Warrior's Mess (Part 7 of 10)

Posted on 30 Apr 2015 @ 7:07pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Petty Officer 2nd Class Eva Kovalev & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Commander Norvi Stace & Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant JG Grayson Jones & Crewman Apprentice Sigrid Thelin & Captain Jonathan Holliday

2,481 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: IKS CharghwI' - Deck 18, Dining Hall
Timeline: MD 01 - 2345 hrs

Previously, on Warrior's Mess (Part 6)...

"You look bored," Tyrion said as he approached the Andorian.

"I am, " Keval admitted, "I was told this was the area for people looking for a challenge. I can always drink and socialize. but challenging a Klingon, well that's a once in a lifetime opportunity. And besides, I wanted to show just how good we can be."

"How is that once in a lifetime?" Tyrion queried curiously, "don't we have holodecks to make true our darkest fantasies?"

"Those are, as you say, fantasies. Not the real thing, with real people. This is different." Keval said to him.

Naois watched the two discuss fantasy and reality, then brightened considerably. "Eva!" he called, waving at the new arrival.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Eva took in the surroundings as she materialized in the Klingon mess. Looking around she saw Naois waving at her. As much as she wanted to leap into her mate's arms and take him right here on the messhall floor, such things were highly improper a so a more sedate greeting was appropriate. She gave him a gentle peck on the cheek before taking his hand. "Missed you."

Naois was of another mind when she kissed his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and squashed her carefully against his chest, before engaging her in a passionate kiss. "I missed you too," he murmured, ignoring any stares they might draw.

Eva let Naois draw her into a passionate embrace. Letting herself go in the moment, Eva enjoyed her mate's kiss, the pent of passion of the days apart flooding between them. Eventually she parted lips, smiling at Naois. "You keep doing that and you may have to sling me over your shoulder and drag me off into another room. That is after all the Klingon way." Eva teased.

The Vulcan sobered immediately. "No," he said decisively, "we are not doing anything to risk our child."

As much as Eva wanted to correct Naois, she knew what his reaction had been last time she mentioned twins. "Husband. When we are finished this exercise you and I will have some quiet time together. Not as wild as Pon'farr but I expect satisfaction just the same."

Naois gave her a concerned look. "I will consider it," he promised thinly, "we should focus on this event now even though I really do enjoy seeing you."

Eva nodded. The smells of the ship were making her nauseous but she did her best to suppress them. "When is the event supposed to begin? Or is this diplomacy Klingon style?"

"I do not know," Naois replied, looking down at her. "Are you alright? Do you want to leave?"

"I am fine husband. I took a nausea hypo before I came as I knew Klingon ship's were aromatic. I just wasn't expecting them to be this pungent though."

"As you wish," the Vulcan replied quietly, his eyes now fixed on the gathering group before them.

Stace approached the familiar Fleeties with a smile fully broken across her lips. Not looking at anyone specifically, her eyes were drawn to the dimensions of the unfamiliar room. The darkness, the colours and the smells filled every sense she had and reminded her of nothing she had experienced before in any lifetime. And this was refreshing and exciting. She approached the group and beamed. "Hi!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. Isn't this wonderful?"

"That depends on your definition of wonderful ma'am," Naois answered, circling his arm around Eva's waist to keep her close. "It is certainly... different."

"Different, indeed," Stace remarked, narrowing her eyes on the intimate embrace with an awkward glance that betrayed her uncomfortable position. She then shook off her expression and then turned to the group as a whole.

"It would be, "Keval said, except we're woefully short of Klingons and this is supposed to be a place where we can take on a challenged not just engage in a Federation con-fab."

Luke rocked up next to Stace and opposite Keval "Indeed it would seem that way perhaps we should do something about that?" He asked looking around for a semi-perishable item he could use to obtain a Klingon's attention. Find an empty blood wine container he aimed it towards a group of klingons and smiled. "Will you not challenge us, bIHnuch!" Coward, he couldn't believe he was calling a Klingon a coward but the crew wanted Klingons... and who was Luke to not provide.

Keval's left antennae arched backwards, "I don't think that is exactly what I meant," he said, "we're trying to challenge them not create a diplomatic incident."

"I agree," the Betazoid intelligence officer supplied, "I don't think throwing kitchen ware at them will impress them much." He rubbed his right shoulder, remembering his arm wrestling duel with Grayson. "Maybe vocally challenge them?" he suggested, "or we set an example and others might join in."

Quite cheerily Grayson came up to a group of familiar faces, "Going well?" he asked rather sarcastically.

"Keval here is bored," Tyrion piped up, his face lighting up at the sight of Grayson. "And you?"

"Hello Grayson," Keval said, fixing Tyrion with a slight scowl. "Don't pay any attention to him. I'm not bored, I'm motivated."

"You're bored, you're throwing kitchenware at the Klingons."

"Bored or not," Stace interjected, a steely gaze to her stare that betrayed the severity of her words, "there will be no throwing of kitchenware. We don't want a repeat of the Cardassian dinner party. We have spoons and they have bat'leths. Challenging area or not." She paused and then casually walked over to one of the Klingons stood near to the centre of the room. "My body maybe of a diplomatic woman, but my heart is as strong as a warriors. What challenges do you have to bring to our feet? Together, we are a formidable team!"

"I wasn't the one throwing anything,"Keval said defending himself as he waited for the Klingon to reply.

Lurkan, the old Klingon warrior that Stace had addressed stood eyeing the Starfleet crew. In his right hand he held the bloodwine cup that had been thrown at him. He felt it with his thumb as if considering what to do with it. He looked Stace in the eyes, "You are free to challenge any warrior you think you can best." Lurkan rose his hand to indicate the Klingons behind him. "None will decline." Lurkan turned his battle scarred ugly face towards Luke, and strode the few paces towards him. He extended the cup to him in offering. "As for your challenge, I am very pleased to accept." He leaned in a bit and smiled. Something more akin to a grimace.

Stace's face adopted one of pleasure and respect as she bowed slowly and then took a step back to allow Lurkan to face his accuser.

Getting the reaction he wanted Luke smiled back and took the thrown up before placing it back where he had picked it up from, he knew that this challenge would likely injure him but he hadn't had a good fight in ages not since when he first arrive on the Galileo and ended up in the Brig after putting two or three security officers in medical. "And the honor is mine" He nodded again now moving to clear some space as he eyed his opponent and looked for any weaknesses. It didn't take long for Luke to fling into action he would have preferred Lurkan to attack him first since Luke could block easier than he could attack. Feigning left and right Luke finally chose his weaker hand, his left to start the fight. Aiming for the Klingon's left rib he followed through with a swing from the back of his right elbow towards the head, in a twisting motion. Luckily for him he had fought klingons before.

The old Klingon warrior chose to absorb the punch to his ribs in order to deflect the elbow coming at his head. As if completely unafraid of pain or fear of getting hit, Lurkan tucked his head down and moved forward. He allowed himself to be punched and deliberately left openings for Luke to take for the sole purpose of waiting for perfect opportunities to strike the Human with precise, measured and powerful strikes. The more bloodied Lurkan became the more calculated his moves were. Unlike the other Klingons, he was a patient, but less aggressive, fighter.

From the group of Klingons, Mugh stepped forward and stared down Keval. It was quite clear he wanted Keval to come forward and challenge him to a fight. He remained quiet as his eyes conveyed his intentions to the Andorian.

Keval smiled at the Klingon and took a few steps forward, moving to a defensive position, "Do really want to take me on?" he asked, "Having your ass kicked by an Andorian, might not be good for your morale."

"We don't do it for morale." He smiled back as he entered the fighting area. Noting the defensive position naturally made him adopt a more aggressive albeit traditional Klingon offensive stance. He inched forward folding his arms up in the traditional Klingon style all warriors are taught. With an explosive series of initial attacks designed to test the Andorian's guard rather than assault him he stepped forward with a series of hooks and jabs.

Keval managed to duck, dodge and otherwise avoid the first few hooks and jabs without too much difficulty, though one of the last blows intended for his head, hit him on the collarbone and stung mightily. He was just glad it hadn't been full force.

Keval knew he was quick but he also realized the Klingon hadn't really been trying all that hard. He knew he had to press the small advantage that he had and feinted a jab at the Klingon's jaw, then tried a leg sweep to knock him to the ground.

The feint to Mugh's jaw managed to trick him. But because he wasn't thinking of defense, he didn't raise his arm to block it. Instead he had turned his face to absorb the impact that never came. He instead caught the leg sweep almost too late just barely managing to lift his knee up and to the outside, deflecting the sweep. Instead Keval's sweep came as a kick to the Klingon's leg that nearly threatened to have the warrior come crashing down. He gritted through the intense pain of it, and laughed to cover it up. He favoured it as he circled Keval, looking for a good opening. The techniques Keval were using wasn't just regular Starfleet self-defense. He was using techniques that the Klingon hadn't encountered before and that made him intensely curious rather than cautious. He continued pressing aggressively, throwing techniques to test Keval's skills and to make him have to work hard to keep from getting hit by Mugh's unrelenting attacks. There was a lot you can learn about an opponent when sparing with him, and the things he was learning about Keval were interesting to the Klingon.

Keval was good, but by no means was he invincible. Most of Mugh's attacks missed and the Andorian knew enough about tactics to know he was being tested. But a couple of the attacks made it through his defenses. One blow landed on the same shoulder causing him, despite his best efforts to wince in pain. The second attack caught him of the forearm of his off hand. It stung but he managed to avoid telegraphing it.

Keval's next trick was to feint another head shot, but this time to follow it up with a jab towards the Klingon's solar plexus, with his other hands. Most humanoids were right handed, Keval was not. So he hoped that it would be enough a surprise to get through the Klingon's own defenses.

The attack was both a colossal success and an abysmal failure at the same time. He made it through the defenses with relative ease, perhaps too much ease. Keval's fist collided with some kind of polymer armor and he heard the bone beneath his pinky snap in a classic boxer's fracture. He winced slightly then shook it off wanting to continue the fight.

Mugh looked at him, his grudging respect growing ever so slightly. That did not however stop his aggressive attitude or maneuvers. He moved in quickly aimed a round house kick at Keval's face. A blow the Andorian just managed to avoid.

Then Keval threw a punch at he Klingon's face, but this time instead of feinting, he followed through and was rewarded by the sound of his fist striking Mugh's nose, with enough force to draw blood and force him back.

Mugh did step back, blood flowing slightly from his broken nose. He reached up and in a sickening sound of bone and cartilage he reset his nose. The blood flowed freely now and he licked his lips, tasting it. He smiled, then chuckled. "You don't fight like a Federation officer." He said it less as an accusation and more out of respect. He stepped forward but extended a hand to Keval in the warrior's handshake way.

Keval smiled and shook the offered hand,"Well you do fight like a Klingon," he offered, and I think you may have broken my collar bone. But I kind of like it."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Atlas

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Chronos

Ensign T'Vanna Murray
Chief of Operations
USS Aventia

Lieutenant j.g. Naois Mercy
Chief Medical Officer
USS Nautilus
[PNPC T'Vanna]

CPO Tyrion Faye
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Helmsman
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Assistant Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign K'os Beaumont
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Executive Officer
USS Nautilus

LCDR Allyndra Warraquin
First Officer
USS Galileo

LTJG Luke Wyatt
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

CPO Keval Grayson
Operations Officer
USS Galileo

LTJG Grayson Jones
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

LTJG Emmarie
Asst. Chief Operations Officer
USS Galileo

PO2 Eva Kovalev
Propulsion Specialist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Zhao]

LCDR Norvi Stace
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

ENS Janna Voutilainen
Stellar Cartographer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Olsam Mott, M.D.
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Crewman Apprentice Sigrid Thelin
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo
[PNPC K'os Beaumont]

LTJG Benice Gyce
Security Investigations Officer
USS Galileo

LCDR Dea Mialin
Commanding Officer
USS Aventia

LT Jared Nicholas
Linguist
USS Galileo

LT Min Zhao
Chief Operations Officer
USS Galileo

AMB Solene von Lanthen
Diplomat
USS Galileo
[PNPC Khnailmnae]

CDT Nesh Saalm
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo
[PNPC Khnailmnae]

Arandon Khnailmnae
Botanist
USS Galileo

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