Frontier: Book One - The Space Cadets by Laurence Moroney Page B

Sebastian
like any other. The other bouts finished, and all eyes were on this
matchup.
    Word must have gotten around the
school, because more and more people poured in to watch. Aisha
found herself being pushed to the front.
    David and Sebastian faced each
other across the mat. Diametric opposites, David stoic and focused,
Sebastian pandering to the crowd and posing.
    Brashly, he turned his back on
David and gesticulated to the crowd, getting them to cheer. If
nothing else, Sebastian was quite the showman.
    His eyes caught Aisha ’ s and he made the sign of drawing a finger across his
throat. He then pointed directly at her and smiled.
    Some eyes slipped her way, but
when she tried to look at them, they ’ d
look away. Nobody wanted to be associated with
Sebastian ’ s enemy. She tried to slip away
through the crowd, but they pulled together, stopping her. Now his
plan was apparent. He ’ d beat David, and
then call her out.
    He snarled a little and turned to
instantly attack David. The surprise didn ’ t work; David was ready for him. He parried the blow,
and turned to counter. Sebastian was ready for it, and met it with
a parry of his own. While David was momentarily stunned, Sebastian
turned his shoulder to hit David ’ s
jaw.
    David was rocked backwards, and
Sebastian pressed the attack. David managed to hold him off,
parrying with desperation. Finally, he got a counter blow, which
hit Sebastian in the midriff. Sebastian grunted hard, and doubled
up.
    Don ’ t be
fooled, David, Aisha almost screamed.
    David came out of his stance and
approached Sebastian. “Are you okay?”
    In a fluid flash, Sebastian turned
his bo lengthways and brought it up, hard and fast, directly into
David ’ s chin. The blow was so strong that
Aisha saw David leave his feet. He was instantly out. Sebastian
wasn ’ t taking any chances, and he swung a
haymaker, connecting with the side of David ’ s head.
    David hit the ground, limp. His
body stiffened up, his hands forming claws. Aisha ran from the
crowd and dropped and cradled his head. She reached into his mouth
and grabbed his tongue, to prevent him from swallowing
it.
    David opened his eyes, dazed.
“What--”
    “ It ’ s
okay,” she said. “You ’ re going to be
okay.”
    She turned to the crowd. “Somebody
call the infirmary!”
    “ Oh look,” said Sebastian.
“Someone else on my mat. I guess that means you have to fight me,
Little Black Girl.”
    He tossed her the bo.
    “ Or are you afraid of your
superiors? There ’ s no shame in running
back to your little hole.”
    “ He needs help!”
    “ No, little girl,” snarled
Sebastian. “ You do.”
    Even though she was still
kneeling, cradling David ’ s head, Sebastian
swung at her. She ducked, but it wasn ’ t
enough to make him miss completely. The blow was like a bright
light, and she fell sideways, still cradling David ’ s head.
    “ Nicely done, ” mocked Sebastian, “ but
there ’ s no
second-time lucky. ”
    He lifted to swing again, but
before he could hit her, Aisha heard a voice.
    “ No!”
    A half-smile appeared on
Sebastian ’ s face. Patrice walked out of
the crowd onto the mat.
    “ Enough,” he said. “David needs
help. And I am not going to let you just hit an unarmed
girl.”
    “ The arm is right there. She can pick it up
if she wants, ” mocked Sebastian.
    “ No, ” said Patrice, evenly. “ Not today. This fight is over. Step
aside. ”
    “ No way,” snarled Sebastian. “And
you know the rule. Step onto the mat, and you have to win
it.”
    He tossed his Bo to Patrice, and
reached to pick up David ’ s one. He took
his defensive stance. “Let ’ s do
this.”
    Patrice stood straight, looking
into Sebastian ’ s eyes.
    “ I said ‘ No, ’ ” he said, trying to keep the emotion out of his
voice. Aisha could hear the undertone of anger.
    He took the bo and snapped it over
his knee.
    “ I am not doing this, Sebastian,”
he yelled. “Stop this, now!”
    “ No,” said