Gym Fight

Posted on Sat Dec 26th, 2020 @ 12:49pm by Chief Petty Officer Sapphire & Lieutenant JG Sarah Wilson

Mission: Healing of Minds
Location: gym

The following morning, Sapphire showed up at the gym a few minutes earlier than the appointed time, to make sure everything was in working order as she preferred it to be. She left her uniform and thermal suit in the adjacent changing room, and decided to train in a tank top and shorts. She didn’t mind working up a sweat, and she’d have to keep her body used to physical activity in warmer environments. Besides, there were showers in the changing room, so it wouldn’t even interrupt her routine much.

Dr Sarah Wilson jogged in 20 minutes later, a tad late as per usual. Timing was something she never really had a knack for but more than made up for in dedication and work ethic.

"Sorry I'm late" she said as she tossed her towel and bottle on the bench and headed towards the Andorian.

Sapphire looked her up and down. “Good morning, doc.” She smiled. “Are you ready to show me what you can do, then?” She had promised to go easy on Sarah, but she did want to make one thing clear. “One request. In exchange for going easy on me, don’t go for my antennae, okay?”

Sarah scoffed, looking at the highly toned officer in front of her "I doubt I could go for your antennae even if I tried" she said sagely, preparing herself for the ass whopping that was eminent.

Sapphire started out with a light attack, one which she figured anyone who was reasonably sound in mind and body would be able to deflect. She wasn’t planning on hurting Sarah, unless it would become clear to her that was what Sarah wanted. Some people learnt better that way, Sapphire knew from experience.

The deflection was clumsy but mostly effective, the MO stepping to the side and using the blade of her opposing hand to deflect the strike downwards and away from her exposed side. The lessons from years ago at the academy started to slowly come back, basic blocks, deflections and strikes. She was rusty though, having to think about the process and read the action before being able to respond to it.

“You remember the basics”, Sapphire observed. “You haven’t fought in years. What happens when the Jem’Hadar come back?” Falling into the taunting language she used with other members of the security staff came natural to her, and so she didn’t even realise that, maybe, this wasn’t the most reasonable course of action with a medical officer. But regardless, she came in again, purposely slowing down, but using a more elaborate manoeuvre this time.

The evasive action was a little smoother this time, a little quicker and a little more effective. Some form of latent muscle memory was kicking in thanks to countless drills at the academy. Truth be told Sarah had never been great at sparring, she passed the self defence and combat course at the academy, but far from the top of the class. She was athletic enough but just didn't care for fighting. Sadly the frequency of combat in Starfleet meant everyone needed to be on their toes. Even those who would normally be immune due to their work. She tried to retaliate, aiming a heel for the inside of Sapphire's knee in a move she knew wouldn't work before it had even begun.

Sapphire took the blow on her shin, a solid bone that wasn’t easy to crack, by turning sideways. She then took hold of Sarah’s arm, pulling her in close. “Always try to stay at a distance against a stronger, larger opponent”, she said, “be light on your feet. Evade first, strike only when you’re sure you’ve found an opening.”

Sarah grunted, stomping on Sapphire's foot before twisting away from her. It was a weak maneuver but managed to get the job done. She dropped her weight evenly between her feet, keeping her toes outside the line of her hips and making it easy to shift her weight. She wished for a weapon rather than her bare hands but if this was how it was going to be then so be it. Sapphire's blue skin morphed into that of a Jem Hadar, it's nobbled exoskin difficult to penetrate. It was as though someone had flipped a switch in her brain, turning on her survival instinct and drawing on the few occasions she'd been confronted during the war. The incoming strike was swift albeit not as smooth as she would have liked, stepping forward and to the side, keeping out of range yet keeping her opponent on the back foot.

“Very good!” Sapphire applauded, meeting Sarah’s attack with her palms, and to an outside observer it must have looked like a dance. “Keep it up.” Sapphire readily switched to a defensive posture. There wasn’t much need for instruction at the moment, but Sarah desperately needed experience. “But you must hit harder.”

"I'll give you harder" Sarah puffed, sweat starting to bead on her brow. She shifted to the right, feinting high before striking low to the left, stepping in and out faster than she had moved in a long time, not giving Sapphire any time to use the distance against her. Feint strike parry, strike, parry, feint. The dance continued.

“Oh, please do”, she teased, her voice mocking a seductive tone. Enjoying herself, Sapphire grinned as she moved to a tune that was only audible in her head. Fighting, to Andorians, was much like dancing. Except, Sapphire hadn’t grown up with the tradition of zinash-raan, the duelling technique turned non-lethal dance performance over the centuries. But this was fun, and getting hit occasionally wasn’t so bad.

The skills were there, the muscle and stamina were somewhat starting to wane. The breathing a little heavier, the burn in the legs a little more painful. Step, feint block strike, repeat step, double feint, strike block parry. She mistimed a block, ended up stepping into one of Sapphire's strikes and copping the blade of a hand in her midsection. Folding over she fell to her knees breathing heavily.

Sapphire stopped, offering Sarah her hand to help her back up to her feet, the other on Sarah’s shoulder. “You’ve done well”, she said, deciding not to add ‘for a medical officer’ to her statement, though it was certainly implied. “I believe you’ve got potential.” She would certainly enjoy working out with her again, this woman had the spirit necessary, and with time could easily outdo Sapphire in stamina.

Sarah took the hand offered but also took her time getting to her feet. "Thanks for not kicking my ass" she huffed, still breathing heavily. Definitely time to up the cardio routine a few notches.

Sapphire smiled. “I’m not half as scary as I look, I swear.” She got two glasses of cold water from the nearby replicator and handed one of them to Sarah. “And contrary to popular belief, I don’t enjoy beating up other people, unless they either deserve it or asked for it.”

"Or needed their ass trained back to where their skills should be" Sarah flopped down onto one of the long benches that ran along the wall, accepting the water and wiping her sweat with her towel.

“Well, I make exceptions for members of security, who should be held to a different standard”, Sapphire admitted. She put her arm around Sarah’s shoulders and smiled. “You did well, though, little one.”

"I'll take that as a compliment, considering how utterly bad I was. I trust you will remedy that situation" Sarah smirked, knowing that Sapphire would well and truly keep kicking her ass until she was up to scratch.

“Gladly”, Sapphire agreed. “Fifteen minutes every morning?” she suggested. “Or thirty minutes thrice a week. If you have that kind of time to spare, that is.” She pointed towards the changing room. “But right now, how about a shower, and on to work for the both of us?”

"Three times a week, I don't think I could do this every day!" Wilson snorted as her sore muscles were already making themselves known. Tomorrow was going to be brutal. They headed for the showers, washing the sweat from their bodies before dressing in their assigned colours for work.