Training with the Marines

Posted on Sat Jan 25th, 2025 @ 10:37am by Gunnery Sergeant Matewa Natana & Lieutenant Dashku Zhevou & 1st Lieutenant Kes Th’relnal

1,654 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Year One: Strange Bedfellows
Location: Cargo bay 4
Timeline: MD 009 - 1410 hours

Dashku had arranged to get Cargo bay 4 set aside for the marines, it was a quick turn around considering she was in charge of ships resources and the allocation of them. With her own approval to train beside them, and the training worked into her schedule, she knew it was time to join them. She didn’t want to put it off and keeping her skills as sharp as possible was important to her.

She’s opted to dress in a gold short sleeve shirt. A pair of tight black yoga pants and simple athletic shoes. She had her hair in a tight, top braid to keep it under control. She knew she was likely to get some looks, but that was part of the thrill for her. As she arrived at the cargo bay, she took a moment to look around. It was set up as a makeshift gym from what she could tell.

After her brief glance around the gym, she approached Kes and the rest of the Marines who seemed to be getting ready. “I’m here, ready to get started.”

Kes was pulling his arm across his chest and holding it there for five seconds before repeating it with his other arm. He glanced over at Dashku as she approached and finished his stretches with the small group. "Welcome Lieutenant. We're about to start sparing instructions, but you're going to want to limber up first."

Looking back to the rest of the group he continued. "Today we're continuing with some deflection and disarming techniques which originated on Earth before we introduce takedowns. Any questions before we get started?"

"I don't think I have any questions. I believe it is safe to assume these are not to the death," Dashku nodded to Kes with a slight smirk, as she joined the group. She started off with a couple of simple stretches to loosen up her muscles in her legs, arms and back. It wasn't her first time sparing, but she was keeping that to herself at the moment.

"To the drink actually. Every down is a drink owed." Kes replied. "So far our current alcoholic is Matewa." He gave a nod to the Sergeant. "Want to try your luck?"

"Luck? I don't think I'll need Luck," Dashku chuckled softly and glanced Matewa's way. "I think he's going to have a hard enough time staying focused on the fight. What do you say?"

"I am a social drinker, just ask Rufio. Just that we are quite social." Matewa grinned. "But sure, I'm sure I can keep myself quite focused if drink is on the line here."

"Oh, so you're saying you don't want to buy me even one drink?" Dashku asked Matewa with a slight pout, before she started to head for one of the mats. "I must be losing my irresistible charm. I'd like to think that I would be at least a little distracting."

Matewa smirked. "Oh you are very distracting ma'am, but that's what gets a marine killed. We're trained early on to focus on the mission and right now my mission is have my drinks bought for me."

"Ma'am?" Dashku made a face at that, she did not like being called ma'am at all. "I know you Marines are taught to respect rank, but don't call me Ma'am. At least in here, Dash will do just fine. Now, which ring is ours? I would like a night out on your dime."

Kes grinned at the interaction. "You're over there." He pointed to a taped off square a couple of feet away. "Remember, this is instructional. So remember to communicate and help each other improve."

"Okay, Dash it is." Matewa smiled and waved his hand towards the indicated ring. "I thought the aim of this was to win?" he looked over at Kes and smiled.

Kes wanted to smile, but hid it as best he could. "You can still instruct and learn from a loss." He replied. He'd been studying how Dash moved, how her muscles rippled under her emerald skin as she moved. She didn't get that from yoga. It was looking like Matewa might be the one on the receiving end with his confidence as a casualty. "I want to see at least one Kata Guruma."

Dashku headed for the ring that Matewa indicated, if she remembered her Judo correctly it was a type of throw. She had been trained in Tatharoc and Krav Maga, both had been very useful and had remained part of her holodeck training. When she got to the ring she gave Matewa a little smirk as she held up her hand and waved him on.

"Come on big boy, let's see what you got."

"As you command." Matewa grinned and moved towards her. There was no denying she was attractive, even by Orion standards she shone above those he'd seen before.

It was tentative at first, Matewa eyeing her up to see if she'd move first but clearly she was wanting him to make the first move even if the 'come ahead' hadn't been obvious. Moving in close Matewa grabbed Dash, his right hand on the upper quadrant of her left side and his other hand on her right arm in an attempt to move her, to shift weight, so he could slide his right hand between her legs and begin a lift that would throw her over his shoulders.

"That's a dangerous thing to say to an Orion woman," She quipped before he made the first move.

There were always those opening moments to a fight while two people got to know each other, test each other's skill and figure out just how good each other was. She turned her right wrist, grabbed his and pushed up, before grabbing his hand with her left hand and twisting it towards the outside in a wrist lock. She set her feet and started to push him back while maintaining the lock.

Kes watched with a slight grin. This was half to see how Dash compared, but also to see if Matewa could keep up with an unknown or would his ego get the better of him. Without a real word, he motioned to the others to pair off and go to their own areas.

The marines did as instructed, spacing out, but still didn't begin their own sparing as they were more interested in seeing how this turned out. There were stories after all.

She may have been quick but Matewa did have at least one thing in his favour, his physical strength. He at least have 60lbs on her and where as that did give him strength and a weight that was hard to move if he set himself it also did make him slower. They were both of a similar height and determination.

As Dash began to push him he felt the resistance in his left wrist and how that was weakening his stance. Taking the opportunity as his legs moved back a touch he threw out a leg and struck Dash on the side of hers distracting her. He then took his free hand and grabbed his other and pulled it free of Dash's grip by pulling it up towards himself before resetting himself for when she regained composure.

Kes glanced at the other marines sternly. This was sparing, not watching. Without a further word, they began to follow the routines and tried to keep their eyes from the obviously more entertaining match up.

"You'll need to take down an opponent a lot quicker than this or you'll be overwhelmed." Kes commented to neither Dash or Matewa in particular.

As Matewa pulled back, Dashku took in a breath and as soon as she started to move forward she exhaled. She shot a couple of strikes his way before she stepped in, grabbed under his right arm, turned into him and used her hip as leverage to toss him over her shoulder and down onto the mat with a thud. Once he was down, she pounced on him and got her thighs around his mid section and start to squeeze to make it harder for him to breath, before furiously trying to rain blows down on him.

"That's enough Dash," Kes said firmly. "You got him." Bit unorthodox but it worked. He rubbed his side as it tinged. "What did you both learn?"

"That I think I'm in love sir?" Matewa asked in return with a wide grin.

Kes raise an eyebrow as he helped Matewa back to his feet. "You're lucky we don't kink shame."

He turned back to Dash. "When you said you needed to keep sharp, I didn't consider what you think is rusty."

"I would guess it is all relative," Dash nodded to Kes with a smile, before she turned to Matewa and gave him a wink. "I certainly don't kink shame. On the contrary I enjoy most of them."

Matewa's grin did not shift, not even an inch at Dash's comment. He'd heard much worse ideas and the ideas of she'd placed in his head unintentionally ran wild. "I'll keep that in mind Lieutenant."

"Just keep it somewhat decent while sparing." Kes said firmly. "Otherwise I'm going to have to sell tickets." Content that they could at least train together without his supervision, he went off to make sure the other pairs were doing well.

"Only if I get twenty five percent of the cover and the only merch table," Dash was feeling playful and that was trouble. She gave Kes a wink before she leaned into Matewa and whispered, "After shift, my quarters."

Without waiting for his reply she turned and walked out of the gym, she needed to get ready for her own duty shift after all and if there was more training she'd discuss that with The Marine CO.

Matewa raised his eyebrows in surprise at the Orions statement to him. "Oh boy..."

 

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