The Proteus Awakening

An Education in Manners

The marines fell out the next morning, loosely arranged around Samantha as she leaned back against the wall. The captain arrived a few moments later, his XO and his Security Chief with him. The captain gestured briefly, "Due to behavioural issues we have encountered. Second Lieutenant Samantha Armstrong has agreed to allow a solution." He paused and stepped to the side. "Choose your opponent, and decide, two to one, or one to one." He gestured to his XO Hamish and Security Chief Roc.

Hamish growled slightly, then huffed and looked at Roc, "You make the call." He ordered.

Roc stepped forward and looked them over, glancing back at Hamish, then looked at the Captain in hopes of a way out, his shoulders slumping slightly at the hard glare he met. "We... two on one." He looked over the marines arrayed out and then pointed at Samantha, "We'll take her on."

Samantha glanced over and saw Deklin sitting on the crate containing the smaller parts for the communications array and wondered how he had known. The pair separated and the crew and marines cleared a space in the center of the cargo bay. She walked over to the crate where Deklin smiled at her and slowly pulled off her shirt, leaving only a training bra. His approving gaze caused her to blush and as she turned away, she heard him murmur, "Samantha?"

She turned back and asked, "Yeah?"

"Kick their asses," he said firmly.

"Two iced crew coming right up," she said in reply, then turned and moved back into the middle of the cargo bay and dropped into a ready stance for the fight.

The Captain called out, "Remember, nothing permanently debilitating, we still have a mission to complete." Roc and Hamish smirked thinking that comment was meant for them, ignoring Samantha's dark smirk and slight nod of acknowledgement.

Roc and Hamish moved in closer, They started to circle her, trying to get one in behind her. She smirked wickedly, shifting to move with Roc deming him the greater threat. The two started circling each other until Hamish, having enough of the cat and mouse game attempted to bum rush Samantha from behind. Samantha laughed with glee and spun as he came in, the sound of his heavy footsteps giving her more than enough warning, she grabbed his arm and spun with him slamming him across the room and face first into the cargo wall.

Roc slammed a heavy fist into her side as she knocked Hamish unconscious, taking him from the fight. She spun with the blow, the worst of the momentum from his hit fading enough to not do damage. "That, was your freebie." Samantha smirked then moved into a guard position. "Now it's just you and me tough guy."

Roc growled in rage and then charged her, "I'll show you freebie." The left swing went wild, but when he brought his right up in the standard knockout, she wasn't there. She flowed around his strikes, letting him wear himself out.

A few more minutes passed, with Roc getting more and more tired and sloppy until finally Cupcake called. "Sir, Are you done playing with him yet?"

Samantha smirked slightly, "Oh, fine." She then moved, slipping into his guard she spun slamming her foot up into his stomach forcing him down before chopping the back of his neck, sending him to the floor. "Happy now?" She smirked before straightening and popping her back, checking her side, "That may bruise."

The captain looked around the cargo hold, then at his Security Chief and XO and shook his head in disgust. "I trust we're not going to have any more problems, are we?" he asked sullenly.

Roc looked up from the floor and gasped, "N...No, sir." Hamish did not speak from his unconscious position on the floor.

The captain then raised his voice. "OK, clear out of this cargo hold. Now." The crew and the grinning marines filed out of the cargo hold, taking Hamish to the medic and helping Roc there as well. The captain followed, leaving Samantha and Deklin alone.