[Three Musketeers] Mercy not Weakness
Posted on Monday, 4 January 2021 - 5:43am by Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt
Her recent events in Italy had encouraged Adrianna to learn more in the way of combat arts. She opted for something classic to start off with: swordplay.
Adrianna wasn't going to lie, she was bored easily and decided to upgrade to something a bit more meaty… A Bat'leth.
So here she stood, in a holodeck, with a bat'leth, warmed up and ready to go. The pixels came together, shifting to a scene. It was a dark junction of a corridor, perhaps on a Klingon ship. There was a low hum and red lights illuminated the various open paths. Adrianna was always taught how to fight by using fear as a trigger, so this programme was perfect.
The lights flickered and a Klingon could be seen when the light was on, walking with purpose towards her.
Step… Step...step…
Adrianna’s heart started to pound and she went into a readied stance. She hadn't really used a bat'leth before, but she knew the basics and the programme was set to easy.
The Klingon had rage as his motivation. He armed himself with his own bat'leth slamming it straight down into Adrianna like an axe to an innocent chunk of wood.
The bat'leths met with a slight spark, igniting the faces of the fighters momentarily with a hearty metal meeting metal clang.
Adrianna held her own, pushing back and throwing the Klingon back a step or two.
Once cleared, Adrianna swung the bat'leth round and went to slice through, but was blocked. The bat'leth was heavier than it looked and her arms felt each kilo.
They both fought hard. Metal meeting metal, almost rhythmically. Opponents equally matched. Adrianna had youth on her side and lean muscle. She lept catlike using the ships wall as a foothold, waving the semi circular blade in figure eights multiple times before touching down on the floor between the klingon's feet.
The Klingon cracked a smile "You are strong willed, for a human." His comment seemed like a compliment, and Adrianna took it as such, but it was evident that the sugar masked poison. Their eyes met for a brief moment as Adrianna pulled at the bat'leth, trying to release it from the floor. The klingon's eyes grew darker, seeing the advantage.
Adrianna’s skin was glistening in sweat as she finally managed to release the bat'leth, rolling backwards, narrowly missing the angry opponent's hurtling towards her head.
Adrianna jumped to her feet, advancing with opportunity, the sharp weapon pounding aggressively with a foreswing and backswing. Adrenaline kicked in, forcing her to just try and hit her opponent, any means necessary. Her fight or flight running on overdrive.
The Klingon barely managed to dodge the first set of pendulum swings and met the second with his own weapon. The force behind the opponent's weapon, sent Adrianna stumbling backwards a little.
Adrianna recovered quickly, charging like a bull and upwardly swinging her bat'leth upwards, knocking the klingon's clean out his hands.
The woman went to finish the kill but froze with the bat'leth just millimetres from the klingon's neck.
She panted.
Her hesitation was seen as weakness, not mercy, and the Klingon swung to hit her.
The programme froze and a trainer came into view, "why did you hesitate?"
Adrianna's eyes went to the trainer. Would he understand? Would he understand that she only saw herself in the Baciami lifestyle at that point? The desire for bloodshed overwhelming her fight or flight? Adrianna made a mental note to book an appointment with the counsellor, "I think that's enough for today. I'll see you next week. Computer, end programme."
As the pixels fade Adrianna looked to her hands. Clean. "You are Adrianna Nani Baciami, Starfleet enlisted officer, you are not a capo for Baciami," she whispered to herself as her mind went into panic mode.
