Far Horizon (Juggernaut #4)

Twenty One

This could be fun.

A direct assault on a crew member, military or civilian, was, of course, not permitted. Not that Tila wanted to fight without good reason - there was always a reason if you looked hard enough - but she needed some action. Ellie liked to jog around New Haven's corridors. Malachi was always lifting heavy things. Tila preferred her action a little more direct, so learning that the Northwind had a fully equipped gymnasium and training centre on board was a step in the right direction.

Despite assuring her mother that she knew the way, Tila was forced to ask two crew members for directions before she found it. The final elevator ride gave her time to plan her workout. There would be workout bags, obviously. Maybe someone could hold pads for her? She could go easy on them at first. Years of fighting thugs and gang members on the Juggernaut has done wonders for her confidence. She had also gone toe to toe with corporate agents back on Parador and she had fought Typhon on the Solar Forge too. Okay, so technically, it was Ellie who actually defeated him, but it was Tila who had traded blows.

She left the elevator and walked down the corridor to the gym. Inside it would be full of energy and power, and she looked forward to thriving on it all.

She opened the door, stepped inside, and found an empty room.

True it was not quite empty. There were mats on the floor, mirrors along one wall, and horizontal bars on another wall. But there was no machinery, no pads, no punch bags, and no people. In other words, there was no point.

With an irritated grunt she turned to leave, and bumped into Marcus as the door opened.

"Ah, there you are!" he said, cheerfully.

"Are you looking for me?"

"Not by choice. Your mother persuaded me that you might enjoy some private lessons in hand to hand combat."

"You? And me?"

Marcus put down a bag and removed his jacket and shoes. Underneath, he wore a black sleeveless Gi.

"You want to fight me?" said Tila, ignoring his biceps and shoulders.

"No, but your mother wants me to train you. She wants you to be ready for what's coming."

"She doesn't know what's coming."

"Exactly. Put these on." He pulled a white Gi from the bag and two pairs of padded shoes. He pulled on one pair of shoes and handed her the rest.

"I don't need training. I can fight."

"Picking a fight is not the same thing as surviving a fight."

"You mean winning a fight."

"I mean surviving. They are not always the same thing. Consider that lesson one. Now put these on."

Tila snatched the clothes from his hand. "You could at least ask nicely."

Marcus acknowledged that with a nod. "You're right, I should have, but you make everything a battle so I came in ready to fight you on everything. Now, could you please get changed so we can start? I'm doing this as a favour to your mother, not to you."

"Fine. Turn around while I change."

Marcus turned around. "Did you want me to face away from the mirror, or...?"

They swapped places and Marcus faced the wall while Tila changed. The outfit was a surprisingly pleasant fit. She stretched and twisted, finding its limits, and met Marcus on the mat.

"I told you, I know how to fight already," said Tila.

"I know," said Marcus. " Humour me."

"You want me to hit you?"

"You can start with something simple, like a punch."

Tila narrowed her eyes and twitched a smile. He did ask...

She jabbed with her left; two quick punches to gauge the distance. Marcus leaned out of range, as she hoped. His head came forward again. She followed with a right hook, knowing where he would be, but missed as he ducked the swing.

Tila tried again. She hopped forward, turning a spin into a backfist, into another hook, into another wide punch. Marcus moved with her, keeping their distance the same, spinning in a counter-motion, arms wide. From above they looked like gears turning in a mechanism.

Tila stopped. Marcus held up one hand.

"How do your fights usually start?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do they take place in well-lit training facilities? Against opponents who are there to critique rather than injure you?"

"Well, no. Usually someone is trying to hurt me or kill me."

"Exactly. And you're trying to do the same to them."

"No I'm not. I never try to kill them."

"Never? I understood the Juggernaut was a dangerous place."

"It is, but I don't want to kill them. You're a soldier, it's normal for you. Fighting doesn't mean killing. Not if I can help it."

"Sometimes you won't be able to help it. I'm here to ready you for that possibility too."

"Believe me I'm ready for that."

"Oh?"

"Shut up and fight."

Tila attacked again. This time her heart was in it. Marcus had created this sterile, emotionless room to train in but fights were never sterile and emotionless. There was sweat, and fear and blood and terror and anger and pain. She didn't fight for points. She fought to live. She didn't fight to kill, she fought to protect. This solider, this professional killer, didn't understand that. His weapons were blasters, or warships. What did he know about the dirt and the damp and the grime of the Juggernaut tunnels?

She leapt at him, straight punches leading the way while her feet found their distance. She turned, a punch became a hook, became a round kick, and she drove forward scowling and shouting and furious.

Marcus blocked them all. He stepped backward as Tila came forward, twisting and turning with her, denying her strikes with wrists, forearms, elbows and knees.

Tila turned one more time, feinting a kick, instead throwing her full weight behind a punch to his face. Marcus stepped into and below the punch, rammed his shoulder into Tila's belly, lifted, and threw her to the floor.

Tila flopped onto her back, coughing, her anger spent.

"Feel better?" said Marcus.

Tila glared at him.

"You were more effective that time. You were trying to hurt me. That's good, I suppose. But you didn't. Why?"

"You cheated."

"You can't cheat in a fight. That's what makes it a fight not a competition. There are no rules, but there are strategies."

Tila climbed to her feet.

"Are you okay?" said Marcus.

Tila put one hand on his shoulder for support, and kicked him between the legs.

Marcus fell to his knees with almost no sound.

"No rules. Got it."

Tila picked up her clothes and headed for the door.

Marcus reached out with one shaky hand. "We're not finished yet."

"I think we are, for today at least." She paused by the door. "But I'll come back tomorrow."

"Why?"

"You're faster and stronger. Your blocks are strange but they worked, and I don't know how you threw me. I want to learn all of that."

"Deal," panted Marcus through gritted teeth.

Tila grinned to herself as she walked back to the Elevator. She was right. That was fun.