That was true. Since last year he and Brennon were the most interested in spending time in the shooting range, working on their aim. Daylen and Calder were less invested, claiming they had until senior year to get good at shooting. Neither knew what position they wanted to take either, which made their slacking off not seem as big of a deal. They may end up just doing desk work for the rest of their lives for all they knew.
Rin thought that was a foolish take, personally, but he wasn’t in charge of his friends’ choices, and he and Brennon had been fine going on their own. Still, this obviously hadn’t been the plan, and he was worried things were heading in a dangerous direction.
The building housing several separate shooting ranges was next door, so it didn’t take them long to reach it. Then they were escorted up to the top level usually reserved for the seniors. The cadet manning the front desk merely bowed at Kelevra as they passed and that was all, ignoring the colors both Rin and Brennon wore that signaled they were sophomores.
The upper level was similar to the lower, except with smaller sections to make private sessions easier. The main area was a long and wide space with sleek flooring and high ceilings. The section to the right held a variety of blasters, some more advanced than others, many Rin hadn’t yet gotten the chance to try himself. Each weapon was secured behind a plastic casing, accessed by scanning their emblem-slate to the panel at the side of each.
To the left, the space had been set with holographic targets and a computer system that would keep score and monitor statistics. The area to the far end was open, with a long table separating the target space.
Kelevra and Madden left them in the center of the room to go and retrieve standard-issue blasters, coming back in a few moments with one in each hand. They handed them off, and then motioned over to the open space, taking positions at the table so they were all together.
“These are real,” Brennon noted, eyeing the weapon in his hand. The gun was only slightly heavier than the fakes they’d been training with.
“Of course they are,” Madden said, pressing on the computer connected to the table to get the targets ready. Across from them, four lit up and a jingle played overhead. “They’ve been altered so there’s no kill setting, however, only stun and injure.”
“Meaning you shouldn’t aim it at anyone in jest,” Kelevra added, checking his as he spoke. “You could end up seriously injuring someone.” He glanced over at Brennon. “One wrong move, and there goes a person’s eye.”
Brennon bristled.
Without warning, Madden adjusted his stance and aimed at the target before him, letting off a flurry of shots in rapid succession. The target lit up in neon red wherever it was hit, the spots remaining there so they could still see them after the fact. As soon as he’d emptied the chamber, the bells above chimed again signaling he was out, and then a scoreboard set in the wall directly over the target started processing numbers.
Madden cursed and Kelevra chuckled when the numbers settled.
“You’re slow today,” Kel pointed out. “I bet you my flower is better.”
“Don’t bring me into this,” Rin hissed. Considering he was going to be stuck with Madden forever—if this betrothal really went through—the last thing he needed was to rub the guy the wrong way. They didn’t need to be friends, especially since he wasn’t even sure he wanted to be friends with anyone Kelevra knew, but it’d be best if they could avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
Everyone knew Royal Madden Odell came from a high-standing family and therefore had a lot to prove. He also had a lot of pride and was competitive, though the rumor was he at least wasn’t petty and didn’t bother holding grudges. Mostly because he tended to get even as soon as possible, instead of letting things linger. He and Kelevra were a lot alike in that regard.
They both had an act first think later approach to life, something they could afford considering their backgrounds. Imperials and Royals all over the universe got away with things regular people couldn’t due to their station, connections, and wealth.
Rin supposed marrying into the Imperial family of Vitality would come with certain perks, and though a better person probably would find that distasteful, he couldn’t bring himself to. On his home world, his family was also prestigious and wealthy, though he’d rarely if ever been able to benefit from that in the same ways. His father wouldn’t have let them, since he’d been so strict about their purpose from the start.
The twins had been born to continue the Varun line, nothing more, nothing less. It was cold even by Tiberan standards, honestly, but Rin had long since made peace with the fact he would never know parental love or caring.
“Your Consort placed third,” Madden scoffed, crossing his arms and propping a hip against the edge of the counter. “Doubtful.”
Well…a little competition never hurt anybody.
Rin checked his blaster and then aimed, opting to shoot the same way Madden had, quickly with little pause between each pull of the trigger. He barely paid attention to the spots lighting up on the four-ring target some thirty feet away until he was finished and the bell chimed for the third time.
Madden wasn’t a bad shot by any means. He’d hit mostly the inner and second circles.
All eight of Rin’s shots had landed in the center, with three of them overlapping.
Kelevra pulled the lollipop stick out of Rin’s mouth, chucking it into an empty bin off to the side, and grinned.
Meanwhile, his friend had narrowed his eyes and was taking Rin in as if seeing him for the first time. “I should have figured after seeing you fight. Just how many secrets do you have, Varun?”
“I like to think of them as hidden talents,” Rin said.
“What were you on Tibera?” Madden asked.
“A student.” He smiled brightly, ignoring the way Kelevra snorted at his obviously over-the-top display of friendliness. “My father raised us for specific roles. The oldest was given extra tutoring and after-school classes to boost his academics, while the youngest was enrolled in military academy summer programs.”
“From what age?” Kelevra frowned.
“Since we were five.”
