“It does, but it hasn’t yet.”
“Am I allowed to kill it?”
“You’re not going to kill it. Just keep on hurting it but don’t let it get hold of you.”
The Amnoptera turned to face her and made another charge at her, still hissing. Sah Lee ran straight at it. At the last moment she dropped down and slid feet first straight at it. The Amnoptera leaned forward to make a grab for her but had left its move too late. As it was bent forward Sah Lee hit its hind legs with her outstretched legs. It lost its balance she slid out behind it. Immediately she jumped up and swung her foot at the vulnerable patch just below where its wing cases ended. Her AI had highlighted the area in her vision, which helped. She felt the soft abdomen give as her foot struck it and a high pitched hissing whistle came from the Amnoptera. She followed up with another kick as it pulled itself forwards with its five functioning limbs, and then, for good measure, she kicked it again.
“I submit! I submit!” the Amnoptera shrieked and the two security officers ran over, brandishing their stun-sticks.
“Have I injured it badly?” she asked the security officer that had spoken to her before.
“I don’t know,” he replied with a grin, “but you’ve bloody hurt her!” He gave the Amnoptera a quick check over and said, “She’s not badly injured, the leg will take a few days to fix, but she’s in so much pain I’ll get a gurney and a medic down here. You can take a break for a while. You’re doing well for a child.”
“I am not a fucking child!” Sah Lee snarled, baring her teeth. “I’m almost an adult!”
The security officer grinned at her. “OK, you’re doing well for an almost adult.”
“Huh! You don’t want to fight do you?”
“Only if I get to keep my stun-stick.” he laughed. “Go and have a rest in the corner. Would you like a drink? I’ll bring you water.”
“Yes please.” she replied and jogged over to the corner where she dropped to the ground to rest.
“That was impressive Sah Lee. Where did you learn those moves? You haven’t done anything like that in any of your fight training and they can’t be hunting moves.”
“It’s what we used to do when we played as children. We’d have competitions to see who could do the most spins in the air, the most handsprings, the best flips and who could jump furthest.” She sighed. “That all seems like more than a lifetime ago. So much has changed. Everything was so simple then and I was always happy. I wish I could go back to be a child on the plains again.”
“In your terms, you have an immensely long life in front of you Sah Lee and you will have many happy, blissful times. This is just a step on the path to getting there.”
“Maybe, but only if I survive this and don’t get killed in combat - which I fully expect to.”
“After this is over, you may be lucky and escape serious injury. You could live a long time.”
“Ha! You can arrange that, can you?”
“I can’t, but someone can.”
“I don’t believe in magic.”
“You are right not to Sah Lee. There is no such thing as magic, only technology that you don’t understand, and there is a lot of that.”
The security officer came over and handed Sah Lee a flask of water. “You really hurt that poor bastard. The medic has anesthetized her, although she said she’s not badly injured.”
“That’s nothing to what she had planned for me. Breaking my ribs and ripping me up with her claws.”
“Really, is that what they do?”
“That’s what I’ve been told.”
“Well, we would have pulled her off you, but I guess she would have done a lot of damage by then. Anyway, you’ve got a few minutes before your next opponent. He’s a Rinquit, if that means anything to you.” The security office went back to the fallen Amnoptera.
“Rinquit’s are smooth skinned reptiles, normally between one point six and two meters tall. They have a semi aquatic lifestyle and have large muscular chests to hold a lot of air for when they are diving. Their whole abdomen is protected by a rib cage with a strong, flexible sternum running down it. The ribcage is very strong at the front and back but much weaker at top of the sides, under the arms. They have enlarged and elongated cuspid teeth like you, but they are straight, not curved. They probably evolved for catching fish but are renown for using them when fighting and can inflict a severe wound with them. Their legs are very strong, but they don’t usually use them for fighting. They have a complex knee joint that allows lateral movement, which is helpful when swimming, but it is a vulnerable point.”
“Got it. Attack under the arms and the knees.”
“They are fast and strong fighters. Do not underestimate it.
“Don’t worry, I’ll use my agility. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Did I mention they are very agile?”
“We’ll see.” she answered, with a confident smile.
The gurney lowered itself to ground level. With much effort, the security officers and medic maneuvered the anesthetized Amnoptera onto it, whereupon the gurney raised its platform and with the medic walking in front of it, left the exercise room. Almost immediately the Rinquit strode in. It stood inside the doorway, waiting for Sah Lee to take her place in the center of the room.
Sah Lee moved to her position and bounced on her toes again, ready to use her strength, speed and most of all, her agility. The Rinquit slowly walked towards her, pausing occasionally to observe her. Sah Lee stopped bouncing and bent her knees slightly, ready for the Rinquit to attack. When he got three meters from her, he stopped and stood to attention. Clenching both fists, he bent his elbows and crossed his forearms at his wrists in front of his chest.
“It is a sign of respect. It would be respectful for you to do the gesture back to him.”
“I thought it was just going to be the crazies who came here, trying to do me as much damage as possible short of killing me?”
“I cannot guess the motives of the individuals coming here, but if someone shows you respect before a fight, it is always best to reciprocate.”
Sah Lee bent her forearms up and copied the Rinquit’s gesture. He dropped his arms and held them out, elbows bent at chest height and started to move sideways, bending his legs in what seemed to Sah Lee to be an entirely unnatural way. Sah lee turned on the spot to keep facing him.
The Rinquit jumped forward toward her and jinked right. Sah Lee was ready and facing him, leapt forward, diving down to duck beneath his arms and slid sideways to catch his leg, ready to wrench it round to damage his knee. He responded by jumping over her, spinning round and dropping on her, jabbing his elbow into her side just below her ribcage. She saw his fist coming towards her and jerked her head just in time to avoid it slamming into her throat, instead catching her on the side of her neck. Both blows were very painful, and her neck muscles were temporarily paralyzed. She rolled over and jumped to her feet, staggering as she got upright. The Rinquit took up his position again, edging round her. She turned to keep facing him. He came at her again, this time jinking to the left. Sah Lee expected this and went to his right, swinging round to punch him in the back of the neck, but just caught him a light glancing blow. The pain in her side and inability to turn her head by more than a few degrees hampered her.
The Rinquit stood back and watched her for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. Sah Lee stood and pressed her hand to her side to try to dull the pain. It seemed to work as the pain started to seep away, as did the pain in her neck, although she could still hardly move it. Without warning, the Rinquit leapt straight at her. Unable to react any other way quickly, she dropped and rolled onto her back, drawing her legs up. As he reached her, she jabbed her legs out trying to connect with his knees. He avoided her right leg but her left foot caught the edge of his right knee, he stumbled and fell, if she hadn’t rolled out of the way he would have fallen on her. She pushed herself up on to her feet. The Rinquit continued rolling and in a fluid movement got to his
feet. He stood with his weight on his left leg, arms up, in a defensive position. Sah Lee was in no hurry to attack, her neck put severe limits on her agility and she wasn’t confident in her ability to be able to hold him off swapping blows nose to nose. She stepped back and feinted a stumble, as though she was disoriented. While she was recovering the Rinquit rushed at her, but she was already swinging her left leg up and counterbalancing by dropping her body down and swinging to the right. She judged it perfectly and hit him square in the middle of his abdomen, which would have stopped him dead and winded him if he hadn’t got a solid ribcage all the way down to the top of his pelvis. As it was, he bounced off her foot, surprised but unhurt. Sah Lee completed her move and dropped into a defensive stance again.
The Rinquit came at her again and she braced herself for a frontal attack. He dropped his body and flipped over. Sah Lee was taken by surprise at this move and was slow to react. She swept at his feet as they came towards her but only deflected his left leg, his right foot hit her in her abdomen, exactly where she had struck him. She didn’t have the protection of an extended ribcage and the blow to her solar plexus left her breathless and unable to draw breath, she fell to the floor helpless. The Rinquit dropped on top of her and ducked his open mouth full of short, sharp teeth and two long straight fangs, down to her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the bite that would finish it all. She felt his hot breath on her neck as he whispered, “I win.” He jumped up and held his hand down to her. Tentatively, unsure what to expect but in no position to defend herself, she reached up and took it. He pulled her to her feet and stepped back. “You are in pain and tired. We will finish now. I will return in a few days. Perhaps we can do more formal training then. You fight well for a child.”
“I am not,” Sah Lee gasped, struggling to draw breath, “a child!”
The Rinquit stepped back, stood to attention, held his forearms with his fists clenched and crossed them at his wrists. Sah Lee stood to attention and copied his gesture. He held it for a moment then strode out of the exercise room.
“What was that about? I thought people were coming here to beat the life out of me?”
“Do you think you are a good and compassionate person Sah Lee?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“If you were an experienced fighter, and you heard that a soldier was to get this punishment, a big, strong, experienced soldier who was well known for his bad temper and aggression and who had a record of assaulting his comrades and officers. What would you do?”
“Well, nothing. Sounds like he deserves it and can look after himself anyway. What’s that got to do with it?”
“And if you heard that a soldier who was getting the punishment was a young inexperienced and lightly built soldier, being punished for technical breaches of regulations?”
“That’s me, isn’t it?”
“Correct, and the other one is Sergeant Si’ir Monnen Dak. So, what would you do?”
“I’d go to the officer and demand that she was freed!”
“That would waste your time and annoy the officer. Do you have an alternative strategy?”
“I think I see what you mean. I would take a session and try to teach me, I mean her, how to defend herself.”
“There are many good, compassionate people in this army.”
“So, I can expect more like the Rinquit and the Krendor?”
“It would be overly optimistic to expect more like them, but unsurprising if more like them attend.”
She took her spot in the middle of the room, slowly twisting her head to the left and right. After a few movements, the muscles in her neck started to relax, and the pain was a mere reminder of the blow she had received. Her breathing had recovered, and she felt ready to meet her next challenger.
A large, well-built mammal covered in long brown hair walked in. As it approached her, it broke into a run.
“A meersan. They are very strong and fast. Try to avoid contact and attack it from the back.” Even at the speed which Sah Lee’s AI communicated with her, which was much faster than speech, that was all it managed to say before the meersan was on her. She ducked and jumped to her right but was too slow and the meersan grasped her with its long, powerful arms and swept her up in the air. It flung her down on the floor and she landed awkwardly, bruising her left hip and jarring her arm. She rolled over twice to put distance between her and the meersan, but it grasped her right ankle and yanked her back, so it could get a grip with both hands. It pulled her back and swung her up in the air as it straightened up. She kicked down with her left foot and scraped the edge of her boot down its fingers as it started to turn the swing down to crash her into the floor. It loosened its grip enough for Sah Lee to twist her foot free and she flew across the exercise room, managing to land on her feet a few meters away from it. She turned to the meersan, which was already starting to charge at her again. Light colored patches appeared on its body, overlaid on her vision by her AI. Prominent among them was a patch on its crotch. She ran straight at it and at the last moment dropped down on her back in front of it, drawing her legs up. As it stepped over her, she kicked out with her right foot and struck it hard on the crotch. The meersan let out a roar and dropped to the floor in the fetal position, clutching its groin and moaning. Sah Lee stepped back in a half crouch, waiting for its next move.
The security officer walked over to her. “You can relax. I don’t think he’ll be doing much of anything else today. I’ve called the medic. You’re keeping her busy today. She probably thought she’d be looking after you, not your challengers. How much fighting experience have you got?”
“Not much. I’ve just been lucky.”
“I hope it holds up. Word of this will get around. He was careless, overconfident. Your challengers will probably be more careful in future. Take a break, I’ll bring you a drink in a few minutes.”
Sah Lee walked back to the corner where she had rested after the fight with the Amnoptera.
“These fights aren’t taking long.” she said to her AI. “I thought they were going to last an hour each, that’s how long the challenger has before they have to stop.”
“A fight on the front line won’t last long. If it gets drawn out, someone will join in on either your side or your enemy’s. The fight you’ve just had was fast and furious. That’s what it’s like in battle. You have done well so far today Sah Lee. Your quick thinking, agility and fast reactions have been a winning combination. You are starting to see your opportunities instinctively. This enforced practice will help you develop those instincts.”
The security officer walked over with a flask of water. “It’s early, but within the parameters laid down for this punishment there isn’t time for another combat session before your mandated lunch time. You can take a break now, get some rest or exercise, then I’ll take to your cell to eat. You can stay here until then.”
“We’ll start with stretching and then some agility work until we get taken to our cell.”
“What’s this ‘we’? You won’t be doing any exercise. I’m tired and I hurt all over. I want a rest.”
“You can rest as much as you like, but the more you practice, the sooner you’ll be out.”
Sah Lee sighed. “OK, run me through my stretching exercise, then tell me the agility stuff you want me to do.”
“That’s the spirit Sah Lee! We’ll soon be out of here.”
Chapter Sixty Three
The Advantage Of Agility
Sah Lee stood in her spot in the exercise room, bouncing on her toes. See felt wide awake and all of her aches had gone. She wondered if it was anything to do with the funny tasting tea her AI insisted she should drink with her lunch.
A reptile walked in and stopped ten meters from Sah Lee. It was slightly shorter than Sah Lee, with big powerful legs and smaller arms. It leaned forward to balance the weight of its long tail, which came out the back of its black army jumpsuit and was lashing back and forth behind it. Its head, which was mounted on a
sinuous neck, looked small for its body. It had a long thin snout that Sah Lee could see was full of pointed teeth.
“It’s a Harssanass. They are not sociable, probably because few people like them. They have three sharp claws and an opposable clawed thumb on each hand and it won’t hesitate to bite. It uses its tail as a weapon, so beware of it.”
The Harssanass stood, staring at Sah Lee, studying her. She stared back at it, studying it. Eventually it started to walk in a circle round her. Sah Lee turned to keep facing it, expecting it to launch an attack as soon as it had the advantage of coming at her from the side. After it had completed two circuits and showed no sign of stopping, Sah Lee had enough of shuffling round to keep facing it. She ran a few steps and fell in four meters behind it. The Harssanass spun round to face her. “Why are you following me?”
“To see where you are going. I thought you were playing a game.”
“Do not joke with me, puny mammal, I’ll make it harder for you.”
“OK. I’ll try not to hurt you too much.”
That triggered a reaction from the creature. It dropped down, bending its powerful legs and leapt at Sah Lee. She was prepared for its attack as soon as it started to get ready to jump. She leapt to its right landing on her feet and spun round just in time to see its long tail swinging towards her. Before she had time to react the tail hit her legs hard and swept her feet from under her. She landed heavily on her back and rolled over as the tail flicked down and smacked the floor on the spot where her face had been moments before. She leapt to her feet and backed up a couple of paces, knees slightly bent, claws extended, and her lips drawn back in a snarl, exposing her elongated, curved bi-cuspid teeth. She could see why people didn’t like the Harssanass.
It stood looking at her, knees bent, tail thrashing from side to side. Her AI had put pale patches on it at either side of the top of its neck, just underneath the back of its jawbone, the whole of its arms, with an even paler patch on its elbows and a large patch two thirds of the way down its abdomen between the top of its hip bones.
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