Free Raiders by Stephan Malone

another. Bleep !
    Kama reposed her polearm down and to the left to meet Aurelia's strike, as if she could see through time and she knew long before that Aurelia was going fora full lateral windmill sweep. Had she struck it through Aurelia would have fractured at least one of Kama’s ribs, perhaps more but instead Aurelia's hands went numb from Kama's deflection and the subsequent resonance against her. Kama said, “Before you strike you squint your eyes a little and tense the side you are going to use.”
    “Great so I have a tell. Well aren’t you just the fucking savant.” Aurelia backpedalled three steps and then continued to pace back and forth. “You should be in the Polar City poker tournament.”
    Kama looked up to the the camera in the upper corner and said, “I don’t know what poker is.” She looked back at Aurelia.
    “Yeah of course.” And then Aurelia charged at Kama in a flash. AShe rotated her polearm from a defensive position to strike. Aurelia could feel her pulses bang in her neck.Her feet were moist from the sweat that magnified inside her shoes. “Ahhhh! YA!” Aurelia yelled out and then pulled her polearm straight down. Kama twisted to meet it and again a crack resounded, softer this time as Kama pulled her weapon back into her. She guided Aurelia’s polearm down and away to herright side.
    Bleep! “AHHH..YA!” Aurelia yelled and jabbed furiously at Kama who ducked just as the end of the thing slithered by her head. Kama grabbed the pole with her left hand and pushed Aurelia back. Aurelia almost lost her balance from the sudden insult but scrambled her legs beneath her. “Eee..YAA!” She swept low at Kama’s right leg. Kama deflected her attempt once more. “FUCCK!” Aurelia yelled
    Aurelia pulled her polearm back and then tried another forward jab. Kama rolled away. She let Aurelia fall straight down and right onto her face. Aurelia rebounded into a standas if she were assembled from springs and then SMACK SMACK! Aurelia pulled the polearm left and right, a two-sided narrow sweep attack.
    It was a powerful move but it also left Aurelia’s entire front utterly vulnerable and exposed. Kama let the two strikes land on her shoulders and barely even winced despite the incredible pain felt from the twin blows to her upperarms. Bleep-BLOOP! BLOOP! Aurelia’s polearm signaled two good solid hits on Kama.
    Kama decided that she was done playing around with the lesser creature.I It was time to accomplish what she actually wanted to and that was to regain her honor. Kama had already guessed that they were going to either kill her here in this City prison or turn her loose. For the latter she would have to go back home again, back to Reso. They would probably not even let her in and she would be lost forever, banished to the Great Wastes beyond. If I am going to die, I die with honor as a Chosen, she thought. Kama paced forward straight at Aurelia. She looked up to the camera once more and said, “He’s watching us, isn’t he.”
    “Shut up,” Aurelia said.
    “He is though,.” Kama broke out into a near run and thwoosh thwoosh thwoosh thwoosh her polearm turned round and round so fast it became out of focus and grey to all in witness, even on the one hundred frames per second 8K video display in Professor Palmer’s room. Aurelia tried her best to anticipate what Kama was going to do next. She shifted her weight forward and held up her pole in a fully defensive posture. But it was no use.
    Kama struck a false blow and then snapped her weapon back. As Aurelia tried to deflect Kama's baited faux attack. Kama quickly reversed her motion in full swing and hit Aurelia's opposing exposed flank. Her polearm landed with a dulled and drumlike thwump against Aurelia’s undefended body armor. Bleep! Critical! The polearm announced.
    Aurelia reeled onto her right side and landed halfway down as her right hand met the floor. Even with her tactical armor a magma hot wave of pain traveled through her