Star Missions - Book One - Part II

Chapter 16 - Space Dogs

Hydra Base, Strolla System

Space Dog Training Drills

Terra Date: 10-15-2201

Amanda stood in the center of the mat facing her opponent. Her arms loose at her sides, knees slightly bent, and weight shifted somewhat forward in preparation for the next exercise.

Across from her stood Lopez, his stance a more aggressive mirror of her own. His legs were slightly closer together to better allow him to spring forward, and the muscles in his arms were tense. His face was a stone mask of concentration, though Amanda knew it had an overconfident demeanor, she could take advantage of; if she avoided his first attack.

Space Dogs needed to know how to fight. Lopez made it very clear that he was "Top Dog."

He was tough and aggressive.

Since he was the best Hydra had to offer, Major Lee set him up as an example. No one, who had tried, had been able to beat Lopez in hand to hand exercises.

One after another, Lopez would dominate and sometimes humiliate his opponents.

With each victory, his arrogance grew.

She noticed that other Space Dogs didn't like Lopez, but they did respect him.

Amanda felt she had the advantage. She was eighth to go up against the "top dog."

Not that Lopez was tired. He had won his bouts with most of them within five minutes, and a couple with his first attack. The advantage she had was the opportunity to watch him fight. She observed his moves, his strengths, and, most importantly, his weaknesses. She saw a pattern in is challenging. A design she felt she could exploit. He knew nothing of her skills.

She didn't know for sure that she could beat him. Lopez was robust and tenacious. But, she was confident that she would not go down as quickly as the rest. Ever since Lopez met her on the tarmac that morning, she knew something required doing.

Someone had to teach him a lesson. Amanda also wanted respect. She knew that now was the time that she needed to prove herself, to show her fellow soldiers that she deserved to be here, in the Strolla system, as a Space Dog.

If she could not hold her own against Lopez, he would consistently throw it in her face.

She had to establish her role right away. She'd spent the afternoon on search duty and found nothing but destruction—no sign of even a single survivor. The experience had drained her, emotionally and physically, and she felt far from her peak.

But as she had watched him wear down opponents with his overwhelming assault again and again. They were intimidated. He just kept going at them until one of his attacks would break down their defenses. It was a good strategy. One that inspired fear in the others and made it possible for him to win most matches before they even began. But it also had its weaknesses, and Amanda had a strategy of her own to exploit them.

Lopez's face twisted into a snarl, and he rushed forward with a shout, all part of his plan to intimidate and break down his opponent without a single blow.

His left fist came in first, and Amanda stepped back with the momentum of his charge and caught his wrist in her hand. He followed up with the right a split second later, but he was too slow.

Amanda was already moving inside his reach, keeping his right wrist locked in her grasp as she reached in to grab him by the collar and drive him to the ground.

The mat they were on shook with the impact of Lopez's body, and the training room was silent for a long heartbeat as Amanda looked down in her rival's shocked face.