[Round 16] Intensity

[Nathan Baker]

((Holodeck 7 - USS Indria-A))

::Jacen felt the excitement from within build up. He was going to

enjoy this little spar. He waited for Cura to ready herself. He

studied how she prepares and even the way she fixes her hair might

give away how she would handle herself. Any little detail about her

habits would help in combat.::

Assanti: Computer, Saber with one inch longer hilt, blade double

edged.

::She then summoned her own sword and like Jacen, examined it like a

fine piece of work before she tested its weight. He waited for her to

stand ready before him.::

Assanti: :;raising her eyebrow.:: You sure you want to start this

dance, Jacen? ::slowly circling.:: You see, once you start this

dance with someone, it really never ends. Even if the match ends and

no one has won, you're always wondering who is better. As I do recall

back on the Victory, you and I started something like this but we

were both on the same side against Sniper. This is a bit different,

Jacen. I've never raised my sword against you, even for exercise.

Fanel: All the more to do this...

Assanti: I know enough about you to be a bit wary about being on the

wrong side of your blade. You forget, I've seen you in action.

Fanel: I have seen enough of you to know some but not nearly enough.

The point of observing someone is not enough to truly know that

person.

Assanti: Well, it is a different feeling. ::still circling:: I don't

know if I can do this even for fun.

Fanel: Fun? ::Jacen felt the excitement again. He was going to cross

blades with Cura. It's actually been a while since he's crossed

blades with a woman. Not since Himeyu. He made a mental note to

himself not to let the rush of combat with a female go too far.

Especially since this is Cura he's facing.:: As the old saying goes

Cura....You don't truly know someone...until fight them.

::Jacen lunged forward, not holding back one bit. He wanted to test

the range and her reach. In any swordplay, one doesn't just start off

with clashing of metal as you see them in stories. First you test

each other's reactions. You observe how they move when you move, how

they look back at you. What sounds they make. How they carry

themselves. All these are vital to winning.::

::And right now, he's really going at it on her. He didn't want to

hold back. It wouldn't be fair to hold back on her. To show her how

fast he can be. How strong he is and then to see how she reacts was

something he wanted to see out of her in this.::

:: Talking ceased as Jacen lunged towards her, Cura quickly changed

to meet his approach, turning herself to face him head on. Then,

when he was within range, she stepped into his charge and swiped her

sword to stop him from advancing further. Their swords met then.

Cura attacked with her blade, lunging in and then stepping back as he

countered. He was fast, unpredictable and definitely a formidable

opponent. She was unable to predict his moves, so she found she

actually had to be ready for anything he might throw at her, which

caused her to linger in a defensive stance most of the time.::

:: Their swords danced in the air between them in a blur of motion.

Then, Cura performed a trick she learned from John Stone, a move that

removed his sword from the equasion. With swiftness and percise

handling over her own blade, she managed to tie their blades and then

with a flick of her own wrist, Jacen's blade went flying across the

room. Cura quickly darted towards it as she knew Jacen would go

after it, cutting off his path to his weapon. She lifted her blade

to stop him again.::

::Jacen reacted to the lost of his primary weapon and on instinct

went for a second weapon he kept well hidden within his loose long

sleeve shirt. His force lance. As he flicked it out of his sleeve he

points and extends it towards Cura's face to force her to withdraw

away from him. He can tell the surprise on her face from the fact

that he procure a weapon out of no where. He stood up as he faced

Cura again and stabbed his fully extended weapon next to him.::

Assanti: Very impressive, Lt. Cmdr Fanel.

Fanel: Dear Cura, please dispense with the formalities. It's just the

two of us here. ::He points his lance towards his sword.:: Now if you

please return my sword...You' re closer.

:: Cura backed up until she was near his weapon and kicked it by the

hilt and it slid across the floor towards his feet. He stopped it

with his own feet.::

Assanti: Would you like another stab at it, Jacen?

::Jacen exchanged hands with his lance and picked up his sword. Not

looking away from Cura even for a second as he knelt down and grabbed

his lost weapon. When he got back up he held his lance high and

retracted it back into its previous form and hid it within his

sleeve.::

Fanel: With pleasure. ::He saluted with his sword and attacked again.

His sense of pride wanted to pay her back for knocking his sword

away.::

::When Jacen charged again this time, he gave her an opening so she

can come closer into his range for a strike but it was his turn as he

ducked away and slashed forward several times with the last attack

being a stab that made her dodge her head to the left, then he

retreated to see the damage done. When he waited long enough he can

see that a section of Cura's shirt was cut. The cut was delayed and

started to show itself when they stopped. He didn't cut her. Just her

shirt. She can see he also made a cut on both her sleeves. He also

made another cut on her shirt on the shoulder area where his last

stab attack was.::

::Pointing his sword forward, he smiled at his work.::

Fanel: I had to be a little faster to catch up to you, Cura. You're

more nimble than I had guessed.

Assanti:::looking down at her shirt. She raised an eyebrow as she

began pacing around a bit. Then, without a care, she took off her

shirt, revealing a tightly fitting sports-bra. Being Betazoid, she

did not seem to be the least bit embarrased of her body. Yet, it

didn't really look like a bra.:: I suppose this is something like

strip poker? The one with the most clothes left on is the winner, I

take it? ::Cura smiled and chuckled to herself at the thought.::

::Jacen actually used up a lot of his mental will and physical

strength to prevent himself from blushing at the sight of her. He has

never seen her without a shirt and just what would passes for a bra.

He can only guess she was trying to use her physique as a distraction

and it was working more than before when she was just in her already

sweat soaked form.::

Fanel: I hope that shirt wasn't special.

Assanti: Well, it is now. A special memento of our first sparring

match.

Fanel: Those were actually near misses. ::He then noticed a part of

his own shirt being cut:: Apparently you missed me a couple times

too.

Assanti: Correction, I don't miss, Jacen. I meant to cut your shirt.

I'm not here to cause any damage...just to let off some steam and

perhaps get a sneak peak at what I don't usually see. :: Cura gave

him a wink of her eye and chuckled, slashing her sword before her and

taking up a more offensive pose now. She was beginning to learn how

he moved and what provoked him.::

::There was a long line from his shoulder to the bottom of his shirt

that appeared suddenly. Jacen noticed it and shook his head as he

smiled a bit more.::

::He then stabbed the back of his shirt and cut the rest of it off

since the front part of his shirt was already cut wide open and

hanging out. Taking off his ruined shirt and points his weapon

ahead.::

Fanel: Let's continue. Oo What are you doing Jacen? You should stop

right NO! You're already flushed from just her current look. Remember

how you lost yourself at the naked weapons trial. So how can you

survive when she still has half her clothes on when she's already got

you by the balls?oO

::To explain, Jacen went through what some cultures would call a very

strange way of combat testing. It was to test will power and of

course the physical strength against the opposite sex. You first face

off with the least amount of clothes on in most society to even be

remotely descent. For both sexes it would have to be shirt and the

shortest work out shirts anyone can think of. The object is to defeat

the other side without the need of distraction of the

opposite's.. .physical attractiveness. Both parties would be in peak

physcial conditioning so the male would be as well built and the

female would be built enough for an average fighting woman. The next

stage is where men happen to lose too often. Hence the name "Naked

Weapons trial". Both side would strip before each other and duel with

whatever weapons naked. Jacen remembered distinctly he was already at

a lost at the first stage with clothes on. He lost in the naked

round. It wasn't too much of a shame. Many men had lost. It was only

just to harden the discipline to both sexes that whichever sex you

face even if the opposite is very attractive, you must never lose

ground or composure... and Jacen was very close to losing his sanity

simply because he could never fully keep it together when he sees a

very attractive woman before him. Especially one he knows and deep

within his instinctual heart...desire. He needed to remind himself of

that he can look but not touch but all he's doing IS looking and he

needed to stop or he'll lose.::

::With that thought out of the way, Jacen stabbed forward again,

fiercely.::

::Cura slapped at his stab at her, hitting his blade away. She then

countered with her own attack at his sword arm. Lunging in close

enough she grabbed his arm with both her hands and then pivoted,

lifting her left leg and striking him with her foot across his left

cheek. Spinning back out, she released his arm and forward flipped as

Jacen tried to counter attack in her retreat, but Cura knew he was

coming. At every flip she made, his blade missed hitting her and when

he stabbed forward, Cura turned into him. He turned as well and their

swords clashed in a blur of motion between them. Yet, Cura found

herself backing away as he charged, stabbed and lunched forward. Her

kick had provoked his rage and she could tell he was eager for

repayment somehow. He was losing his cool but trying to keep form.::

::Cura, falling into the traditional fencing form, she moved swiftly.

Then, their swods clashed and Jacen advanced instead of retreating,

taking a risk and catching Cura off guard. Jacen parried her blade

aside and was close enough to grabbed both her wrists, backing her up

against the holographic wall and holding her arms up high over her

head then to pushed her completely back against the cold wall. The

immediate cold gave her a rush of goosebumps that even Jacen could

feel them as he held her wrists tightly and held his sword at her

neck to mark the end. The force of her hitting the wall had made her

drop her sword.::

::Oddly, for a few moments, the pair eyed one another as they stood

there, panting and sweating. Overpowered, Cura could really make no

move to break free. She was....at his mercy and he knows it. Jacen

held her there like that for what seemed like an endless moment.::

::Then finally, Cura spoke.::

Assanti: ...Touche'

Fanel: Indeed...::He leaned closer.:: Oo What the frak am I doing?!

oO ::His face grew just ever so closer than he would prefer. He was

too close to her face...to her lips...to her body.:: Oo Stop me,

Cura...make it stop...make me...oO He tried to mouth his words but

they didn't come out nor did any protest hit him. He only felt his

pulse on his lips and he could almost feel hers...on-

::The holodeck doors slid ajar suddenly and Wentworth stepped inside

the holodeck. Jacen dropped his sword when he pulled back. It was

extremely luckily for Jacen and Cura that they were just around the

corner of where the arch door opened to the outside and it gave them

both time to let go of each other and recompose. It would have

been...awkward for Wentworth to walk in seeing their last positions

against a wall and embarrassing. ::

Wentworth: Sorry Sirs, Didn't notice this holodeck was occupied.

:: Gesturing to the door.:: I'll...find another.

Fanel: ::Not looking at him to hide his red colored face.::

Lieutenant.. .::Returning his face to the normal color as he walked to

put on his jacket to cover his exposed top. He took several deep

breaths until his heart stopped going at high warp.::

Assanti: Just a little spar, Mr. Wentworth.

Fanel: Oo The understatement of the century, Cura...oO

:: Cura motered away from Jacen and moved over towards her dress

whites and donned her dress tunic. Then, she slipped into her

trousers, grabbed her jacket, flipping it over her shoulder and

headed towards the exit.::

Assanti: :;turning back to Jacen.:: Nice match, Lt Cmdr Fanel. I'd

say we're evenly matched. Althought I could stand to learn a few

moves from you, I see. I wasn't really prepared for that last one.

::Jacen turned back and managed a friendly smile and a plain looking

face.::

Fanel: ::Attempting the best poker face:: Yes...::Muttering another

line:: Niether was I...

Assanti: Perhaps another time, we could explore one another's

knowledge of this odd sport of swordsplay?

Fanel: I'd be honored for another match...Oo In the next lifetime

maybe...oO

Assanti: I shall have to tell all the ladies to beware of your rusty

blade. :: Cura chuckled loudly as she walked into the corridor.:: Lt

jg Wentworth, you're with me.

Wentworth: :: Falling in with the captain with no small amount of relief ::

Aye, Ma'am

---

This JP was proudly presented to you by:

Cmdr Cura Assanti-Stone

Commanding Officer

USS Indria-A NCC-68482

and

Lt. Cmdr Jacen Fanel

Chief Tactical Officer

USS Indria-A NCC-68482

featuring

Lt. (jg) Jake Wentworth

Chief Security Officer

USS Indria-A NCC-68482

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