Federation-sanctioned gate. May I remind you, sir, Alle Bamma is a non-aligned world. If you’re thinking of responding to investigate with Federation ships, you might find yourself before a Senate hearing.”
“You’re right. I forgot that. Well, I guess I will need to send Kerabac and the NEW ORLEANS . There’s nothing in the rules that says I can’t send my own ships there, now, is there?”
“No, sir, I don’t believe there is.”
“Oh, contact Wabussie and find out whether we have any information as to where the Brotherhood is getting their ships built these days and contact me once we have the data.”
“Yes, sir. Where will you be?” Marranalis asked.
“I’m going back to the NEW ORLEANS to get in some much-needed martial arts practice with Padaran,” I replied.
I had begun a regular regimen of sparring with Padaran five years ago, when I discovered that I was getting quite out of shape and realized that my own martial-arts skills were outdated. Admiral Slater and other Earth colonists had contributed a number of more modern techniques that were unfamiliar to me. So I decided to learn them from Padaran in our sparring matches. Padaran, who had always given me a good challenge on the mat, learned to execute the new moves with ease and immediately assimilate them into his own routines to create some of the most formidable fight sequences I had ever seen. Where once I had been the master and Padaran the student, our roles were now reversed. Padaran was the undisputed master, when it came to martial arts in the Federation. For a long-time, martial arts had been something only used by Federation troopers and my own security staff. But in recent years, the practices had gained in popularity among civilians as well as armed forces and, most recently, we had begun to encounter Brotherhood troops who demonstrated significant martial arts skills.
As I worked out with Padaran, I couldn’t help recalling the first time I’d met him. He was this skinny, awkward-looking youth, who volunteered without hesitation for an incredibly dangerous mission to Goo’Waddle. He shocked me even then with his proficiencies in hand-to-hand combat; between his genius and his fighting abilities, he almost single-handedly brought the mission to a successful conclusion. Since that time, he had filled out physically in a way that more accurately complemented his keen wit and had ultimately developed into the impressively brilliant, muscular specimen that was now serving as head of my personal security forces.
Padaran was more skilled than I was, there was no denying it. I liked to blame my lesser ability on the fact that synthetic nerves now replaced my own on nearly every major part of my body – and they weren’t quite as efficient as my own had been.
“Tibby, you need to focus less on trying to anticipate my movements and relax. Let your counter-actions be automatic responses to my attacks – more like reflexes,” Padaran said as he helped me back up from the mat he had just thrown me onto. How often had I said those exact same words to the hundreds of people I instructed over the years?... and now Padaran was telling me . I cursed myself for my stupidity and over-eagerness, as I and regrouped and released myself into relaxed stance before Padaran made his next move. This time I caught him mid-move and sent him flying to the mat.
“Much better, Tibby. Now let’s try it again, shall we?”
“Padaran, have you ever sparred with your Uncle Regeny?” I asked.
“The Admiral? I don’t think he’s ever taken a martial arts lesson in his life,” Padaran said as he lunged at me unexpectedly. I blocked his attack and countered, only to find myself being taken down by a skillful new move on Padaran’s part.
“Why do you suppose that is?” I asked, as Padaran helped me up off floor. “He’s very fond of martial arts.”
“As an observer, not a participant,”
“You’re right. I forgot that. Well, I guess I will need to send Kerabac and the NEW ORLEANS . There’s nothing in the rules that says I can’t send my own ships there, now, is there?”
“No, sir, I don’t believe there is.”
“Oh, contact Wabussie and find out whether we have any information as to where the Brotherhood is getting their ships built these days and contact me once we have the data.”
“Yes, sir. Where will you be?” Marranalis asked.
“I’m going back to the NEW ORLEANS to get in some much-needed martial arts practice with Padaran,” I replied.
I had begun a regular regimen of sparring with Padaran five years ago, when I discovered that I was getting quite out of shape and realized that my own martial-arts skills were outdated. Admiral Slater and other Earth colonists had contributed a number of more modern techniques that were unfamiliar to me. So I decided to learn them from Padaran in our sparring matches. Padaran, who had always given me a good challenge on the mat, learned to execute the new moves with ease and immediately assimilate them into his own routines to create some of the most formidable fight sequences I had ever seen. Where once I had been the master and Padaran the student, our roles were now reversed. Padaran was the undisputed master, when it came to martial arts in the Federation. For a long-time, martial arts had been something only used by Federation troopers and my own security staff. But in recent years, the practices had gained in popularity among civilians as well as armed forces and, most recently, we had begun to encounter Brotherhood troops who demonstrated significant martial arts skills.
As I worked out with Padaran, I couldn’t help recalling the first time I’d met him. He was this skinny, awkward-looking youth, who volunteered without hesitation for an incredibly dangerous mission to Goo’Waddle. He shocked me even then with his proficiencies in hand-to-hand combat; between his genius and his fighting abilities, he almost single-handedly brought the mission to a successful conclusion. Since that time, he had filled out physically in a way that more accurately complemented his keen wit and had ultimately developed into the impressively brilliant, muscular specimen that was now serving as head of my personal security forces.
Padaran was more skilled than I was, there was no denying it. I liked to blame my lesser ability on the fact that synthetic nerves now replaced my own on nearly every major part of my body – and they weren’t quite as efficient as my own had been.
“Tibby, you need to focus less on trying to anticipate my movements and relax. Let your counter-actions be automatic responses to my attacks – more like reflexes,” Padaran said as he helped me back up from the mat he had just thrown me onto. How often had I said those exact same words to the hundreds of people I instructed over the years?... and now Padaran was telling me . I cursed myself for my stupidity and over-eagerness, as I and regrouped and released myself into relaxed stance before Padaran made his next move. This time I caught him mid-move and sent him flying to the mat.
“Much better, Tibby. Now let’s try it again, shall we?”
“Padaran, have you ever sparred with your Uncle Regeny?” I asked.
“The Admiral? I don’t think he’s ever taken a martial arts lesson in his life,” Padaran said as he lunged at me unexpectedly. I blocked his attack and countered, only to find myself being taken down by a skillful new move on Padaran’s part.
“Why do you suppose that is?” I asked, as Padaran helped me up off floor. “He’s very fond of martial arts.”
“As an observer, not a participant,”
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