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--- Alnus Community, Girls place ---

June 6th, 2025

Selina finishes getting dress. She only just found out that Sharpe wants to have a private meeting with her. Something about a surprise.

Since hearing that she has been all excited. Finally, she can spend more time alone with the man who saved her and look up to.

She finally settled on a blue with thin white line Aline dress. Lieutenant Sarah got her this dress when she first arrived here. She said it would look cute on me.

That is when she looks at the clock and realizes that she is fifteen minutes late. He asked her to meet him at the Ranger Command Post.

"Oh, horses pie… I hate that thing," She said, referring to the clock. These people base their whole life around that thing. For people who hate slavery, they allowed that to control their lives.

She quickly finishes getting dress and grabs a blue baseball cap with the Ranger symbol on it. It was given to her by Randy. It is a little big for her head, but she likes it. She finishes putting on her combat boots, again given to her by the military. She could wear casual shoes, but she found it easier to walk around in the dirt in these. Besides, they look nicer.

After finishing, she grabs her purse that Sarah gave her and bursts out the door and begins rushing through the street. Luckily, she lives with Rory and Lelei so she is close to the checkpoint that separates Alnus Community and the military base.

She quickly dodges a few wagons as she runs across the street. Passes a few people as they are walking on the wooden sidewalk. The NATO people demanded a sidewalk, so people will not walk in the street. Strange but whatever makes them happy.

Once she gets to the checkpoint, she sees six Alnus Police there standing there. Based on the flag patches on their shoulders, three of them are American, one French. The other two are natives, a Human and the other is a female bunny. She stops there, catching her breath.

"Hello… oh hi kid. I take it you are running late for something?" The American soldiers said.

"Yes, I am late. My name is Selina," she said as she begins looking through her purse. "Where is it…"

"Where are you going?" The bunny askes.

"I'm… I am heading to the Ranger Command Post. Sharpe wants me to meet him there," she replied.

“The Ranger Post?” one of the Americans said. “We cannot let you go their young lady.”

“Hold on,” the other American said. “You with Rory and Major Sharpe?”

She looks at him. “Yes! I am with them. Sharpe told me to meet him there.”

Normally the guards would not let a kid through alone, even with ID. Especially if they are heading to the Special Forces section of the base. However, at this point, everyone has heard of the Ranger who ‘adopted' the ex-slave girl(1). Everyone knows his name and the reputation that has been building behind it.

"Lost your bag?" The bunny said as she walks over to her.

“Let me make a call,” One of the American soldiers walks over to the phone booth and seems to be making a call.

"No... I... I got it right here…" she said as she still looking. She finally finds it and pulls it out.

One of the American soldiers, a female looks at it. "She is clear." She hands it back to her and they let her into the military base. “I want to say it is really call that you were free. We all heard the story.”

“Ahh… ok,” she replied, not knowing what to say.

“I see you are dressed very cute,” the female American said. “Big day?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “Sorry but I really need to go. I am late!”

She rushes as fast as she can on what they call concrete. It is a hard surface compare to the stone you see on the ground in the big cities. While it is a harder surface, she found it far easier to run on.

As she runs, she passes many vehicles and base personal. Just like always, this base is always busy. People and material always coming through the Gate. As she rushes through the waves of soldiers, she sees new parts of what looks like aircraft.

She finally gets to the Ranger Command Post. She sees Major Sharpe there talking to what seems to be a British man, so the flag patch said.

"I'm Here! I am sorry I am late," Selina said as she runs right up to them. She places her hand on her knees, catching her breath.

The British soldier chuckles "So this is the kid. Well, enjoy you two."

Sharpe looks at him. "See yeah Captain. We will finish that mission briefing tomorrow."

They both shake hands and then the British man walks away. Sharpe then looks at her. "You're late." If it weren’t for the fact the guard called him to let him know she is coming, he probably would have started a search party.

"I am sorry… I was picking out a dress," she said, finally catching her breath.

Sharpe laughs at that. "Well, you already have two things down being a western girl. Late and picking clothes."

When that soldier walks away, she looks up to Sharpe. "Who is that?"

"Captain Nelson. Head of the SAS detachment. We were working on our next mission." Sharpe said, looking down at her.

"… SAS?" Selina asked. She is always surprised by how complicated they name things.

"Sorry, there another Special Force team like us. SAS stands for Special Air Service and don't worry about it. Let's head to the HUMVEE." Sharpe said as he begins to walk to a nearby HUMVEE.

She follows him thinking. She then smirks. "Special Forces, are they better than you?"

Sharpe looks down at her. "Hell no." He said with a smirk.

She just giggles at that and hops in the passenger side. This is the first time she been able to sit up front in one of their vehicles.

Sharpe gets in the driver's side of the vehicle. As they move through the base it is noticeably quiet between the two.

The quietness is uneasy for her as she is not used to it. Back home it was always loud sense her people are a very community nation. The short period of time she was a slave she heard those Imperial mercenaries laughing, cheering, having a good time with each other or with her. It was never quiet.

Sense Sharpe saved her; she has been wanting to get around him more, alone. So far, she only has been able to do that through Lelei, and Rory. She has been wanting to ask him but has been too scared to ask. While she knows Sharpe means no harm, she still gets scared because of her time being a sex-slave.

This has been a moment she been waiting for a while, daydreaming of everything they are talking about, stories they could share but silence from the man who saved her life. She wondered if they got to know each other more that she would not be scared all the time. She does not understand why, she does feel safe around him.

But he is always so quiet and is always emotionally distant. She has been finding it hard to approach him when Rory or Lelei are not around. Somehow, they been able to communicate with him without issue.

After some time in the truck alone he would be the first to speak. "How is everything? Are the quarters good with you? No one harassing you three?" He said, clearly trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, everyone's fine. The house is great. One of the nicest rooms I have ever been to. But Rory can be a handful at times, but she is fun."

She then thinks. "Also, did you know Lelei talks a lot when she is alone? It is kind of funny."

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"Really? Figures." He said back to her. "Academics like her do that a lot. Helps process what's going on in their heads."

Sharpe drives into a driveway. The sign on the building said shooting range.

As he parks, she looks at the sign and the at him. "What are we doing here?"

"You will see the kid," Sharpe responds. After he gets out of the vehicle, he opens the back door and pulls out a black box. "You're going to want to come with me."

She nods and then gets out. She sees only a few soldiers around. There is some gunfire coming from the building. Out in the world when she hears gunfire it is usually chaotic. Here it seems more controlled and calmer.

She then follows him inside the building. He must have come here to practice shooting but why did he ask me to come along? She guesses it might be fun to watch, at least she could get to know him.

Sharpe walks up to the counter and talks to a woman behind a counter. They talk for a minute then finish.

Once done, he waves to her to follow. "We are in section fourteen."

"Ok. So, you come here often?" she asked as the wall down a hall, heading to section fourteen.

"Not that often," Sharpe said as he thinks what next to say. "However, I enjoy coming to the shooting range. It helps clear my head if I feel lost or stuck on a problem."

She takes the lead and finds their section. That is when she opens the door and heads inside. It is a large shooting range, but this spot seems more private.

He walks in and closes the door. He places the black box on a table.

"What are you shooting today?" she asked, looking out on the range.

"I'm shooting nothing. You will be," Sharpe replied.

She turns around surprised. "Wait what? Are you sure? I don’t know if I should, it looks hard and…"

“Calm down Selina,” Sharpe said, trying to stop her from rambling. "Yes, unless you don't want to."

"Ahh… yes!" She responds with some excitement. This turned out to be far more interesting than she thought.

As she takes over, he sits down on a chair. In his hands is a small pistol. In her time with these people, she has learned the difference between some of their weapons. Rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles and so on. What is in his hand is a small pistol, small compare to his Colt.

"Do you know what this is?" Sharpe asked.

She nods her head. "Yes, that is a pistol. You use it as a backup yourself.

Sharpe smiles at her, glad that she has been paying attention. "Good. I am glad you are learning the terminology. When we are out there. I want you to be able to defend yourself."

Sharpe then holds it up at her so she can fully see it. "This is a Glock 43, great for self-defense. It should be easy for you to grip it. The recoil should be more manageable for you." He pauses and looks at her, all seriously. "This is a lot of responsibility, but I trust you. Do you want that responsibility?"

She looks up at him and feels the gravity of the situation. She realizes that this is not a game.

After a short pause, thinking about his question, she nods her head. "Yes, sir."

"Ok,” Sharpe said. “Today I am going to teach you how to safely use it. To start with, this is a tool, not a toy. Do you understand the difference?"

After looking at the pistol for a moment. "Yes. You use this to kill your enemies."

Sharpe ponders on her answer. "No…, well yes but I wouldn't frame it like that. When you fire a bullet, the intent is to kill someone. But it is important on why you pulled the trigger in the first place." As he speaks, he shows the trigger to her.

What he said somewhat confuses her. "Isn't the point to kill your enemy though?"

"That's the byproduct," Sharpe responds with.

She speaks first after that. "Ok, why do you kill then?"

There is a short pause after her question as Sharpe thinks about it. "I don't look at it like that. In battle, how I see it is the more enemy soldiers I take out, the less chance one of then hurts someone on my team."

"I think I understand. A gun is a tool to protect your loved ones," she said and then thinks more about the question.

"Yes,” Sharpe replied. “Not everyone sees it like that. Some people see this tool to take revenge or to project power on others."

"Well, my father always said if you don't slay your enemies, they will come and slay you. Strike before they strike," She said, being a little hesitant to bring up her family.

Selina can see that Sharpe does not agree with what he said. She is surprised how different Sharpe is from her father and does not know which one is better.

"There is some wisdom in that if you are surrounded by enemies. I don't know the history of your people so I can't reject his philosophy," Sharpe thinks carefully about how he said next. He also thinks about his career and the lessons he has learned and the mistakes he does not want her to make. "One thing though is this. They attack you and kill someone you care about. Then you attack them for revenge and kill someone they care about. Then they retaliate, so you retaliate and so on until the end of time. So, if you pull the trigger, make sure your prepared what happens afterward. That's why you shouldn't kill for personal reasons."

Sharpe stops there and hands her the Glock 43. "Here, be careful."

She looks at him. She knows he is trying to teach her something. It is strange how different the ideas behind his words are compared to her now-dead father. After pondering on what he just said, she takes the pistol and grips it.

"Hold it like this," Sharpe said and shows her how to properly hold the pistol.

When she figures out how to properly hold the weapon, he then explains the feature she needs to know about it. The safety and how it works, how to load and unload, sights, everything that a person needs to know. He would take his time explaining, answering any questions she has, wanting to make sure she fully understands that this is not a toy.

After a while of explaining the details, they get ready to shoot. "Remember, you only aim at what your intent to shot. Never at anyone you do not intend to kill. Now aim at that poster over there." He points to the other end of the range. The shooting poster is far closer than it normally would be, making it easier for her to hit it properly.

She smiles at the fact she is finally getting to shot. She hopes she can make him proud. Also, the chance to try something new.

She aims at the target, aiming for the chest of it. Sharpe said behind her to take a slow breath and remain calm, no rush. After counting to three and then fires a shot.

The recoil and the shock of the sound would scare her, making her nearly drop the gun. The Glock recoil was not that tense, just first time firing a gun. The bullet would miss the target. That is when she hears him chuckling a little.

"Stop it! I am trying. I wasn't prepared," she said, embarrassed that she missed.

As she aims again, she finds it hard to hold up the pistol. Being scared, not wanting to lose all that trust that he placed on her. He does not want to disappoint or make a mistake.

That is when she feels Sharpe hands wrap around her and place them on her hands.

"Stay calm," Sharpe said quietly. "Just focus on your target and breath."

She blushes, realizing that he is this close.

After taking a short breath, she aims the pistol again. While his hands are right there, they are just helping her hold the pistol, she still has full control.

Taking another shot, the bullet hits the guy on the poster. The bullet hit on the far side of the guy but still hit the target.

Seeing that she hit the target, she jumps up celebrating. "I did it!"

"Selina…!" Sharpe said, grabbing the hand with the pistol. "Remember."

"Oh… sorry. I'm…," she said, realizing she overreacted.

"It is ok. That is why we are here," Sharpe said and then gives her a supportive smile. "You did great. Believe in yourself and you will get better."

She smiles and looks back at the target. "I bet you were great at it when you first tried."

"Actually… I sucked. I needed extra lessons. But that helped me in the long run. Practice makes perfection." Sharpe replied. "Now let's do it again."

She nods and gets in the firing position again. They practice this for a while, going through two magazines. Each time he would help her, trying to help her build that confidence behind the trigger.

When they finished practicing, they take a break from shooting. Just like in the HUMVEE, there will be this uneasy silence as they try to say something.

This time she is the one to breaks the silence, as she finishes a sandwich. "The other day at the bar, everyone really enjoyed your story."

"Not really a story,” Sharpe responds. “But I figured they would. I will admit, I been too distant with them. Hard part is a good chunk of my record I can't actually talk about."

"I know. Sarah told us not to say a word," she then takes another bite from her sandwich. "Also, Alicia said some nice things about you after you left."

"Sarah… always watching everyone back." Sharpe said and then looks to her. "I hope not. I enjoy her smartass personality." Then he leans forward smirking. "Selina, if you have to be one, always be a smart ass, not a dumb ass."

She giggles from that. She has heard those terms before backing in the JLTVs on the field. When they get bored while traveling, they start insulting each other and then use those terms. While no one has explained the meaning of them, she has figured it out.

Sharpe leans back smiling. "Tell me about your country."

She looks up at him, was not expecting that question. "Ahh."

"You don't have to if you don't want it. I have been meaning to ask you." Sharpe said noticing the sudden uneasiness from her.

She thinks about that for a second. "It is ok. Edras is a beautiful country. The view of the massive mountains of the north. They seem so close, but they are far away. Hundreds of rivers spreading everywhere with large meadows of flowers."

She begins recalling memories of the time in her country. It feels so long ago now. "I miss the Orcash fruit, so juicy. I used to play with my younger brother in the meadows and then sneak some Orcash as a snack."

As she recalls her memories, she then thinks about the bad stuff in her country. When she was there, she did not see them as bad or evil. Just normal things in life. Since her time with these people what she considers normal now seems unforgivable. Realizing that her impression on how much her views have changed.

Her father has waged wars of expansion, discriminated against Demi-Humans, and fought wars against the Elf tribes. Just like the Empire, they have slaves to. The more she thinks about it, the more she cannot find the difference between her father's kingdom and the Empire.

"Is everything ok Selina?" Sharpe asked her, noticing her mood changes.

She looks up and smiles. "Yes, just remembering something."

"It is ok," Sharpe thinks, assuming the reason why her mood change was because of the death of her family. "It is ok to miss your parents."

Hearing that, she looks at him a little confusing but is not able to speak up.

"Your family,” Sharpe said. “What happened to them is bad. Since we meant and spent time with us, you have been extraordinarily strong for a girl your age. But I am just saying, it is ok to miss and love them. Whatever good or bad, treasure their memory."

After hearing that, she looks down a bit and sniffs a little, sobbing up just a tad. "I do miss them but… since I met you, people, my views of the world have changed. How to treat people, look at people. I look back and I don't know if my father was a good person."

Sharpe looks at her. It was not his intention for her to look at her dead family in a negative way. "Selina, my mother is an acholic. Dad was in the army but became a distant corporate man. I still love them both. It is ok to love them. You can disagree with someone and still love them, you have seen things and grown from them. Don't judge people if they haven't seen what you have seen."

Ponding on what Sharpe just said, she smiles at him. Her eyes begin to water a little. "Thank you." She said softly but humbly.

Sharpe nods and takes a deep breath. He is not used to this type of stuff. "So, we still have an hour. Let's get back at it. I want to try doing this once a week when we are at base. If the time ever comes you need to defend yourself, I want you to be ready."

With that, Selina gets up and grabs her pistol. Both continue practicing shooting, spending time together.