Training Out the Stress

Posted on Fri Sep 20th, 2019 @ 1:17pm by Az'Prel & Petty Officer 3rd Class V'Nus Wil'I'Ams
Edited on on Sun Sep 22nd, 2019 @ 6:28pm

Mission: Family Detention
Location: USS Hera Gym
Timeline: 2396

Since she had gotten the news that her sister in arms since coming to this reality had been kidnapped, Az'Prel had been somewhat restless and no amount of meditation or training and exercise could work it out of her. Normally, she could outwait just about anything, but even though the ship was traveling at speeds she had previously never traveled at before, she felt like she was standing still.

She needed to find a way to make progress. A way to improve her skills or prepare for when they arrived.

Hence she was once more in the Hera's gym, sparring with a holographic partner on the highest setting.

Once more, she was able to defeat it in less than a minute.

Pausing the program, she grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her forehead and climbed out of the ring in order to hydrate.

The spacious gymnasium was unusually empty as much of the crew was busy in preparations for the mission ahead, so it wasn't exactly subtle when Petty Officer 3rd Class, V'Nus Wil'I'Ams came storming into the room complaining to herself in her Klingon tongue. It was clear she was oblivious to or simply didn't care about the presence of anyone else in the room as she made a bee-line to the grav-lev bench press.

"...unable to follow range instructions! BAH! What nonsense! Were this a Klingon ship I could have wrenched his head from his tiny shoulders and would have been promoted for my troubles!" 

Tossing her bag at the foot of the machine, V'Nus began punching in the weight settings and growling to herself before noticing Az'Prel in the center of the sparring circle. Switching to Federation standard, she nodded in acknowledgment of the woman who had volunteered her considerable skills to helping train the security team. "My... apologies... if I have disturbed you."

"You have not, but thank you. I am merely attempting to... de-stress." The Vulcan woman took a drink from her water bottle as she watched her Klingon counterpart for a moment. She respected the strength and willingness to learn of the Wil'I'Ams sisters and V'Nus especially seemed most receptive on the combat training she offered.

"As do I... that tu'HomI'raH veQ quartermaster of the weapons range has restricted me from use pending review as apparently destroying one's targets TOO well is somehow problematic!" V'Nus replied, about to sit on the bench when she stopped herself. It took her a moment to process what the other-dimensional Vulcan woman had just said.

"Wait? You need to de-stress? I would have thought such concerns of 'stress' were not common to Vulcans? But, then, you are an uncommon Vulcan." The tall, well-build Klingon woman said curiously. "Perhaps our issues have a... common solution."

"I assume he feels you caused needless and wanton destruction of the ship's facilities and took the steps he deemed appropriate. As a former freedom fighter, I commiserate with your plight." Az'Prel approached her Klingon counterpart with a thoughtful nod. "I... feel your pain... I too sometimes feel constrained by the training equipment provided by this ship and wish to be able to... Go Targ wild."

To hear words like 'feel' from a Vulcan was always unusual for the Taller Klingon woman. But between her and her sister, V'Nus was the more contemplative of the two and had an understanding of the internal conflict Az'Prel displayed. She was, in many respects, a Vulcan with a Klingon's heart, as V'Nus saw it.

"Well then, perhaps instead of testing the ships equipment, we test the skill of its doctors. I don't fear wild Targ's, after all. In fact, one can learn much from wrestling with one." V'Nus gestured back to the sparring ring with a vicious grin. 

"It would be an honor," replied Az'Prel, setting her towel and bottle aside and motioning for V'Nus to precede her into the ring. "Are there any rules of engagement that you would prefer? Obviously, no killing blows as that would be detrimental to the mission of the ship and our current mission in particular."

"I sense we both bristle under too many rules as it is. I think agreeing not to kill each other will suffice." V'Nus took her place across from Az'Prel in the ring and stretched out her neck, making a series of moderately loud pops as she did. Then she assumed a battle-ready fighting stance to begin. "So... is it our current mission that has you... 'stressed'?"

"It is. How much have you been told?" Az'Prel asked as she stretched her back out a bit, eliciting several of her own audible pops.

"I know that our two... Romulans... have been taken. That a rescue is being mounted and that cosmetic surgery is insufficient for my sister or I to qualify to volunteer." V'Nus almost snarled her reply, while stopping herself from saying the Klingon name for Romulans. "While our people have been enemies for many generations... I respect the Lieutenant. She is a fierce, if reserved, warrior who understands honor. We have drank bloodwine together and I would do so again."

"I concur. They both have honor in their hearts and I would trust them both with my life, should the need once again arise." Az'Prel assumed a low spider stance to begin their match with, knowing her opponent would likely go for an overhead attack, but going on a semi-defensive posture, just in case. "Which is the cause of my internal stress. I would be there to rescue them this very moment if I could. Especially if what I have learned of the other Romulans of this universe are true."

"I know little of your universe, but in this universe, the Romulans are a race of deceitful taHqeq! backstabbers whose true mothertongue is lies. I would have loved to hoist a few on the edge of my Bat'leth in this engagement." V'Nus smeared slightly as she began her attack, a downward leg strike towards Az'Prel's legs that the skilled warrior avoided with ease. "Thankfully, we have a Captain that knows the fire of Kahless in her belly, as we do not wait for childish Federation peace talks to stop us from reclaiming that which is ours."

The Vulcan refugee responded with a sidestep, a roll, and a trio of rabbit punches that she knew V'Nus would easily counter. "Indeed, it is good to know that while the Federation is the polar opposite of the Terran Empire, there are those that will fight for what is right and not toothless sabercats speaking of diplomacy. As the Romulans of my universe discovered, there is a time for diplomacy and peace and there is a time for combat. For them, that lesson came too late."

Blocking the blows, V'Nus took an unexpected tactic for one so tall, and fell into a spiraling sweep with her massive leg that forced Az'Prel to leap to the side to avoid the low kick. Then, In one smooth motion as Az'Prel landed, followed through with her second leg, raised to strike at the Vulcan's middle.

Rather than dodging or blocking the kick, Az'Prel took the blow and grabbed the offending limb, twisting it and herself in an attempted throw.

Realizing what was happening almost too late, the massive Klingon woman rolled herself into the throw. Az'Prel's reversal was a Llakh-ae'rl counter that V'Nus had learned in her sparring with Dox that could easily have wrenched the Klingon's kneecap free had she not spun into the throw.

Rolling free, both women squared off again. "Excellent. As the lieutenant says, if a leg attacks you, kill the leg. You've trained with her as well? Or her mother, perhaps?" V'Nus could sense her opponent harboring far more emotion that one simply concerned for a fellow shipmate and probed further.

"Jaeih Dox and I are as sisters," Az'Prel stated simply, this time taking on a more familiar classic Mok'bara stance. "As for my training, at times it surprises me how closely her combat training has mirrored my own."

"Ahhh, then Kah'less's spirit has brought you two together in your own way." Smiling slightly at the stance she knew well, V'Nus attacked again with a series of wide swings designed to force Az'Prel into a more defensive posture, which began to work until the seasoned freedom fighter countered with a strong center strike that staggered the Klingon warrior back a good two feet.

Letting out a hearty laugh, pleased with the combat and pleased to be fighting so worthy a foe, V'Nus re-set her posture and prepared for the next attack. "And this is truly personal for you. They have taken your chosen family from you?"

"They have. And I will make them pay for that error in judgment." Az'Prel attacked with a flurry of mixed Vulcan and Klingon blows.

The rapid-fire blows forced V'Nus back slightly, overwhelming her defenses. As she reached the edge of the ring, the skilled Klingon warrior instead changed her tactics with another lesson learned from sparring with Mnhei'sahe Dox: Taking the hit to open up your opponent. Leaning in, she positioned herself to take a blow directly to her dense ribcage at an angle that turned her half around but, in the spin, deliver a powerful left that finally connected with Az'Prel's jaw.

The dual blows staggered both women back. As a Vulcan, Az'Prel's strength was superior, but months of intense physical training and the slight bit of a boost from occasionally guarding the door of the goddess Hera meant that V'Nus's own strength was more than that of even a strong Klingon woman and both women felt the impacts. As she collected herself, V'Nus let out a powerful and deep belly laugh. "YES! THAT is how a warrior hits!"

Az'Prel had a hint of a grin as she started to get an adrenaline rush finally being able to cut loose. "I concur! It is logical to use full force with every strike!" With that exclamation, she gave a roundhouse kick aimed at V'Nus's head.

"YESSSS!!!!" V'Nus howled back as she leaned inside the kick, taking Az'Prel's powerful thigh to her shoulder rather than a boot to her face and countered. Blow by blow, the fight continued with increasing power and viciousness. Each landing harder blows upon the other as the speed ramped up to a frenzied pace.

At the door, Ensign's Gavarus and O'Dell started to walk in... to the sight of the two women locked in epic combat, green and red blood staining each other's clothes. "Oh, HELLS no." Gavarus exclaimed as the unlikely couple turned right around and left, not even being noticed.

After even more time, the fight began to slow as even the two warriors had begun to run out of both steam and adrenaline. Clothes torn, faces and bodies bruised and the blood of both spilled in the process but both women looked remarkably... happy as the stepped away from each other.

Huffing and puffing, V'Nus let out a throaty chuckle and spoke, gesturing to her freshly broken nose. "HA! My Sister will see this and be jealous, Az'Prel. I have not had a fight like that in far too long. I envy you the battle ahead. The Romulan's that have taken ours will surely fill the halls of whatever hell they fear before your wrath."

Finally out of breath and properly winded for the first time since coming to this reality, Az'Prel nodded with what energy she had left. "This is how I earned the nickname 'Messenger of Death' by the Terrans. These Tal'Shiar will learn this lesson soon."

"HA! I do hope the Commander makes a security hologram of that, for I would dearly love to see it." V'Nus said, grabbing two towels from her bag on the side of the ring and tossing one to Az'Prel. "That heart of yours, woman. I have seen it now. Vulcan you may be, but your heart beats with a fire to rival the greatest of Klingon warriors. The Lieutenant's heart too beats with fire, as I suspect does her mother. Those fires... that PASSION will make you victorious. And not just in the battle on Romulus to come."

The Vulcan woman caught the towel and wiped at the blood on her face and arms. "There is much passion in the Vulcan heart, tempered in the Forge with logic."