A sparring match

Posted on Wed Feb 13th, 2019 @ 3:02am by Gunnery Sergeant Roderik Kos & Lieutenant Commander BaoJun Qiao

1,510 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Season 1 Interlude I (E2.5)

Rodi had zipped up his sports bag and secured it in his locker. The door slid open to the small gym meant for martial arts. He took a deep breath after stepping into the room. The air recycling system always kept fresh air going, but this room still had that light hint of sweat and hard work Rodi appreciated. The mats felt cold to his bare feet before he sunk to his knees. A ritual bow with his forehead to the mat, and he rose. First to a kneeling position, and then to his feet. He warmed up quickly, making sure his muscles were loose and stretched before his sparring partner would arrive.

Bao shuffled into the room a few moments later, toeing off his normal shoes and slipping on his cloth slippers and observing the marine stretch. He smiled briefly, before he bowed three times in each direction and once to Rodi before taking to the mat and beginning his own relative slow and deliberate series of qigong stretches and movements, making sure to establish a firm connection with the ground beneath him. 恩师 had always said finding ones connection was vital, even in space when the qi by definitions could not flow from space. Between movements he spoke to Rodi, "Nothing blew up today," he said mildly, "so I trust you had a banally boring day? We seem to have gotten a rather large number of them of late."

A quiet chuckle escaped Rodi's mouth. "I've long ago learned that these days are far preferred." He knelt down again, toes bent into the mat so he would be able to move immediately. With light taps of the inside of his fists over his arms, Rodi massaged the muscles of his arms. "Only thing I miss here is going outdoors. I've always preferred being planetside."

Bao smiled at that. "I can't say that I miss the outdoors of Lagashi. Most of my childhood was during the winter cycle," he said as he dropped his weight low into the 'monkey guarding fruits' position as he waited for Rodi to finish his own warm up. "Minus 20 in the light of noon has a tendency of causing one to prefer more indoor, heated, pursuits."

With a final rolling of the shoulders Rodi shifted his weight into a forward shoulder roll. With this momentum he moved onto his feet a few feet before Bao. "I'm from Earth, Ireland to be precise. It's a wet island, but it's around 20 to 24 degrees in the summer with a nice breeze." The marine shifted his weight again, putting around 60 percent of it on his forward leg.

"I visited this Ireland while I was in the academy. I found the cliffs and seas to be quite a bit more pleasant than the bars my classmates claimed were the highlights," added the scientist as he shifted into a circle walk to put a little distance back between the two of them. He had the advantage in reach and size, and intended to use it. Smiling, he feinted a low sweeping motion to cover a tentative palm strike at the marine. "If you ever visit the Pentad, the Tian system is the place to go for scenery."

Rodi took a small step into Bao's strike, turning at the hips to grab the man's wrist and pull to jerk him off balance. "The bars are nice, but I prefer the coast."

Bao spun through the pull, continuing his circle step without missing a beat as he twisted his wrist against the marine's thumb. "The coasts were also pleasantly free of drunkards and women and men of questionable moral character who did not seem to grasp my inability to speak their language." Considering, the Lagashi moved back into his defensive position deciding to see what the smaller man would do. "I wonder how much longer Colonel Garlake can keep our resident sociopath in detention."

A deep breath allowed Rodi's spiking adrenaline to settle. "I expect for a while. The Commander can at least be more useful planet-side than in a holding cell."He shifted back in his front heavy stance before moving quickly for a straight gut punch with his right hand.

The Lagashi swept an arm downward to direct the punch outward even as he moved slightly to the other side and aiming his own cross punch at the other man's ear followed quickly by a sideways stomp kick aimed at his shin. "I suppose he counts as useful, though I do not enjoy going down there now to study items that cannot be brought to overwatch."

By over-committing to his punch, Rodi rolled forward and behind the Lagashi in an effort to avoid the counter-attack. After getting back on his feet and turning around, Rodi nodded in approval at Bao's attack. "I'm mostly glad I don't have to babysit him in the brig."

The Lagashi gave a nod at the marine. "Since the point is punishing him, the brig would be terrible," he smiled. "Psychological is prohibited, and those poor security officers did nothing to deserve that," he deadpanned as he considered his next move. He decided on a switch in animals, shifting to the mantis style. Truthfully, he was not quite acrobatic and dextrous enough for it if Rodi kept his head, but the aggressiveness and intimidation factor could work. "Speaking of torture though, has anyone considered the moral implications of leaving him with Borg drones?" he asked as he lashed out with a knife hand strike.

Instead of dodging, Rodi stepped into the reach of the strike. He twisted on his heels, grabbing the wrist of the striking hand and extending it around his middle. Rodi used his hips to impart more momentum to yank Bao off balance and towards the mats. "What implication would that be?"

The taller man did little to resist the motion towards the mats, instead tucking his other shoulder to roll with the motion. "They are, effectively, innocent defenseless children who have been left with a bored sociopath. One could argue than Commander Ben-Avram is countenancing the torture of the mentally unfit." said the Lagashi blandly.

Rodi followed Bao down, sliding on his knees as he held onto the wrist and stopping the roll and pulling the man onto his stomach. Rodi's knees locked around the shoulders of the Lagashi, and took the arm, twisting it against the joint in a way that allowed Rodi to apply pain if Bao wanted to resist. "I don't see Commander Mrazak torturing the drones, he might be a psychopath, but it would go against his self-interest."

Bao grunted as he met the mat, his knees and free arm digging into it instead of smoothly rolling across as they were supposed to. He locked his his shoulder and torso as he pulled his trapped arm towards his hips as he posted on his free arm and knee to keep himself high enough to prevent the marine from effectively using his knees to lock in the shoulder. Sometimes being bigger had its advantages, he thought as he slid the foot farthest from the marine under his knee to push himself up even further to give himself enough room to break the grab using the spiraling teacup movement, moving himself towards the marine even as he moved his own hand into his own body. It hurt, and was hardly the most elegant execution of the counter, but it allowed him to move out from under the marine and face him again on his knees. "I am afraid you will need to buy me dinner before that kind of play," he quipped smiling. "But I concede, as I know better than to fight from this position," he added.

"That almost sounded like a proposition, commander." Rodi said with a smile. The marine had positioned himself in a comfortable kneeling sit. "Would you like to go another bout?"

Bao shrugged at the marine. "Who is to say it was not, Kosshi xiong?" he replied. "I find one of the greatest features of language is ambiguity, for we often learn more from another's interpretation of that ambiguity than we do from whatever they choose to say." He bowed gently. "I am afraid you have given me enough bruises for the day. I intend to practice the qiang, and while I would find your company pleasant should you desire, my concern for your safety and my career dictates we not spar with those. I believe we would cause considerable distress to Commander Kiril if we went to sickbay having done violence to each other with long, sharp, pointy objects."

Rodi gave a rare grin and answered the bow with his own. "Maybe another day. Spears are not my strong suit." The marine then slowly stood, a knee popping as he rose. He flexed his back a bit and grunted in appreciation. He then walked to the exit, "But maybe we could consider dinner in the future Bao." and the door slid behind Rodi.

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