The Art of Fighting Dirty

Posted on Thu Oct 1, 2020 @ 4:02pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Alanna Wells

2,101 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: The Box of Delights Holodeck
Timeline: MD07 1300

[ON]

Yolanthe saw Alanna arrive through the doors of The Box of Delights, and stepped out from behind the bar to greet her. "Ready for a fight?" she asked with a cheerful grin.

"We'll soon find out. I don't think I fight on the same level you do."

Yolanthe laughed, turning a pale blue. "This isn't about fighting on my level. This is about surviving long enough to get away. I'm not asking you to walk into an arena and take on all comers."

"That's good, because I'm not up to that sort of thing. I' more likely to run and hide, if I can."

They went up to the holosuites, where Yolanthe's orion business partner, Klia gave them a wave and pointed them at one of the pods. It was already running a program, and they walked into a gym the size of an aircraft hangar. Yolanthe pointed to a treadmill set to the side of a stack of crash mats. "Jump on and warm up. And tell me how it happened. Where were you, where was he, how did he do it?"

"We were in the portal complex. Soran 's plan was to send a security detail with the freedom fighters to make sure they got to their shuttle. She kept Sovok behind as a prisoner until the team returned."

She focused on the warmup while she spoke. "Scaliontis and I were talking with Sovok. He finally tired of the game and grabbed me by my hair and jumped through the portal. We were met by a squadron of armed Vulcans. They took me to his office in the middle of the compound and locked me in. The first time, I was given the option of letting him rape me in his office, with his aide outside, or in the middle of the compound, with all his men watching."

Yolanthe was stretching as Alanna told her tale, and as it progressed, the violet colouring faded do a dirty yellow. "All right. We'll start with hair grabs and pins." she decided. "You'll practise on me to start with. Is that okay? Any other questions?"

"Hair grabs I can do. My problem with Sovok was he had four times my strength and agility. And he was a trained fighter. I was no match for him. Jason...killed him in a knife fight." She got off the treadmill and shook her head. "I can use a knife, and I can deal with a moderately-trained opponent. But Sovok...I couldn't match his brutality and there was nowhere to run to."

She began to stretch, hoping to keep from reliving in her mind what happened.

Yolanthe shook her head. "I'm not teaching you to become an arena champion. However strong they are, they're all built the same. You're not pitting your strength against theirs. Your pitting minimal force against the mechanics of their bodies, which are the same if they're towering Klingons, or tiny ferengi, couch potatoes or praetorian guard. And this is about giving you options for before there's no place left to run, not taking someone down."

"Good, 'cause I'd definitely fail at the other." She also had no interest in learning that sort of combat. It wasn't her style.

"Alright. I'm just going to get a demonstration partner, you won't be going up against him. COmputer, load Mook."

Within the simulation, a nausicaan appeared. Despite being nearly seven foot tall and built like an outhouse, he seemed to project vibes of cuddly softness, and his dark eyes even looked kind. He saw Yolanthe and gave her a goofy smile "Hey, Lani, its been a while."

Yolanthe looked like she'd rolled her eyes. "Klia programmed him," she told Alanna. "He's got some of her habits. But he won't hurt you."

"Hey Alanna." Mook waved at her, but didn't reach out to touch her or shake hands, just kept his distance.

"Hi," Alanna replied. She remembered the encounter she, Jason, Erich, and Brianthe had with some Nausicaans. Mook was nothing like them. He looked...cuddly. She wondered if he could be programmed to dance.

"Okay. We'll start with a grab to the hair from behind. I'll do it quick, and then we'll show you step by step, and then you can practise on me. Watch carefully."

Yolanthe and Mook took position up so Alanna could watch from the side. And then with out warning, Mook lunged forward, getting a fistful of Yolanthe's purple hair. He wasn't gentle. But a second later he was on his knees. She'd grabbed his wrist, and turned under his arm, locking it, forcing him to let go, and then kicked the back of his knee hard enough to break something.

"See," Yolanthe said, offering Mook her hand. "He's bigger than me, stronger too. Still ended up where all men belong." She gave Alanna a wicked grin."

The scientist nodded. "That is going to take some practice." It was a good move, and hopefully, with some practice, Alanna could do a close approximation.

"That's what we're here for." She turned her back to Mook so they could demonstrate again. This time they went slowly. "SO when you feel the grab, get both hands on his wrist. You're not trying to relieve the pressure on your hair, you're grabbing him so you can hurt him. Step out from under, turning away from him, as you do his arm will lock." Yolanthe paused to show how Mooks arm had indeed been forced straight and he'd had to release his grip in her hair. "Keep turning until you've forced him away from you, see how his leg is vulnerable. Stamp down there, and run. Got it?"

"Got it." She thought she did, anyway. At least if it went slowly.

"Okay then, slowly the first time." She walked behind Alanna, and put her hand into the scientist's blonde locks.

Alanna turned, grabbed Yolanthe's wrist with both hands, continuing the rotation so the arm locked, then gently stomped on the other woman's foot. "Like that?"

"Higher up, back of the knee." Yolanthe straightened up. "Again."

Alanna went a little faster and aimed a little higher on the back of the knee. "Like that?"

"Better. But get more aggressive. Remember, if you don't get this right, you're going to get fucked up again." She grabbed Alanna's pony tail again.

Alanna took a deep breath and tried again, this time putting more momentum and force into it. She needed to practice this a hundred times so it became muscle memory. At the same time, she didn't want to hurt Yolanthe--even though she knew this was keeping her from putting enough force into her kick.

Yolanthe got up from the crouch she'd been forced into when Alanna had kicked her. "Better, but you're hesitating after the grab. This needs to be instinct. Computer. Duplicate me, set parameters to practise 1." A second Yolanthe appeared, dressed in the same wrap around pants and top, her skin the same shade of powder blue. "Go with her. She won't feel pain if you kick her properly." The duplicate moved into position. "Again."

The science officer nodded again. This time, she grabbed, twisted, and kicked with more force and determination. It helped that it wasn't really Yolanthe.

"Better." It was clear that Alanna's own compassion was holding her back. A dummy partner had helped, so now she didn't let up the pace. Practise practise practise. "Again...Keep your hands tight. Go Again... Good, harder on twist. You want to hear bones grind. Again.... No, don't step back, or they might grab with the other hand. Again...Yes, like that! Again."

Each time, Alanna did as she was asked. Each time, she felt a little more confident. Turn, grab, twist, kick... This would not have kept her from being taken through the portal as Sovok had pulled her through in one quick movement. But that was not likely to happen again. Next time--if there was a next time--she would be prepared. If she kept focused and practiced.

Thinking about Sovok made her next attempt harder than the others.

Yolanthe frowned as Alanna struggled with the move after several excellent maneovres. "Stop. What happened there?"

She sighed. "I was thinking about Sovok...and I got angry. So, lesson is, don't get angry."

"No!" Yolanthe shook her head. "Get angry. In these situations angry is just fine. Angry is the best." She ran a hand through her hair. "I think the problem is Sovok. Maybe we should try something?"

Alanna raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to try?"

"Familiarity breeds contempt. Change the practice partner from me to a generic vulcanoid to start with."

A Vulcan. She sighed. "Okay." She did need to get past her trepidation and this was the best way to do it.

"Its your call. No rush. You can beat me up for as long as you like."

"No. I don't want to hurt you," Alanna admitted. She wasn't sure she wanted to assault Mook, either. "And I do have to face my fear at some point. It might as well be now."

"Alright, just remember we can stop at any time." Yolanthe called up a generic male Vulcan, with short hair. "Lets see how it goes. And remember, he can't hurt you. But you can hurt him. Enjoy that." The Vulcan moved into position. "Again."

The Vulcan reached forward and tangled his fingers into Alanna's hair.

She grabbed his wrist, turned sharply, and kicked, not giving herself time to overthink what she was doing.

The Vulcan went to his knees, clearly in pain. Yolanthe nodded, "Getting there. How did that feel?"

"I tried not to think or feel," Alanna admitted. "I just...did it."

"Good." Yolanthe beamed. "It needs to be that instinctual. Shall we so how you do when they fight back?"

That made her nervous. But again, she needed to do this. "Okay."

"We stop anytime you want. But you have to be prepared to get hurt. They're aren't going to stop just because you twist a wrist, they are going to hold on. But you have to be able to keep going through that. Try on me first." And with that, she twisted behind Alanna, and grabbed her hair, hauling her back.

The science officer grabbed Yolanthe's hand, turning so she fell, pulling the other woman with her and twisting as she went down. But Yolanthe kept her grip, even as Alanna twisted her arm until her bones groaned, and kept pulling the smaller woman back, tearing her hair.

Alanna continued to turn until she could kick out at Yolanthe. It wasn't easy. Yolanthe was a foot taller than she was, and the larger woman was holding her at bay and she missed.

"Pull down," Yolanthe told her, "as well as twist." There was hitch in her voice, trying to maintain even breathing through pain.

Alanna pulled down and twisted. Then she let go. "Enough. I don't want to hurt you."

But the bokkai didn't let go. She hauled Alanna back, tripped her, and came down ontop of her, one hand on her throat. "Sweet, but the wrong attitude. Always go for the kill-" she shrugged, "well, the escape. And don't worry about hurting me. One, I've had broken bones before. And Two. Federation medicine is awesome. I'd be fine in a hour."

Alanna grabbed the thumb at her throat and pulled it back as fast and hard as she could. At the same time, she head-butted her in the face.

Yolanthe swore and tipped forward, right into the headbutt, which she hadn't been expecting, and their skulls met with a crack. Yolanthe toppled off the scientist, clutching her forehead, bright blue and shaking.

Alanna's head throbbed. She rolled to her knees. "Are you okay?" she asked, keeping her distance. "I think we're done for today, and I think you need a doctor."

But Yolanthe was laughing, unconcerned with the brilliant black bruise that had formed over right eye. "That's the spirit. Never surrender." She pressed her fingers to her forehead, winced, but still looked pleased. "I'll be fine. Its hardly the first time I've taken a headbutt. You should see the other guy."

"Trust me, if I get into a fight, I want you on my side." Alanna sat down, finally letting herself smile. "You and Jason both."

"Consider it done." Yolanthe got to her feet. "Same time next week?"

Alanna sighed. Yolanthe wa right. "Yes. Same time next week." She got up and stretched her sore muscles. "Thanks."

____
OFF



Lieutenant Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space 5


Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights

 

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