we drop our cloak and jump out. We should be able to jump out without any issue if we are quick about it. The longer we wait the more scavengers will show. This is a pretty valuable haul,” said Rocky.
“Jump us out then,” I said.
For a brief moment we lowered our cloak so that we could engage our jump drives, and the fight seemed to pause briefly as we appeared. As we de-cloaked in the middle of active combat their scanners quickly identified us.
“Dusty, we are being hailed by all of them. Each is asking for assistance,” said Spectra.
“Respond to all of them with: ‘This is your fight, not ours,’” I said.
“Sent,” said Spectra just before we jumped out of the fight.
Once we cleared the jump I said, “Rocky, send an update to the Nevermore and request rendezvous coordinates.”
“Yes, Master,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Spectra and I left the bridge and headed to the gym. She was insistent on teaching me the basics of physical combat.
“I still don’t see why this matters,” I said as we entered the gym.
“Just get in the ring,” she said with a smile. “ I sense something; I can’t share more right now because I don’t really understand it. Please just trust me on this. We must master this form of combat too. ”
“ We? You seem to be an expert already!” I sent as I did my best to prepare to fight.
As she entered the ring she said, “On guard!” and then launched a kick right towards my face. In shock, I fell backwards. She took advantage of that and swept my leg out from under me, sending me flying towards the floor. “Dusty, focus. You need to learn to read your opponent. When my leg went high, I was committed to that attack vector. Instead of moving back you should have spun to the side. Now let’s try that combo again.”
She stepped back and her foot came up again. This time I tried to jump to the side as she said, but she still got me with the sweep, and all that the move to the side accomplished was my face hitting the floor instead of my back.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. I just don't have the head for this!” I said.
“That is because the material you are trying is too hard, Master,” came a deep voice from behind me.
I turned and saw Lythiran, my chief of security and a Dark Knight. “What do you mean?”
“May I demonstrate, Master?” he asked of Spectra.
“Sure!” she said.
I stepped out of the way, but he pulled me back over. Then he said, “Master Dusty, show me how you step to the side to avoid being hit.”
“Um, like this?” I asked as I slid over to one side.
“I see. Now try that again, but this time step more to an angle,” he said.
I did what he said, and for the next thirty minutes I did nothing but move to the left or the right on cue. Each time he would tweak some little thing, and then I would try again. Then he stepped aside and said to Spectra, “Master, try your kick now, exactly as before.”
“Okay,” she said and then kicked at my face again.
This time Lythiran called out, “Now,” seemingly before her foot even moved. I stepped to the side just as he had taught me, and Spectra’s kick went harmlessly by me.
“Wow,” I said as the momentum of her kick carried her past my position and out of range to throw her sweep.
“Great job, Dusty! I knew you could do it!” said Spectra.
“I am not sure how I did that,” I said.
Lythiran gave a toothy smile and said, “Master, you have a naturally lean body and fluid movements. You just need to work on fine control over your actions.”
“Lythiran, do you think you can teach him? I don’t seem to be doing nearly as well as you,” said Spectra.
“Master, it would be a great honor. But first, would you spar me? I would like to judge your level,” he said.
Spectra got an odd look in her eye, and her lips curled up into a snarl as she fell back into her favorite crouched posture from which to start a fight. “Bring it on.”
I quickly jumped out of
“Jump us out then,” I said.
For a brief moment we lowered our cloak so that we could engage our jump drives, and the fight seemed to pause briefly as we appeared. As we de-cloaked in the middle of active combat their scanners quickly identified us.
“Dusty, we are being hailed by all of them. Each is asking for assistance,” said Spectra.
“Respond to all of them with: ‘This is your fight, not ours,’” I said.
“Sent,” said Spectra just before we jumped out of the fight.
Once we cleared the jump I said, “Rocky, send an update to the Nevermore and request rendezvous coordinates.”
“Yes, Master,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Spectra and I left the bridge and headed to the gym. She was insistent on teaching me the basics of physical combat.
“I still don’t see why this matters,” I said as we entered the gym.
“Just get in the ring,” she said with a smile. “ I sense something; I can’t share more right now because I don’t really understand it. Please just trust me on this. We must master this form of combat too. ”
“ We? You seem to be an expert already!” I sent as I did my best to prepare to fight.
As she entered the ring she said, “On guard!” and then launched a kick right towards my face. In shock, I fell backwards. She took advantage of that and swept my leg out from under me, sending me flying towards the floor. “Dusty, focus. You need to learn to read your opponent. When my leg went high, I was committed to that attack vector. Instead of moving back you should have spun to the side. Now let’s try that combo again.”
She stepped back and her foot came up again. This time I tried to jump to the side as she said, but she still got me with the sweep, and all that the move to the side accomplished was my face hitting the floor instead of my back.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. I just don't have the head for this!” I said.
“That is because the material you are trying is too hard, Master,” came a deep voice from behind me.
I turned and saw Lythiran, my chief of security and a Dark Knight. “What do you mean?”
“May I demonstrate, Master?” he asked of Spectra.
“Sure!” she said.
I stepped out of the way, but he pulled me back over. Then he said, “Master Dusty, show me how you step to the side to avoid being hit.”
“Um, like this?” I asked as I slid over to one side.
“I see. Now try that again, but this time step more to an angle,” he said.
I did what he said, and for the next thirty minutes I did nothing but move to the left or the right on cue. Each time he would tweak some little thing, and then I would try again. Then he stepped aside and said to Spectra, “Master, try your kick now, exactly as before.”
“Okay,” she said and then kicked at my face again.
This time Lythiran called out, “Now,” seemingly before her foot even moved. I stepped to the side just as he had taught me, and Spectra’s kick went harmlessly by me.
“Wow,” I said as the momentum of her kick carried her past my position and out of range to throw her sweep.
“Great job, Dusty! I knew you could do it!” said Spectra.
“I am not sure how I did that,” I said.
Lythiran gave a toothy smile and said, “Master, you have a naturally lean body and fluid movements. You just need to work on fine control over your actions.”
“Lythiran, do you think you can teach him? I don’t seem to be doing nearly as well as you,” said Spectra.
“Master, it would be a great honor. But first, would you spar me? I would like to judge your level,” he said.
Spectra got an odd look in her eye, and her lips curled up into a snarl as she fell back into her favorite crouched posture from which to start a fight. “Bring it on.”
I quickly jumped out of
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