Combat Training, pt. 1 [Open to Outsiders and masochists]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

Chase stands at one end of the room, left fairly blank for the moment, looking over those who've chosen to respond to the open invitation to get in some more training, watching for reactions as much as anything while he speaks.

"For those who don't know, I am Adam Chase, Chases-Parked-Cars. You can call me Chase. In fact, you will call me Chase. And regardless of ability, you will call each other by name while here. We are all soldiers in the same war. I am just a soldier with knowledge that can and will save some of your lives. I will teach it, and in the process, I will find out what you can do and learn from you too.

You can and will use whatever the hell kind of language you fucking want with me, and with each other. I do not like people censoring themselves without need. If you have something to say, say it, and say it quick. If you are offended by my fucking mouth, this is not going to work well.

While in here, I am teaching, you are learning. You will do what I say, or you will leave. However, if you have questions, any questions, or wish to question my methods, say so, godsdamnit. Always question authority - it is the only weapon soldiers have against stupid fucking orders. Be warned - if you question me, I will make you run, I will make you do painful but productive drills, and I may kick your ass - because any authority will do that or worse if you open your mouth when they think you shouldn't. This is not punishment, this is a lesson. Question authority, face the fucking consequences of pissing off authority, and do not stop out of fear of punishment. It may hurt, but unlike some authority, I will answer your questions, even if you piss me off.

That does not mean I brook disobedience. If you're going to learn, you'll do as you're told. Sometimes you have to suck it up, and believe me, I will not be doing anything for no reason. You just get to ask questions along the way.

This is not mandatory. Anyone may leave any time they wish. If you choose to leave because you're bored, or its too hard, good riddance. But I promise you, you make it through all of my classes, I will fight beside you, I will go to hell and back for you, and if necessary, I will die for you, the same way I would for any of the people I trained with back home.

Everyone is going to learn some basics, and everyone is going to learn some small unit tactics, some infiltration and some wetworks. After you know the basics, I will start working with each of you on individual combat styles. I know at least parts of a dozen fighting styles, armed and unarmed, plus long range weapons - but there are some things we'll be getting to first.

I will warn you. This will often not be fun. You will leave my training tired and bruised, and wake up with sore muscles in places you didn't know you had muscles. I do not go easy. There will be days where you hate me, to which I say, good. As long as you know there is a reason for it, and keep coming back.

Any questions?"

Comments

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

"On sniper duty, he'll be a sniper guard. Because a good sniper can be the eyes for an entire group, the group is depending on their intel... which also means not always paying the best attention to their own position. Fontaine will be an early warning system, guard your back, and be someone to give you some cover when you need to move or get into melee.

In the clock drills, Fontaine will get to watch at first, since you're going to be the one who needs to coordinate with other people. When we get into small unit and infiltration work, he'll have an active role.

After all, the two ultimate points of this - one is to teach people new combat styles and maximize people's fighting potential, yes. But the main one is to build people into an elite unit, where the whole is greater than the individuals. He'll even get to be an assistant teacher for a bit when I work with a group of four or five and start teaching wolfpack drills and circle up and protect - since he probably learned both of those a long time ago."

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

"So...his role does not change. I am glad as I would hate to be asked to keep my companion behind. He has quite a few skills relevant to this line of work." Great! The adventure just wouldn't be the same without him.

Fontaine looked positively happy to be getting such praise. He and Chase were certainly going to be good friends, he knew already. Nokosi's eyes wandered to the golden-white ones of the wolf and he nearly laughed at the pleased expression, there.

"He is both honored and appreciative of the tasks you have given him. And yes, he does know, as do I. I spent two decades being watched over by his mother and more than half a century caring for her pups and theirs, three generations down."

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

No real surprise that a wolf will fit right in with tactical plans designed by a Bone Gnawer.
"No one needs to be left behind, long as they can keep up and get through the training, and long as they can work together. And he's welcome to chat with me any time. I understand wolf just fine, even if I speak it with an urban accent. So far, I'm finding I can work with the people from Azeroth just fine."

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

Fontaine stretched his legs and yawned loudly before turning his gaze to Chase then to Nokosi.

"Stand up guy. Why can't they all be so damn courteous?"

Nokosi shrugged. "Mortal society, I suppose. You are just an animal in their eyes, Spirit beast or not," he said, seemingly to himself.

With an annoyed huff, the wolf pushed himself up on his haunches and looked to Chase. A low growl rumbled in his throat, followed by a series of light barks.

[Well that's just swell. I look forward to be treated as an equal by someone other than my 'master'. Or 'side-kick', as I know him.] The wolf grinned mischievously.

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

One way to do this properly. Leaving Nokosi to focus on the endless repititions and exercise a few moments, Chase shifts to a form more suited for speaking in lupine. He may not prefer his lupus and hispo forms, but he's made sure he knows how to get the best use out of them, and if turning into a 175 pound rottweiler helps communication, that's fine by him.

[Why wouldn't I treat you as an equal? You're here for the same reason as anyone else?]

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

Fontaine eyed the dog curiously before lazily plopping himself back to the floor. [Fun trick. You some kind of Druid? Can't say I've ever seen a Human attuned to nature enough that they'd be able to shapeshift. Barring curses, of course.]

He raised a skeptical brow at Chase and snorted. [Why would I expect you to? The lives of animals are never treated as equal to a humanoid's, except maybe to the enlightened or caring. There's a reason why using nature and the elements isn't something you can just 'learn'. I appreciate it, though. Haven't had the chance to speak to anyone on board except 'through' my buddy over there.]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

Chase gives the canine equivalent of a casual shrug, hunching up the broad shoulders of his canine form.
[All of my people are shapeshifters, but only to canine form. There's others in my world with other animal forms. I get along fine with some ravens, anyway. Didn't say you'd expect me to... but I was born in this form, not the human form, so I got a different perspective and all.]

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

[Interesting.] He cocked his head to the side, [So that's your 'normal' form, then? Like dragons, do you shapeshift into the form of a humanoid for convenience's sake or have you always possessed the ability? I figured I might as well ask before my 'brother' beat you to it; not that his curiosity won't eventually make him bombard you with a thousand and one questions, anyways.]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

[That's fine, I don't mind questions. We have to keep the shifting secret in our world, but not here. Some of my people are born wolves... occasionally dogs. More are born humans, we're all 'weres', either way. I don't know how long I spent living in this form before I got pissed off enough to go nuts and shift the first time... wasn't so good at telling time then. And most of the time, I prefer humanoid form... having hands is useful, and everyone around me preferred it, easier.]

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

[Hn. That seems wholly depressing and aggravating to have to hide all the time. I can't blame you there. I would kill to have some damn hands right about now, but the Spirit of the Wild is really picky about that sort of thing. Eh. Maybe one day, but I'm not going to hold my breath.]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, can't help you there. But yes, if anyone outside us and our allies figured out what and where we were, we wouldn't last long. The enemy outnumbers us by thousands to one.]

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

[Damn, that's harsh. What kind of inept, grim/dark assholes overran your planet? Mostly demons and undead, here. Got to say, the whole long war against the Scourge? Not my favorite at all.] He let his tongue fall out of his mouth in a 'disgusted' fashion. [Felt like I would never get the taste of rotten flesh from my mouth.]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

[I heard about the lich king. Something about alliance and horde too, or something. Don't know all the details. My world... demons would be the easy way to explain it. Some of them monsters, some of them possessing humans of all ages. Followers of a demon god... basically.]

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

[The details about the numerous forces attacking Azeroth and why so many mortals are at war, is so convoluted at this point that I'd have a more enjoying time explaining exactly how magic works. Tip: It just does.]

He took a moment to turn his golden-white gaze to his elf companion, then looked back to the dog in front of him. [Demon god, huh? Guess we have our level of 'your world is screwed beyond belief' in common.]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, sounds like it. I've liked what I've seen of warriors of Azeroth so far. Good sign. And yeah, we have some magic as well. Not the same, but some.]

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

[Hm. I look forward to how this all turns out, then. I can't express how much I'd like to stretch my limbs in some bonafide nature, sometime soon. Maybe we can put this all in practice on the next shore leave, whenever that is.]

The wolf picked himself up slowly and bowed his large head to Chase with a toothy grin. [As much as I'd love to sit here and trash talk about our worlds, you got a job to do, Right? Appreciate taking a moment to speak to a 'pet', though. You're good in my book.]

[j-y-d.livejournal.com]

[I'm sure we'll talk more.] he agrees, then shifts back, leaving the wolf to be amused with the exercises his master is up to while Chase moves on to the next person for now.