“If you are such an expert, take the shot.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because this is not about me proving I can still do something I used to do.”
“Convenient.”
Jensen stepped in, but Daniel lifted one hand.
“You want a contest because a contest gives you a way to turn this back into status. I am here to maintain equipment. Caleb just confirmed the system. Training can continue.”
Logan’s jaw tightened.
“You are afraid you will miss.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“Of course I might miss. That is what shots sometimes do.”
The answer confused several trainees.
They had expected the hidden legend to perform.
Daniel gave them something less dramatic and more useful.
“A reputation is not a guarantee,” he said. “And a miss is not a moral failure. Learn something from it and take the next correct action.”
Jensen looked at Logan.
“That includes instructors.”
The rest of the morning changed tone.
Logan was removed from the demonstration while the senior range officer reviewed what had happened. Another instructor took over. Trainees rotated through the exercise. Misses were corrected without ridicule. Hits were acknowledged without theater.
Daniel returned to the maintenance bench.
By lunch, half the class had found reasons to ask him questions.
He answered the useful ones.
He ignored the questions about his old record.
Finally, Caleb asked, “Did you really design this target?”
“Part of the first version.”
“Why make it so hard?”
Daniel looked toward the narrow openings between the reinforced barriers.
“To teach patience and observation. Not to create a trick people can brag about beating.”
Caleb nodded.
