Hard Facts, Soft Heart (Marcus)

[Quay'Na Rakai]

A new life was growing within her, a life that completely depended on her, but often Quay'Na Rakai questioned herself if indeed she would be able to take on this role.

A mother, she was a on her way to becoming a mother. Another four months or so and the day would arrive.

The Lost Padawan's Master, Marcus Elessar knew how her pregnancy came to be and as did a few of her friends, but everyone else was in the dark.

A violation of her body had taken place months ago, something she couldn't fathom to bring up. But, still every so often the horrible memories would mix with her dreams and the event would be relived. As it had been tonight...

Quay had awakened in a cold sweat, her heart pounding and her breathing in short gasps. She shook the thoughts from her mind and touched the bulge in her abdomen and felt the small tinge of life within her, nestled within it's new womb.

"I keep thinking, that it would've been so easy to let you go, but I couldn't live with myself had I done that. So, we're just going to have to make the best of it." She said quietly as she threw back her covers and dressed.

A few days before she had gone out and bought a set of Sais, smaller swords that were used in the days of the past, mainly by women. Quay was more than ready to start learning again. She was strong, quick and agile and could start her training up again anytime.

With quiet steps, she made her way up to the roof in the darkness and began going through some motions she had read about.

[Marcus Telcontar]

The weapon looked familiar, but as he unpacked it like a kid having a birthday, it was anything but liek his old and trusted bow. This bow was built with the latest composites, was quite large, painted ink black. This was a compund bow, a device made to give the arrow a far higher velocity as it left the string. It had a removable counterweight, sights, was wonderfuly light but still stiff. He gave the string a test pull, noting that, even though the pulley system made the draw weight lower, this still had one hell of a draw weight. This particular one, the prototype, was set to 150 kg, which would take an impressively strong human to draw back on. Even he, with his strength born from his life on a 2G planet, found the draw tough. This was no quick shot, like his normal bow. This was a beautiful and lethal weapon, purposeful.

However, as well built as it was, that was not why he was waiting to try it out. A pipe was built onto the point where the arrow head would be rested before shooting, a pipe that was banded by several rings. With a flick of his thumb, he opened the pipe, then closed it, hearing a small beep as a circuit closed. A light switched to green. He pressed a button, the light switching to red.

Marcus grinned, feeling the antcipation building.

In the box the bow came with, were a set of arrows, marked. He thought it over, glancing down at the dummy in armour set up at the end of the range... the very far end. On the end of the castle. Several roofs over. A difficult shot for a gun, let alone a bow.

Not this time, if it worked, he thought, selecting a particular arrow marked "Ex". He flicked open the tube as he nocked the arrow, pulling back with a grunt of effort. Holy frell, this thing really DID have some draw weight! Thankfully, the production model would be a lot lighter, for human use. But for him, this would be perfect. Nothing like excess. He flicked the tube closed, the arrow shaft now inside, the head of the arrow drawn back to the end. His muscles bulged from the effort of holding the bow back, he sighted the dummy, then flicked the switch. The light shifted to green as he felt the magnetics come on, the arrow now centred in the the tube, not touching the sides. Polarisation.

He pulled back a bit more, breathing in then out, calming his mond and his body, aiming for where the heart would be on the dummy...

In....

Out...


... In......


........ out.......

Calm.

Still.

He was one with the weapon.

His fingers let go of the string.

The arrow was impelled into the accelerators, boosted in speed well beyond what was possible with a normal arrow. As the fletching tore past the tube, the arrow was nearly supersonic as it ripped through the air. The steel and pastic projectile arced slightly, flying straight and true.....

And just as Quay arrived on the roof, the explosive tip / barrel of the arrow penetrated the dummy's aroumour, tore into it's guts and exploded with an impressive display of pyrotechnics. Pieces blasted in all directions as the thunder of the explosion echoed, shattering the night air.

Marcus, bow in hand, watched the destruction with wide, eyes. He glanced in awe at the Gauss Bow, then back up at the dummy remains.

"Frell me" he said quietly. "Now that was gooood"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

A danger warning hit Quay as she was able to jump out of the way from the debris.

Wow, not bad, Master. Quite a fireworks display. She commented telepathically.