Starting on a Long and Narrow Road - Part Two

Posted on Sun Feb 23rd, 2020 @ 6:33pm by Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Ensign Paul Harrison

Mission: Mission 1: Impact
Location: Various Locations - Starbase 400
Timeline: 1830Hrs - June 24th, 2388

Racheal smiled as her footfalls crunched into the hard-packed ice and snow which covered the land in a white blanket. "Beth designed this program to be adaptable to the user... you can face monsters if you wish but right now, there is none."

"Monsters? I definitely could get used to this."

Racheal chuckled softly. "You'll need a weapon... what's your preference?" she inquired but before he could respond. "Computer, one Magai staff for an Ice Mage." and with that, a rather ornate looking staff appeared and she grasped it, it was about twice as long as she was tall but that was because she was only twelve years old. "You'll find lots of undead around here, ghouls and gargoyles... Oh and watch out for the Abominations.... you can't miss them... literally," she added the last word with a grin.

"So do we chop off their heads or do we dig out their hearts?" He wasn't familiar with the game.

"No... we just kill them," she responded as she turned to regard him. "It's not too cold for you?." she inquired.

"Naah, it's fine. Let's do this."

She raised an eyebrow. "Very well... Computer, Claymore.." and with that a massive looking broadsword appeared in midair as if defying gravity. "Can you fight?" she looked up at him.

"I've learned some things from Captain Pike. I guess I won't know until I try."

"Alright.. then we'll walk around and try our skills against some of these monsters then," she responded evenly as she watched, several monsters that seemed to roam around appeared, some looked human but almost skeletal and frail while others looked downright evil and one looked gigantic. "Watch the Abomination... he has a hook ability that can grab you and pull you to him."

"I'll try to remember that." He followed her as he watched all of the creatures around him. His first encounter with one of the monsters wasn't the greatest but he did okay. The monster hit him in the shoulder, knocking him down. Paul grew frustrated.

Racheal watched him fight. "You've had training...?" she inquired as she noticed that his form was decent but needed refining as she offered him her hand, as he grasped it, she slowly pulled him up to his feet, revealing that while she may be smaller then he was, she packed a lot of power for someone her age. "Come on than big guy.." she responded "Let's try our hands against something a little smaller... that skeletal worker over there... the one with the
ax." she indicated her target.

"I said that I learned a few things. I didn't say I was good at it. Sheesh." He followed her, "The one with the ax? Do you think he is easier? Okay." He approached it and jumped back when the skeleton swung the ax. The ax swing once more, just missing his stomach, "Are you sure that the safeties are on?" The ax swung once more. The skeleton overcompensated and the ax made the skeleton stumble. Paul ran and kicked the skeleton with his feet. Paul landed on the ground as the skeleton flew a few feet from Paul. Paul got up and took the ax from the skeleton and went to town on him, separating the skeletal limbs from the skeleton. Paul looked over at Racheal and smiled proudly.

Racheal looked up at him, a smile gracing her delicate features. "You did alright.. and yes, the safties are always on... I can't turn them off and even if I could... I would not do it." she explained as she held the staff in the hand, she raised an eyebrow as she looked off to her right as she heard something large coming towards them. "Mmm... we have company."

"Mmm... you are coming with me" the massive figure responded with a soft growl, its armored visage was extremely threatening and spoke of much evil.

"I see..." Racheal responded cooly. "If I refuse?"

"Then I rend you limb from limb.... your.. boyfriend can watch."

"Tempting," Racheal responded. "However, I will have to decline," she added a moment later as she prepared herself as she held her Bo staff in her right hand as she held up her left hand, forefinger and middle fingers fully extended while the other fingers were bent and curled, her thumb was straight as well. "Come then....."

Paul watched on with his mouth almost hanging open. He had become quite infatuated with her. He had never met anyone like her.

Racheal smiled as she moved, quickly disarming her opponent before driving her boot once into its ribcage, a loud snap that sounded like something tearing could be heard as the undead being roared with a combination of anger and pain before she finished it off by severing its head from its body. "Ahh... now that was fulfilling..." she turned to regard her companion. "Paul?"

Paul didn't say anything for a few minutes. He looked down at the body, holding his neck with one hand, not sure what to say, "Glad you are on my side." He swallowed.

Racheal turned her attention from her downed victim over to Paul. "Paul.. you okay?" she inquired with a smile. "You should see my mother do this program..."

"I'm fine. It's just that I have never seen a girl handle herself like you did. I am very impressed. Are you sure that you are twelve?"

Racheal smiled at him under the dim blueish light. "I'm sure... unless Mom and Dad lied to me all these years..." she commented. "Which I don't think is likely."

Paul laughed, "I don't think so either."

"In any case.. mom and dad thought it was important for their children to be able to defend themselves from whatever might try to harm them," she explained briefly. "Physical as well as mental... it paid off for Beth when some guy tried to rape her... she made him eat concrete."

"Ouch." He cringed, "I wonder if I would have been able to do that if my life started differently. Dad didn't want me to be anything like my mother. I wanted to take Karate but he said that he didn't believe in violence."

Racheal looked up at him. "Its a matter of physical and mental discipline," she explained. "It doesn't matter where you started, what matters is where you are now," she explained as she stabbed her staff into the snow-packed ground as she inquired. "Show me your best defensive stance."

"Um, I don't exactly have one." He shyly admitted.

Racheal nodded her head as she looked at him, she then stepped into the stance she was taught how to use. "Left foot forward... arm's raised like so." the twelve-year-old explained gently Step back slightly wider than shoulders width apart, both heels are down "Turn the lead foot at an angle inward and the rear foot at an angle outward. Lower your weight and sit into the stance to control your posture. The lead hand and arm are in front prepared to block, grab or strike, this is usually the left because they are right-handed. if you are left-handed then you want to use the right instead, save your strong hand for your attacks, also the rear hand and arm is near chest prepared to help manipulate the opponent or attack"

She showed him exactly as she smiled. "Also, mental training is needed. Can you control your temper?"

"I don't have a temper. My dad was the one with a temper and I promised myself that I would never lose control like him."

Racheal might have been twelve but she was exceptionally advanced for her age and she was also rather self-controlled. "There is a difference Paul, between self-control and self-repression... Don't let others' mistakes become your own." she explained. "your oath does you credit but... unless you learn real control and be able to handle yourself... people will walk all over you for the rest of your life."

Paul shrugged, "I guess you're right. So, how about showing me some more things."

Racheal nodded. "I'll help with the basics but my mom is the real master, she can teach you everything you need to know... but we'd best get going... we're already going to be late for the party."

"I guess we'd better. I wouldn't want to be blamed for getting you there late.
He smiled at her, letting her know that he was joking.

"Alrighty then." the twelve-year-old replied evenly. "Let's go."