Post by Magnus Calpurnius on Mar 22, 2009 17:22:00 GMT
Calpurnius walked in to the training hall, for some reason he was still slightly tired. His adrenal glands hadn't kicked in to wake him up properly, he should probably check with the apothecary, see if there was anything he could do about it.
But first, he needed to work on his hand to hand combat. He was a fine shot, and could take down targets from great range with a sniper rifle, but his close combat skills let something to be desired. Selecting the program the training servitor would run, he drew his combat knife and dropped in to a battle stance.
The servitor was surprisingly tall, most of the training servitors were about six feet, but this one was taller, at least seven. Obviously this particular training program required a larger opponent. It also had six arms, each holding some form of lethal weapon, axes and swords mainly, but there was also a mace on the uppermost left arm. And all I have is a knife. Magnus thought. No matter, I can handle a computer.
He waited, the servitor would have to attack first, and so it did, swinging first an axe, and then a sword straight for Magnus' neck. He managed to dodge both attacks, though the sword strike was worryingly close. He wouldn't counter yet, he needed to get a better idea of what he was up against. It attacked again, this time bringing the mace round to hit his arm, probably trying to disarm him. It wasn't hard to block the attack, the mace was of a primitive design, designed to imitate orkish attacks, and his knife was able to block it easily. Still, he'd need to attack back at some point.
As the servitor came round again, he ducked and rolled forwards, coming up right in front of the servitor and thrusting his knife at it's heart, or at least where it's heart would be if it wasn't a machine. However, the servitor was fast, and brought two of it's three swords in to block the attack, again and again it did this until Magnus was forced to break off again. Damn it,maybe the chaplain's right.
He remembered the discussion he had had with the chaplain two days previously. The senior marine had told him to stop thinking things through so meticulously, in close combat you needed to think on your feet, act impetuously, and press the advantage. This sort of thinking didn't come easily to Magnus though, he was very much a thinker, partly why he preffered ranged combat so much. But it couldn't be argued that the chaplain was a much more accomplished fighter than he, so he cleared his mind and charged.
The servitor countered, swinging one of his axes up. But Magnus caught it with his knife and sent it flying across the room where it landed in the corner. Next came the expected sword stroke, which again Magnus was able to block, though this time he wasn't able to disarm. The knife was almost there when the other two swords came flying in to block. He let out a grunt as he landed four feet back, "Why can't I just kill you?" He shouted at the servitor, knowing full well it couldn't even understand him, let alone answer.
It was then that he noticed the axe in the corner. Dodging the attacks from the servitor with relative ease, he ran past it and grabbed the axe, hoping that a second weapon would make it a little easier to land a blow. Pressing the attack, he launched himself at his opponent, knocking aside it's desparate counter attacks with both weapons, the mace even broke in half on impact with his knife. Yet again he thrust his knife at the servitors heart, and yet again the servitor brought it's swords up to block. This time though, the axe came round and beheaded the machine in one fell swoop.
"Finally." Magnus said, as the servitor hit the ground with a thud. Putting the axe away and drying the sweat off his forehead, he left for the med bay, his enhanced adrenal glands still weren't working properly.
But first, he needed to work on his hand to hand combat. He was a fine shot, and could take down targets from great range with a sniper rifle, but his close combat skills let something to be desired. Selecting the program the training servitor would run, he drew his combat knife and dropped in to a battle stance.
The servitor was surprisingly tall, most of the training servitors were about six feet, but this one was taller, at least seven. Obviously this particular training program required a larger opponent. It also had six arms, each holding some form of lethal weapon, axes and swords mainly, but there was also a mace on the uppermost left arm. And all I have is a knife. Magnus thought. No matter, I can handle a computer.
He waited, the servitor would have to attack first, and so it did, swinging first an axe, and then a sword straight for Magnus' neck. He managed to dodge both attacks, though the sword strike was worryingly close. He wouldn't counter yet, he needed to get a better idea of what he was up against. It attacked again, this time bringing the mace round to hit his arm, probably trying to disarm him. It wasn't hard to block the attack, the mace was of a primitive design, designed to imitate orkish attacks, and his knife was able to block it easily. Still, he'd need to attack back at some point.
As the servitor came round again, he ducked and rolled forwards, coming up right in front of the servitor and thrusting his knife at it's heart, or at least where it's heart would be if it wasn't a machine. However, the servitor was fast, and brought two of it's three swords in to block the attack, again and again it did this until Magnus was forced to break off again. Damn it,maybe the chaplain's right.
He remembered the discussion he had had with the chaplain two days previously. The senior marine had told him to stop thinking things through so meticulously, in close combat you needed to think on your feet, act impetuously, and press the advantage. This sort of thinking didn't come easily to Magnus though, he was very much a thinker, partly why he preffered ranged combat so much. But it couldn't be argued that the chaplain was a much more accomplished fighter than he, so he cleared his mind and charged.
The servitor countered, swinging one of his axes up. But Magnus caught it with his knife and sent it flying across the room where it landed in the corner. Next came the expected sword stroke, which again Magnus was able to block, though this time he wasn't able to disarm. The knife was almost there when the other two swords came flying in to block. He let out a grunt as he landed four feet back, "Why can't I just kill you?" He shouted at the servitor, knowing full well it couldn't even understand him, let alone answer.
It was then that he noticed the axe in the corner. Dodging the attacks from the servitor with relative ease, he ran past it and grabbed the axe, hoping that a second weapon would make it a little easier to land a blow. Pressing the attack, he launched himself at his opponent, knocking aside it's desparate counter attacks with both weapons, the mace even broke in half on impact with his knife. Yet again he thrust his knife at the servitors heart, and yet again the servitor brought it's swords up to block. This time though, the axe came round and beheaded the machine in one fell swoop.
"Finally." Magnus said, as the servitor hit the ground with a thud. Putting the axe away and drying the sweat off his forehead, he left for the med bay, his enhanced adrenal glands still weren't working properly.