Free Star Trek: That Which Divides by Dayton Ward

Perspiration ran from the centurion’s face and down the bare skin of his muscled chest, the only outward sign of exertion that the younger man displayed. Vathrael felt her own pulse racing and her breathing coming fast and shallow, the first signs of fatigue beginning to assert themselves. The sparring match had already gone on longer than she had anticipated, her poor estimate of the time needed to dispatch the centurion made worse by her gross underestimation of her weaponsofficer’s prowess. Terius’s skill with the lirash and his command of the Ch’Vashrek personal combat method was impressive, particularly for someone so young. While Vathrael was pleased to see such interest in the ancient fighting arts and old-style weapons, she had not expected to be challenged with such verve, especially not by someone under her own command.
    Perhaps you grow complacent in your advancing age?
    The teasing thought was not enough to distract Vathrael as Terius made his next move. Feinting right, the centurion changed direction, bringing up the lower end of his lirash and attempting to swing in underneath Vathrael’s guard. The commander saw the move for what it was and adjusted her own stance, dropping her staff to parry the attack. The sound of polished wood smacking together echoed off the curved bulkheads of the Nevathu ’s exercise chamber, first once and then a second time as Vathrael swung her lirash ’s opposite end up and around. Terius’s reaction was swift and precise, parrying the strike with his own weapon before launching a counterattack.
    There it is.
    Terius’s enthusiasm was betraying him, and Vathrael now saw her adversary’s weakness. Lunging forward, she released her right hand from her weapon’s grip, using her other arm to push up and away. Terius raised his arms in defense to meet the upward swing, a maneuver which forced him to shift his stance. That one move, needed to block what was little more than a distraction, provided Vathrael the opening she needed. She struck with her right fist, landing a solid punch to Terius’s unguarded left flank. The centurion grunted in surprise and pain, his lirash lowering as he attempted to adjust to the new attack. It was anunfortunate move that left his face exposed, and Vathrael took full advantage of the opportunity, jabbing with rigid fingers to the side of Terius’s neck. Designed as a killing blow when delivered with full force, even something less than half-strength was enough to make the younger officer stagger backward before falling to one knee. The lirash in his hands dropped to the exercise mat, and Terius sat down, grimacing as he reached for his neck.
    “Are you all right?” Vathrael asked, concerned that she may have injured her subordinate in the excitement of the moment.
    The centurion nodded, coughing as he rubbed his neck. “Yes, Commander. I’m fine. You simply caught me by surprise.”
    Unable to resist a small chuckle, Vathrael stepped forward and extended her hand. “It was I who was surprised. You demonstrate exceptional skill, but you lost your focus. Had you not done that, you may well have bested me.”
    Terius took the commander’s proffered hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. “You honestly think so?”
    “No,” Vathrael replied, laughing before she turned and crossed the exercise floor to a bench where she had left a towel and a bottle containing a pale blue liquid. After first leaning her lirash against the bench, she retrieved the bottle and—with no small amount of reluctance—drank from it, doing her best not to grimace at the unpleasant taste while in the presence of Terius and other subordinates in the exercise area. She should not have bothered, as her effort proved futile.
    “You do not like the matnaral ?” Terius asked, offering a knowing smile.
    Vathrael shrugged as she forced herself to take another long drink from the bottle. “It has its uses.” Matnaral had been engineered to replace fluids