JP Ensign Thalas th'Koro & Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek - I Like A Challenge

[Nathaniel Lawton]

((Holodeck 2, Deck 6, USS Atlantis, In orbit of Ilara Prime, Par’tha Expanse))

{{Time Index: Day 8 of Shoreleave}}

 

It had been another busy few days down in the bowels. Last week had gone well for Maddy helping out in the nursery, so the young girl had volunteered there again, leaving Lael to her own devices for the evening. She’d decided that a workout in the holodeck was in order. Wearing her black yoga pants, pink “Jiu-jitsu is my therapy” shirt, and a pair of white and pink running shoes, she entered the holodeck. Her hair was pulled back in a hair tie so it would be out of her face.

 

It had been a while since Thalas had properly trained. The events of the previous mission had prevented him from having any motivation to do much physical activity. A bit of meditation and self-improvement had started to help rectify it so he had decided to finally workout. Donning an uncharacteristically informal pair of black tennis shorts; his old Starfleet Academy T-shirt and some black and orange trainers, he entered the Holodeck. Under the belief that he’d booked the second holodeck, Thalas strolled in with a majestic sense of purpose only to find an unfamiliar officer already occupying the space.

 

At the sound of the doors opening, Lael turned and arched her eyebrows when she saw the Andorian step in. Either he’d mixed up his scheduled time or the holodeck had. She was fairly certain she’d arrived at the right time. But then, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the computer was responsible. This sort of thing happened to her more often than she was willing to admit. He was around her height with a thin frame. He looked somewhat young as well, though she herself was likely only a few years older than him.

 

Rosek: Hello. 

 

Thalas made a double take as the tall, brown-haired woman spoke to him. He could swear he’d correctly booked the Holodeck.

 

th’Koro: ::He arched his head to check if he was in the correct room.:: Hello there. Is there some sort of mix-up here?

 

As nice as he bet his new acquaintance was, Thalas wasn’t quite in the mood to be figuring out who’d made the mistake. The duty shift earlier had made that certain.

 

Rosek: ::nods:: It seems so. Unfortunately, these computer scheduling systems aren’t perfect. If you don’t press all the right buttons when making your reservation, the computer can lose it. ::grins wryly:: Happens to me far too often.

 

th’Koro: ::sighs:: All this technology and it still comes down to the wrong press of a button… I don’t believe that we have met though. Maybe a wrong button push can’t be all that bad after all?

 

She chuckled and strode toward him, offering her hand.

 

Rosek: Lael Rosek, Chief Engineer on this boat.

 

He had heard that the Atlantis had received a new Chief Engineer but he was not quite prepared to meet her under such informal circumstances. A briefing was more his boat.

 

He accepted the handshake and did his best impersonation of a smile.

 

th’Koro: It is good to meet you, ma’am. Thalas th’Koro, Science Officer. Nothing fancy… ::whispering slightly:: yet.

 

She laughed, recalling the early days of her career and her own ambitions. In her wildest dreams she never would have imagined she'd get so close to command. First officer. It had been an amazing year and she was eager to get back on the path toward command. For the moment, she'd be content with Commander's pips on her collar, though she did hope to eventually return to the red collar.

 

Rosek: ::smirks:: I'm sure you'll get there at some point. Plenty of opportunities for solid officers in Starfleet.

 

His childhood had absolutely taught him that was true. Watching his father rise from Ensign to Lieutenant Commander had been what gave him the first inklings of wanting to join Starfleet. Patience was a virtue though and he had plenty of time left to serve.

 

th’Koro: ::nods:: Absolutely, ma’am. But I am quite pleased with my current station. My job is my pride and that is what matters.

 

Rosek: ::grins:: That it is. ::pauses:: I was just about to run a combat program. It has a collaborative option. I don't suppose you'd be up for joining me?

 

He hadn’t come down to the Holodeck this evening expecting to be in the midst of a combat program. He furrowed his brow a little. Thalas hadn’t exactly put up much of a fight to his kidnappers and it couldn’t hurt to improve his skills after all.

 

th’Koro: Sure I don’t see why not. Bearing in mind my hand-to-hand skills are very rusty.

 

Rosek: ::mutters:: You and me both. I've been stuck behind a desk for the last several months conducting lectures and grading papers.

 

th’Koro: That is rather… unfortunate. I could not teach, I would get far too annoyed… ::smirks:: But at least you know how to fight a room of rowdy students… or was that just me at the academy.

 

Rosek: ::shrugs and grins:: Not much different than a room full of rowdy engineers. ::chuckles:: At least some of the cadets are still too nervous to cause too much trouble.

 

Her thoughts went to Anjar Thoran, her right-hand man once upon a time, wondering how he was doing. He'd been a pain in the @$$, but he was a damn fine engineer. He was able to really step up when he was needed.

 

th’Koro: You say nervous, I say hungover.

 

His mind cast back to his time at the academy. While he had obviously studied hard to achieve the grades he eventually received, there was far too much Andorian Ale drunk during that time. Many an Astrophysics lecturer had been almost forgotten due to the stuff.

 

Rosek: ::grins:: Yeah. Likely. I spent my fair share of time in bars in those days. Could drink just about anyone under the table. ::shakes her head:: But I was much younger then. My tolerance for the hard stuff especially has gone down significantly.

 

th’Koro: ::exuberantly:: Ah I wouldn’t put you past twenty-four… ::sighs a little:: My tolerance has always been fairly good but my weakness has always been the stuff native the very place I was born. ::laughs:: Anyways I feel like we’re just trying to avoid fighting someone at this point. 

 

She arched her eyebrow at the man. She missed the camaraderie that came with a crew. There was something about it that you could only get out in the black fighting side by side. Some of her closest friendships had been developed in the heat of battle...or in the midst of difficult missions. She’d learned to trust her colleagues with her life.

 

Rosek: ::chuckles:: Speak for yourself, Thalas. I was born ready.

 

The eagerness of his colleague pleased him. It had been a long time since he had properly trained/practiced with someone. He remembered the time Sorra and him had a small duet session only a few decks away. Something about this kind of event brought people closer. 

 

th’Koro: ::his antennae perked up:: Just checking that you were up for it. ::smirking:: I was beginning to have my doubts.

 

Rosek: ::smirks:: Enough talk, then. ::pauses:: Computer, run program Rosek Lambda 102-4, collaborative mode. 

 

The computer chirped in confirmation, the holodeck grid around them replaced by a rocky planet landscape. In the distance was a series of mountain ranges, all tall enough to graze the bottoms of the clouds. The field in front of them was covered in short grass so as not to impede movement or trip them. Beyond the grass field was flat dirt marked with various shapes in chalk.

 

As the holodeck program formed around them, a sense of trepidation filled Thalas. It was a beautiful landscape which surrounded them but they weren’t here for sightseeing. Glancing down the field, he noticed a patch of land without any grass. He took a quick stroll over to it.

 

th’Koro: I’m going to hazard a guess and say this is the arena.

 

Rosek: ::shrugs:: I train on multiple terrains. I never know what I’ll have to contend with in a real fight, so I figure it’s best to have experience in a variety of them.

 

th’Koro: Ah… makes sense. Maybe shorts weren’t the best choice. It’s a tad nippy. 

 

The main worry for Thalas at the moment was not his shorts but who he was fighting. It made all the difference in tactics and he didn’t like not being prepared.

 

Rosek: So who’s your typical opponent? ::pauses:: I mainly fight Romulans and Klingons. Romulans with knives, Klingons with a bat’leth.

 

th’Koro: They are good opponents and I have fought them quite a lot. Although some of the time I find it useful to fight against other Andorians. Their fighting style is going to be similar so I can learn how to not be predictable.

 

She paused thoughtfully. She couldn’t say she’d fought Andorians. At least not in recent memory. A change of pace would be nice and might help her expand her own repertoire. She imagined Thalas had some unique moves that she could learn from. Perhaps she could even find a way to mesh them with her preferred jiu-jitsu combinations. It always threw opponents off when she brought in an unexpected move.

 

Rosek: ::grins:: I’m up for a challenge. Computer, Andorian opponent, level 2. ::pauses:: Begin program.

 

th’Koro: ::smiles:: I like the sound of that. Beware, we like our rolls.

 

Thalas prepared himself for the opponent taking up a wide stance so as not to be taken off guard. He was the first to admit that the Andorian fighting style was a brutal yet slippery one so one had to be careful.

 

She dropped into a practiced stance, nodding in acknowledgment of Thalas’s warning. A moment later an Andorian female several inches taller than her appeared with an Ushaan-Tor in hand. Lael barely escaped being cut with the tool, rolling to one side for the second Ushaan-Tor laying on the ground nearby. She quickly slipped her hand into the opening, bringing it up just in time to block her opponent’s downward swing, the edges of the blades connecting with a resounding clang of metal on metal. 

 

An Andorian male (a good three inches taller) appeared in front of him. His opponent came towards him at the same time making a broad, horizontal swing across his neck. Swinging his whole body towards the ground, he rolled under the attack and grabbed his Ushaan-Tor. The familiar contours of the weapon being instantly recognisable to him. He brought himself back to his feet and prepared the weapon. Arching back against another swing, Thalas brought himself forward to parry the return.

 

At first, she mostly blocked the blows that came her way, all the while studying her opponent for weaknesses. Though the weapon wasn't all that heavy in her hands, it took effort to wield it in such a way that she didn't cut herself in the process. She'd never used one before and it felt clumsy, perhaps made more for its brutality than its precision. 

 

Blocking another blow, she grabbed her opponent's arm and twisted, trying to knock the weapon from the woman's grip. But she slipped away easily, swinging the blade and creating a superficial cut on Lael's cheek with the sharp edge of the blade. A fire in her eyes, Lael rushed toward the woman, bringing the blade down on the woman's arm.

 

Upon the parry, the edges of the serrated blades became interlocked and unable to be separated.

 

th’Koro: ::Angrily under his breath:: Typical Ushaan-Tors.

 

With efforts to separate the blades not working, Thalas kicked out attempting to take the Andorian’s feet out from under him. His opponent had been expecting it and grabbed Thalas, rolling them both backwards onto the floor and flinging both blades onto the dirt. Thalas felt his hip where he landed and didn’t envy the bruise that was going to reveal itself. He jumped up ready to re-engage.

 

Her opponent ducked out of the way just in time and Lael’s blade came down on empty air, giving the woman the chance to stab Lael’s now exposed shoulder. It stung like crazy, but she pushed the pain to the side, her injured left arm hanging limply at her side for the moment. Fighting one-handed wasn’t easy, but she was no stranger to it. She’d fought in any number of ways in any number of circumstances. Her gaze flickered to the woman’s blade as it connected with hers. Her best hope was to get the weapon from her opponent and force her to fight hand-to-hand.

 

As much as he enjoyed using the Ushaan-Tor, he always felt more comfortable with hand-to-hand combat. Ducking under a right-handed swing from his opponent, Thalas threw a short jab into the ribcage of the other Andorian. He instantly knew his mistake as he’d left his flank open and the taller man was easily able to get a punch into his side and throw him to one side.

 

As he landed, he felt the wind get kicked out of him. For a second or so, Thalas struggled for breath and staggered to his feet again. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Thalas knew he needed a different tactic or this fight would never end.

 

At last, she had an opportunity. She noted how the woman had been protecting her antennae and recalled from her Academy classes the legendary Ushaan duel between a Human and an Andorian. They relied on their antennae for balance. The loss of one was an easy victory. It felt a bit like cheating, but it was the only way she could see incapacitating her opponent. Normally, she fought to kill, but with Thalas present, she was less concerned with brutality than with a victory.

 

The woman swung the blade at her throat and Lael ducked, popping up in front of the Andorian. Her blade sliced effortlessly through the woman’s right antennae, the chopped off limb falling to the ground. She staggered and Lael brought a foot up, connecting it with the woman’s chest. The woman’s blade dropped from her hand as she connected with the hard dirt ground.

 

Rosek: ::in Andorian:: Surrender. You’ve been bested.

 

The computer froze the woman in place, the words serving as a failsafe.

 

Thalas glanced towards his colleague noticing she had defeated her opponent.

 

th’Koro: ::shouting across in Andorian:: I guess I need to hurry up then.

 

Looking down at the ground, Thalas noticed one of the discarded Ushaan-Tor’s and swiftly grabbed it before sprinting the small two metre distance to his opponent. With a crunch, Thalas shoved his shoulder into the ribcage of his opponent tackling him to the ground. In one swift movement, he brought the Ushaan-Tor down into the chest of the Andorian man. The Ushaan-Tor made easy work of any armour. 

 

Standing up, Thalas brushed the dirt of his outfit and looked across to Lael.

 

th’Koro: ::smirking:: Done.

 

Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Thankfully, the safeties had been engaged so the holographic blades wouldn’t leave any permanent marks. She grimaced as her leg muscles throbbed and she reached down to massage the affected spot. After a few moments, the pain faded slightly, though she’d still likely need a muscle relaxant before bed tonight.

 

Rosek: ::mutters:: Damned leg. ::looks at Thalas:: Stiffens up on me every so often. Old injury. Replaced my spine awhile back, but even with the nanites, it still bothers me at times.

 

Thalas stiffly moved over towards Lael. He could feel where he was going to ache in a few hours. After wiping the sweat from his brow, he placed his hands on his hips and looked up into the sky.

 

th’Koro: Ah, that’s not great. Do you mind if I ask what happened?

 

Rosek: ::grins wryly:: Rock climbing accident when I was 19. My climbing partner was a cocky idiot and I was distracted. My girlfriend and I had just ended it and I really had no business on a mountain.

 

th’Koro: ::furrowing his brow:: Mistakes happen but it’s how we move on I figure. ::signalling to the peak of his nose:: That’s why I kept this scar.

 

She sombered, but mentally shook the memories from her head not wanting to ruin the mood. She was having a good time with the Andorian. 

 

Rosek: ::grins:: You’re a fair fighter, Thalas.

 

He looked down at himself a minute. His fighting was far from what it was a year or two ago. At one point in the past he could have held his own against the marines on board the Atlantis but no longer. He didn’t need to be the best of the best anyway; that was reserved for Science.

 

th’Koro: Thank you! I am nothing compared to a member of the Andorian Guard though. They are truly legendary. You’re far from a slouch yourself.

 

Rosek: ;;shrugs:: I’m a bit out of practice. I’ve been practicing jiu-jitsu since I was five. I used to have a real issue wth bullies.

 

th’Koro: ::his antennae fell down a little:: I can understand that. My father originally taught me how to fight but I picked up some other moves when I was a teenager doing some less than legal activities.

 

She hadn’t exactly been an innocent child herself. She was honestly damned lucky that some of her less than savory activities hadn’t caught up to her by now.

 

Rosek: ::grins:: Yeah. I was always really good at math, especially geometry. ::smirks:: I hustled quite a few billiards games as a teen. 

 

His teenage years had been very chaotic, unfavourable and uncomfortable. He had chosen to try and forget a lot of his youth but that was impossible at times.

 

th’Koro: ::nods:: I had a knack for shuttle-flying so I was always looked at as the one to go fast. I could never have gone into a Helm role for that very reason. ::smirks whilst hiding the true reason:: I’d push the warp core too hard.

 

Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow:: Remind me never to let you pilot the ship or the shuttles. The insurance doesn’t cover high speed chases.

 

th’Koro: ::laughing:: Hey, it’ll just give you some work to do down in engineering. ::smirks:: Can’t be drinking coffee all day...

 

She shook her head. She had more than enough to do downstairs without a crazy ensign adding to her workload. 

 

Rosek: Care to join me for a drink?

 

He certainly needed a drink after that short but intense fight. He could tell he hadn’t kept up a workout routine. Already his muscles were beginning to ache. Thankfully, his duty shift was in the evening tomorrow so he had time to recuperate.

 

th’Koro: Sure, I’d enjoy that. I might have to have something with a bit of a kick.

 

She rarely indulged anymore. Part of it was Chythar. He didn’t like it when she drank, especially with the meds she was on. Ever the doctor. But she supposed a glass of brandy wouldn’t hurt. Besides, she’d found it was a good way to loosen tonuges and form deeper relationships with colleagues.

Rosek: ::motions toward the doors:: Lead the way.

 

~~~~~~~~~-/\-~~~~~~~~~

Ensign Thalas th’Koro

Science Officer

USS Atlantis (NCC-74682)

A23950TT0

 

&

 

Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Eng.D.

Chief Engineer

USS Atlantis, NCC-74682

I238110RH0

~~~~~~~~~-/\-~~~~~~~~~