by Reiter
“I thought we had an agreement,” he said, sounding disgusted and disappointed. “I would always tell you when I was coming to the Bridge… you would do the same for me in Engineering.
“You have seen too much, human! Now you must die!” His body snapped into a stance for leaping as he snarled at Persephone. She did not jump or gasp; her motion was smooth, steady and lightning fast.
“Impressive,” Dungias thought as he engaged his sight. The gun had not even cleared the holster when he saw her target him. She fired, but he was already leaning and his head moved from where she was shooting. He spun to avoid the second shot and squatted to dodge the third. His Osamu came away from his hand as he dropped toward the floor, and Persephone did not get off a fourth shot. By the time her eyes drew focus on the stick, her gun was already out of her hand. But she was quick enough to take hold of the stick and bring it around her head as she charged. “Absolutely no fear!” he observed as Alpha came to as stop five centimeters from his face.
“Nipple-twisters!” Persephone muttered, throwing her head forward toward his face. He could have allowed the attack to strike, but this was a demonstration and to be effective as a teacher, the student had to be aware of the fact that they had something to learn. His back bend was just as fast as her head-butt and he slapped the sides of her face, making sure that his fingers struck like the tassels of a whip. Her body shuddered from the pain, but Persephone came around with an overhand left. Dungias used his right hand to guide it wide of his face as he stepped back. He then ducked low and moved under her spinning kick. She rolled over his back and found herself on her feet but still disoriented.
“And now for the Coup de Grâce!” Dungias thought as his turning back kick moved quickly enough to put his foot against her before he pushed, sending her across the room.
“Easy, Captain!” he said before engaging the Stride to streak past her and catch her body before she hit the wall. “That would have hurt!”
“What the freak?!” Persephone yelled as she twisted to pull herself out of his grasp. He lifted his hand in time to block her haymaker. She then kicked for his crotch but he spun and caught the heel of her lifted boot. Persephone struggled to keep her balance as Dungias slowly lifted her right foot higher and higher.
“Say when,” he quipped, squinting his eyes as he tasked Alpha to keep her left foot adhered to the flooring. She had just begun her jump to land a somersault kick when Alpha created a gravity surge. Their eyes locked and Dungias silently reposed his request as he lifted the right foot even higher. He was very impressed with how limber both women were. Neither of their fighting styles or choices of movement would suggest that either of them had the flexibility to rival some professional dancers, but a spark flared in Persephone’s eyes as she realized that Z had to bring himself closer to keep lifting her leg. While there was a force keeping her down, it did not keep her from sliding her foot. She spun around quickly, bent her right knee and moved her face to bite Z at the crotch.
“Captain!” Dungias shouted as he released his grip and jumped back from the mauling.
“What?” Persephone said as she rolled and spun into a foot sweep that he hopped over. “You’ve got nothing to fear...” His head leaned to the left to avoid her jumping uppercut. He took a step back and lifted his hand to catch her turning elbow strike. “I’m not a sharp-shooter!” A soft tap to the small of her back was all Dungias had intended. He would have to speak with Alpha in the near future, as the electrical shock it added to the strike was excessive to say the least. As her body dropped to the floor, the clang of her dropped blade, which she had drawn without him seeing, made Dungias take tighter hold of his Osamu.
“That is why she spoke the way she did,” he concluded. “Even if I was able to ‘shake off’ her insulting commentary, it provided the break in my concentration that she needed to draw an equalizer. As Smitty told me over and over again, they were all made to fight, and fight very well!
“You are not unconscious, nor are you unable to continue the fight,” Dungias said softly as he kicked away the blade. “But you are at least engaging in strategy, as an all-out confrontation seems more likely to fall to my favor. I told you that the lessons were to start soon,” he continued, walking away. A gravity pulse lifted Persephone to her feet and then returned her dagger and gun to her hands. “You have just had your first.”
“And what am I supposed to be learning here?”
“That I commune with the Stars,” he replied. “You will come to know more about that as you wish, though I do not believe you will be delving too deeply in that particular pursuit.”
“You talk to the stars?”
“I do.”
“And they talk back?”
“All the time.”
“What did they say today?”
“Are you certain you wish to jump in on the deep end?” Dungias asked. “I will answer your question if you insist, but I do not believe you are ready for that.”
“You kicked me.”
“Pushed you,” Dungias corrected.
“And then you flew across the room–”
“One dedicated lunge, actually.”
“… and caught me,” she said, looking back at where it happened. “The push thing was your strength, right?”
“Not entirely,” Dungias shared. “If that is your way of asking if you would have the ability to throw someone in the same fashion using my technique, the answer is yes! And you are stronger than you think!”
“How much of this was a set-up?”
“You were going to learn of my communing with the Stars eventually, Captain,” Dungias stated. “I disengaged my warning system the same day I promised you–”
“No holding back,” Persephone said, nodding. “Did you have fun scaring the crapstacks out of me?”
“You experienced a heightened sense of fear, Captain,” Dungias said. “Perfectly understandable when someone encounters the unknown. However, you were not scared.”
“How can you say that for sure?”
“Because what I will teach you does more than show you the techniques behind movement, it will show you why and how to move. You cannot come to that perspective until you understand yourself and all of the opposing forces engaged against you.
“And speaking of understanding, the drawing of the dagger was most impressive.”
“For all the good it did me,” Persephone muttered and Dungias sighed in frustration. He turned to face his student and slapped her hard across her face. She turned with the blow, catching herself on the wall.
“Is that more to your liking?” he asked, allowing his anger to resonate. “Captain, you are, without a doubt, your very worst critic! No one else has a prayer of keeping up with you in that regard. And you judge everything by the outcome.”
“And?” she snapped as she glared at him.
“And you are so focused on victory and defeat that you forget to fight!” he returned with equal fury. “That vision leads only to self-destruction! You will fight, and fight, and fight, thinking only of winning! Well, what happens when you cannot win?! What will you do then?”
“The only reason why we’re here is because we’ve won, Z. We always win!”
“I have lost my home!” he shouted with a power in his voice Persephone did not know he possessed. “I have lost my brother! I have lost my wife and my child! Do not speak to me of never losing!” He stammered, realizing what he had said, wishing, for a brief moment, that he could take it back. He then told himself that although he could wipe the memory from her, he would never do that again.
“Whoa!” Persephone whispered, taking a step back from the man she had seriously misjudged. She looked at her hands and found them trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. “Z… I…”
“Whether or not you learn to speak with the Stars is your choice,” Dungias returned to his instruction. “But recognize one universal truth: always there is a balance. Always! If you cannot see it, then know, in your heart o
f hearts, the error lies with your perspective, the shortcoming of your sight.”
“Do you really believe that, Z?” Persephone asked, feeling the sting of the things that had been levied against her in the life she could remember. “You lose your brother, your wife and child and claim that there’s a balance? How?”
“I have you, Captain,” he said plainly. “No, it is not the same,” he continued quickly as it appeared she was about to argue his point. “… but it is… fulfilling.” Dungias walked for the door leading out. “You should meet the hopefuls, Captain, before I give them their work details for the day.”
“Z,” Persephone called to him and he stopped, turning to look at her. She walked up to him and put her hand on his chest. “I can’t say all of my life, because I can’t remember it. But for all I can recall, I’ve never been one to give my trust easily.”
“I would ask that you do not change that about yourself,” Dungias replied and she smiled, shaking her head in disbelief.
“The kind of love you’re talking about… I don’t know if I…”
“You have it every time you climb into a cockpit, Captain,” Dungias said, giving her another perspective before she went too far down the wrong path. She smiled again as she looked to the floor.
“Fine, you win. I’ll get there,” she said and Dungias bowed.
“I shall patiently await your arrival,” he said with a slight smile.
“Don’t give up on me,” she requested.
“Stars will fall from the heavens before I fail you again, Captain,” he answered before leaving the chamber. Persephone stood there for a moment. She looked around the room once more and frowned at a particular notion.
“So when you say ‘stars’, how many is that? You know, just so I have a running gauge. And is that over time or a bunch-a-stars all at once?” The questions continued from Engineering all the way to the Mess Hall. Dungias ignored her questions as he advised her of the course he had charted and engaged for the Xara-Mansura to follow. It was the longest route out of the system, but it was also a course that would give them the most cover and assist in avoiding detection from the mass of ships entering the system. Persephone could not be help but agree and with nowhere to go specifically, she was more interested in returning to her training with her First Mate.
The doors to the Mess Hall opened and they were greeted with smoke. The two of them squinted their eyes as they entered the chamber. They could see a number of people seated at the dining tables, making jokes about poor visibility and the stench coming from the kitchen.
“What happened to the ventilator fans?” Dungias asked.
“Oh crap,” Persephone muttered.
“What is it, Captain?”
“Do you think it could have been a power fluctuation?” she asked, turning away from Dungias.
“Activate Satithe!” she whispered, hoping the internal sensors were sharper than the ears she was trying to avoid. The ventilator fans turned on and there was some celebration among the people seated at the tables.
“See, I told you, boys,” Nulaki said as he emerged from the kitchen carrying a very large steaming pot. “The fans are back on now, so we can dispense with the choking coughs and questionable jokes. Just sit back and relax as you take part in a miracle of fine cuisine.”
“Is the miracle that it won’t kill us?” one of the men asked, stirring laughter from those around him.
“Did you cook anything?” Persephone asked, bringing the laughter to a halt. They started to look among themselves and Persephone decided to speak again. “Well, did you cook anything?”
“No, Captain,” the man replied and Persephone turned to glare at Dungias.
“They already know who I am?” she asked. “Big mistake!” she chided. “We’ll talk later.
“Okay, so you didn’t do the work in the kitchen,” she huffed. Persephone looked around as if she was trying to figure out something. “Oh! So you must’ve brought in the food that’s being cooked, right?” Again the man replied to the negative and she stood there staring at the man until he could no longer return her gaze. She stepped toward the table and leaned on the end of it. “Okay, you’re men, so I’ll make this simple.”
“We’re not all men,” a voice called out as a hand came up from the table, waving for recognition. “Some of us are women.”
“Some?” Persephone said as she turned to look at Dungias.
“Captain, we have taken aboard sixteen hopefuls,” Dungias reported. “Three of whom are indeed female.” Persephone looked pleasantly surprised and nodded her approval.
“Not that it changes much of what I have to say. It just means that when I’m done, you can approach one of your female colleagues and see if they can break everything down to basic man for you.
“First and foremost,” she said, pointing at the man who had made the joke about Nulaki’s culinary creation. “You have earned yourself a reprieve from this meal. I have nothing against having a good time, but such things aboard my ship are reserved for the crew and at this point in time, that comes to a grand total of three: myself, my First Mate, Z, and Mr. Conadier here. When you dregs earn the right to look any one of us in the eye, I’ll be sure to tell you. Until then, the only time you will make eye contact with any of my crew is when you are being addressed or find yourselves in the position of giving a report of some kind. Am I clear?!” Persephone waited, looking almost anxious for one of the men to step out of line. Like Z, she too enjoyed the power of a strong presentation. “I will take your silence as a collective ‘aye-aye Captain’.
“We are building a crew for this vessel. Fate has given us reason to meet. Sister Fate always knows what she’s doing even if we don’t. You’re here to add to the growing legend you see right in front of you. In what capacity you will be that addition is entirely up to you.
“Lastly, top blade rules!” Persephone declared as she stood back from the table. “Any questions?” Looking at each one in turn, Persephone was not impressed at what she saw.
“I thought we only needed five or six,” she thought. “Why so many, Z?”
“We were told you were a pirate, and here you’ve given one of the most well-known pirate codes,” one man said as he slowly stood up from his chair. He had long, dark hair and dark features, possessing the sort of physique that could belong to only one kind of slave: a gladiator! “How do you stand to a challenge?”
“We keep in line with the pirate code,” Dungias replied quickly, stepping forward. “The First Mate has the option to champion the Captain, especially if it is felt the challenger is unworthy of the ruling voice of this ship… and you are unworthy!
“But let us be sedulous about the matter,” Dungias pressed. He received more than a few confused faces.
“He means diligent,” Persephone explained, shaking her head. “He wants to handle things straight away! Damn, Z, you almost lost me on that one!”
“Thank you, Captain,” Dungias replied. “There are matters we need to get to, and challenges do little more than eat up precious time. For all of those who wish to challenge the Captain for her position, name the one you wish to replace her and then all of you may gather to face me.
“Captain, do I have your permission to wager the ship in an accord of my word?” Dungias asked, looking over his shoulder.
“Your word’s held up to now, Mr. Z,” Persephone replied, folding her arms and looking haughty. She had actually wanted to try the gladiator, but there was something to the feeling of having her First Mate act in a manner she had seen before. How many challengers had Scimitar put down in the name of Rouge? She did not know the count, but she was beginning to understand why Rouge felt about her Scimitar the way she had always professed. “Proceed with my blessing.”
“Thank you, Captain. There you have it. Should the miracle of your victory come about, the ship, with the exception of the shuttle and Mr. Conadier’s craft, wi–”
“In for a crack, in for a cred, Mr. Z,” Nulaki interrupted.
“If the wager is the ship, they can have my Cobra-Nine as well.”
“Way to sweeten the pot,” Persephone thought as she smiled. “This man is my brand of crazy!”
“Very well, only the shuttle is exempt then,” Dungias said.
“You’re wagering that fighter?” the same female who had spoken before stood up from her chair. Somewhere, under the dirt and bruising was soft, pale skin and deep blue eyes. “You’d bet that fine thing?”
“Right now, sweetie,” Persephone said softly as she grinned. “… we’re betting that the sun follows the moon. Only way we lose this bet is if something happens to the planet. Not saying it can’t happen, but it ain’t bloody likely!”
“Enough!” another man cried as he pushed his chair back and stood up, pounding the table. “That’s the last I’m taking off of you! You act as if we’re not men!” This man was also on the hefty side of forms, but it was clear he was no gladiator. It was more likely that he was into construction or field work.
“Apparently, all of you are not,” Persephone argued. “The women I can understand not being men… what’s your excuse?” There was already discontent in the man’s eyes, being a slave could bring that about. Now he was enraged and ready to release his fury on the world.
“Stand with me and do as I say,” the dark-haired man commanded as he slowly came away from the table.
“Might I suggest you reconsider what you’re about to do?” Nulaki asked. “Because a man with your talents–”
“Is a man, mixer. If you’re what passes for crew here, you can be servant to me. This ship will be mine within the hour! Who’s with me?!” Four more men yelled as they stood up. Their blood was up now, and reason was no longer in their reach. Too tempting was the image of being masters of their fate – masters of the ship – and they cheered themselves on while looking at some of the others to goad them into joining their ranks.
