11-25-2024, 10:46 PM
== Jumping ahead a little from prior posts ==
Mara was quiet as she did her rounds of the department, her mind turning over Tyra’s words even as they were still ringing in her ears. The CO had certainly given her plenty to think about.
I really gotta stop gettin’ in my own way. I got this job off the back of what I can do when the shit starts flyin’. And if I’m not careful I’m gonna lose it ‘cause of what I do when it ain’t.
The Security Chief’s wandering took her past the training area. She watched the sparring sessions dispassionately, noting who was holding their own and who wasn’t, until she got to one of the mats with an increasing number crowded around it. The gathered crew saw her coming and parted to let her through, and she ended up stood next to Leman Yordan. The burly Trill Lieutenant was the de-facto second in command, at least until Calleja got around to actually naming her deputy.
“So. You wanna tell me why so many are watchin’ this kid here?” Mara asked. There was a young male, dark-skinned and part-Vulcan by the look of him, training with one of the instructors. As the COS watched, he bullrushed the instructor and knocked him flying.
“That is Ensign Ryon,” Yordan replied. “Freshly transferred, as Command felt he could use some tough love. He’s also refusing to listen to any of the instructors until one of them can beat him. And therein lies the problem. He’s wiped the floor with pretty much all of us. Don’t know how much Vulcan is in there but it’s enough that we’ve not been able to rattle him.”
Mara sighed.
“Seriously? The kid won’t listen until someone decks him?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m half-tempted to herd him out of the nearest airlock but I figured I’d try and put him back in his box first.”
“Fuck me. This is what they pump out of the Academy these days?” The Chief smiled wryly. “They wouldn’t let me away with that, so this guy’s family must have dirt on the AIs.”
Ryon evidently heard her, as he put the instructor on the floor again and strode over. He was a little taller than Mara and he had confidence to burn, judging by the swagger and the way he easily met her unflinching eye.
“I have proved myself superior to those who wish to instruct me. It is not remotely logical for me to take that instruction,” he said.
Calleja looked at him coolly.
“OK. Your timin’ sucks kid, ‘cause I just got chewed out by the Cap’n and I’m willin’ to share that pain with you.” The COS unbuckled her holster from her belt and handed it to Yordan. “Sparrin’ fields are on, right?” she asked. “I found you someone with a box.”
“Oh yeah. Fields are on. Go nuts,” Yordan replied, a smile curling his lip as Mara nodded. The burly Trill was one of the very small number of officers who had seen the Chief fight and he knew what was coming.
The noise around the mat increased sharply as Mara stepped out to face down Ryon. She had never sparred openly with anyone since she had arrived. Her opinions on the practice were well-documented and very hostile, so to see her engage with anyone was a surprise.
I need to stop this kinda shit right here and right now. No more of this. Which means this guy is goin’ down as hard as possible. Sucks to be him.
There was a part of Mara that recoiled at the very idea of what she was about to do. The slightest glorification of violence appalled her, and now here she was, on a sparring mat with a junior officer with the full intention of literally beating some sense into him. But the Chief was nothing if not a pragmatist. She wasn’t one for debates and logical answers. That was shaky ground for her. Close quarters combat, on the other hand, was how she’d built such a fearsome reputation. It was the quickest and most emphatic way she could make her point.
“So if I’m gonna take you to school. Let’s talk logic,” Mara said, glaring at Ryon as she spoke to him and the rapidly-growing crowd of Security crew. “You’re a part-Vulcan male. I’m human female. You’re taller than me, and safe to say you’re both stronger and faster than I am. Logically, this should be a mismatch. Am I right so far?”
“Yes, Chief Calleja.” Ryon started to bounce on the balls of his feet.
“And it is a mismatch. Just not in the way you think it is,” Mara said calmly. “You’re outgunned. Physically, yeah, you got the edge. But I’ve been doin’ this way longer than you have, and this lesson is gonna hurt. So I’m gonna give you one last chance to step down from the cliff edge you’ve just decided to do a handstand on.”
“Your arrogance is misplaced,” Ryon replied.
“Your funeral. And it ain’t arrogance if I’m right,” Calleja said, and set herself.
Ryon leapt at her and Mara saw him coming. Her experienced eye read the set of his hips, the way he planted his feet and the movement in his shoulders. She knew exactly where the attack was coming from and leaned out of the way of the punch. She stepped past Ryon and hooked his back leg out from under him, sending him sprawling face-first onto the mat. It was made to look easy but that punch had been tenths of an inch off connecting – the Ensign really was fast.
“You’re gonna have to do a lot better than that,” the COS said, setting herself again as her opponent leapt to his feet.
“Oh I will,” he answered.
This time Ryon launched a flurry of short punches, as fast as he could. Calleja dodged where she could and deflected the rest, taking hits on her arms and shoulders that stung but didn’t do any real damage. The last punch was more of a swipe to fend her off and buy himself space to launch a kick, but his leg had barely left the ground before Mara had stepped right in close, grabbed hold of his supporting leg and bodily lifted him off the mat, letting him crash down on his back.
“How are you doing this?” Ryon snarled, jumping up again. “Are you in my head?”
“I can read you like a book,” Mara replied. “And I don’t mean anythin’ long and complicated. You’re one of those books with cloth pages and lift up flaps for the kids.”
The barb had the intended result and Ryon flew at her. This time she countered, letting the wild swing whistle past her head so she could slam a meaty uppercut into his gut. Even through the sparring field, the force of the blow knocked the breath from his lungs, before an absolutely savage left hook smashed into his jaw and made his eyes cross. He staggered away but Mara followed him, quickly tying him up in a textbook perfect arm lock and driving him to the mat, her knee in the small of his back.
“Submit,” the Chief said calmly.
“I will not…” The Ensign was trying to struggle. He was strong, but the hold was secure and he wasn’t going anywhere. Mara increased the pressure of the arm lock - she wasn’t going to let him go until he acknowledged his defeat. When the pressure was such that the bones were practically creaking, Ryon finally saw sense and tapped out with his free hand.
Calleja let him go. She rose and then hauled him up as well.
“There is always a bigger dog than you. Always,” she said, holding eye contact. “The instructors here might not be able to beat you hand to hand. But they’ll be able to tell you how to make yourself better. They can refine that technique so you’re not telegraphin’ every blow, and they can definitely help you keep your cool when your opponent is blatantly baitin’ you.”
There was the ghost of a smile on Mara’s lips as she saw Ryon nod and look away.
“Now go get a concussion check,” she added. “And if you’re cleared, get back here. I’m runnin’ the entire shift through a stress test holosim, and you’re not gettin’ away with it.”
That one drew a loud chorus of groans from everyone nearby.
“Oh you better groan, ‘cause I’ve done this sim myself and it’s nasty,” Calleja said, looking around with a wicked grin. “Gear up, ‘cause we’re goin’ in in 30 minutes!”
== TBC ==
Mara was quiet as she did her rounds of the department, her mind turning over Tyra’s words even as they were still ringing in her ears. The CO had certainly given her plenty to think about.
I really gotta stop gettin’ in my own way. I got this job off the back of what I can do when the shit starts flyin’. And if I’m not careful I’m gonna lose it ‘cause of what I do when it ain’t.
The Security Chief’s wandering took her past the training area. She watched the sparring sessions dispassionately, noting who was holding their own and who wasn’t, until she got to one of the mats with an increasing number crowded around it. The gathered crew saw her coming and parted to let her through, and she ended up stood next to Leman Yordan. The burly Trill Lieutenant was the de-facto second in command, at least until Calleja got around to actually naming her deputy.
“So. You wanna tell me why so many are watchin’ this kid here?” Mara asked. There was a young male, dark-skinned and part-Vulcan by the look of him, training with one of the instructors. As the COS watched, he bullrushed the instructor and knocked him flying.
“That is Ensign Ryon,” Yordan replied. “Freshly transferred, as Command felt he could use some tough love. He’s also refusing to listen to any of the instructors until one of them can beat him. And therein lies the problem. He’s wiped the floor with pretty much all of us. Don’t know how much Vulcan is in there but it’s enough that we’ve not been able to rattle him.”
Mara sighed.
“Seriously? The kid won’t listen until someone decks him?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m half-tempted to herd him out of the nearest airlock but I figured I’d try and put him back in his box first.”
“Fuck me. This is what they pump out of the Academy these days?” The Chief smiled wryly. “They wouldn’t let me away with that, so this guy’s family must have dirt on the AIs.”
Ryon evidently heard her, as he put the instructor on the floor again and strode over. He was a little taller than Mara and he had confidence to burn, judging by the swagger and the way he easily met her unflinching eye.
“I have proved myself superior to those who wish to instruct me. It is not remotely logical for me to take that instruction,” he said.
Calleja looked at him coolly.
“OK. Your timin’ sucks kid, ‘cause I just got chewed out by the Cap’n and I’m willin’ to share that pain with you.” The COS unbuckled her holster from her belt and handed it to Yordan. “Sparrin’ fields are on, right?” she asked. “I found you someone with a box.”
“Oh yeah. Fields are on. Go nuts,” Yordan replied, a smile curling his lip as Mara nodded. The burly Trill was one of the very small number of officers who had seen the Chief fight and he knew what was coming.
The noise around the mat increased sharply as Mara stepped out to face down Ryon. She had never sparred openly with anyone since she had arrived. Her opinions on the practice were well-documented and very hostile, so to see her engage with anyone was a surprise.
I need to stop this kinda shit right here and right now. No more of this. Which means this guy is goin’ down as hard as possible. Sucks to be him.
There was a part of Mara that recoiled at the very idea of what she was about to do. The slightest glorification of violence appalled her, and now here she was, on a sparring mat with a junior officer with the full intention of literally beating some sense into him. But the Chief was nothing if not a pragmatist. She wasn’t one for debates and logical answers. That was shaky ground for her. Close quarters combat, on the other hand, was how she’d built such a fearsome reputation. It was the quickest and most emphatic way she could make her point.
“So if I’m gonna take you to school. Let’s talk logic,” Mara said, glaring at Ryon as she spoke to him and the rapidly-growing crowd of Security crew. “You’re a part-Vulcan male. I’m human female. You’re taller than me, and safe to say you’re both stronger and faster than I am. Logically, this should be a mismatch. Am I right so far?”
“Yes, Chief Calleja.” Ryon started to bounce on the balls of his feet.
“And it is a mismatch. Just not in the way you think it is,” Mara said calmly. “You’re outgunned. Physically, yeah, you got the edge. But I’ve been doin’ this way longer than you have, and this lesson is gonna hurt. So I’m gonna give you one last chance to step down from the cliff edge you’ve just decided to do a handstand on.”
“Your arrogance is misplaced,” Ryon replied.
“Your funeral. And it ain’t arrogance if I’m right,” Calleja said, and set herself.
Ryon leapt at her and Mara saw him coming. Her experienced eye read the set of his hips, the way he planted his feet and the movement in his shoulders. She knew exactly where the attack was coming from and leaned out of the way of the punch. She stepped past Ryon and hooked his back leg out from under him, sending him sprawling face-first onto the mat. It was made to look easy but that punch had been tenths of an inch off connecting – the Ensign really was fast.
“You’re gonna have to do a lot better than that,” the COS said, setting herself again as her opponent leapt to his feet.
“Oh I will,” he answered.
This time Ryon launched a flurry of short punches, as fast as he could. Calleja dodged where she could and deflected the rest, taking hits on her arms and shoulders that stung but didn’t do any real damage. The last punch was more of a swipe to fend her off and buy himself space to launch a kick, but his leg had barely left the ground before Mara had stepped right in close, grabbed hold of his supporting leg and bodily lifted him off the mat, letting him crash down on his back.
“How are you doing this?” Ryon snarled, jumping up again. “Are you in my head?”
“I can read you like a book,” Mara replied. “And I don’t mean anythin’ long and complicated. You’re one of those books with cloth pages and lift up flaps for the kids.”
The barb had the intended result and Ryon flew at her. This time she countered, letting the wild swing whistle past her head so she could slam a meaty uppercut into his gut. Even through the sparring field, the force of the blow knocked the breath from his lungs, before an absolutely savage left hook smashed into his jaw and made his eyes cross. He staggered away but Mara followed him, quickly tying him up in a textbook perfect arm lock and driving him to the mat, her knee in the small of his back.
“Submit,” the Chief said calmly.
“I will not…” The Ensign was trying to struggle. He was strong, but the hold was secure and he wasn’t going anywhere. Mara increased the pressure of the arm lock - she wasn’t going to let him go until he acknowledged his defeat. When the pressure was such that the bones were practically creaking, Ryon finally saw sense and tapped out with his free hand.
Calleja let him go. She rose and then hauled him up as well.
“There is always a bigger dog than you. Always,” she said, holding eye contact. “The instructors here might not be able to beat you hand to hand. But they’ll be able to tell you how to make yourself better. They can refine that technique so you’re not telegraphin’ every blow, and they can definitely help you keep your cool when your opponent is blatantly baitin’ you.”
There was the ghost of a smile on Mara’s lips as she saw Ryon nod and look away.
“Now go get a concussion check,” she added. “And if you’re cleared, get back here. I’m runnin’ the entire shift through a stress test holosim, and you’re not gettin’ away with it.”
That one drew a loud chorus of groans from everyone nearby.
“Oh you better groan, ‘cause I’ve done this sim myself and it’s nasty,” Calleja said, looking around with a wicked grin. “Gear up, ‘cause we’re goin’ in in 30 minutes!”
== TBC ==