Jonas tries to feign disinterest in the bout, but he is not successful. Watching the combatants' apparently effortless martial display, he starts to regret his decision to participate in this foolishness. One thing's for certain: he doesn't want to be facing off against the Thana if he's planning to use that blade...

Alarus reacts gracefully to Ahzi's attacks, each evasion and counterattack flowing seamlessly into the next. It is said that Thana scions make for excellent fencers, possessing hawklike reflexes and an uncanny knack for second-guessing their opponents. Alarus proves to be a prime example of this propensity, seeing beyond Ahzi's feints, anticipating their followups and predicting the Ukar's responses to his techniques.

The Thana's swordsmanship is remarkably conservative, with each maneuver seemingly designed to exert the minimum energy necessary to evade or counter his opponent's strikes. He does not feint or attempt to deceive the Ukar, nor does he lunge or press his attacks. His fencing style appears focused on efficiency and action economy with predominantly defensive tactics, punctuated by swift and precise counters that forbid overly aggressive moves from his opponent. His strikes seem to be little more than setups intended to force defensive responses, with no reliance placed on any of them connecting successfully — and thus, as each attack fails to hit the Ukar, it only seems to drive the next maneuver fluidly into place. Indeed, it appears as if the Thana expects Ahzi to dodge his slashes, and is already preparing to evade the Ukar's retaliations.

But in spite of Alarus's exceptional skill, fast reflexes, and considerable reach advantage, Ahzi still proves to be a formidable opponent. The Ukar's clever utilization of the nearby bulkheads to propel his movements, along with his exploitation of the confined space to limit the Thana's mobility, prolong a fight that should have been over in seconds and extend it to nearly a full minute — with neither combatant having yet landed a single strike on the other.

Finally, Ahzi executes a bold leaping kick at the Thana without first assessing the swordsman's position. Alarus immediately dives beneath the flying Ukar, swiftly rolls to his feet as Ahzi lands behind him, and pivots a split second before his opponent regains his footing — swinging his scabbard outward in mid-turn to sweep the Ukar's legs out from under him. Ahzi falls, and the instant his back hits the deck, the Thana's blade is at his throat.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:24, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Alarus' last maneuver was poetic in its mastery, and Ahzi, at last, ended up in a position there was no way to counter. Blade at his throat as it was, Ahzi could feel the coldness of the metal against his skin; no doubt a lesser-skilled swordsman would have at least drawn blood if not killed him.

Respect and amusement danced in Ahzi's eyes as he said simply, "I concede."

Pulling back abruptly in a sweeping arc, Alarus resheathed his blade before extending his hand to Ahzi in an offer to assist him off the floor. A gesture which Ahzi readily accepted. Then, pulling Alarus a little closer to himself, hands still locked around wrists in the ancient exchange of greeting and respect common among gladiators, Ahzi gave a slight bow.

"It is clear there is much I could learn from you, Alarus. Perhaps someday soon, we can exchange lessons." Then turning to the Lady, "I hope the display was satisfactory. A point to note: I am almost as good with a weapon as without, though I do favor weaponless combat, as you never know when you will be caught empty handed so to speak."

With that, Ahzi cleared their makeshift sparring space to allow the next match to begin. Alighting at the top of the ladder, he settled in to watch.

Jonas removes his coat and rolls up his sleeves.

"Now I'm not nearly so refined as these gentlemen, ma'am," he begins, addressing Alina. "So you'll have to forgive me if we keep this strictly in the realm of fisticuffs. I don't reckon I'd make much of a showing against that there blade o' his. 'Sides, I'm sure everyone'd like to see how Sir Alarus handles hisself without a weapon too."

The engineer stretches and rolls his shoulders. "And to keep things on the level," he adds, reaching to fiddle with something at his waist. "I'll forgo the... ahem, technological advantages normally afforded me by my own weapon of choice - that'd be my ingenuity, in case you were wonderin'," he grins.

Cybernetics thus disabled, he drops into a half crouch and watches his opponent through narrowed eyes, a small muscular tic occasionally animating his otherwise still features.

"You are a worthy opponent, friend," Alarus replies earnestly to Ahzi, noticeably fatigued after the intense confrontation. "If not for a turn of luck, the match might well have ended in the reverse. I thank you for the challenge." He bows respectfully to the Ukar.

At Jonas's prompting, the Thana nods his assent and sets aside his shirasaya in the lounge before returning to the corridor. Facing the Engineer, he bows, then stands relaxed with his hands clasped behind his back. It is unclear which martial style his 'stance' — if one could call it that — comes from, but it is certainly not from the popular upper-class art of Shaidan, nor from the down-and-dirty Muster style of Iron Heel or the vicious, close-in Ukari art of Jox Boxing. Though still weary from his sparring with Ahzi, the young knight appears ready to begin.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:27, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Alina is leaning against the secondary airlock door, watching the fights with a smile. Duels and fights are things close to a Decados heart.

"You did well", she says to Ahzi. "Some nice moves".

Valentin is also present, wide-eyed and imitating the combatant's moves as they occur.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:24, Wed 07 Mar 2018.

A frown slowly forms on Jonas's face as he realises that his opponent is not going to make the first move. He begins to advance, closing the distance between them with extravagant caution and watching the Thana for any hint of a reaction.

Suddenly, with a guttural roar, he lunges towards the knight, his right fist clenched and intent on mayhem, apparently oblivious to the conventional wisdom of hand-to-hand combat: don't signal your attacks, avoid over-committing your weight, and try to throw your opponent off-balance, not yourself. Naturally, Alarus side-steps this clumsy effort with ease, and the combatants whirl back around to face each other as they exchange places.

When Jonas repeats this a second time, the knight adds a swift, almost gentle blow with his foot to the sequence, sending the engineer staggering and cursing.

On the third attempt, the blow is far from gentle and Jonas narrowly avoids falling flat on his face.

Now the engineer is starting to breathe heavily and there is a wild look in his eye. Some of the onlookers detect another, more subtle change in his demeanour, but it's not apparent why until he makes his next, explosive attack.

At first, it seems that he is simply repeating his earlier mistakes, as his momentum threatens to carry him past his opponent and the knight prepares to teach him a cruel lesson about the laws of gravity. At the last moment, however, the engineer makes an untelegraphed twisting move that almost defies analysis, ducking inside his opponent's leisurely counter-attack and landing a straight-armed jabbing blow to the knight's torso with his left fist.

Otto pokes his head through the ladder opening, tuts disapprovingly at the shenanigans below, and wander off back to his cabin with a bottle of beer he found in the galley.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:41, Thu 08 Mar 2018.

At the fight's beginning, Alarus appears completely impassive when Jonas approaches, standing in a comfortable, nonchalant posture. His hands remain clasped behind his back, leaving his body fully exposed. This glaring vulnerability quickly proves misleading, however, as the Thana effortlessly sidesteps Jonas's first lunge before turning to face him again. The Engineer's second attack misses in much the same way, as Alarus steps back with the barest turn and slightly raises one foot across the guildsman's path, sending him staggering past.

The subtle advantages of the Thana's casual, compact posture begin to reveal themselves: without any fixed form, his body is prepared to move in whatever way it must, with no predilection toward any position or maneuver; with his arms compressed behind him, he is a narrower target, and may twist and turn quicker with less for his opponent to grab; his simplistic stance makes his movements difficult to predict, and thus forces his attacker to hedge his bets.

When Jonas swings at him again, the Thana leans back just enough to evade the blow, and turns his momentum into a high crescent kick that snaps across the Engineer's jaw, sending him reeling toward the deck. This maneuver is unmistakable to any experienced martial artist: the artful 'Sail Turns the Windmill' of Koto, the al-Malik fighting style taught to worthy candidates of any social class. Ordinarily a tricky art using misdirection to deliver unexpected blows, Alarus's style appears to rely more on slight evasive movements and energy conservation, timing strikes to coincide with his opponent's attacks whilst staying just barely outside his assailant's reach.

The Thana seems to hold a clear advantage over Jonas in reflexes and breadth of training, but there is one thing he fails to fully assess: the Engineer's incisive intelligence, which is far superior to that of the common brawler, and well beyond the wits of any opponent he has faced before. Unknown to Alarus, Jonas has already completed a thorough analysis of the knight's tactics from factoring the barest of clues, and has quickly devised a means of using the Thana's expectations against him.

When Jonas lunges at him again, Alarus easily sidesteps the Engineer's right hook whilst extending a leg to trip the guildsman — but that's exactly what Jonas was counting on. Instead of fully committing to his initial swing, the Engineer aborts the hook at the last moment and stops just short of the Thana's sweep whilst twisting toward him with a left jab. The last-instant attack catches the knight off-guard and hits his torso, knocking the wind out of him.

Alarus recovers quickly and darts backward, reversing the two combatants' positions once more, but it's clear that he is reassessing his opponent's abilities. Unclasping his hands from behind him, he settles into a side-facing posture, still casual but no longer restraining his arms. This stance is Koto's more prominent 'Leaf Awaits the Wind' form, a soft style emphasizing minimal resistance, acceptance, and coordination with one's opponent — moving with, rather than against, an attacker's strikes.

The fight proceeds anew, and this time Alarus meets Jonas's attacks with light, redirecting blocks, evasive turns, joint locks, and throws. He puts up a formidable challenge, landing more blows than he receives, but it soon becomes evident that the Thana is growing tired. Those attacks which do penetrate his defenses are stronger than the ones he delivers, and after two intense matches against two highly capable fighters, his stamina is beginning to dwindle. His movements grow more labored, his reactions less swift, and his defenses start to weaken. By this point, Jonas is nearing the end of his endurance too and his abilities are also suffering. It is a close match. But whereas Alarus's advantages had been largely physical, hinging on faster reflexes and more fluid motions — an edge he is now losing with increasing fatigue — Jonas's greatest asset is his mind, and that remains as sharp as ever...
This message was last edited by a game editor at 14:00, Thu 08 Mar 2018.

Jonas is aware of both his opponent's and his own diminishing energy resources, so he is keen to bring the bout to a swift conclusion.

A decisive victory seems unlikely against such a skilled opponent, so the engineer quickly resolves to settle for something a little less satisfying.

He has been steadily building and refining his model of the Thana's personal style, looking for a weakness to exploit. Nothing had seemed viable a few moments ago, especially when he factored in his own inferior reaction time, but now that he has adjusted the end-game parameters to accommodate in a more nuanced outcome, an enticing window opens up in the probability matrix. And all he has to do is...

The gambit unfolds almost exactly as he had calculated, resulting in both men hitting the unforgiving deck with a loud thud, with Jonas pinning the knight down in a crude, but tolerably effective hold.

"Ouch," Jonas comments, through gritted teeth. "That hurt somewhat more than I expected. Do you yield? Please say yes..."

Valentin cheers loudly, and Alina nods approvingly at Jonas.

"That's the second time I've seen you fight well. Glad to have you with us!"

Pinned beneath the Engineer and nearly out of breath, Alarus nods his acquiescence. "I yield." Once back on his feet, he offers Jonas a congratulatory handshake. "You are a shrewd fighter, Mr. Fischer. Confronting you has been a lesson in both wisdom and humility. My mentor once taught me that defeat can be more instructive than victory. I thank you for delivering my defeat." He bows to the guildsman with sincere respect.

Jonas seems a little unsettled by this warm attention, but manages to rein in his anti-social instincts.

"I don't suppose there's anything decent to drink on this tub?" he enquires. "Fightin' sure is thirsty work..."

"How about whiskey from Holy Terra?", grins Alina. "I might have brought a bottle or three..."

The engineer's eyes widen and he replies in a hoarse, almost reverential whisper.

"Hell's Teeth! You'd better not be pullin' my leg, ma'am..."

Seeing the end of the sparring, and not wanting to partake in the alcohol, Ahzi decided to take his leave. Ducking out quietly, he moved back to the bunks to clean up as best as possible before finding a dark, out of the way corner to meditate...

"Bushmill Single Malt - my favourite", replies Alina. "Anyone care to join us?"

"Did someone say whisky?'

“Whiskey? Count me in—anything's got to be better than Tic's recirculator gin.” Paavo manages to take his hands off his weapon long enough to clap at the combat display. There's a gleam in his eye, and not entirely a wholesome one. “Except for you, boy; those life support filters aren't going to scour themselves. Get to the Master Mechanic's workshop and make yourself useful.” If Valentin's not hopping to work after a quick 'yes sir' in the next ten seconds, he'll be in for a thrashing.

...because shipboard life is neither boring nor easy. Captain Paavo opens each day with a list of essential maintenance tasks, readiness drills, and rotational watch assignments. The nobles and clergy onboard are exempt from the former but neither of the latter.

Valentin, the escaped serf, gets the worst assignments. Preparing meals is the easiest of his tasks. There's always a head to be cleaned or a plasma vent to decarbonize. In between these drudgeries he's getting a crash course in midshipmanship: daily lessons in control fluid conduit redemption, navigation console ideogrammatics, vis converter realignment, and more. Paavo's main deviation from the standard regimen is added combat training, with whichever shipmate is willing to provide it at the time. He doesn't know if the kid will have what it takes to rise above his born station, but a two-week intensive under the millwheel of someone who once passed the same test will make it clear. Eighteen-plus hours of tasks leaves Valentin precious little time for indulgences like idle conversation.

Ahzi gets some scutwork as well, largely relating to Paavo's assumption that he works well in cramped, dark quarters. Baiting the hull rat traps with deceased rat guts is about the worst of these jobs.  For their part, Paavo and Ecliptic Eagle do a lot of dirty, hand's-on work on Garm's Fang as well.

Rotational watches are the easiest of the duties Paavo assigns to everybody. Someone needs to be in the cockpit at all times, but it only takes five minutes to teach him which symbols or alerts indicate “summon and/or wake the Captain”. Upon finding out that Lady Alina has piloting skills, he respectfully requests she spend a lot of her free time there, familiarizing herself with the controls so she can copilot in an emergency. Assuming no unanticipated problems interrupt the trip, this job is boring instead of difficult.

The drills, on the other hand, are relentless. Before the first one, Paavo gathers the crew in the mess. “Pancreator willing, we'll soon be in Vuldrok space. This lightly armed, lightly armored, clearly Hawkwyrdedda vessel will be like a lame Shantor on the savannah to the barbarian wolves. I have skills in keeping a ship unseen, but they are the same skills the raiders use to get the drop on their victims.” He looks at them each in turn. “We'll probably have to fight, and we'll might be boarded. I'm going to drill you in the tactics we'll need to survive in Vuldrok space. And we're going to do those drills over and over until I think we've got more than an Etyri's chance in Gehenne of surviving the encounter.”

“If we're boarded, the Vuldrok will want to fight hand-to-hand. We'll split into two-man teams and back into defensible rooms that lack critical infrastructure. Each team will have a melee specialist.” Paavo squints at the assembled crew. “Ahzi, obviously you'll be with the Lady Alina. We'll split the tech specialists, so Ecliptic Eagle will go with Sir Alarus and Jonas with Brother Otto. That leaves our stowaway with me. Let's practice, people!”

The drills come at random during normal working or sleeping hours, and Paavo has the crew practice operating the ship's weapons and sensors as well as defending against boarding parties with various entry points (cargo bay, top deck, crew quarters, etc).

Of course, it's not all suffering—Paavo requests that Brother Otto lead prayers and services, and the mess has cards for non-proscribed games. They may not be able to bond over bad food, but hard work and Holy Terran whiskey have a way of forging fellow travelers into something more: a crew.

--

During one of Lady Alina's copiloting sessions, Paavo becomes uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments. “My lady, there's something else we need to yak about. I bought off on your request to use the stowaway as a cook because I've got a soft spot for yokels who dream of a better life, but I'd like it to be as clear as a Criticorum liquid crystal chip that shipboard decisions are made by the captain, not the...Big Kahuna, or whatever we're calling you as the leader of this expedition.” He faces the Decados noblewoman with an awkward posture. His tone is respectful but his body language is more conflicted. “I mean no disrespect, and I will follow your lead when planetside without hesitation, but in the void, the final call is mine. All our lives might depend on that. I hope we ken each other.”
This message was last edited by a game editor at 18:32, Fri 09 Mar 2018.

Alina nods at Paavo and tries to stretch her long legs in the cramped cockpit.

"I understand perfectly, Captain. I served on a ship before and know the chain of command. If I disagree with anything you say, I will discuss it privately."

She looks at the think machine display in front of her. "Looks like we're getting close to the jumpgate. Just a few more hours, I'd say."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:19, Fri 09 Mar 2018.

Ahzi took to the drills and grunt work like a spine worm takes to rotting meat in the Ahmar Desert sand, which is to say, quite well. The routine provided a nice distraction to the otherwise dull passing of time, and it gave him a chance to learn more about his companions.

Working with each was enlightening, but he especially enjoyed working with Valentin on his combat training. Though the boy was a little green, as to be expected, but he was not entirely without skill. Valentin was especially good at the "hide and seek" games they played to teach stealth and tracking, and his talent with a dagger was improving daily. All in all, Ahzi figured Valentin might prove out to be a great asset in reconnaissance or other arts of intrigue.

It was also good to work with Lady Alina during the drills. Being paired with her made perfect sense considering his duty to guard her, but additionally, it gave Ahzi a chance to approach her about some of his more hidden talents... During one such session, Ahzi decided to bring up the topic directly.

"Alina, there is something I have not really shared with the group yet that I feel is important for you to know, as it may impact our quest in some ways. Simply, I have a bit of Theurgic ability. However, it is not something I share openly because it manifests in ways that most would not understand. That being said, I can assure you it is wholly benign in nature - so long as you are not an agent of evil or you intend to do harm to myself or a companion of mine. Would you like a demonstration?"

Alina's face darkens when Ahzi addresses her in such a familiar way. With a quick move, she produces a small, wicked-looking knife and presses it against his throat.

"You will address me by my proper title! I will soon be a boyar of House Decados." Her voice is cold and hard, a side of her that Ahzi has not seen before.

She eases up on the pressure on the knife a fraction and her tone returns to normal. "But yes. I would like a demonstration." She takes a step back and sheathes her knife.

Unfazed by the threat, Ahzi doesn't even flinch at the knife, or Alina's verbal warning. As she steps back, he replies, dryly, "My "casual" use of your name is a function of my duty among other things. While I recognize you lead this merry band of mixed nuts, and I will defer to you on most matters, I have never been one for using titles. If you look back on our interaction and short time together, you will see I have been respectful, but not to the point of grovelling - you will not likely see me bending knee or kissing rings. It's kind of a personal sore point for me considering my former status. Furthermore, I am employed by your Uncle to protect you on your mission, and as such, there may be times where being worried about protocol or decorum are quite a hindrance to that end. For example, while I am sure most would not dare to touch your person, I will not be pleading (in an exaggeratedly whiny tone), 'Please, most honorable Lady of House Decados, would you mind moving out of the way so I might defend you from harm?' Instead, I will more likely shout at you to move while shifting to stand between you and whatever intends harm, and if that does not provide an immediate response, I may just shove you bodily out of the way to ensure your safety - delicate principles be damned... I acknowledge that your life, health, and safety come before mine, but I will not allow anything to get in the way of my carrying out my duty to serve as your protector. Constantly attempting to be mindful of what to call you is the least of my worries."

Pausing a moment, Ahzi then proceeds, "Now, about the demonstration." Taking another step or two away from Alina, he extends his right hand towards her. Breathing in slowly, Ahzi releases the tension of the prior conversation, stills his mind, and uses a heroic effort - silently asking his Guardian for strength. A shadow, ebbing and shifting inside as if filled with dark flame or swirling smoke begins to take form between them.

"This is raw shadow, or ether from Otherspace, and there are many things it can be used for. In the past, I have used it as a shield against attackers, or for security to bar a door and allow escape. I even used this shield as a raft in a pinch once to navigate a river in the Disamber Mountains on Criticorum. However, the most common use of this ability is its armor form..."

With great concentration, Ahzi makes series of intricate gestures. Changing shape rapidly, the cloud becomes a sheet of misty shadows which moves to cover Alina head to toe in what looks like a translucent set of full plate emblazoned with glowing Anunnaki runes. Those with knowledge of the subject would recognize the armor as being of ancient Ur origin in design.

"The material can be unpredictable at times, but will generally protect the wearer from attack and should not impose penalties to sound or movement. A point of note, however, there is one definite flaw: if I should fall unconscious, the shield will fail."

Finished with the demonstration, Ahzi made a gesture of cancellation; the armor winked into nonexistence; and he stepped back again to await Alina's reaction.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 19:37, Mon 12 Mar 2018.

Alina narrows her eyes. "You have not yet earned the right to speak so boldly. Granted, in a combat situation, my given name will suffice. But otherwise, you will address me as 'my lady' - or I will have no further use for such an insolent bodyguard. Is that clear?"

She then watches Ahzi's demonstration with stony silence. When the shield dissipates again, she nods slightly.

"Not bad. Haven't seen that before. Won't ask you how you got that power, but it could be useful. Can you do anything else?"

Inwardly, Ahzi lets the warnings roll off - thinking to himself, "She has not yet begun to see insolence." Externally, his face is expressionless. Perhaps they will just have to disagree on this; he has learned over the years there are many ways to address a person wherein they believe their station is being respected without actually conceding any superiority... Ahzi gives a slight nod before continuing.

"The shadow can be molded into forms for offensive purpose as well as defensive. Additionally, the material itself is anathema to anything of evil nature, meaning it can repel evil and will cause holy damage simply upon contact. Another interesting thing, I have reason to believe it may be able to damage demons when other materials cannot..."

Ahzi paused a moment before continuing, "I also have the ability to do some basic scrying, seeking out or tracking evil, discerning the truth of things, as well as consecration and cleansing. In fact, I was actually thinking of mentioning my ability to track evil to the Captain; I figured it may be helpful for us to track bandits and avoid them here in space. However, I have never attempted this type of tracking before, so I am unsure of its efficacy."

Stopping and tilting his head in thought for another moment, Ahzi idly taps his chin... Feeling it best to leave the rest unsaid, he concluded, "I think that's the limit of my abilities for now, but I can tell you they have grown in power and potential over time, so I never know when new uses or abilities may be discovered."