A trade of tactics

Posted on Sat May 10th, 2025 @ 5:27am by Major Kett V'Laass & Warrant Officer Gen'Terta CrystalCliff

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Physical Training center
Timeline: (Backpost)
1229 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Gen'Tetra Growled angrily as her fist connected with the Hanging bag, fists slamming forwards with surprising force and swinging the heavy bag precariously . She'd always hated Physical combat, Hated every moment of Martial arts she'd been forced to endure throughout her training the the confederacy Defense fleet. She'd hated conflict all her life. So why am I punishing myself like this? she thought as she swung her leg around, dense organometallic bones adding a decent amount Kinetic force behind her admittedly lack luster strength. The impact shuddered the mounting bracket and made her pause, leg outstretched, paws clenched in frustration. "vas'trangta," she cursed in her native tongue, earning a few glances from the other off duty officers.

Kett had spent some of the day in the physical training centre. As a Marine Pilot, it was expected of him to maintain a certain degree of physical fitness. This however, Kett did not do, he was wiry and skinny, not traits often seen in pilots, who needed a certain muscle mass to pull G force and it certainly was not seen in the marine counter parts. Kett, though had his innate Vulcan strength to see him through flight combat. But He always struggles with the physical combat side of his training and was lucky he did not have to use it to often. If at all being a fighter pilot. As of late though, his mandatory three year certifications were coming around. He had completed his rifle certification but still needed to do his physical and hand to hand certifications. this time Kett had outed the idea of using the marine barracks to train. Being knocked about by a marine Drill Sergeant, was not exactly Kett's idea of a logical plan. So he had instead headed to the Physical Fitness Centre to ease himself in. Kett slung his towel over his shoulder. Kett nodded politely to the warrant officer who was beating the snot out of a now widely swinging practice bag. Without feeling or emotion the the Vulcan asked. "May I hold that for you Ma'am?"

The Vulpine Alien shot him a glance, her eyes intense and focused. "I...wouldn't turn the assistance down," she said quietly her fur bristling lightly. "I don't believe I have had the Opportunity to introduce myself," she said as she reset her posture.

"Indeed" agreed the Vulcan without feeling as he put both hands on the practice bag. "Let me begin, with costumery humanoid greetings. Hello I am Marine Captain Kett V'Lass. Fighter pilot and you are?"

She Stared at him, her Tail twitching slightly before she bowed her head in a respectful greetings. "I am Warrant officer Gen'Tetra Crystalcliff of the Arten Confederacy Defense fleet," she said in her oddly chilly voice, her expression shifting. "I am glad the interactions of my predecessors at the Vulcan science academy have not soured your opinion on my people like it has so many others," she said before bracing herself for another kick. "ready?"

Kett too politely nodded his head respectfully. Held the hanging bag and braced it for kick. Conversationally he said “I never went. I mean I never attended the Vulcan science Academy. I was born and raised on a Federation Colony World and never saw Vulcan until I was an adult and the time Ali spent there was at a monastery.” Kett then had to take a slight step back to steady himself from the received kick.

Gen Slammed her paw into the bag, the density of her skeleton slamming with surprising force into the padded bag. "I see," she said with a cold focus as she slammed her leg into the bag again, and again. "Decades ago Some Arten got into ....diplomatic trouble when the got into a spat while attending the vulcan science academy for a lecture."

Kett was forced to take a step back and dig his heels in from the ferocious kicking to the hanging bag. “Fascinating” said the Vulcan with genuine interest. Kett wondered if it might have anything to do with the level of pretentiousness that the Vulcan academy was renowned for. “What happened?” Queued Kett.

"They were less than...Polite about the concept of the Pon Farr," she offered diplomatically. "They were academy cadets, little more then children," she added with a pained wince.

"Hmmmmm" said Kett thoughtfully as he braced himself for another heavy kick to the bag. Kett nodded to himself, impressed with the warrant offers skill in hand to hand combat techniques. "I could imagine that being a rather colloquial break from the usual etiquette norm."

She paused and rubbed her leg distractedly. "There was a lot of bad blood and animosity between us and the Vulcan Science academy for many years following that incident." She admitted.

"A fopar indeed. Though it does not surprise. Though of course Vulcans would deny the emotion of animosity, Vulcans certainly can hold a grudge. I think it has something to do with our long life spans." Kett pointed the the warrant officers leg. "Do you need that checked out Ma'am. We can get a medic to look at it?"

Gen shook her head and shrugged. "Metallic bones...hard to break, harder to heal," she said with a chuckle. "More...just trying to work some kinks from my muscles," she said with a groan.

Kett was about to suggest a Bajoran massage holodeck programme that he use to use as part of his rehab. But was almost took a double take when the Warrant Officer mentioned her bone structure "Pardon me. Sorry did you say Metallic bones? Apologies sometimes the use of metaphors escape me? Or do you literarily have metal bones?"

"Organometallic," she said to correct herself. "No i'm not clunking around with bones made of duranium or Titanium," she said Dismissively. "our homeworld has more Strontium then Calcium, so our bones Evolved to make use of the denser metal," She paused and shrugged. "the end result? Our bodies are a lot denser, barely a ten percent gain in durability, at the aforementioned cost of taking longer to heal."

"Fascinating" responded Kett with interest. It certainly explained the solid moment behind those kicks. Even with his Vulcan strength Kett really needed to dig his heals in to keep his balance and hold the sparing bag in place. "So recovery from injury would take longer? Like kinks in muscles?"

She was silent as she considered that question, her tail twitching lightly from side to side. "Tissue damage heals pretty much the same as Caitians, its damage to our skeletal structure that is harder to heal."

Seeing a slight hesitation in the warrant officer Kett nodded, sensing he may of raised to many questions. “I apologise for my lack of decorum, I don’t often get out of the hanger bay and down there all the pilots know most things about each other. I apologise for the insistent line of questioning enquiry.” Though now Kett, really really wanted to know if the her species had any evolutionary relation to Caitians or even Kzinti.

"Oh, its fine," Gen said with a flick of her ears. "Questions are good for the inquisitive and curious mind, after all,"

As kicking began to the hang bag subsided Kett said. "Well thank you for your time it has been a most fascinating conversation. I hope we can do it again sometime"