Bloodied Gauntlet

[Nicolas Lepage 0]

A Marshall and Matthews production

 

 

Megan looked around. It had been well over an hour since the shuttle's rather dramatic return. Tensions were still running high, but the Selshan hadn't yet attacked. She was feeling so much agression at the moment, just from the stress of it all, that she finally sidled up to Owen Matthews and smacked him with her glove before throwing it on the floor--the clear invitation for a sparring match.

 

Owen was startled at first. He had been imagining various ways to torture a certain Selshan and hadn't even noticed Megan had approached him. He looked at the glove on the floor. Then his eyes wandered slowly upwards to look at Megan. Crossing his arms in front of him he glared at Megan for a few seconds before talking to her. "I hope you know you won't be able to win that fight, M&M."

 

Megan grinned broadly, "We'll see about that, Buddha. We're about even on wins, remember." She paused, glancing around, "I know we're still on alert, but if I don't work off some steam I'm going to explode. Come on... We can quit if things heat up again. It's not like it's truly against regs."

 

Owen nodded curtly and picked up Megan's glove. "I'm game. I'd just like you to remember that I've had a pretty bad day and I can't wait to...well...you got yourself a sparring partner." For the first time since the team had left for the mission Owen smiled. "I'll try to go easy on you."

 

Megan laughed briefly, "If you do, I'll wipe the floor with you, Lt. That's a promise." She led the way to the closest holodeck, the primary Marine Training Holodeck, which was just off one side of the NNC. "So, you have a preference of style?"

 

"I'll let you choose. That way you won't be able to complain afterwards that it wasn't fair." Owen considered Megan for a second before entering the holodeck. He was glad he had finally met someone who responded to his taunts in kind. And she was hot.

 

She shook her head, "No, you'll just complain that's why you lost. Fine.. Bat'leth." And with that, she called out the specifications to the computer for her chosen weapon. She began wielding it expertly as Owen acquired his own.

 

Buddha took his bat'leth and ran his thumb gently along the blade. He liked this weapon. It might seem old fashioned to some but it was elegant and absolutely lethal if used by an experienced fighter. "Prepare for the worst defeat of your life, M&M"

 

Her laugh rung out in counterpoint to the first clashing of their blades. "We have an ego today, don't we?" She swung overhand quickly, forcing him to bring his own blade up to meet the blow. But that exposed his midsection, to which she aimed a quick jabbing kick.

 

Owen jumped back to avoid Megan's kick but was a bit too late. He lost balance as her foot connected with his ribs, toppled over backwards but used the momentum to get back to his feet without ever using his hands. "You should have noticed by now that I always have...an ego." He struck with his bat'leth but Megan was quick enough to raise her own and the blades clashed again.

 

The battle raged between the two for several minutes, blow followed by counter-strike, with neither really gaining the upper hand. The banter had continued for a minute, but then ceased as both focused on the joy of the fight. The only real sounds were the ring of blade on blade, and the occasional grunt when one of them landed a fist or foot.

 

Owen felt the sweat running down his back. He was breathing hard as the fight grew more intense but he enjoyed it. This was exactly what he had needed. Suddenly he noticed that Megan over-swung by just a fraction of an inch.. He aimed an underhanded blow at her, intent on ending the fight. When he struck he knew Megan would never be fast enough to counter his attack. For a split second a look of triumph was on his face. Then he got the feeling something was wrong...terribly wrong.

 

The blade slid home like a knife through butter. If the total shock on Megan's face wasn't enough to indicate a problem, the thin line of blood trickling from one corner of her mouth would be. The safeties in the marine holodecks were designed to allow 'lethal blows' to be delivered, with the computer system dematerializing the portion of the blade that would impact the body. In this case, the blade did not disappear as the tip punctured into her abdomen and traveled upwards into her right lung, through her liver. Megan gasped, unable to speak. She reached forward, instinctive grabbing at the blade, and cutting her hands deeply. No longer able to stand, she fell to her knees.

 

As soon as Owen saw that something was wrong he rushed forward to help M&M. "Megan," he called out as he reached her and sank to his knees beside her. He reached out to hold her and prevent her from falling over onto her stomach and that way driving the blade even deeper into her body. When he put his hands around her he felt the warm blood run down his hands and he heard Megan's wheezy breath grow weaker. 'No,' he thought. 'This can't be happening...how?' "Megan! Can you hear me?" He was starting to get desperate. He looked into her eyes and only saw a look of shock. "I'll get help, M&M, don't worry." He laid her down gently and tapped his commbadge. "Matthews to sickbay. I need a doctor in the primary Marine Holodeck, fast!"