//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: First Test // Story: Warframe: Equestria // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// POV: Rainbow Dash / Location: Equus - Ponyville - Inside the Orbiter "Rainbow, I think you're ready for the first test," Karn tells me. My first test? "What test?" I ask Karn. "Now that you're somewhat capable with a Warframe, I'm going to test you on your accuracy with a rifle," he replies and tells the others before heading back into his ship. "Cool," I say and follow after him. We enter the back and he gestures to his chair. "Sit down and transfer yourself to the Zephyr," he tells me. I do as he says and sit down on the chair and after a few seconds that pulling feeling returns and I'm put into his Warframe. I open my eyes and step out of the pod, wait... do these Warframes even have eyes? "Alright then. Ordis, take us to a large empty area a good ten miles away from any town or city," he orders Ordis. "Yes, Operator," he replies and the ship takes off. After a few minutes of flying, we land in an open field with nothing around us. "So what's this test about?" I ask him as he gets something from his weapon area before I follow him out of the ship. "I'm going to see how well you can aim with a Braton-MK1 rifle," he replies and holds the strange looking thing to me. "This is a rifle?" I ask as I examine the strange weapon. "Correct, it was my first weapon when I became a Tenno, I kept it for sentimental reasons really," he replies and looks to his ship. "Ordis, please release six training drones and set them to level one," he tells Ordis. "Very well, Operator," he replies and six round metal like balls come out the ship. "What are those things?" I ask as I walk up to one and poke it with a finger. Having hands is both weird and so awesome at the same time! "These will project holographic enemies which you will shoot with that rifle. I'll start you off easy and let you practice for a while before we start the test," he tells me and a blue light shines on the metal ball. After a few seconds, images of those freaks in the bulky armour appear making me yelp and try to punch it in the face. Only for my hand to go through causing me to lose my balance and fall face first in the dirt, I'm so glad I don't feel pain in a Warframe... Karn chuckles at me as I get back up, I so hope I'm not blushing right now. "Alright then, I'll now explain to you how that rifle works," he tells me and hovers beside me. My heart beats faster as he's practically leaning against me. "This here is the charging handle, pull this to put a new round into the chamber," he says pointing to a small looking lever like thing. "This is the trigger, squeeze it with your finger to fire the round in the chamber, you don't need to pull the handle back again as the next round is automatically fed in. Here is where the sixty round magazine goes in when you need to reload," he explains all the uses for the parts as well as how to fire and reload the rifle. After ten minutes of explaining and me asking a few questions, he sets up some of those holomawhatsits and tells me to shoot them. I place the rifle stock against my shoulder and look down the sights at the farthest left holothingy and take a few seconds to make sure I'm doing it right, I pull the trigger and the rifle pushes back against me as the bullet soars through the air and hits the freak in the chest making it shatter like glass. "Whoa... this is so cool!" I exclaim with excitement and aim at the next one. After shooting all six and then another eighteen of them, Karn tells me to reload the rifle so I push the button that pops out the magazine and a new one appears in my left hand which I just stare at. 'I know Karn said a new one would appear but that is cooler than I thought,' I think to myself as I fumble with it to get it in the rifle. Once in I leave the handle alone as he said I only have to do that when it's completely empty. "Okay, now we'll test how well you can react to moving targets," he says and the hologuys start running towards me. I yelp in surprise and hold the trigger and spray into them making them all shatter after I think fifteen bullets. "Don't panic and just spray and pray, take your time and focus. While the grineer take at least four to seven shots to penetrate their armour with this rifle, these will register the first hit to the head or chest. You can't afford to waste ammo during a mission," he tells me sternly. "Sorry," I apologise and reload the rifle again. Fifty-Four Minutes Later After getting used to the rifle, Karn tells me he's starting my test. "All you have to do is hit each target in the head or chest, there will be fifty targets in total and they will come at you from all angles," he tells me and the metal balls spread out and surround me. Karn gets back into his ship which takes off and hovers in the air. "Miss Dash, the test will now begin, please prepare yourself," Ordis warns me. I loosen my shoulders and aim the rifle ahead of me. The first one appears and I quickly shoot it in the chest, the next shows up behind me so I quickly turn around and pop it in the head, this is easier now that I'm used to it. Two more appear, one to my left and one to my right. I shoot the one on my left and spin on my heel to shoot the other. "AHHH!" I yelp as I lose my balance and fall on my back. I then hear Karn chuckle making me frown and get back up as three more appear and charge at me with those fat looking knife like blades. "Bring it freaks!" I yell and fire a shot into each of them making them all shatter. I couldn't help but grin as I'm actually having a lot of fun. "Don't get over excited, Rainbow. Stay focused as you need to be aware of everything around you," Karn tells me through that comms thing. "I got it!" I reply and turn around only to be face to face with one of those ugly buckers. "BUCK ME!" I yell and squeeze the trigger putting four shots into its head while five more charge at me. "Concentrate, Rainbow! Stop trying to be a showoff and focus on hitting your targets!" Karn tells me sternly, he's never been this serious towards us since we met him... "Alright alright!" I reply and aim at the next charging target. Seven Minutes Later "Alright, Rainbow. Good work," Karn tells me as I lower the rifle and sigh. After that freak sneaked up on me I stopped trying to show off and just focused on shooting all the targets, it took a few minutes but I got them all! "How was that? Did I win?" I ask Karn as the ship lands next to me. The door opens and Karn walks out. "Well, apart from the start you did well, remember this isn't about looking cool or being the best. It's about protecting those around you and putting down the threat fast and efficiently, showing off can lead to unnecessary deaths or damage," he replies and if I had my ears still they'd be folded against my head. "Sorry. I was just trying to impress you," I tell him and look down. "If you want to impress me then be as efficient as possible, make each shot count and put everything you have into the mission," he replies and places a hand on my shoulder. "But for your first time using a rifle I say good job, I'll have weapons prepared for you that would suit your Warframe better later, right now I need to return to building the Dojo as fast as possible," he tells me and hovers back into his ship where I follow behind him.