He spent as much time in the training room as he did in the simulator, swinging a sword against a pell.
The other pilots made fun of him but he wanted to understand the feel of it.
They told him he was wasting his time. Their plasma weapons looked like swords, but the movements of their mechs were completely different to a human’s. It was better to study mechanics and learn how they moved than study a dead combat form.
But he learned to center himself and move on instinct. When the battle came, that was what made the difference.

“When practice shows” by AKBAN academy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.

Thanks for reading!