[C5] LtCmdr Sky Blake, "Cakapunnual."

[Deliera Jay]

((Colony on the Shadow's Edge))

::Supposedly, Sky had spent the early years of her life as a gymnast, mastering flexibility, balance - all the stuff she was sure were mastered during her time. If she could remember the specifics, she was sure they were important to her at some point. Her academy records, what of them remained, suggested that the training had assisted with combat - though she'd expressed interest in kickboxing.

::Her time on Ornara had introduced her to new forms and techniques in the form of more tactical uses of martial arts - mainly using her own body weight against an attacker. She'd never truly been required to use the 'local' form of the defense during her time with Bintac, but it'd been nice to couple her muscle-memory defense with something more technical requiring more footwork, perception, fitness, flexibility, etc. Sufficed to say, when she sparred with her Chief of Security on the Veritas, the chief had been less than pleased that she'd managed to floor him using mainly her legs. After that, their FO couldn't stop talking about it.::

::Now, however, her flexibility and well-built muscle in those powerful legs were more useful in keeping herself attached to the hulk of an Orion, thighs wrapped firmly around his shoulders trying desperately to cut off his airways with a length of cable as he hurled his back into the room's wall  in an effort to dislodge her - Sky planted between them. The impact was painful, winding her somewhat, but he'd narrowly missed smashing her into the edge of a console display which would have no doubt done more harm to her than good.

::Arms already inflamed from having shocked him twice, his reaction to such electrical current directly to his neck and shoulders being a flinch of pain and an infuriated growl, the grip she'd had on the cable around his neck was by no means as strong as what it would have been earlier. And obviously noticing, the Orion had gotten a good hold of her forearms, pulling her body to his front - the cable sliding from her hands. The death grip her legs had on his neck didn't relent though. Unfortunately a lack of oxygen to his brain wasn't stopping him either.

::When his hands gripped around her throat, she'd had to slide her legs with her, one foot planting against his dominating shoulder while the other leg twisted around the arm in an attempt to dislocate it, his unoccupied fist connecting to her side repeatedly. A particularly hard thing to accomplish when her vision was starting to swim, but try she did - and the Orion snarled in more pain.::

::For the record, Sky was a healthy around-60kg, 5'10 humanoid female - and not once had anyone ever held her entire body up off the ground with a single arm. This was insane.::

Tydo: They're in here!

::Shots fired at the Orion, wizzing past Sky's ear, catching her off guard, and the assailant took the opportunity to all but throw the Brekkazoid away, smashing her through the temporary setup's window for her to land awkwardly on her shoulder, rolling a few times before coming to a stop. He was making a run for it.

::Not on her watch.::

::Ignoring whatever injury the Orion had just incurred upon her, Sky got back onto her feet, chasing after the very large, stupidly strong Orion heading west towards the cliff edge of Icano peak. She vaguely heard Tydo ordering land vehicles for pursuit, but considering just how far they all were from the base camp, those land vehecks weren't going to get there before the Orion made his getaway - and that was the last thing Sky needed to happen.

::The Orion was just plowing through colonists, essentially a walking green demolition zone in himself, Sky tactfully avoiding leftover debris, calling for people to get out of the way - if she'd had her phaser with her, she would have lined up a shot, but alas, the first thing to go in hand-to-hand combat was such hand-weapon since it's easily knocked away.

::Unless this guy got hit by a brick wall, he wasn't stopping.::

::Luckily, however, Tydo was a crack shot and a great substitute for a brick wall.

::Out of nowhere (well, obviously not nowhere, but behind Sky on one of the taller temporary buildings probably with a sniper rifle in her hands), the Orion got hit with a stun shot, collapsing to the dirt long enough for Sky to gain ground. This time she didn't hesitate or wait for diplomatic negotiation. This Orion only spoke with aggression - which was fine. She didn't particularly feel like talking anymore anyway.

::As the Orion was making his way back up, Sky got in a good kick to the back of his knee, keeping him down on the ground long enough for her to re-twirl herself around his neck in hopes that a longer choke-hold after that much running would be more successful.

::Or, at least, that was the plan. The problem with full body twirling was that once you'd performed it once, the next time you tried against someone adept at combat, they automatically knew your most defenseless part. In this case, Sky's neck. Which was exactly the part of her body the Orion grabbed in order to pull her off.

::Just as his hand connected with her jaw, the Brekkazoid's knee hooked around the back of his neck. His motion hurled both of them forward - any harder a pull and he probably would have dislocated her jaw, but he valued his head properly attached to his neck and ceased as soon as he realized he'd only end up face-planting into the ground. He targeted her knees next, prying them off his body as one hand held her head in place, and threw her back to the ground.::

Orion: Stay down.

oO Only one man can tell me to stay down. Oo

::As the Orion started moving away again, Sky's ankles tied around one of his legs, successfully tripping him to hit the ground on one knee, and landed a heel into his cheekbone. Out from higher in the peak, another stun shot (Tydo again) hit the Orion. And another. The sound of a land vehicle's engine was welcome too.::

::Sky had bought enough time for the backup to arrive.

::Thank *Noree*.::

::The Orion again tried to get up, but yet another stun shot came from the peak, and finally, the colony's protection officers found their way onto the scene, exiting their vehicles with loud shouts of "stay on the ground" and "don't move" - your typical protection services talk.::

oO Took you long enough. Oo

((Security office))

::Cakapunnual was a brand new, tiny research settlement far away from the main population of the planet. It'd taken a considerable amount of effort to even get it up - surrounded by dense jungle, not to mention precariously placed by a cliff edge. The area was of some value - for what reason, Sky couldn't remember, nor did she particularly care. She was here because she was on leave. And usually, Sky mistakenly translates "on leave" for "working outside of Starfleet just for this amount of time".

::She'd heard rumours that her Brekkian cartel she'd been tracking for this long had popped up here, which wouldn't be the first time that's happened. So, ignoring all stating something on the lines of "take a holiday", she launched straight back into it.::

::It was not her first time on the 5th established colony of the Shoals, nor would she hope for it to be her last, but it was the first time she'd set foot in Cakapunnual. Currently, it was just a cleared jungle floor with cabins, tents, storage areas and a single supply depot for the more permanent residents. The cabin assigned to Sky was the size of a bedroom, bathroom facilities currently in a share block until they could equip themselves with more permanent lodgings.

::The Security Office, in which she currently stood, was the only structure they intended to keep indefinitely - they planned on "building on and around it" (the problem with this, however, was that it was the only structure that had proper glass windows, and Sky had been unceremoniously launched through one of them - so the technicians assigned to the place had to pull some sheet metal off one of the rovers to cover the gaping hole she'd left).

::All of this was brought in on the ground vehicles that a handful of colonists volunteered to drive, since resting a small shuttlecraft on a cliff edge was not really recommended. Supposedly the settlement's name is a rough translation of "hot and humid" in one of the founder's languages, accurately describing the warm climate. It was perfect for a Brekkian Betazoid hybrid such as herself, used to hot climates and sick of having to layer up any time she stepped outside her quarters. She hadn't had to put on a jacket for the few weeks she'd been here. Sonic showers after genuinely sweating from an outdoor activity was most welcome. Despite having took a few months to actually get here, she considered it well worth the wait, even if the colony was a bit of a pirate attraction no thanks to its location so close to the Shadows.::

::She'd been sufficiently wiped out from taking on their Orion prisoner - "Erczled", as Irasaph had called him. When his Orion traders come looking for him, they'd be ready - assuming they would indeed come looking for their lost pal in crime. His attempt to make a getaway off the cliffedge had prompted a lot of searched for structures or areas that could hide any aircraft. These sorts didn't try leaving the planet, which would have made the job easier had the colony been given the technical supplies they'd requested months ago.

::Sky didn't want to think politics right now, but the mere thought of the Federation once again ignoring them caused some irritation.::

Tydo: Searches all came back negative. That and our new friend doesn't seem to talk much.

::Sky sighed, eyes closed as she pressed a cold pack against her jaw.::

Tydo: Irasaph says this one's the last of the evils he knows about.

Blake: The deal was he help you, you give him shelter. He's not about to jeprodize relative safety.

::That and some random Starfleet Administration officer vouched for him and his deal with the small colony.::

Tydo: If he knows something more about this Orion, and he's not telling us-

Blake: He's told us everything he knows.

Tydo: What makes you say that?

Blake: Have you ever met a Tandaran that's lied before?

Tydo: Before Irasaph, I'd never met a *Tandaran*.

::The dark skinned Terran had a colony dweller her whole life, so it made sense that her contact with other species was limited to the "main group" of Vulcans, Andorians, Betazoids and the like. The smaller species such as Tandarans ("smaller") didn't usually come out this far.::

Blake: Well, know that Irasaph is fine. ::She hissed as she adjusted her cold pack.:: Our Orion friend, though?

Tydo: Better than fine. He had your entire bodyweight on one arm and didn't falter. Either you're lighter than you look or he's got some serious muscle training.

::Sky's neck and jaw could attest to that. She stood, taking a deep breath as she put a fair amount of weight into her strained muscles.::

Blake: Ask the doc to get a medical report on him done.

Tydo: Think he's doped up on something?

Blake: Some people are just freakishly strong. But in the event that he's taking stimulants? Just adds another label to my list of illegal crap we have to wipe out.

::Slowly, and with a considerable limp, Sky Blake made her way to the door of the office. She was undoubtedly going to be black and blue tomorrow.::

Blake: If something else crops up, I'll be in my cabin sleeping this off.


Tbc . . .

Sky Blake
On Leave