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DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Day 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

[IrnaShall ch'Xinya | Upper Gymnasium | Deck 3] Attn: ThanIda zh'Wann

Standing tall, eyes closed, and antenna high in the air, Shall breathes deeply.  In, hold, out.  In, hold, out.  Arms in front, a dull metal shaft is in his grasp, shifting in his hands as his fingers roll it nervously.  Then, in an instant the ends snap out nearly a meter in each direction and the man snaps into motion as soon as the double-clack reaches his ears.  With motions as fluid as melting ice, the staff changes positions with great efficiency as its bearer steps into each advance.

The staff descends from above as Shall steps with right, the opposing end swings up with a step of the left.  Bringing it above his head he changes his grip with a twirl of the metal and brings the staff crashing to the mat with a thunderous clap.  Shall's next move is to sweep around in an arc as if there was a crowd around him rising to a stand as he turns, but at 180 degrees he wobbles, forcing a pause as he regains his balance.

Frowning to himself, Shall tries to shrug it off and starts again.  Returning to his initial position the staff sweeps through the long-practiced motions again, this time without issue.  Completing the sweep, the staff follows its own momentum into the air above the head, grip reversing once again, and again crashes from above, this time ending at his waist.  At least that was the idea.  With no warning, Shall twists out of control with the powerful swing, his feet slipping out from under him.  This time walls echo with the sound of his body slamming into the mat and his staff flies from his grasp, skittering along the floor for a few meters.

"AAAGHH!!!" the Andorian roars, smashing a fist into the floor hard enough to sting, even through the padding.  Panting heavily, he regains his composure long enough to blow some of the loose hair out from in front of his face.  That is when he notices the other figure standing there.  "Laugh all you want, I deserve it." he grumbles.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #1 –
Ida had come for her own exercise when she'd seen the other Andorian on the Theurgy. She knew him by name but not acquaintance, this Chan that served duties in Stellar Cartography. Deliberately, she had never sought to speak with him, just like she had chosen to do with all Andorians that she'd encountered since she left Lor'Vela.

She offered him no more than a glance, deciding to pick the area at the other side of the gymnasium and wear down the leather of one of the sand bags there. She was dressed in one of her black tank tops with matching gym shorts, and she had her small duffel bag across her shoulder. She had yet to don her padded gloves, and her had merely put her hair back in a tight braid to keep it from getting in her eyes. Yet she wouldn't have the chance to get to that sand bag, because the astrologist suddenly began his practice with the quarterstaff. The reason she turned her head was that she was fairly certain she'd seen that he'd lost one his antennae, and she wondered how he cou-

With a loud noise, the Chan went down, and she shouldn't have been surprised. Nonetheless, she was startled, watching the extended quarterstaff roll over to her feet. She knew she shouldn't have stopped, but aside from a few other people in different parts of the large gymnasium area, she was the one closest to the fallen. If she wouldn't have halted, what kind of bitch would she be to just ignore his plight? He was not whole, and yet he fought to compensate for it with advanced physical exercise. Surely he deserved better, regardless of her personal preferences about speaking with other Andorians.

So, sucking a deep breath through her nose, she bent to pick up the quarterstaff and made it retract itself with her thumb. The Chan spoke when she drew near, but he guessed wrong when he thought his little accident was amusing to her. She if anyone aboard the ship could sympathise. "You deserve it as little as I want to laugh," she said, and she held out the retracted staff for him to hold on to, meaning to help him to his feet. Conveniently, she did not have to touch him that way. It was not a physical aversion, of course, but a social one.

Indeed, she might have known his name, but she still had no desire to make his acquaintance. "You should keep at it. Best way to handle the regrowth. Did you loose it during the mutiny?" Why did she ask? She shouldn't have asked. It suggested that she was interested to know. She wasn't. She had sworn to protect him just as much as the rest of the crew, but that did not mean she needed to know where or how he was hurt when she had failed him, did it? She couldn't quite work it out. It was too early, and she had just come to exercise, not question herself and her own social shortcomings.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #2 –
[IrnaShall ch'Xinya | Upper Gymnasium | Deck 3] Attn: ThanIda zh'Wann

The Zhen's generosity caught Shall by surprise.  He knew her reputation, especially towards her own people.  With all that had happened on the ship it was quite telling that the two of them had never done more than pass each other in the corridors.  Despite that, her refusal to laugh was almost heartwarming, but he knew his pride was as wounded as his antennae.  Still, he took the proffered help.  Grasping his extended staff he originally thought she was simply returning it to him, but her strong grip showed her desire to help him to his feet.  "Thank you." he says once he's upright.  Switching to their native language, "You honor me Lieutenant."

Ever observant, Shall's eyes took a quick glance at Ida and hoped there wasn't much of a blush, her outfit left little to the imagination.  His own attire was a polar opposite of hers: a grey sleeveless vest hung loosely on his torso, held in place with a dark blue sash, with black pants almost large enough to swallow his bare feet framing his legs.  Unbound by anything, his hair flops around with every motion of his head, a fact very well displayed when his head shook in response to her question.  "No, in bombardments beforehand.  A bolt hit nearby and shrapnel took it off.  I spent the entirety of the mutiny on the floor in Sickbay."  The memories bring a twitch to the appendage.

Sighing, "The doctors suggested cranial massages, but even then, three months..." Shall's expression hardened slightly, antenna curling backwards.  "I'm tired of bumping into corridors whenever I walk."  Shaking his head again, as if trying to clear it, "What about you?  I imagine you had a busy time during the mutiny."

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #3 –
As she asked, so was she answered, and in some way, Ida wanted to tell him that he might be more fortunate than he thought - being in the relative safety of Sickbay during the mutiny and the subsequent battle against the Calamity. What surprised her was that he had not heard how the battle ended. Then again, perhaps he had, but the names of those on the Harbinger had not been connected to the story yet. What was she supposed to tell him? She reckoned that as much as she rather wanted to leave, she had set the trap for herself, and she would have to bide the time caught until she had an opportunity to leave.

"I transferred to the Harbinger to serve as the Chief of Security aboard, Lieutenant-Command Wenn having returned to the Theurgy. It was a trap, however, since Declan Vasser manipulated me into ask for the transfer." It had seemed a perfectly good idea at the time; a means to get away from the crew that judged her for her shortcomings during the Niga Incident. She did not say that. Perhaps she didn't need to. She did not care what he thought anyway. He might strike her as a perfectly fine specimen of a Chan, but he was Andorian, so while she could appreciate his visual physique as an artist, that was all. His opinion of her track record on the Theurgy did not matter. She would do her duty regardless what people might think of her.

"I was thrown into the Brig, but together with Doctor Duv and Ensign Slayton, I managed to escape. Together, we took the ship from the steward on the bridge - Trujillo - and as soon as we caught up with the Theurgy we rammed the last remaining vector of the Calamity. Both the Harbinger and the Calamity's warp cores detonated, but since we had donned exosuits, we managed to escape in the nick of time aboard an escape pod. There was nothing left of that pod afterwards, but the Theurgy picked us up from the debris."

She spoke as if she was commenting the thaw on Andoria, as if the feat meant little, and as she told the story in just so many words, she had pulled out her water bottle from her duffel bag and took a swig. Frowning in thought, she wiped her mouth with her back of her hand.  "So to answer your question. Yeah, I suppose I was quite 'busy', but it is not the word that comes to mind..."

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #4 –
"That was you?" The revelation that the Zhen in front of him is the ship's savior brought Shall's remaining antenna to stiff attention.  "I'm sorry I did not know that until now. As I said, I spent the entirety of the mutiny and Calamity's attack either in Sickbay or incapacitated."  Motioning to the water bottle she had started to drink from, "I should get you a drink from Below Decks."

Extending one end of the staff so that he can lean on it, resting both hands in the top of it.  "I brought a bottle of Andorian ale, hopefully it's still there."  When the lounge was temporarily relocated to the hot springs he wasn't sure what methodology was used to pick what parts of the supply was taken there.  Shall was never fond of that Regal character that ran Below Decks in the beginning, and he found that hologram of his to be annoying at best, but if you wanted to have anything that wasn't synthehol based it had to be stored in the lounge.

"What do you say, a glass of ale in your honor after our shifts are over?"  Either way she answered, Shall did know one thing: whatever the crew thought of Lt. zh'Wann, they owed her their lives.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #5 –
Ida froze as the Chan gestured towards the water bottle she was drinking from, suggesting that he'd get a drink from Below Decks.

She knew that he most likely meant well, or just didn't mean anything by it, but to her - who had not wished to speak with another Andorian at all - he might as well have suggested that they'd become bondmates. She lowered her bottle slowly and barely kept her ire from her face. When he finished talking, she spoke in a very quiet voice - her tone silk-covered ice.

"I have no taste for anything Andorian," she said, and her stare made it plain that she was not just talking about the ale.

It was a lie, however, since she did fancy the native beverage. She appreciated it a great deal, and she realised that her statement did not hold the merit she wanted it to. To her private chagrin, she could not make that distinction, and so her words had been untrue. She had merely lied to herself, and she came to wonder if the falsehood also included the Chan. Was she being unjust? Definitely. Did she have any right to be so disrespectful as to lie to someone unwhole? Definitely not. And yet she had cut him off without hesitation, unwilling to even consider her professional conduct before practically striking him in the face with her refusal to share ale with him. She raised a hand, despite herself, forestalling comment or halting any words already spoken on his end.

"My apologies, that was rude, and I meant nothing by it," she said, clenching her jaw since she still thought she meant what she said in his regard. She was not prepared to suddenly forfeit her reluctance towards reminders of her Keth, yet at the same time, there had to be some kind of moderation in that regard. Anything else would be quite deranged on her part. She chose her words while she took a deep breath, finding a truth with greater merit. "I would not accept a drink in that particular regard, for we lost too many. Good officers, a recruit who had just donned the uniform, and too many carry the unseen scars from what Vasser and T'Rena wrought aboard this ship. A mutiny I should have foreseen, instead of requesting a transfer and leaving the crew I have sworn to protect. So, no, I would not drink to celebrate this particular victory."

She was not sure what to offer him more than a secondary reason. There was nothing wrong with him, she supposed, beyond the fact that he reminded her of home and the Keth she had left to find a life of her own. He was a perfectly fine Chan, barring his injury, and she forced herself to be more open-minded about speaking with him a little bit further.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #6 –
[IrnaShall ch'Xinya | Upper Gymnasium | Deck 3] Attn: ThanIda zh'Wann

Even by Andorian standards, the ice in the Lieutenant's reply was cold, cold enough to freeze Shall on the spot.  Luckily she held her hand up in apology before he could respond, but the antenna never lie.  Folding back towards his scalp, his antenna betrayed his momentary flash of anger, no matter how quickly he suppressed the emotion.  The vocal apology was returned with a single nod of the head, and the tip started to twitch a bit.

"In that case, perhaps a drink in their honor instead.  I'm certain we can find something better suited to their taste as well." With a small sigh, some other faces come to Shall's mind.  "We've all lost people.  Good people.  All because too many are too blind to figure the truth out for themselves."  The end of the staff bangs into the floor in emphasis and the chan's scowl returns. "How many more will die because they blindly follow orders, even when they don't make sense?"  Now the antenna droops full forward, almost touching his eyebrow.  "How much Andorian blood is on our hands?  We're so few as it is..."

Shall struggles to recompose himself, his pride was not going to let him break down in public, not after being too stubborn to die earlier.  His antenna resumes the writhing from a moment ago, a sea of emotion in its own right while he bows his head to hide the expressions on his face.  When the moment passes and his gaze returns to Ida's face, he ends up looking over the zhen in detail, a side effect of his detail oriented mind.  This was the closest he'd ever been to the security officer (that he knew of), and her figure was divine, especially in her current attire.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #7 –
The slight relief Ida felt when the Chan dropped the issue of her refusal and instead spoke of honouring the lost was fleeting to her, since the astrophysicist began to speak of the overall fate of theirs, as well as the ignorant crews out there that acted on the enemy's orders. She shared his sentiment, but not in particular for Andorians. She ceased being a patriot when she killed another Guardsman and left her family behind. So when he brought up their native people and how some of them might have been on the starships that the Theurgy had been forced to destroy... it was an odd sensation she got in the pit of her stomach.

Was it shame that she cared so little? Or did she stir in response to his vehemence, actually caring more than she'd thought? She was not certain what it was, but it made her uneasy - unable to respond to that particular implication since she wasn't certain where she stood on the matter of their people. Should she not care for her own people's survival? Of course she did. She might be at odds with her family and the way she was raised as weapon without a war to fight in, and with her personal wishes smothered by duty to her influential Keth's demands. Her Chan father and her mothers were no more, and she knew that her Than father's ambitions were a reaction to that loss, but it had affected her and her brothers far more than she'd cared for. Yet the entirety of the Andorian people? That was something altogether different. Nigh extinction was not so easily ignored, even if she had given herself fully to her duties in Starfleet sot hat she might escape all that a Keth might stand for.

"Regardless the colour of the blood spilt," she said after a couple of seconds of thought, "every drop of it is truly on the enemy's hands. Lest we'd opened fire, the enemy might bathe in it soon - far more about to die unless we fight. Our mission is that of survival, and to spread the truth before it is too late. In a couple of days, we will reach Starbase 84, and the Captain will enlighten the whole galaxy about the terrible cost of this conspiracy. The enemy will become manifest in the eyes of the Federation, and the usurpers brought to justice for the lives we've been forced to take."

Ida reched out and clasped her hand on Shall's shoulder, gave him a slight shake - as if to snap him out of his doubts. "They will hear our call to arms. I am certain of it. Have faith in Captain Ives. The Chameloid is skilled with words, perhaps even making our people mobilise for the wars we have not fought for too long - our Guardsmen given a purpose at long last."

If we are to die out as a people, Ida thought even though she didn't say it out loud, then let's die with weapons in hand.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #8 –
Without thought, Shall's hand went to Ida's.  Not grasping it like humans often do, but contact it was.  "Faith is hardly an issue, I'm with the Captain until the end.  War however...I fear what civil war in the Federation would do to it."  That was when he noticed the zhen's reaction and quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back.  "Ahem...I mean to say, when our announcement reaches the Federation at large, it would be worse than any even in its history.  Seized from within, its own leaders acting for something else?  To say public trust would fall apart would be an understatement.  These creatures are like ice bores, melting everything in their path without regard for what it does."

Shall was starting to ramble, deep-seated worries over his family coming to the surface.  "The Guards will do everything in their power to protect our people, they always have.  But you know there are some that will seize this opportunity to pull Andoria out of the Federation itself.  What then?"  Images of one of his cousin's come to mind.  She was always a vocal one, but easily seduced by those with sweeter tongues than hers.    The way she yelled at him when he announced he was going to the Academy instead of remaining on Andoria..."fade" was the smallest of the insults.  No one had seen or heard from her since that night.

Returning to the present, Shall gives Ida a small nod.  "The Captain is at that.  If anyone can expose these parasites then they can.  If the Treishya can be kept in check I know the Guard will keep Andoria safe, even without the rest of Starfleet if needs be."

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #9 –
As hesitant as she was towards the touch in return, Ida could empathise with the gesture. Especially so given the topic at hand, where Shall suggested that the revelation they were about to make at Starbase 84 could mean civil war among the current allies of the Federation. Distrust would begett closed communication channels, and old sentiments would take root. It was, certainly, a potential risk, but that kind of risk lay within the diplomatic relations spectrum, Ida assumed, and therefore she still thought Ives and the Senior Staff had thought about it already. Surely they would work to prevent that kind of development?

It seemed to her that the other Andorian tuned out a bit after presenting his fears, but when he snapped out of it, he seemed to have come to terms with it - even sharing her sentiment about the Imperial Guard. She stood back, fingers around the water bottle while she spoke.

"Hopefully, it will not come to the Guardsmen standing alone. By Lor'Vela, they would protect our people regardless, as you say... but less people would die if the Federation remained united despite it all." She paused, sipping her bottle idly as she thought, then resumed turning the bottle in her fingertips. "The key lay in a reliable way to detect the enemy, something which we still lack. The method I devised to determine whether or not Wenn Cinn and our new First Officer were themselves is... quite unorthodox. Not something done easily, and not without risk of injury. Nor is it a method advisable for larger groups of people. Blunt... risky."

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #10 –
"But it is more than what we had before.  Everything has to start somewhere, no matter how small."  Honestly, Shall wasn't up to date still and didn't know what her detection method was, but now his curiosity was piqued.  It was something that was sure to be well outside his expertise as an astrophysicist, but science was science.  Still, it would be a while before he could delve into it, stellar cartography was still in shambles and needed the majority of his attention.  This jaunt to the gym was just a momentary distraction and attempt to get the doctor off of his remaining antenna.


"You never know Lieutenant, maybe your idea works better than you hope, or leads directly to a way to find these creatures.  Maybe that's why they sent the Calamity back in time, because you..." he cut off there, realizing too late that he was treading on very dangerous grounds.  Flicking some loose hair out from in front of his face, Shall tried to redirect and make a hasty retreat.

"Forgive me Lieutenant, I'm keeping you from your exercises.  If we're still here once my antenna is whole, I'd be willing to make it up to you with a spar if you would like."  Even at peak health Shall was sure he wouldn't be a match to a fully-trained and battle-hardened Guardswoman and Starfleet security officer, but it would be exhilarating nonetheless.  A small smile graces his face as he can hear and see his bondmates reactions in his mind.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #11 –
Ida gave the notion that the Calamity was sent because of her crude method a cursory thought, and while it lingered she had trouble giving it any credence. It did not sit well with her, but regardless, she was not prepared to go down that lane, questioning everything that had happened since then. It caused a shiver down her spine, but she put her faith in Doctor Nicander and that he would be able to conceive a better method than stunning them and checking whether or not it had any effect with a medical tricorder.

The Chan suggested that they'd spar once he was whole again, and that gave her pause for thought.

"Why?" she asked lifting her chin, "I am hearing it as if you want to avoid embarrassment. I know you are not whole, so I would not hold your shortcomings against you. Rather, I think you need a sparring partner in order to truly adjust to your present state. Hitting the air will not give you anything, only forcing you to compensate for the lack of impact with a sense of balance already far too challenged. Rather, you should practice in a way that prepares you for facing a real opponent. The air before you won't strike back."

Ida took another swig from her water bottle and then went to put it away. She also picked up a pair of padded gloves and shin guards - the gloves extending down her forearms too. "While I am not proficient enough with melee weapons, you will find me a better opponent when unarmed. So, are you up for it?"

She figured that it was the least she could do to make up for her poor attitude, indulging the astrophysicist and helping him learn how to compensate for the loss of his antennae. He'd have to swallow his pride and fall down a lot, but it was for his sake she'd made the offer.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #12 –
The zhen's counter-proposal of having the spar now instead of months later was almost immediately rejected, but Shall stopped himself before he could refuse.  Her rationale made sense in a way.  Ever since being released from Sickbay he'd been careful, timing every movement with care and precision to keep from losing his balance, and with minimal success.  Maybe it was time to do something else.  Retracting his staff fully with the familiar clack, Shall tossed it to his own bag sitting against the wall behind him.  "It will hardly be a fair match, but life never is so to say." the chan agrees with a smile and antenna turning to face its missing companion.

Quickly doffing the vest and sash as well as tying his hair back in a loose tail, Shall borrowed a set of gloves and shin guards from the gym's supply before meeting Ida by the selected sparring mats.  "So is there any particular style you wish to stick with, and any regulations beyond standard training rules?"  Fingers flexing to loosen them up, the red gloves clashed with Shall's blue skin.  His bare chest still showed the marks from Theta Eridani, small scars and abrasions dotting his skin in numerous places.  Thankfully only the worst of the bruises still remained, dark blue splotches fading with every passing day.  A roll of the shoulders finished off the Andorian's loosening routine, a small one due to the earlier exertions.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #13 –
Ida watched the chan as he prepared himself, and for a moment, she raised her eyebrow when he put his quarterstaff away. She said naught while he prepared himself, a cursory thought vested to the fact that for being a scientist, the chan was in a good shape - scarring and injuries aside. Indeed, the wear and tear that his body still showed after the ordeal at Theta Eridani IV rather complemented his appearance than took away from it. He did not look like a soft scientist at all, even though she knew him to be inferior to her in fighting prowess.

When he had returned, geared and ready, she broke her silence with a small smile seen in the corner of her mouth.

"Why did you put away your staff?" she asked and raised both antennae and eyebrows in rhetorical query, "I said that I wasn't proficient with melee weapons. You are, so why would you fight me on even lesser terms? You should fight me with means best suited to you, especially since you are unwhole. You needn't consider my well-being, if that's what got into your skull, because I assure you... I can take care of myself."

With the small smirk still in place, not meaning to embarrass him but finding it amusing nonetheless, she went to the bag he had put his staff into and bent forth to retrieve it. Then she returned to him, tossing the weapon across the short distance between them before she reached him. "Now, have at me, and strike like you mean it. My fighting gear will be more than enough to block you without injury. Let's see how you fare against something else than air, shall we?"

That being said, she raised her guard - ready to try and block the combinations he meant to deal against her. Judging by what she'd seen before, she was fairly confident she'd be able to catch his strikes in time. As many as he could deal her before he lost his balance, that was.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #14 –
Snatching the staff out of the air with his right hand, Shall's own eyebrows and antenna turned in his own confusion.  The Lieutenant wanted to spar unarmed while he retained his staff?  Not once in any of his training, both from Starfleet and prior, had such asymmetrical combat.  But then again, he wasn't exactly expected to be in those circumstances, was he?  Taking a quick moment to study the zhen's face to be certain about her sincerity, Shall nodded in acceptance.  He couldn't help but think the thought though, She's quite pretty without the scowl.

With one swift motion, Shall takes a single step forward, the staff extending mid-swing as he makes a low attack on her right leg, the bottom half of the staff swinging up as his left latched onto the grip.  Easily blocked, it was nothing more than the first attempt at trying to read his opponent.  "My apologies Lieutenant." he says, withdrawing the staff and making another easily telegraphed strike, this time to the upper left.

Taking a step back and switching up his grip with a showy twirl of the staff, Shall's eyes never leave Ida's form.  She won't just block for long.  "Training was always with equal equipment." he explains a moment before jumping into a flurry of strikes.  Middle right, low left, upper left, he tried to be as random as physics would allow, but standing still only gave him so many options.  He had to move more in a more fluid fashion.  Instinct began to override his rational caution and he turned, sweeping the staff low from the right to take Ida down at the knee.  His steps were true, but does have the downside of momentarily giving his back to his opponent, and if she were fast she could easily counter if the sweep missed.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #15 –
When the first two strikes came from the chan, Ida blocked them easily enough. The first one she caught on her padded calf, having lifted her leg and deflected the force of it to the side. The second was a matter of crossing her forearms to absorb the blow against her long-sleeved gloves.

She did not counter the two strikes, awaiting the third, when he spoke. There was little time to reply, and no need, because he let his weapon speak his intentions plain enough. Switching sides, taking a step backwards with each block, she met the first ones easily enough. By retreating he forced him to either follow or miss by falling out of reach.  He responded by turning around and making a sweeping attack against her legs. While a powerful blow, it was quite easily predicted too, and it left Ida a clear opening.

Thus, she leaped from the ground, above the trajectory of the quarterstaff, and dealt him a kick against his back with her full body weight behind it, meaning to send him sprawling on his face against the deck. No more had she dealt such a kick than she'd land on her feet again, and she would quickly follow up on her devastating attack by sitting down on top of his back and make a choke-hold around his neck - his throat cradled by the bend of her arm. Was she successful, he'd have to tap himself up in yielding to her, but she had no idea if he'd be able to come loose yet.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #16 –
Stupid... Shall told himself as soon as he didn't feel the ringing impact in his staff.  Instead, it felt like a zabathu kicked him in the back and he pitched forward in response.  He tried to arrest his fall with the end of his staff, jabbing the end into the floor, but the angle was all wrong, the point simply sliding along the mat instead of sticking from the friction.  Landing on the floor with a "whoof" of evacuating lungs, Shall barely had time to take a breath before Ida was on him, elbow locked around his throat.

The chokehold wrenched his head up, straining his neck to the point that his airway was cut off.  A strangled gasp died in his throat as the reflexive attempt to breathe came, but he held what air he could.  Veins starting to bulge both in his neck and his head, Shall almost tapped right away, but instead he tried to prop the two of them up on his knee, hoping to roll over.  It wouldn't break the hold, but just maybe the force of his body slamming into her from above might be enough to loosen her grip.  If not, a few kidney-shots with his own elbows might do it.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #17 –
Ida held on to the chan when he tried to topple them over, and while she tried to topple his balance with her leg, she realised she should have tried to spread her legs wide on either side of him instead. That way, she would have been able to prevent his intention, but as it were, he managed to topple them over - her ending up on her back but not letting him go. Either he tapped out, or he'd faint fro-

The elbow caught her by surprise, driving the air out of her lungs. She had not been able to guard herself, nor steel herself against the blow, and her breath escaped her through clenched teeth. She still held on the first time, but the second time he struck her she decided to let him go. For while she had been through far worse, defied the strikes of parasitically infested crewmates and opponents three times her size, she did not see the merit in holding on to her grip. It was quite counter-productive to the spar, and she had to give it to the chan that he'd managed to surprise her. He deserved to get up again and have another go.

So, she released him, letting him get up, and she made sure to roll backwards from her prone position and get back on her feet - putting some distance between them. She raised her guard at the same time as she tossed her hair back from her face - taking a couple of breaths to compensate for the air he had driven out of her.

"Good," she said, letting a lop-sided smile touch her lips- "Try again."

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #18 –
As soon as the arm was gone from around his throat Shall jumped up and off of his opponent, ragged and deep breaths filling his lungs once again.  He tried not to look in the mirror for any sign of bruising, the last thing he was going to do was to let his eyes leave Ida once again.  Using his foot to kick his staff back into his hand he nodded to the Lieutenant in acknowledgement.

Prowling in front of her, Shall takes a few steps to one side, then back the other way, his staff always staying in front, pointed directly towards the zhen, almost daring her to attack.  Of course he made sure to keep it out of reach, she'd have to move forward to make a grab, and he could easily counter or react in time now.  Now he knew her speed and strength with grappling.  He wouldn't make the mistake of jumping into her reach again, at least not without some additional care.

Without warning, Shall makes a quick stab with the staff, stepping into the strike with a small "ha!" for some extra effort, hoping to drive Ida back a few steps.  A second strike hammers forward less than a second later, followed by a third, and a fourth, each one faster than the prior.  With a longer yell, the staff then swings around, hoping to catch Ida behind her knee again assuming he managed to get her off balance enough to dampen any counter.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #19 –
Watchful, Ida moved with the other Andorian - a wary dance beginning. For each step, a reaction, and for each intent, a response. With her guard raised, she moved, and when Shall struck, she was prepared.

Careful strikes, keeping her at a distance. Jabs towards her made with the end of his quarterstaff, and her left to handle them. She did not retreat as much as deflect the jabs, glancing them off to the side with her padded forearms. He was quick as a snake, yet she was experienced. Despite that experience, however, she found it surprising how swift the scientist was. She managed to deflect the four strikes, but the swing seemed the true intention - the earnest attempt to catch her off-guard. It almost did, and she had no true means to block him head on. Not when the swing came in so low.

Instead, she used it for her own gain as much as she might. Somewhat prepared and with intent in mind, she was caught behind the knee, but she used the momentum to propel her as she rolled backwards. Her retort, however, came as soon as she had rolled back unto her feet again. With bared teeth, she went in low - a strike aimed for his midriff. The second strike was one soaring towards his jaw - using her hip with the uppercut and extending the rising attack with the support from the deck beneath their feet. If there was time, and the chan did not manage to stop her before then, she ended her combination with a savage side-ways kick. She hoped the chan could retain his balance for a while longer, despite being unwhole, since he did show promise in his fighting skills.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #20 –
When Ida didn't back off like intended, Shall didn't let it affect him, it only reinforced his decision to keep the jabs down to a minimum.  A small grin did grow on his face when his sweep connected though, but her skill at turning the fall into a very temporary disadvantage made that grin disappear in an instant.  With his staff off to the side and his arms out of position he had no way to stop her drive to his midsection.

The impact blew the air out of his lungs with a loud "whoof" and Shall was knocked backwards, arms flying out in reflex which left him completely exposed to the uppercut which lifted him off of the ground by a good centimeter.  The final kick sent the chan flying to the mat, hard.  With his staff once again flying from his grip from the impact Shall could only lay on the ground wheezing and moaning from the lack of breath and pain.

A moment or two later Shall tries to sit up, but he only gets about halfway before he falls back to the mat, hand clutching his ribs on the left side of his body.  "Gods, did we go to the same Academy?  I've never seen combinations like those" Eventually his moans turn to laughter for some unknown reason.  Looking up at Ida he dared to take a moment to admire her form.  Not being one of his shelthreth meant that she was off limits of course, but no one said one couldn't look.  Her physique was the epitome of athletic perfection, and he was certain that she'd get offers from every gender were she back home. But then he remembered the zhen's earlier statement towards Andorian drinks.  With that level of animosity, did that extend to her own people as well?

As soon as he was ready, Shall rolled to the side to get to his feet, but of course that's when his antenna struck again, and his attempts to get off of his knees all fail.  Twice in a row he would try to send only to fall back onto his hands and knees, hair flopping in front of his face as an added insult.  "Bah..." The mutter slips through his lips and he looks round for something he could use for leverage while the antenna lashes around like a slow whip.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #21 –
Seeing the scientist go down as hard as he did, Ida regretted that she'd been so hard on him, even if she had reasoned to was for his own good. When he stated that he'd not seen anyone use combinations like hers before, she did not bother into going into extensive details about her training and what kind of strikes she had learned where. Instead, she just gave him her general martial arts background.

"In my fighting style, I am both a Guardsman and a Starfleet officer - mixed as my skills has become over the years." She said this as she flexed her fingers, rolling her shoulders a bit to keep them loose. She caught him looking at her where he lay, and she considered dressing him down for it, but after already having knocked him down, she was hesitant to add insult to injury. She had already made her point about Andorians, so she didn't think she'd have to bring it up again either. He was only making her a bit self-conscious, after all, and she could hardly stop him from using his eyes. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "I am sure you have seen some of my repertoire, but perhaps not so up-close."

While saying this, she walked over to the staff he'd lost and picked it up - seeing that he was having trouble getting back on his feet. With the staff an extension of her arm, she held it out for him to hold on to, and pulled him back on his feet once he'd secured his grip. Making sure he had his feet properly aligned underneath himself, she let go of the staff and stepped back. "One last time," she suggested, raising her guard for the third time since they'd begun the sparring practice, "and now, I will have you defend yourself instead, so be ready. Injured as you are, you should work on your defence... so here I come."

After only giving him so much respite, she had at him. She went in low with a side-kick to his thigh, only to feign her intent before following through with the kick. Instead, she raised her leg further and kicked him at head-level. She put her leg down quickly, though, to avoid having him sweep her leg out from underneath her. Next, she dealt him a right hand jab and then a heavy left hook across his head-area. For last, she stepped forward and raised her leading leg - dealing a straight kick towards the chan's already sore torso.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #22 –
With a small grunt of discomfort, Shall again takes the staff and uses the leverage to get back to his feet, cursing Theta Eridani yet again.  Flopping on the deck like a beached marine animal was hardly the image he ever wanted to portray.  "Only once Lieutenant." Shall answered, unwanted or not, as once again his opponent helped the chan to his feet with his staff.  "I felt for the bag." he added in jest, nodding in appreciation once she had released his weapon.

Ready once again, Shall's staff was once more in front of him, angled down towards his right, hoping that he was correct in figuring out Ida's preferred side (chiding himself for not paying attention to that detail earlier), and both hands on the grip.  Seeing her body twist for the side kick he snap-rotated the staff into position and almost didn't catch the feint in time.  Thankfully the staff's reach covered the distance between thigh and head just in time to deflect her foot, though with the assistance of a small lean backwards.  This made it impossible for him to counter with a sweep again, not that she gave him an opening.

Expecting a punch, it wasn't hard for the staff to knock Ida's jab up and away, but the speed of the hook made it impossible for Shall to react in time, and for a second he thought he saw a star flying in his vision, but it turned out to be a reflection off of the zhen's leg as it went for his torso.  Taking the only move he had left to him and raised the center directly into the kick's path.  Whatever it felt like to Ida, the impact was worse for him: slamming the staff into his chest, Shall's fist clocked himself in the jaw and knocked him backwards yet again.

Fighting panic, Shall stabbed the right end of the staff into the mat, this time halting his momentum.  Ignoring the warm wetness running down his chin and the supernova in his temple, the chan smiled like a victorious predator and lunged, swinging the staff from mid-level right, straight at Ida's center.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #23 –
The ache of Ida's chin, gained despite the padding on her lower leg, it was substantial because of the force she'd put behind the kick, so she had herself to blame entirely for it. It had rocked the chan's stance in its foundation, yet cleverly so, he had used his staff to righten his balance. In the brief interim, Ida saw him bleeding from the strike she had landed to his temple, realising that the the seam on her padded glove must have cut him in passing too. To his credit, after taking such a hit, he was still on his feet, swinging at her.

Surprise delayed her, disabled her from leaping out of range. What she could do, however, was to go in the opposite direction.

Stepping forward instead of back, she turned towards the incoming swing, and she seized the middle and the outer end of the staff in her hands. Yet even with a secure hold, she did not stop turning - ending up with her back against Shall. Literally so, since she barrelled into him with her pivoting turn - her bodily weight slamming into him. She hoped to unbalance him completely with the force of her tackle, perhaps even tearing the staff out of his hands. She vested no greater effort trying to do so, however, since the shortest route towards landing a counter-strike lay not in robbing him of his weapon. No, it was so simple as to use her turning momentum again, coming around with a backwards elbow-strike to his face, and once she came a full turn around, dealing him another right hook.

It required that she'd let go of his quarterstaff, of course, so it was a matter of whether she was successful or not. She'd deal the two strikes if he held on to it, otherwise, she'd simply end up taking his weapon away from him while he fell to the mat again.

Re: DAY 05: Keeping Balance [0630 hrs.]

Reply #24 –
This was probably the moment that truly revealed the difference in fighting temperament between the two Andorians.  Ida was a trained fighter, Shall not nearly as much.  His sudden attack came more from the blue haze tinting his vision than anything else, and the opposing zhen was more than capable of handling it.  The sudden addition of her momentum to his swing completely destroyed what little balance he had, and when her body slammed into his it was all over.

All of the air blew out of Shall's lungs with a loud "whuff" and the staff slipped out of his grip, the shock loosening it immensely.  His legs gave out and the chan dropped to the mat like a sack.  His rear hit the mat first and his back followed a moment later, his left side taking the brunt of the impact.  His right leg had swept out from under him and now lay almost straight out while the other was bent at the knee, his foot still on the ground.

On his back, weaponless, his chest on fire, and desperate to get some air back into him, Shall did the one thing left to him: hands open and hovering in front of his shoulders, the universal sign of yield.  Gasping once or twice then coughing to get his throat back into working order, "Yield." Shall croaked out, keeping his hands out in front.  It would another moment or two before he noticed the dual trickles of blood from his chin and temple, but ignored it for now.
 
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