The Stars Came Back -045- Train’n wimmin ‘n chillun

INT – Day – Cargo bay

CPL Kaminski is cleaning his carbine, sitting on the cargo deck, with a half-dozen other recruits around him doing the same. Quinn watches from the side with fascination.

Quinn: Can you teach me to shoot, Mr Ski?CPL Kaminski: Sure. When you are a little bit older.

Quinn: But I can pick up a gun now.

CPL Kaminski: There’s more to shooting than just picking it up, you know.

Quinn: I know. You have to aim, too.

CPL Kaminski: Well, yes, that IS important. But you have to know what NOT to do just as well.

Quinn: You mean like when you yell at them to not point it at you on accident?

CPL Kaminski: Yes! EXACTLY like that.

Quinn: Please?

CPL Kaminski: Tell you what. If Allonia says OK, and is willing to join us, I’ll see if I can find a good time for a little one-on-two training, and let you take a few shots if you can show you are safe. How ‘bout that?

Quinn: SHINY!

Quinn jumps up, and runs off.

Darch: That ONE way to get some one-on-one time with the cutest bed-warmer on board! I’d let her handle MY gun ANY time!

CPL Kaminski: Put a sock in it, recruit.

Darch: Besides, girls don’t belong in combat like REAL men.

CPL Kaminski: You have a LOT to learn about people. And you had best watch what you say about her.

Darch: Even if you’re pulling rank for off-duty fun?

CPL Kaminski: Unless you want a LOT of extra pushups…

Darch: OK, OK, shutting up already.

Dissolve to

EXT – evening – target range

A simple 3m berm of pushed up dirt in a large, level-bottomed, 3-sided box, about 30m on a side at the bottom of the berm. A line of silhouette targets 2m apart line the foot of the berm. CPL Kaminski faces Allonia, who is standing fairly casually dressed in comfy, layered, protective cloths, and Quinn, in Allonia’s home-made uniform, standing at his version of parade rest.

CPL Kaminski: OK. Rules again?

Allonia: Finger off the trigger-

Quinn: (making a gun shape with his hands) -until you are ready to shoot! Pew-pew!

Allonia: Point it in a safe direction-

Quinn: Like a bad guy! Pew-pew-pew!

Allonia: Unloaded until you are ready to use it-

CPL Kaminski: (cutting off Quinn) This is serious. Play it straight up or you don’t get to shoot. Clear?

Quinn:… What if you don’t KNOW you are going to need it all of a sudden, Mr Ski?

CPL Kaminski: … Great question! For you, because you won’t be on carrying for self defense or going on patrol for a few more years yet, the answer is only on the range firing line when a Range Officer is present – that’ll be me for now. It’s a little more complicated for me, but I have the practice. So I usually carry mine with a magazine in, but no round in the chamber, at least around here – it’s a low threat environment. So, straight up, together, like on the drive over.

Allonia and Quinn, together, with CPL Kaminski counting on his fingers as they chant:

Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot

Keep it pointed in a safe direction

Keep it unloaded until you are ready to shoot

Know your target, and what is behind your target

CPL Kaminski: Perfect. Now, you’ll need practice so you truly understand what those really mean, but a good start. OK, so, we don’t have a lot of time before the sun goes down, so we’ll only have time for the basics. Do you want the 6.5mm rifle first, the 10mm carbine, or the 10mm pistol?

Dissolve to series of scenes

Allonia, wearing eye protection, aiming a suppressed carbine, and CPL Kaminski is adjusting her grip and gently reminding her to get her finger off the trigger, which she promptly moves to the correct position.

Kaminski getting Allonia aiming the pistol in a good bent-knees, slightly crouching, isosceles-stance shooting position. He gently pushes an elbow here, a knee there, taps her foot a bit with his to get it in just the right spot, models getting her head down low over the sights.

Quinn, wearing eye protection and ear plugs awkwardly holding the 10mm sub-gun, with CPL Kaminski supporting it, squeezing off a single shot, then Quinn looking up at Allonia with a great big smile on his face.

Camera angle from slightly above and behind a target, the three people blurry in the background, with a rapid series of holes appear in a group, centered on the target, about an two inches across, then focus shifts to the people and CPL Kaminski is seen aiming the pistol, demonstrating proper technique.

Same behind the target angle, and another group of holes appear, somewhat slower and larger than CPL Kaminski’s group, and the focus shifts to reveal that it’s Allonia shooting the pistol.

Same angle behind target, and three widely spaced but on target holes slowly appear, and when focus shift to the people Quinn is barely holding the 10mm sub-gun by himself, with CPL Kaminski right there to help, and Allonia behind them looking on with a grin. Quinn turns a bit with a HUGE smile to Allonia, and CPL Kaminski gently corrects the resulting muzzle-swing back onto the target.

A fresh target is in the stand. A pattern of a dozen buckshot-sized holes appears in it, accompanies by a deep boom, then the sound of a shotgun slide being racked, another close-spaced dozen holes appear with another boom, the slide is worked again, and and then a third set of a dozen holes. Focus return to the firing line, and Allonia hold a pump shotgun on the target. She is in a good, slightly crouching, stance for good balance. She racks the slide to the rear, lowers it, and then holds it up appreciatively, and looks at the gun and target with a nod and expression of satisfaction and apparent understanding why they are used. Kaminski has a good laugh, and claps her on the shoulder. He’s clearly please with her performance.

Dissolve to

INT – night – Quinn’s cubby aboard the Tajemnica

He is proudly mounting a target with five holes on it (widely spaced, but one in the 10-ring) on the wall of his cubby-hole, then sitting back and looking at it proudly.

Ship AI: (OC, friendly female voice) Very good! With practice, you’ll soon be be doing better than most of the recruits. Now, how about YOU tell ME the story of the Battle of Marathon, so I know you have the story right?

Quinn: OK. A REALLY long time ago, the Athenians and the Persians…

Fade to black.

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4 thoughts on “The Stars Came Back -045- Train’n wimmin ‘n chillun

  1. Pingback: The Stars Came Back -044- It’s relative | The View From North Central Idaho

    • Yup. Doesn’t make any difference whether it’s a centuries-old muzzle-loader, a modern semi-auto, or a belt-fed super-delux hyper-blaster (or even a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range), they still work pretty well to keep the good guys safe. And, of course, since this is an educational movie :-), I had to put in educational things, right? It also plays into an upcoming scene well.

  2. Pingback: The Stars Came Back -046- Mail Call and Family | The View From North Central Idaho

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