Crusaders.

Posted on Thu Jul 15th, 2021 @ 5:19am by Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Captain Mattias Richardson [Reece]

Mission: Darkness Rising - A Phoenix Lalor Sub Plot
Location: Cargo Bay
Timeline: MD-20 0600hrs
1543 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

It was the morning after the self-imposed exile Kate had to go into over the withdrawal. The next dose was in seven more days. But aside from that. Kate was practicing with the sword she siezed from Cragen's hidden chamber. Alindari swordplay was very different than humans. They used their agility to their advantage. She flowed like water. It almost seemed like a deadly and precise dance. A sword-dance not in anyway to be underestimated.

Mattias entered the cargobay a few moments prior but, seeing Kate practicing her people's version of katas, he hung back, staying quiet out of respect. He was extremely impressed by her skill. So much so, he suddenly felt outclassed. He hoped he didn't make a fool of himself.

Kate looked around. "Hey there Mattias..."

Giving Kate a friendly grin, Mattias moved from where he had been standing. "Heya, Kate. I hope you're feeling better this morning?"

"For at least another seven days." Kate noted. "I think I heard you say you needed a sparring partner sometime ago?"

Nodding, Mattias chuckled. "I did. I just hope I can keep up with you! Some of those katas- do your people call them that?- were beautiful!"


Kate spoke. "Nonsense.. I'd be glad to help you get better. Part of how my people learn, is not how much you know, it's what you pass on to others that defines you."

"Well, I can agree with that mindset. He moved over to a nearby crate and placed the duffel he was carrying on it. Looking back at her, he asked, "Would you prefer real blades or training sticks?"

"A training stick for the time being, Mattias." Kate noted.

Nodding, he opened the duffel and withdrew a bambo slat sword for her, and a pair of tonfas for himself. He tossed the sword to her as he moved to get into ready position, both weapons held along the undersides of his forearms.

"Now, Mattias. Know this about any weapon. It is an extension of yourself." Kate noted. "To use a weapon, You must master yourself. And when you have accomplished this. You have mastered the weapon. Not, take your practice staff and start moving with your weapon. Not too fast.. Feel how switfly and strongly you can swing the blade. It's weight. It's dimensions. You have to do this Every day with Alindari Swordmastery. We've practiced this for millennia since Empress Tirielle ended the oppression of the warlords and proclaimed the Imperium. And since then; Alindari have learned to fight even though we are a kind people of peace and liberty. Because there will always be those like Kyle Cragen, Mattias..." Arri mentioned. "The Alindari are not wolves... but we are not sheep."

Smiling softly, Mattias replied. "Oh, Im not aying that I don't know how to use these weapons, I merely stated that your style was beautiful. While I can, and have, certainly be a wolf, I tend to be a sheepdog, protecting the sheep from the wolves that stalk out in the shadows." He then bowed to her and dropped back into ready position, his eyes watching hers, as his body relaxed, ready to begin.

"I'm trying to find what animal the Alindari is... in that example. But I can't find anything that suits us?" Arri began sparing with Mattias. "We're physically weaker than humans, but we've compensated for this with our swiftness, dexterity, and our masterful intelect. It's not the Alindari in front of you that you should be concerned of... It the one coming from your side. We're a people in recovery from the Borg Genocidem and we cannot deploy large armies. But what we lack in numbers, we make up for with technology and small group tactics specializing in asymetrical warfare. We pulverize a larger foe in war, then we strike them at will. Watch your footing."

Arri moved slow so he could get a read on her movements. They were light, swift, and deadly. What she lacked in strength, she made up for in speed.

Mattias was feeling his pulse start to increase. It had been quite a while since anyone had made him concentrate in a match. For the last few years, he had relied mostly on muscle memory. He would try something new every now and again but, for the most part, he felt thst he had reached a plateu of sorts.

Now, with Kate, he was starting to feel like he was being taken back to school.

And he loved it!

"I prefer small unit tactics. You have a better grasp pn how the battle will unfold that way." His movements were that of a veteran warrior. He never used all of his eneregy reserves to overpower his opponent. He took his time, finding a weak spot and working it to the ground.

"And we use that insight to plan operations to cripple our foe's war machine. The goal is always to force our foe to the negotiating table." Kate mentioned as she continued to practice. "We've became good at it. Quality versus Quantity. We don't have to win the battles, all we have to do is make it too costly for any aggressor to continue waging war against the Imperium." She began dancing with her practice blade. "Large Military Campaigns are wasteful and expensive... Costly in lives. My people hav learned how to become the Lance. The Defense College has battle plans for any and all possible aggressors. Even the Federation, even when we're members of the said Federaiton." Kate mentioned. "It is a possibility we don't like to dwell on. We love the Federation. Completely... It is everytthing we value... And we will fight to the last Alindari for the Federation."

Mattias parried a series of strikes as he listened to Kate. When she was finished, he launched a suprise attack, swinging his left tonfa high, expecting her to either block or parry it. As he neared the end of his movement, he dropped down and did a fast spinning heel sweep, aiming for her legs.

She suddenly dropped down, evading the high attack before cartwheeling around his leg. She then flipped backwards and took a guard position. He was better than she thought. "Good Mattias. With each practice session. Cragen will be no match."

Smirking slightly, Mattias moved around Kate, searching for any opening. "Alone against one of us, he might survive. Against us both, he doesn't stand a chance." Thinking he saw an opening, he pressed his advantage, swinging his right tonfa down, while readying the lef5 to strike when she blocked the right.

Kate waited until just the right moment and then intersected her tonfa to block both of them, She then twisted both Tonfa and used them as momentum and a boost step to grab his upper body by her legs and spin him to the ground. Those legs were now deadly. And he was exhausting her. He had more stamina than she did, and she had to end the battle swiftly against a foe with more endurance. True she was more manuverable than him, but he could outfight her.

"Not... Bad..." She huffed. "You win..." She noted.

Looking up at Kate, as she sat astride his chest, Mattias could have had a few colorful ideas run through his mind, but, out of respect, he simply panted, "Uhh...you sure...about that? You are currently holding the high ground." Then, in a move of brute strength, he lifted her off of his chest enough to throw her off balance enough fir him to reverse their positions. Finishing the move, he was now over her, pinning her down with his body and her hands above her head with his. "Now...you could say I eon." He gave her a friendly smile, respect and admiration in his eyes as he spoke.

Kate smiled. "I need to work on my endurance training. I kinda fell back on my physical regiment when I started... Well.. Let's just say that kind of exercising wasn't very productive."

Looking down into her eyes, Mattias felt, not only an attraction to Kate, she was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, after all. He also felt tgat he had found a kindred spirit when it came to having a thirst for vengence. There was a part of him that wanted to kiss her, but, he shook the idea away. Kate had had enough people fircing themselves on her to last a lifetime.

Clearing his throat, he quickly released his hold on her and climbed to his feet. Once he was up, he offered his hand to help her up as well.

Kate spoke. She felt Mattias was drawn to her. "Mattias. I am dedicated to Josephine.. As you are to Phoenix... Promise me you'll be as true to her as I am to my love." She wanted to be honest with him."

Without hesitation, he replied. "Kate, my heart and soul belongs to no one but Princess Penelope Phoenix Lalor. She has had me since she was sixteen years old and our eyes met across the courtyard that she was whipped in. I am nothing, without her."

"Good, because I have a feeling we'll be fine friends.." Kate concluded.

He smiled again. "I feel the exact same way, Kate."