Not just for girls

Posted on 26 Jul 2021 @ 12:22am by Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant Xu Chang Lau

Mission: Patching up the Copernicus
Location: Gym
1750 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Though he felt a little down at Emme having decided to return to Earth, Aidan carried both his baby daughter and his pair of swords into the gym. Obviously, they weren't the real items as that was far too dangerous, but it really wasn't his plan to use the swords today. A different kind of training had been promised to him quite some time ago.

From a slight distance, he watched the operations chief for a moment, before setting Saeri down in her little carrycot, making sure she was sitting up just a little so she could look around. "Lieutenant Lau?" He called out, drawing the woman's attention.

"Commander" she smiled back at him, both enjoying the sound of their new ranks. She had left aside her uniform or the elaborate kimono that she often donned. This time she wore a simple white wrap around garment with a plane yellow obi holding it together at the waist. Simple, light and flowing allowing for easy movement. Her hair was pulled back in a very severe ponytail that fell as low as her waist, the customary jade hairpin also not present. "I thought we could start with the training fans... We can work on posture, balance and the dance qualities that make up the art of Tessen!"

"I think that's an excellent idea," The Trill smiled, "and please I'm off duty, it's Aidan." He nodded over to the baby. "And Saeri. I'm surprised Sherlock hasn't winged in yet but perhaps that's for the best." He gestured at himself, wearing standard gym outfit. "I feel wrongly dressed, should I change?"

"As long as you can move then its all good Aidan... and please call me Xu".
She moved across to him, a pair of basic pine stemmed black paper fans in her hand for him, while she herself had the same but with white paper.
"These are considerably lighter than the real Tessen... but the lightness will help with agility and balance. The weight of the real things makes it all much easier".
She balanced a single fan horizontally on her index finger in the sweet spot, the point where its own weight balanced it out and prevented it from falling. "We will start with the closed position... in other words it can be used more like a dagger!"

"I'm not really concerned about agility ma'am," the Trill grinned, "I've been training with bladed weapons for a long time and I skate, on ice. I'm sure balance is fine too." His grin widened as he inspected the fan which was handed to him. "Doesn't the paper make this incredibly fragile? How often does one break during combat?"

"The training fans break all the time... The real thing however is made of tempered steel, sharpened so it is a lethal as a Samurai Sword and the training you receive makes you look fragile and unable to defend yourself... Deception and miss leading your opponent are key!"
She took the basic stance, left leg out before her while leaning and supporting her weight on the right leg which was bent beneath her ready to be used to propel her forward. One fan closed before her, the other open slowly bringing it down behind her ready to whip it round should she have need to use it as a shield.

"Real fans don't have paper?" Aidan queried as he studied her pose. Swords were one thing, even an ushaan was something different than two fans. While he had said balance and agility weren't going to be a problem...how was he going to use these things? He studied her again, before clumsily flipping his right hand fan open, keeping the left hand one closed for now. "What do I do? Use them as a sword and shield?"

"Some do, but it's simply for decoration and can be replaced easily enough... Some of the more lethal Tessen have a series of bladed fins instead of the paper inlay and yes after a fashion. The open fan can be brought round as a shield but it relies on agility and swift motions because you don't keep it open. If someone lunges you snap it closed around the blade and then use the closed Tessen to twist the blade from your opponents grasp".
She commented observing his stance and gently nudging his left leg into a more suitable position, gently tugging up his extended arm just to tweak his posture.

He shivered slightly at the touch, shaking his head as if to clear it. "I would use left to strike and right to defend," he explained, much like he did when fighting with his dual swords. "I am predominantly left-handed, but am trained to use both in combat." Perhaps he gave away his advantage here, but as this was a learning session he felt he should inform her. He tried to snap his right hand Tessen closed in one motion, as if to snare a sword in between the ribbons, but somehow he overshot and the fan slipped from his fingers. "I guess that does require some practice huh," he chuckled sheepishly.

"Actually, I started you this way because you need to be dextrous enough to swap between left and right in a blink of an eye and I noticed you favoured your left side in our sparring match... and yes, it will take some practice!"
She smiled at him, genuinly finding she liked the man, something of a surprise as she had been convinced he would be closed off to her given his masculine approach compared to her highly feminine.

"Well as I said I'm used to dual swords, so I'll get the hang of this." A determined smile crossed his face as he tried to snap the fans open and closed again. "This'll drive Em-" He broke off, shaking his head. "Never mind," he muttered, focusing on the fans again, "let's try this, and don't you dare go easy on me."

"Drive who what?" she asked, suddenly feeling a warmth flushing her face and a feeling of nausea wash over her out of nowhere. She pushed it aside and ignored it, focusing instead on what the Commander had been about to say.

"Emme.. this would drive her crazy if I were to practice this at home," Aidan answered slowly, "but she's no longer there. She's left for Earth, leaving our daughter with me. She didn't really tell me why only that she needed to go home. And something tells me, she won't come back."

"Aidan... I don't know what to say!" she just stood and looked at him for a moment, feeling her own welling up of emotion at what he had said. She wanted to hug him but knew he would not appreciate it so instead she placed a single supportive hand on his lower arm nearest to her and squeezed slightly. "If there is anything I can do then you ask me... ok?"

Aidan nodded slowly. "Thank you." He nodded towards the carrier, where a little girl sat leaning up slightly against a few pillows so she could look around. "She's my priority now, and I could use all the help I can get."

"Anything I can do Commander, just ask... I mean it!"
She couldn't help but feel for the man not knowing if he would see his wife again. She was curious to ask what had happened but if he wanted to talk about it then he would. She also found herself feeling a little broody looking at the infant. But that was not why there were here... "OK, so lets get some of these basic moves down shall we!"

"Please. Anything to get my mind off of this," Aidan suggested, "I need to not think about being left behind, again. This is becoming a trend, for sure." He repositioned himself, watching her for a possible attack, hoping she'd show him a few useful things today.

She was going to oblige with an attack but once again a wave of nausea passed across her, forcing her to place her hands on her knees and take several breaths to help push the urge away.

"Are you alright?" Aidan snapped the second fan closed and shifted both to one hand as he approached the Asian woman, reaching out to her with his now free hand. "Do you need a moment, sit down maybe?"

"I may have to go to sickbay... I've been feeling a little sick the last day or so!"
Xu sat herself down on the mat, breathing deeply to try and push away the wave of nausea that had started to wash over her again. "I'll be ok Commander... I'll find my way to sickbay, you have the baby to worry about!"

Aidan sat across from her, leaning forward to study her. "Not a chance," he answered, "if you're unwell then I'm not leaving you behind just like that. Have you eaten anything unusual? Done any unusual experiments recently that could make you feel this way?"

"No, nothing like that... I'd best go to sickbay!" Xu started to stand again, the wave of nausea not abating in the least. "Really Commander, I will be fine. You take care of your daughter!"

"Not a chance," Aidan said as he got to his feet as well, moving to get the carry cot. "I'm not going to let you go alone. What sort of man would I be if I did that?"

"You would be a father Commander. Please I will be fine. You take care of your daughter and I will see myself to sickbay!"
She insisted, not wanting to embroil the baby girl in her misfortune.

The Trill hesitated, having already lifted the cot, briefly glancing at the cooing infant inside it. "Then at least let me walk you to the door and make sure you get out alright," he counter-insisted, "and you'll let me know when you've arrived."

"I will... Thank you Commander!"
She moved as swiftly as she could, wanting to depart the room and allow Aidan leave to care for his child while she was still feeling held together... she was not sure how long that feeling would last. "As soon as I get to sickbay I will signal you!"

She squeezed his arm briefly, leaving her training Tessen behind and her gear bag knowing they would be safe here and hurried her way from the room.

OFF

Lieutenant Xu Chang-Lau
Chief Operations Officer

Lt. Commander Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer