanner down on the tarmac and slid out from under the TX-130T Fighter Tank. She wasn't allowed to perform any real maintenance on the repulsorlift vehicles, yet. But Sarge didn't mind her coming down to the maintenance bay and doing anything from observing to assisting in some routine task.
This particular vehicle had been badly damaged in some engagement, the details of which Havock was not privy. The important thing was the military had written it off, so it was a proverbial playground for an eager Trooper like Hav.
Oh well, enough tinkering for today. Havock glanced at her chrono, it was time to get to class. She had to complete an obstacle course to pass her next Vehicle Crewman exam. But nothing was never as easy as it sounds. This particular course required that she complete the test using her navigation skills. Which may not sound too hard, except she had no idea which repulsorlift vehicle she was going to get.
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Havock made her way through the group of other troopers attending class today. These lower level classes were always larger. Hav couldn't wait until she advanced, everything takes longer in big classes. By the time Sergeant Harris came in the class had all taken their seats.
"Alright today we are going on a field trip to the Vehicle Garage." He paused for the classmembers to get their excitement out of their system. "You are going to be taking one of the vehicles you have been studying through an obstacle course. Now this is not going to be a cakewalk, you are going to have to use your navigational display to make your way thorough the course."
He turned and punched some keys on his datapad, a display poped up on the screen behind where he was standing. "These are the vehicles we have set up for you troopers today.
Havock looked over the display, there were three vehicles. One was an AT-ST Walker, a BARC Speeder Bike, and a Heavy Assault Vehicle. Havock knew that she was going to take the BARC speeder since it was the only repulsor vehicle.
The class broke up into groups and studied their particular vehicle. The controls, the navigation screen, and some basic evasion techniques. They did not have to worry about the firing system since this course would have nothing to do with practicing that.
After class Havock headed straight out to the vehicle garage where she would get her vehicle and get out on the course. Havock almost knocked a few of her classmates over as she pushed her way to the front of the group, she did not want to be last.
All of the lessons they had been attending were great, but Havock was more of a hands-on kinda girl and was dying to get on her speeder bike.
"Alright, welcome to the Tadath Trail. You see that we have more than one vehicle set up on each of the three trails. Speed is important, but we are also watching your technique and teamwork. Walker groups you are going out in pairs, Repulsorlift quads, and Tracked you are in quads as well." The class broke out into their three groups, Havock and and about twelve others headed for the Speeder Bikes.
"Hey Hav!" one of the other troopers came up beside Havock as they made their way over. Hav realized that she was probably walking pretty fast with an obvious gait, she made a point to slow down a bit. Turning to the trooper, "Hey Caden Right?"
The young man had a few courses with Havock already but she rarely spoke to her classmates. "Yeah, so you in a hurry or somthin'"
Hav smirked, "watch out, or I may decide to start running."
Havock stepped up to the first Speeder Bike in the line and put her hand on the cool durasteel outer shell of the vehicle. Her hand ran up the length of the vehicle and found the handlebar, grasping it with a fist. She looked off towards the sounds in the distance, the Walkers had started their first run. Then Harris walked up to her group and gave the assignments, Havock was in the first group.
Havock climbed on the same bike she had first admired. The weapons were not needed for this particular exercise, Havock just needed to focus on using the Navigation controls correctly. She flipped some switches getting the nav computer all set, then powered the bike up.
Sergeant Harris gave a signal and they were off. Looking over the screen Havock could see that the course was not going to be just a simple task. The trajectory she had to take the bike in was full of potential obstacles and natural hazards. She had to keep her eyes on the screen while she traveled, using the computer to make sure she stayed on the course and a safe distance from her classmates.
Has they reached the tree line Havock had to start using her balance, placing her weight on each foot in turn to keep the bike on track.
The trees zipped by, mists of dew hitting the bike. The forest smelled crisp and alive. It all made Havock even more alert on the course. Glancing over she could see the other three troopers on the course. The four of them were pretty much running even at this point.
Havock turned her attention back to the forest, she had to make three very sharp turns coming up. She checked her radar one more time, when she looked back she saw ahead of her a large oddly shaped tree.
Radar showed her path to the left clear, she pulled the handlebars to the left while watching her balance and acceleration. Coming around the tree she brought the controls back to center getting back on course.
She needed to course correct a few meters to reach the next obstacle. Again she looked to the radar, keeping an eye on the other troopers, we certainly don't need a collision out here.
Having some room, Havock hit her foot pedals to accelerate. She saw the tree, this time she was clear on the right and took her position. She neatly came around the tree and worked her way towards the third and final forest obstacle.
Looking at the radar, Hav could see that the next obstacle was wide...too wide for a normal tree. Havock frowned and tried to get a visual on the object. She spotted it, right where the radar said it would be. It was a tree alright, one that had fallen. It was propped up on two, maybe three, other trees. There was room above the decaying tree trunk or below. Havock was in a better position to go below. Checking the radar for clearance, Hav dipped the nose of the bike downward and accelerated through the opening. She made it, albeit with a few branch-like souvenirs.
She turned the bike ninety-degrees, per the nav radar's course, and headed out of the forest. She could see that the rest of the team was also making their adjustments, and it looked like they would all be making it back to the start with no problems.
The return route took them through a large clearing beside the forest area. They were all at the clearing, one trooper was slightly ahead of Havock the rest were seconds behind. The trooper that was in front decided to hit the accelerator even harder. Havock checked her controls, she was close enough to overheating as it was. The object was to complete the course, although Hav would love to finish first, it was more important just to finish.
The speeder bike in front of her twisted violently, one of the engines must be failing. Havock quickly looked at her radar, the pilot of that bike was Caden, the trooper she spoke to earlier that day. She looked back up, Caden's bike spun three-hundred and sixty degrees. Caden let go and fell, rolling. The bike spiraled before crashing, spiraling head over tail, burning.
Havock immediately slowed her bike. The emergency crews would take another several minutes before they would arrive. The other troopers zipped by and continued on to the finish. Havock pulled up beside Caden's prone form. She yelled down at him, "Caden, Caden you alright."
When there was no response, Havock quickly switched the controls to hover and jumped off the bike. Running up to Caden, he was turning himself over and taking off his helmet. Coughing and breathing heavily he looked in the direction of his slowly burning bike and started to push himself up on one arm.
Havock put her hand on his shoulder, "Hey." He looked over at her. "You okay, can you ride with me."
"Why did you stop, you lost now, what were you thinking."
Hav nodded "Right, i'm no medic, but you remember me and know where you are. Let's see, can you stand?" Havock slipped her hand on Caden's back, putting his arm over her shoulders and helped him stand.
The two troopers slowly made their way back to the speeder. Havock helped Caden up on the bike then climbed on the front herself. "Okay you need to hold on to me" she put his arms around her waist, started to get the controls fired up, then grasped his hands together and squeezed. "Tight Trooper."
She could feel him nod, "okay."
Havock fired up the controls and headed, at a moderate speed towards the finish line. The other troopers, Sergeant Harris, and a medic team was waiting for them. The medics helped Caden down from the speeder bike.
She watched them help him into a transport, destined for med bay. Harris walked over to Havock, "Well done, Private."
Havock saluted and stood at attention, waiting for a reprimand. After all she had gone quite off book during this exercise.
"Private Katash, you really did a good job. You proved that you are not willing to leave anyone behind, while still completing your objective. I told you speed was only one factor, teamwork was another." He saluted back, "Dismissed."