Lt. JG T’Fearne - By the Pricking of My Thumbs…Part 1
Teayl Thorn
((Azure Falls, Azure Horizon Beach & Spa, Lolagi IV))
After the two security officers had a relatively gentle exchange..almost gentle anyway…sparring session for the benefit of the two beginners, T’Fearne offered Jenta a respectful bow, already feeling the bruises blooming under her skin. She suspected she would earn a few more before the lesson was over. The two other officers looked slightly like they had just witnessed a mauling, but T’Fearne was looking forward to sparring with Jenta again at some point.
Taj’el: Impressive, to you both. I can see you are clearly proficient in your abilities.
T’Fearne: ::collecting her knife from the sand:: Thank you.
Wren: ::small applause:: That was great!
The Orion picked up and spun her own knives in an effortless loop while approaching the group.
Solana: Thank you. And don’t worry, I don’t expect you to do anything like what we just did. That was merely both a warm up and for you to see what years of training and experience can result in. T'Fearne, why don’t you partner with Delphina and I’ll work with our guest?
She took a position across from Wren, so they could both see Jenta demonstrating the knife techniques. Leaving Taj’el to take a turn at the Orion’s gentle instruction. T’Fearne felt a little bad, but only a little.
T’Fearne: ::To Wren:: It’s ok, this part is beginner level and don’t worry. You won’t hurt me. Let loose and have fun with it.
Wren: ::small laugh:: Oh, believe me, I’m not worried about me hurting you. Um….. do I just go for it?
She swallowed the grin she felt creeping onto her face as Wren reared up in an insectoid pose and then dropped them before switching to a more grounded defensive posture. She gave an approving nod.
Solana: Not quite. So, watch me first. There are three primary ways to grip a knife. The standard grip as anyone would naturally hold one. This is best for making quick thrusts, but also slashes. ::she stabbed the air in front of her a few times:: The second, hammer grip. Much like the first one you just hold it tighter, with the blade facing you. This is mostly for bashing with the pommel and a good non-lethal method for incapacitation. ::she made a smooth gesture as if to strike Taj’el on the temple:: And the last is reverse grip. Almost exclusively meant for downward stabs. And unless you have a double bladed knife, you’re not going to be able to slash an opponent. But it can be used to block with the proper skill. ::she smiled:: That said, let’s see what your instincts are. ::to Taj’el:: Shall we? Or do you have any questions?
Holding her practice knife low, T’Fearne copied Jenta’s grip for the first position. Facing Delphina with the sharp edge of the blade.
Taj’el: Alright. I understand.
Wren: Okay…. Gotcha.
((OOC: Some dialog skipped, focusing mainly between T’Fearne and Wren for a bit, unless relevant to include the others. See Solana sim for full tags.))
Wren struck a pose that had T’Feane raising a slanted brow, wondering if she had more training than she let on as the Betazoid launched herself forward, committing hard into a dive. Delphina played to her advantage, a lower center of gravity, and T’Fearne’s weakness against a shorter opponent. The Betazoid came in low to crash into her legs with some force, T’Fearne had not been expecting that mode of attack right at the start and her balance was disrupted. She managed to step out of the tangle as the ensign lay in the sand blinking up at her.
T’Fearne: ::Grinning, offering a hand up:: That was excellent. I wasn’t expecting it and you shielded well enough that I couldn’t tell what you were planning.
Wren clambered back to her feet but their legs seemed to get tangled as she tried to right herself in the sand, stumbling on the loose grains and falling back in a heap.
Wren: ::stumbling back to her feet:: Sorry, I- ::immediately gets knocked flat on her back::..... Okay, don’t stop to apologize, got it.
Solana: With knives you not only have to track your opponent’s movements with their body and limbs, but also the weapons themselves. It barely takes much rotation of the wrist with a knife to be able to slice multiple times. Even while blocking an incoming strike.
Taj’el: Noted.
T’Fearne redoubled her efforts to shield her thoughts from her opponent. She had never had trouble shielding her thoughts, blocking the incoming stream of others wandering queries was her struggle. A struggle she was starting to suspect Wren also dealt with.
T’Fearne: ::to Wren:: Careful of the loose sand. This would be easier to practice in a gym or a holodeck, but I think our instructor is wanting to highlight the skill of adaptability. See what else you can do with the environment while you plan best how to stab me.
T’Fearne flicked the knife over her wrist in a move she had seen Solana do. It was close to a baton flick, something she was practiced at, and the handle landed back in her grasp, blade pointed once again at Delphina.
Learning from the lesson Wren had just provided about the center of mass, the lanky Vulcazoid half crouched, bringing herself closer to the sand and slowly circled as she and the ensign stalked each other. Solana continued her instruction.
Solana: When your opponent is wielding a pair of weapons it’s vital to learn to make use of your offhand, to block their limbs if possible. You can also attempt to grab for them, ideally their opposite wrist depending on the weapon they have to try and prevent them from hitting you with it. You can also punch with your offhand. The best targets being the wrist, inner elbow and joints. But staying mobile is also important. Dual wielding is difficult. So I would only recommend it if you’ve gotten ample training.
Taj’el: Grabbing the wrist is not the most effective choice if the other hand is also armed… ::They mused aloud, thinking through the implications of the exchange as it unfolded..::
Wren remained quiet and focused, T’Fearne matched her. Prying instead with her limited empathic sense to pick the rise of excitement or fear that often preceded an impending attack.
She felt a spike of excitement, anticipating meeting her attack and snaked forward in a direct strike at the shorter woman. Her blade went a little high, over the ducking shoulder as Wren sprung up at the last moment to jam something solidly under her clavicle before dancing back out of reach. The fingers of T’Feane’s hand went numb and for a second she thought she’d been stunned or hit with a Vulcan nerve pinch.
She quickly transferred her blade to her other hand, rotating the now tingling shoulder. If Wren did that again she would disarm T’Fearne completely. It seemed the ensign was a quick study and as crappy as her best friend Alyndra.
Solana: If you are having a hard time disarming, striking or grappling an opponent you can try and attack their foundation instead. Everyone needs to have a solid structure when fighting. And unless your foe floats or otherwise can’t be rendered prone, like Gra’vel, our resident Horta, going for the legs is always a valid option as long as you can do so without opening yourself to a hit.
Taj’el: I admit, I was overly focused on your hands. I will take care to correct that moving forward.
Quick as a striking snake T’Fearne came in with her non dominant hand, having trained for years in dueling weapons it was almost as fast and strong as her dominant hand, but she was careful to never put the full force of her strength into her strikes, even while sparring with Jenta. This was practice, to help them defend themselves and learn, not a place for the type of damage she could do if she let herself go.
Her blunted knife still bit into Wrens wrist and she dropped her weapon…but only for a moment before T’Fearne found the blade along with a wave of sand kicked right at her face. She batted the blade back at the Betazoid, it bounced off the woman, but sand made it into her eyes this time.
Wren: Oh sh- I am so s- ::scrambles back to avoid getting hit again:: oO Aaand now I’m down a dagger. Oo
Half blinded but still conscious of her opponent's position, T’Fearne executed a leg sweep, more effective than the one she’d tried on Jenta and spent a moment rubbing the gritty sand out of her eyes.
T’Fearne: No need to apologise, that was…unusual. Let us continue.
Wren’s dagger lay between them in the sand. T’Fearne left just enough space to tempt the officer into her attack. She executed a swift range of stabs, strikes and slashes that Jenta had just demonstrated. She ensured none would be too hard, but there would be bruises tomorrow.
Just as she started to ease up, to give the officer a chance to retaliate, Wren’s mind went opake, whatever she was about to do, T’Fearne couldn’t tell. All she had was the warning that Wren had done three wildly different and unexpected things right as she went blank like this. She stepped closer to the woman to avoid sand being kicked in her eyes again…and walked right into Wren's trap as the small woman launched herself bodily at her good arm like a wild primate.
With a grunt of effort T’Fearne lifted her arm up above her head. Wren clinging to it, swinging above the ground. She peered at the ensign’s face.
T’Fearne: ::impressed:: You fight with creativity, ensign. If this is how you fix engineering problems ::holding back a laugh:: Then Chief Tucker is either going to make you his right hand or tear his new beard out. I would pay good latinum to see either.
With a heft, she attempted to launch her opponent a short distance, but Wren clung on to her wrist, refusing to make a full reacquaintance with gravity, like some sticky substance. She tried again to fling the officer off and ended up overbalancing and coming down on top of her. Wren seized the opportunity to put a bare sandy foot into her sternum, right where Jenta had already bruised her. Painful as it was, she caught the stomping ensign’s ankle and rolled them both down the beach towards the waves until she gained her feet again, still holding Wren by the ankle and dangling the ensign upside down, like one of her nieces or nephews who would beg their Vulcanoid aunt to swing them upside-down for fun.
She peered into Delphina’s face and swung her a little, before letting her go with a little flip so she would land on all fours in the sand. Striding back up the beach, T’Fearne scooped up both knives, spinning one playfully as she waited for Wren.
Wren: Okay! Okay, I’m out, I’m tapping out! ::nervous laugh:: I should have stopped when I lost the dagger… ::small groan:: Where did you learn that?
T’Fearne: Holding you upside-down? It’s not a combat move. More like something I do for my nieces and nephews to keep them entertained, young children enjoy being discombobulated.
As she and Wren were taking a break, T’Fearne strode back over to the Betazoid, sat down in the warm sand beside her and curiously watched what the other two were doing.
[No Tags / TBC in Part 2]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14