Laila, Spock's Granny (Book 1: Vulcan Gladiatoress and Klingon Slave)

Grand Arena 2

After the nurses had brought my lunch and I had devoured it (hospital meals can only be devoured, everything else would assault ones gustatory nerves) the door to my room opened and who came? Surak, Verson and Torg. Verson was the first to talk: "Hello 'ethl tits, how are you? We thought, you might appreciate some distraction."

My mood filled with happiness and I greeted them: "Hey there, that is a nice surprise!"

Torg came over and took my hand and I continued: "You have grown a lot. You are about to become a man!"

Last was Surak raising his hand for the Vulcan greeting: "Peace and long life!"

I extracted my right hand from Torg and raised it, but with the bandage, I could not returned his courtesies fully Vulcan style: "Live long and prosper!"

The small talk continued until Surak told me: "You know, that out of the 5 gladiators, the Cardessian had fought against, three including you were admitted into hospital with heavy injuries and one had gotten killed. Only his first opponent walked away unharmed, but all others are no fit to continue participating in the tournaments of the festivities anymore. To me it seems a bit odd."

Verson added: "It has become a hot topic in the news. The schools of the affected gladiators are pissed and they all accuse the gladiators association and the administration of the Grand Arena of not having performed their duty. Apparently, the Cardessian has a bad history. He had been banned from fighting already. He should not even have been allowed inside the arena."

Torg added: "The only good thing is, he is too well known now, I doubt, that he can fight anywhere anymore. Thanks for the autograms by the way."

"You are welcome."

They stayed for about half an hour more, in which we debated the foul Cardessian and his goals, but then they had to leave.

Next day's morning, during the doctor's visit, he informed me, that today, I would get dismissed of the hospital around lunch time and that he would inform Nerek to pick me up.

At 11:00h I started to pack my stuff. It was not much, but every movement hurt and I had to take it slow. I had put my bag on the bed and stuffed my few belongings into it, my back facing the door, when I heard it opening. While I turned around, I said: "Hi Nerek!" However, when I saw the one who had just entered, my heart sank into my boots or clogs in this case. It was the Cardessian and he held a phaser in his hands. I had not fully turned yet and had frozen for a second. The Cardessian started: "Finally, I get my revenge. You ruined my gladiator career."

"That one you ruined yourself", I reminded him.

"Always so proud, Vulcan bitch, but in less than a minute, it's over with your pride", he ranted.

I responded: "I would not be so sure in your case. My master Nerek is already mad at you. He might just buy you and make you suffer in hell. Maybe he will even buy a special place in Gre'thor for you."

The Cardessian answered my reasoning with laughter: "See this here", he held up a Klingon passport with his left hand, "this is my freedom. I'm a free man now, your master cannot buy me."

Surprisingly, this time round, my brain worked 100%. Despite my injury, I grabbed my bag with my bandaged right hand, whirled around and hurled it against his phaser. He fired the phaser, but missed me. Within a split second, I had my left hand on his phaser, pushing it further out of the way while my right hand dashed onto his carotid artery. My Vulcan brain had very well remembered, that the knock out nerve grip had not worked with the Cardessian and it made me revert to more brute force techniques. I realized, that he had a hard time moving. My beating during our fight, must have caused him many bruises and made him quite slow. Unfortunately, the bandages on my right dampened the impact of my strike and the carotid artery did not get squeezed enough to hamper blood supply to his brain. A dirty laugh came out of his mouth and next his left fist was coming for my chin. I turned my head and I tried to move my chin out of the way, but his fist hit the nerve in my right jawbone. It nearly knocked me out and my brain stopped working for the next five seconds. Enough time for the Cardessian to turn me around, push me on the bed and move my right arm to my back. He pressed his knee into my butt, pinning me down to the bed with his weight. Thereafter he bent my right arm inward. He had me, I could not escape anymore.