Blood and Sand

Posted on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 @ 7:47am by Lieutenant Etrara Khalten & Lieutenant JG Zac Smithson

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Gym
2821 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Etrara downed her coffee and ate her toast on the fly. It wasn’t often that she was late, in fact she was never late but she had been having the most wonderful dream involving a Klingon novel she had been reading entitled ‘Blood and Sand’. She smiled, despite the fact that it was going to be a busy day of back to back meetings and she had lately been wondering if she had bitten off more than she could chew. So she was looking forward to a little mayhem with the newbie in the gym. She had gone over Lieutenant Smithson’s file again after dinner. Usually she could figure out what people were about pretty soon after she had met them but, for some reason Zac eluded her.

Zac was in the gym, waiting for Etrara to show. He was dressed in a gray t-shirt with gray shorts. He went through several warmup routines while he waited for Etrara. He had brought a towel with him to wipe away any perspiration from the sparring match to come. He hoped he didn't make a fool of himself with Etrara. That would just crush him. He finished his routine and went to a nearby bench and sat down and waited for Etrara to arrive.

Etrara entered the gym and spotted Zac immediately. Her tall toned muscular body was encased in a black bodysuit that followed the contours of her body and her long hair was tied back with a leather cord. Already a sheen of sweat had given her brown skin a golden glow, caused by her jogging to the gym. She smiled as she drew near. The gym was practically empty as she placed her towel on one of the benches surrounding the workout mat. “I wasn’t sure you would turn up this morning so you must like a challenge?” She said. “What do you practice, Krav Maga, karate….I can fit in with whatever you want?” She didn’t say she found his physique attractive.

Zac smiled at her, "Good morning. Actually, I was wondering if you were going to show up. I am glad to see you didn't get an attack of cold feet." He finished with a grin. He studied her in her black bodysuit, it highlighted all her curves quite nicely. "Karate." He replied simply. "Before we start, no ranks just Etrara and Zac right? And you aren't going to hold it against me if I um bruise you correct?"

“Just Etrara and Zac yes I agree.” She laughed a little, “no holds barred Zac, sickbay is only three decks down. Remember I am Klingon.” She moved out onto the mat gracefully and bowed, immediately taking up the Heiko Dachi stance, relaxed and ready, her hands moving slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

Zac nodded at her answer. "I know. I'll be sure they know you are a Klingon." He said simply as he bowed in return and began a slow but steady circle around her as he studied her stance, looking for a weakness in her defences.

Etrara moved slowly her hands graceful as they looked for a way in, but aware of the need to protect herself. She prepared her left foot for a possible strike to his knee.

Zac continued to circle until he made a sudden feint to strike at Etrara's leg and instead aimed a strike at her stomach.

His strike hit her squarely in the stomach. She contained the breath and struck his right knee, bringing up the palm of her hand to connect with his jaw. Her eyes went hard and there was no more smiling. Zac was now her enemy.

Zac hobbled away but not before his elbow came up to smash into the side of Etrara's head. It gave him a few seconds of a reprieve as he massaged his knee while his eyes remained on her.

A small cut had opened up under Etrara’s eye and had dripped enough blood down so she could taste it. She howled and bent low coming up to hit him squarely in the chest with her foot and her palm hit his chin. She breathed heavily knowing that his smell was having an effect on her. She broke away.

Zac closed on her, A kick at her knee to keep her unbalanced then a double handed strike to the side of Etrara's head at her ears. His jaw was swollen and bruised but he would not yield.

Roaring she put her head down and caught him squarely in the abdomen her teeth raking his skin and pushing onto the ground. For a moment she wondered why she was initiating a Klingon mating ritual.

Zac howled in a mixture of pain and surprises as Etrara bit him. He hit her with a left jab to the face and followed it up with a knee to her stomach as he scrambled out from under her.

She jumped up dismayed at what she had done. The mist before her eyes was dissipating. “Zac, I am sorry….I don’t know what came over me. I could have killed you.” She picked up her towel, “this was a bad idea, sparring with you the way I have been feeling. I will report myself for disciplining.”

"No!No! No!" he shook his head at her. "Etrara, you didn't do anything wrong. We said no hold bar. I was just surprised. It is my fault." He said getting up and grabbing his towel. "I'll apply for a transfer to another department."

“I am your superior officer and I tried to mate with you against your will. Zac it is NOT your fault.” Etrara could feel herself calming down. “I do not know what happened to me. I spar with others almost every day.” She took his arm, “where did I bite you?”

Zac looked at her, "Mate?" He repeated. "Well, I do find you very attractive Etrara." A sheepish grin on his face. "Across my stomach. Please don't apologize. It is alright."

“It’s not all right, let me see?”

Zac sighed but he did as Etrara asked and pulled his shirt up to reveal several bites. "See? You must have liked how I taste." He teased.

She took a sharp intake of breath. “These are deep.” She said running her hands over them. “Come to my quarters, I have some salve you can use. Oh Zac I am so sorry.”

"Etrara, it will be fine. Let's go to your quarters, so I can get that salve you were mentioning earlier." Zac answered trying to keep Etrara calm.

Etrara’s quarters were sparse. It wasn’t that she had nothing to decorate them with she just had had no time to do so. They entered and she removed her B’atleth from the couch. “Please, sit down Zac and remove your top?”

Zac entered and sat on the couch as directed by Etrara. "Etrara, is really necessary?" He asked but even as he asked, he knew she was going to insist he remove his top, so he began lifting it over his head.

She noted three deep bites from her teeth and was ashamed that she had let this go so far. She gently bathed them with cool water and patted them dry. “The salve is from the monastery of Borath, or what is left of it. I will not tell you what it contains or you will run away, but it also contains sand from the grave of Mort’h’sen. When he was buried it was said the weeds flourished and all, manner of bad things lived and ate there. A few weeks later his grave was clear of every bad thing. Sweet scented herbs grew and blue flowers bloomed all year round, even in the winter. The sand was found to have astringent and antiseptic properties.” She began to apply the salve. “I myself used it when I was badly injured. My cheek was sliced by a….well, “she showed her left cheek. “As you can see there is no scar.”

Zac just sat there as Etrara talked and told him about the cream and it's history. "The monastery of Borath? I heard about that, didn't the priests there have Kahless's DNA? stored there?" He asked as he looked at her. She was the prettiest woman he had ever seen.

Etrara was surprised by his knowledge. “Yes they do. I have always longed to go there but I tried for so many years not to be Klingon.” She applied three patchless dressings to his wounds. A sudden thought came into her head to follow the three dressings with a single kiss on each. “My father impregnated my mother with me whilst promising her marriage then he left us when he found out she was pregnant. He ran back to his House. My mother killed herself when I was sixteen because of him.” There , that’s done. The dressings will eventually dissolve.” She washed her hands and disposed of the water and cloth. “Again Zac I am sorry. Will you stay for a drink?”


Zac listened as Etrara told him a bit about herself. "Your mom killed your dad? Wow. I'll make sure never to get you mad." He bantered. He looked down at his stomach and the dressings. "Thank you cleaning and dressing my wound Etrara. It was very kind of you. Please stop apologizing. It is over and done with. Yes, I'd love to stay and have a drink."


She smiled inwardly, she had only just met him but sensed the bravery of a knight and the soul of a poet in him. “What would you like, I have a Klingon tea with honey, which I will have or the replicator can make you anything your heart desires….well maybe all.” She laughed

Zac grinned broadly at her. She had a nice, honest laugh. "May I have a rum and coke please? I'm not a big drinker but I do like that one." He admitted. "Maybe next time, I'll try the Klingon tea."

“Ice?” She asked as she made her tea.

"Yes please." He replied politely.

She handed him his drink and sat down across from him with her tea. “I don’t think either of us has to move or resign now that things have calmed down now do you?” She asked.

"I suppose not." He admitted. "I'm more than happy to stay if you want me." Zac replied as he sipped his drink, "So, tell me a little about yourself.''

She looked wryly at him. She was not about to expose her deepest darkest pain to someone she hardly knew, no she wanted him to at least think she might be worth getting to know. She crossed her legs and sipped her tea wincing as she bent forward. “I am not very interesting Zac, apart from always wanting to be in Starfleet, I love flying, base jumping, swimming and cliff diving. I’ve always seen something of myself in the stars, makes me want to be a better person….” she looked into the middle distance. “I have wasted too much time on regrets, although they follow me whoever I go. You can never escape your past Zac.”

He sipped his drink as she spoke. When she had finished, he put down his drink and looked at her. "While I agree that you cannot escape your past, you can learn from it and make your present and future better." He shrugged his shoulders. "Just my opinion. "We do share similar interests in me both prefer being outside. Do you like to swim?" He asked.


“I love being in the water, I won the Academy ‘Round Alcatraz’ race two years running. I can dive for six minutes without oxygen.” She laughed. “Klingons are not known for their love of water but then I am only half Klingon.”

Zac nodded, "Impressive. Only six minutes?" He jested. "What's the other half dolphin?" Though winning the 'Round Alcatraz two years in a row isn't too shabby." He admitted. "We'll have to have a swim sometime."

“I would love that but it’s not often we get to swim in the real thing.” She paused.
“Is there anything you want to know about me? I ask because most people have preconceived ideas about Klingons, especially Klingon women.”

"We do have a pool here on the Elysium and Olympic size one or we can use the holodeck. As for wanting to know anything about you. I figure, I'll find out as I go. I know you like to bite when sparring." He teased.

“Zac I do not, I have never done that before sparring or not with anyone anytime. It’s normally a Klingon mating thing and I don’t…..errm, no. I am half human after all.” She said as a hopeful segue out of the hole she was digging herself into. “Do you like your drink?” She asked changing the subject.

Zac grinned, it seemed he could get Etrata squirm with his teasing. "Yeah right. next time we spar, I'm going to ask for you to be muzzled. If you want to bite me, wait until we're in bed together. As for my drink it is very good."

She looked serious. “What you might have heard about Klingon women is not true of me. It is not my desire to bed every male I meet. I only had one experience of a man in my life and I was seventeen. I was raped and left for dead by an upperclassman from the Academy. If that is love then I want none of it. Again I don’t know why I bit you.” She got up to get him another drink.

"I make my own decisions in regard to women whether they be Klingon, Human or any other species. I am sorry for what happened to you when you were seventeen and I hope they found and severely punished and jailed the bastard who raped you. I don't want another drink and I'm sorry if I upset you." Zac replied.

They did…punish him, I made sure of it and it is me that should apologize to you. I am not good around men. In their company, socially that is I become that seventeen year old again. Tongue tied, suspicious of their motives. Do you want to go Zac?” She asked.

"Not all men are like the one who raped you Etrara. Oh, you may know it but you have to accept it and believe it. Take men as they come and judge them on their own merits. Then and only then can you stop being seventeen." Zac stated, "And no I don't want to leave but I will if you think it best."

“I don’t want you to go Zac, I need a friend, someone to talk to and be comfortable with. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me but sometimes I am too honest, too open and it frightens people.”

"I want to be your friend Etrara and I want you to feel you can confide in me, There is no such thing as being too honest. Either you are or you aren't. You don't frighten me."

“I am glad I do not frighten you Zac, very glad indeed. “Is there anything you want to know about me?” She asked.

Zac shook his head, "Nope, not afraid of you at all. As far as wanting to know anything about you, not at the moment. I'll ask you when I do."

She sat and smiled, “well Zac do you want to do this again!?” Her mouth creased in a laugh.

"Absolutely." Zac replied. "I'll make sure to wear body armor. Next time." He teased.

She laughed, “very funny Zac and I am not sure it is me that should be wearing body armour. You certainly were not giving any quarter. "

Zac nodded, "I don't do anything halfway. If we're going to spar then we spar. Not to the point of killing each other but put forth a real effort to improve and not go through the motions."

“I shall be able to hold back my emotions next time and I agree, there is no point in killing each other. Anyway I should be having a shower before my duty shift. Would you like to do anything later?”

"Come to my quarters and I'll cook you dinner." Zac replied quickly, "Um, that's if you want to."

“YOU COOK!” she exclaimed, “I would love to, I am always hungry and my cooking unbeatable and, if one gets that far indigestible.” she laughed.

"Wonderful. Come back after your shift and I'll cook you a meal." Zac said brightly. "Make sure to come hungry." He added.

“I will eat you out of house and home” she smiled.

Zac smiled, "We'll see Etrara."

 

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