In the belly of the Whale – Sticking it to the man
by HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope

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Title   Sticking it to the man
Mission   In the belly of the Whale
Author(s)   HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope
Posted   Thu Feb 25, 2010 @ 4:12am
Location   Briefing room
Timeline   Morning, Day 2
Tag   Tell, Ro'
OOC: How is this for an introduction to our training lessons?

Ro’ looked down at the hilt of the blade protruding from his stomach. His eyes followed up the hand holding it, across the wrist that had found the gap in the armour, along the arm that had used minimal force, over the shoulder that had provided the leverage and finally to the white face of Tell looking back at him.

He nodded in satisfaction, “Well done.”

With a sudden jerk of his body he pulled the blade from her grip and brought his forehead forward with a shuddering crunch against her own. She stumbled back stunned but Ro’ was upon her and lifted her up by the throat till her feet left the decking and he had pinned her with one hand against the wall.

Blood ran freely from her head as she struggled to breath. Ro’ spoke deliberately to make sure she heard him.

“You made three mistakes human. First, you did not twist the knife to widen the injury and free your knife. Second, you held a stuck knife which made you stationary and an easy target. Third, you did not finish me.”

He dropped her back to the ground and wiped her blood of his hand onto his armour. “However, I commend you on your resourcefulness, bringing a knife I did not anticipate. You are getting much better, Tell.”

She lay on the floor, the wind momentarily knocked out of her. She rolled over on her stomach and brought her self up on her knees, her head still touched the floor. She lifted her head up and blood trickled down her face, she wiped it away and got to her feet. Tell stood facing him ready for battle again. In a moment of weakness she had regretted using the knife on him, not wishing to kill him. That would have been an awful shame but it would have cost her her life had she been in battle.

'I am ready for my next lesson Master' this was the revered term they used when Tell's lessons had begun. 'I am your humble student.'

Ro' grunted, "Good, but you have lost blood, and so have I. I will not die for another hour or so, but if you fight with a bleeding head wound you will start to get dizzy from blood loss and will die much faster. You need your wits about you when you fight, Tell. Speed and accuracy are your greatest allies, since you lack the raw strength of your opponent."

He watched her for a moment, standing panting in blood and sweat stained clothes ready for him to move against her unanounced. She was wise.

He swung an mailed fist in a wide backhand arch, but Tell was ready. She ducked the blow and then stepped in and gave a quick knuckle jab to the new wound. She instantly regretted it. The armour around the wound was hard and bruised her knuckles, and Ro' had been feinting to draw her attack and cught her with a forward swing that made her stagger away and her ears ring.

Tell fell backwards against a bulkhead and slid down it fighting against unconsciousness and weakness. She'd be dammed if she would give into it. She ached all over, why had she been born human and not Klingon? Tell lay there for a while, time to surrender and live to fight another day. A small smile appeared on her lips. 'You are a good teacher L... HoD' refusing to call him by any other rank. 'Am I ready for the Batlef now?

Ro' shuckled, "The Bat'leth Honour Blade is a weapon of strength as well as speed and dexterity. You will never wield it well enough to fight a Klingon. The qis would suit you better. With your speed you could be planting your blade in the heart of a warrior before he has a chance to swing twice. Practice that, and when to duck."

Ro' offer her his hand as a sign that the combat was over and they were comrdades again, "You should get HIchop to try out his new Dermal Regenirator on that flesh wound."

'Not with out a shower first. I reek' she replied 'I might even take two'

Ro' shook his head, "I still say they are a waste of water, Ne' Hope. I let you put one in your dorm provided the water could be re-used, but we have yet to see this great filtration device of yours that can reclaim water."

He considered her again and asked, "Ne' Hope, when you first joined us you offered your services at a rate much lower than you are entitled to, on the proviso that I taught you to fight. You have not yet told me why combat is so important to you. It is very unlike your kind, and unlike you as well. You are a Diplomat and peace keeper if ever I saw one. No offense meant."

Tell faced him felling quite small to his towering height. She drew herself up, painful as it was and answered him, 'I was married once did I ever tell you?'

Ro' gaze did not flicker, "You did not."

'It was a long time ago and it lasted one day' she informed him 'He beat me almost sense less on our wedding night for a slight disagreement. I swore then that I would never let any man treat me like that again, and that I needed to learn to fight and fight well' she paused 'One day I will meet him again, and this time I'll be ready'

Ro' growled, "If he had been Klingon, I would have understood over zealous behaviour on the wedding night. Human's I understand are more... circumspect. To beat a weaker opponent is to act without honour. If you wish, when we meet him again, you may give him to Hos and HIchop for fun."

'That's why I came to you, you're the one to teach me, and as for being a diplomat and a peace keeper I am offended and you can take that and shove it..." Tell completed the sentance with a list of biological actions that Ro' didn't quite understand.

She slapped him on his arm in comradeship and thanks which was like hitting a rock wall. He slapped her on the back and sent her flying.

"Tell, do you understand the Klingon phrase vavIoDnI'oy? Haqtaj uses it to refer to me."

"Father's Brother?"

Ro' waved his hand to indicate she was close, "It has an affectionate under tone, More like you would use 'Uncle' perhaps. A student who has made first blood on their teacher need not call him master. In here you may call me vavIoDnI'oy Ro'. But not in front of the crew, understood? Now, go and bathe or whatever other tasteless human rite you need to perform."

She couldn't resist a smile and formally bowed to him. 'Uncle' said Tell with great respect and tried not to wince with pain.

OOC: Don't post this yet. I am waiting on another post.