Chapter 8

My head snapped back slightly at its first, unexpected blast, and I found that I closed my eyes for a second when the sound went off. My attention had been elsewhere when the first blaster fire left the gun's chamber, It was shocking.

After that first shot, I felt adrenaline, glee, awe, fright, or some combination of the four. The blasters' power, sending a jolt from my hands and wrists and through my shoulders and then my torso, left me in awe. I gained new fear and respect for these weapons for the gravity of their intended purpose, to kill. And I wanted nothing more than to shoot the blaster again and again.

I lined up the notches on the site I closed my right eye and aimed carefully. The bullet landed far from the target's center. Down and to the left. Another down and to the left. And again. Bane stepped in and took his hands into mine to adjust how I was holding his blaster. I felt my face start to go red again with the contact, she was able to smell his familiar scent when he stood was this close, it was of leather, smoke, and …is that Bourbon? Was he seriously drinking before teaching me to shoot, and he still hit all those targets when we first got here? UGH, this man.

"Take your time with your shots, focus your sights before pulling the trigger, the speed will come with time". After bane repositioned her hands, he let go. She took two more shots, but he could see her becoming frustrated with herself. "Shooting down and to the left is a common problem with new shooters; you anticipate the recoil and that makes you move the gun before pulling the trigger."

Bane thought for a minute "Try keeping both eyes open to improve your aim. Although aiming with an eye closed seems to feel more natural, you might do better keeping them open."

"Is that what you do?"

"Don't worry what I do, each person has their own shooting style for what works best for them." He could see she still looking up at him, Bane rolled his eyes "But yes, I keep both eyes open".

Nova smiled "K, I got this" Bane took a few steps back away from Nova and she took her time and realigned her signs as well as adjusted her grip like how Bane had sowed her. Took a deep breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. She hit the target! Granted not a bullseye but a hit, nonetheless. She was so excited, keeping her weapon downrange, she turned to see Bane's reaction. But when she looked back, he was walking away.

"Bane, umm where are you going" Bane stopped and turned around toward her but did not close the distance.

"You are never going to get comfortable around a blaster with me breathing down your neck. If you're tense you will continue to shoot like crap."

"Like crap? Are you kidding, Cad I just hit the target!"

"Hmm, so you have" Bane touching his chin as if mocking her with him pretending to think something over. "You seemed to have shot the target only after I backed away and let you find out what works for you". Okay, he has a point. "Besides I have things to do, you just keep practicing and don't shoot yourself if you can help it. I'll be back later."

"Umm… okay…" Nova watched Bane walk off back into the forest toward his hideout before turning back around and continuing to shoot toward the targets.

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Sure, Bane had things to do but a nap sounded much nicer. Three hours later… Okay so the nap was a little longer than he originally planned but he was sure she needed all the practice she can get. It was obvious that she had no prior experience with a blaster, so I guess that is one thing down he can check off as far as her not being trained in the Jedi ways. So maybe she wasn't lying to him after all.

Bane got up from the couch took his hat off his face and placed it back on his head, put back on his boots, lit up a death stick, and headed back up to his Range. Let's see how she's doing. As Bane approached the range, he slowed down his pace and was able to hear the blaster fire. But the rate of fire was much quicker than he had left her.

He swung wide off the trail in order to watch her without her knowing. She was shooting the target all right, not bullseyes but hitting the target each time. Her stance was slightly different, but the foundation was there, it looked like an attempt (a sad attempt) to mimic his stance. Though her legs were closer together and when she drew the blaster she didn't fire until her arm was fully extended instead of at the hip. Probably still using the sights on the blaster, so it is still a slow draw in his mind it was a great improvement in just a manner of three hours.

Interesting… Bane did not approach Nova and allowed her to continue shooting and went back to the house. If she can catch on with a pistol that fast, then how is she with a long range? Bane would like to think this is part of his 'eval' of her skills for his research on her, but if he was honest, he just really enjoyed shooting. Maybe she isn't as useless as he has originally thought.

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Nova was starting to practice moving and shooting at the same time. She was feeling a bit more confident with standing still and firing but figured it would be more realistic to be moving than just standing in the open as if she was going to have a one-on-one duel with someone. Just as Nova was about to squeeze off another round, she heard a voice that startled her.

"Is that supposed to be me?" She snapped her head in the direction of his voice causing the blaster round to go way left and up way off target.

Bane held up his hands in surrender, "Don't let me distract you". He totally did that on purpose Nova thought. Bane cracked a smile as he leaned up against a nearby tree smoking a death stick. "So, I'll ask again was that supposed to be me?"

"What is? I don't get it"

Bane just chuckled "Of course you don't. Your stance, are you trying to copy me?"

"ahh no… not initially…not really… kinda"

Bane ignored her stammering "Good, I see your hitting something so there's a start. Though hitting a target at close range with a blaster pistol isn't much to brag about." That was almost a compliment, she'll take it. Coming from the man who loves using these pistols.

Before Nova could insert her sarcastic comment towards Bane he cut in, "Hitting something from a distance is a different story." Bane pulled out a long black case that she didn't even notice was propped up on the tree beside him. He finally approached her from where he stood and placed the case on the ground in front of her as he clicked the locks to open it up and there laid a long rifle.

"This is a modified BlasTech Industries E-11s sniper rifle with a high-powered scope. It fires six shots before having to reload, though if you have to use that many shots for one target this is not the weapon you should be using". Bane picked it up out of the case and handed it to Nova. "Let's see what you got".

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Don't worry I will not be doing a another break down of shooting lessons for future chapters ;p Just was laying some foundation; chapters will start to pick up a bit now though. Thank you for your patience.