Free Pledge Allegiance by Rider England Page B

away.
    I stood before her and raised my hands. “I’m unarmed.”
    She grinned. “Why should that stop me? I thought we were playing dirty.”
    “ I was playing dirty,” I corrected her. “You’re too good for me to play otherwise.”
    She stepped back. “Very well. You may collect your weapon for round three.”
    I walked over to my lance and bent to pick it up. A sudden jolt of pain in my buttocks sent me staggering forward.
    “What the hell?” I turned to face her, rubbing my sore behind. “That was my ass.”
    She was still grinning, her lance held firmly in both hands. “I decided to play dirty too.”
    I let out a long breath and picked up my lance, all the while facing Sumiko. “One more round. I can’t take many more shocks. These things hurt.”
    “One more round,” she agreed. “Are you ready?”
    I stepped back to give myself space and lifted my lance. I had no idea what I was going to do with it other than try to fend off the blows Sumiko was sure to rain down on me.
    “Ready,” I said.
    She lunged forward, her lance arcing up toward my chest.
    I scrambled to one side and knocked it away with my own lance.
    Sumiko spun around to face me and planted the end of her lance on the mat, using it to pole vault toward me, her bare feet aiming for my mask. She moved at blinding speed and by the time I knew what was happening, her kick sent me reeling back.
    She followed the kick with a jab from the lance that connected with my thigh. I dropped my weapon and went down.
    Sumiko jumped on me like a cat, straddling my stomach with her thighs, her lance held across my throat, just far enough away that the blue spark traveling along its length didn’t arc toward my skin.
    “Do you concede?’ she asked gleefully.
    “I concede,” I said, not daring to move.
    “And that was the final round?”
    “Yes,” I said. “Final round. You win.”
    She got to her feet gracefully and stood over me, lifting her lance in the air above her head and shouting, “Yay!”
    Sumiko Shibari definitely destroyed any preconceived ideas I might have had about the onna-bugeisha being solemn and stern warriors.
    I sat up and removed my mask. Sumiko also removed hers, shaking out her long raven hair. “What would you like to try next?” she asked, pointing to the rack of practice weapons. “There are swords, fighting sticks, spark knives…”
    “Is there any weapon you aren’t an expert in?” I asked.
    She pursed her lips, thinking. Then she shook her head. “No, I am an expert in the use of all of these weapons and more.”
    “I think I’ve had enough of being beaten up for one day,” I said. “We can train again when my wounds heal.”
    A look of concern crossed her face. “You are wounded, Captain? Let me help you. I am also proficient with healing herbs and potions. I have many ingredients in my quarters.”
    “I’m fine,” I said. “I’m not really wounded. It was just a figure of speech.”
    “Oh, I see.” The happy expression that seemed to be her default look returned to her face.
    I looked up at her. She fascinated me, not least because of the genuine happiness she seemed to possess. “How did you end up on this ship?” I asked her. “On this mission?”
    “You are surprised that I am here?”
    I shrugged. “Maybe. I’ve heard tales about the onna-bugeisha and from what I understand, they fight against threats to their home planet, Kamakura, not on private missions to save a billionaire’s daughter.”
    Sumiko nodded. “Yes, I can see your confusion.” She sat next to me on the mat, cross-legged. “I left Kamakura two years ago. Since then, I have been selling my skills. This is how I survive. It is rare for an onna-bugeisha to live like this and I only do it because I have to. I cannot return to my home planet.”
    “Why not?” I asked. Her face had momentarily become sad, something that was out of character for Sumiko.
    “It is a long story and I am not sure I would like to tell it at