Engineered Empress - The story of Bia

Engineered Empress Part 15

Chapter 15

In the cargo bay Damon and Zar shoved the crates to the outside, staging a fighting area. Damon then jumped onto a crate and sat down.

"Bia give one of your sticks to Zar. I want you both to imagine holding a knife in your hands, and I want you Bia doing everything you can to kill Zar." Unsure about that Bia asked.

"You mean kill, like full contact? He just woke up, isn't that a bit drastic?" That comment brought a devilish twinkle to Damon's eyes and he rubbed his hands together with glee.

"Yes, I mean full contact. Remember that Ceri made him stronger and faster, so don't worry about hurting him. Now, first, I want you to get comfortable in your new body. You grew a lot and are not used to move your longer limbs, so your reach and your center of gravity should've changed too. Second, Zar you slept a long time. I want to know what you remember and where your reflexes are at. Third, Bia I want for you to forget you wearing that damn suit. You are young and get self-conscious very fast. That must stop, or you are just bait. Understood?" both nodded and he just yelled.

"Good. Start!"

Bia twisted the stick in her hand and feinted a hit to the left side of his head. Zar evaded and countered to her right shoulder. But she wasn't there anymore. She jumped on the ledge of the crate behind her and vaulted over Zar. He bent enough to avoid a kick to the head but not to his shoulder by the other leg. Turning around, Zar used his long legs to sweep her legs aside but ended up with another kick to his torso as she jumped over it. Instead of connecting she used her 'knife' to parry his kicks and attacked his torso with it in shortly after.

"Stop. Bia your spatial awareness is very good, but you take too much risk when you are jumping. Zar, damn, get your head in the game. Stop pulling your kicks and use your weapon. Bia is not a frail little damsel in distress. Hell, she studied for 10 years under Toran, more than I ever did." He waived at them to start agan and on it went. For an hour they traded kicks, blows and 'cuts' until Damon stopped them for good.

"Okay you two, that's enough for today. Bia you have the better techniques but no real instincts. Zar you get a clean bill of health. You remembered everything, just failed to stop coddling our princess here. We will do that again tomorrow morning and in the evening with me in the mix. Let's see if I can't get some real punches out of you Zar."

After that Demon and Bia went back into the cockpit where he let her check their whereabouts if they were to leave the subspace. She took her time but got the calculations right. She knew the navigation computer could do it faster, but she needed the training anyway.

The next morning, they met in the cargo hold where Damon rearranged the containers.

"Okay, Bia I want you to show me how you escape holds. Zar your directive is to kidnap her and put her in that box." He pointed to the open space between two containers and instructed them. "If your quarry flees through that gap over there, she is safe. Occasionally, I'll step in and you will have two foes, so keep your wits up." And on it went. Bia got frustrated. Zar managed every time to hold her and drag her into the 'box', when Damon stopped them.

"Time out. Zar you are too surgical, that Bia gets napped by professionals is highly unlikely. Think thug, robber and drunken idiot. Start again." Zar turned to Bia and lunged at her, grabbing her arm and slurring his words like a drunk.

"Come here you bitch." trying to hug and carry her to the 'box'. Indignation showed on her face before she exploded into flying feet and hands fighting Zar of for a full minute until she was caught.

"Bia, very good reaction, but aim a little and don't forget you are on a port. There are people around you. Make noise. Again!" This time she fought him of, screaming bloody murder. Then they started with Damon and Zar as foes.