En Garde!

Posted on 06 Jul 2013 @ 8:49pm by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Amon Mormont & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark

1,404 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 6 - Cargobay 3
Timeline: MD 09 - 2000

[ON]

The Staff Warrant Officer smiled to himself as he moved with the practice sword, taking slow swings as he warmed up. Amon Mormont wanted to get some of this in before his shift and it felt good to be dressed down in what was considered off duty clothes and just...feel years of practice. Sure, the sword was dull. But it had the weight and feel of one of the real ones. Naturally, his fencing swords from his days doing this for championships were in his quarters, and they were the thin rapier style ones. This was modelled on a walloon sword, so a basket hilted one. He wore his hair longer than what was usual, but just within regulations, and he had shaved before duty. After all, he really went with the beard when he was on leave, when he didn't really care that much.

Gabriel moved in with a quick pace, gripping his own sword tightly. He stopped abruptly at seeing the other man already there - with a sword. He frowned, looking behind him and then back at him as if to make sure he wasn't going mad. No one else ever came for sword practice here. "Huh?"

Amon turned, the sword held up to a swing before he lowered it with a grin. He recognised the man easily enough. "Stark, right?"

Gabriel watched him, still bemused, but nodded all the same. "Yeah, er, that's me. Gabriel Stark. I - " he looked around, as if for clues on this little puzzle. "No one else comes here to practice fencing."

"I do," he said and watched him for a long moment. "You're on Alpha, right? I'm usually Gamma, so I bet our paths never crossed here."

"Hm," Gabriel mused, watching him. A smile finally came to him, over the surprise of the man in 'his' space. Yes, there was a man in his space, but he was rather delicious to look at. So he didn't care. Not much. And he had a sword, which was intriguing. "You fence?" Okay, so it was a stupid question.

"I do," Amon said before moving to him, offering his hand. "Amon Mormont..." he introduced himself. Just because he knew who Gabriel was didn't at all mean the other man had the faintest clue who he was.

Gabriel tilted his head, his eyes shining for a moment. "The Hidden One - God of the Air - " he said lightly with interest.

Amon watched him with surprise before chuckling softly. "My tutors used to tease me with what my name means."

"Of course, the Gaelic meaning of Amon is quite different," Gabriel positively grinned to him, even if his eyes were playful and coy. "The protector."

Amon stepped closer, holding his eyes. "I always did prefer that," he admitted with a grin. "So you fence too then?"

Gabriel nodded, lifting his sword to watch with a grin. "Learnt when I was younger. I was on the Academy fencing team."

"I see," Amon nodded, his eyes shining. "I didn't do this during my basic. Didn't have the time...I did this at school."

"Well, if you're willing, I'd love to go up against a real man," Gabriel smiled innocently.

Amon smiled gently as he watched him, his eyes shining. Maybe he should keep the championship quiet. "Sure...why not?"

"Great," Gabriel lunged forward, the sword lifting and thrusting forward at him without warning.

Amon moved quickly out of the way, shifting his grip on his sword to quickly knock against Gabriel's. "You're quick..."

"Have to make up for being lighter," Gabriel chuckled, hopping back before lifting his arm up but thrusting the sword downwards at him.

Amon blocked it, grinning as he watched him. "Hm...and a natural too. Good balance."

"Don't know if I'm a natural, but I've done it a long time," he chuckled softly, turning neatly so he could slash the blade in an arc towards his body.

Amon grinned as he blocked it again, but this time he went to attack, the sword swinging towards his side as he watched him. "We could do this properly with rules you know..."

Gabriel laughed softly, tilting his head as he considered. "You like playing by the rules?"

"Never," he said and smiled as he pushed forward, to take another swing at him, his eyes dark. "I prefer to bend them."

Gabriel lifted his arm quickly to block the sword, letting out a tight breath. "Same, but I'd play them for you," he teased.

"Maybe some other time," Amon grinned and pushed his weight forward, letting the hilts come close as he watched him with dark eyes.

Gabriel let out a gasp of effort as he pushed back against the strong man. He rocked to the side, to push away from him, his arm coming back round quickly for a high attack.

Amon turned with him, swinging the practice sword again, upwards, so that he'd block him. He laughed, his eyes shining as he felt the rush of adrenaline.

Gabriel laughed with him, his heart racing and breath hard as he pressed against him to try and force him back.

Amon pressed close, watching him before moving his foot behind Gabriel's, driving his own body forward so he could trip Gabriel.

Gabriel gasped out as he felt himself tipping back and reached out to grab onto Amon out of instinct. All he achieved was to fall back, hard onto the ground, groaning at the impact before a second moan escaped as the weight of Amon hit him from being pulled on top of him.

Amon groaned, meeting his eyes before smiling, rolling them over so Gabriel was on top. "Sorry...cheeky trick, I know...works in real life though."

"Yeah, but you try that in a fencing competition and you'd be disqualified," Gabriel laughed, but was lying slack against him to try and recover his breath, groaning as he touched his ribs.

Amon watched him with concern, reaching to touch. "I landed hard on you," he said, frowning.

Gabriel half laughed, half moaned as he nodded, rubbing his side. "Happens when you're made of sheer muscle, like you are!"

Amon watched him with worry, gently pressing. "Don't feel broken, I think," he said and eased him to sit. "Let me have a look."

Gabriel pulled his jacket off, wincing as he moved his arm back to drag it off, but he laughed with his next breath and half groaned, adrenaline still pumping from the fun of the fight. "You're a cheat."

Amon smiled gently as he helped him with the shirt, getting it off. He felt firmly over his ribs. "Yeah, you'll be bloody sore for a few days...sorry."

Gabriel hissed at the touch, but gave a smile, shaking his head as he watched him. "Don't worry. I'll come and make your life a misery whenever it aches."

Amon watched him with warmth, nodding. "You know, I can actually fence properly. Rules and all."

"I believe you," Gabriel grinned to him, shaking his head with a soft laugh. "It's alright, I know you were threatened by my supremacy over your skills..." he teased.

Amon smiled gently as he watched him, his eyes shining. "Actually...you are damned good at it. A natural...with a good instinct."

"I always loved it," Gabriel admitted, shaking his head as he held his eyes with a small smile. "I was on the team at the Academy. I even did extra security training with swords as a speciality weapon, but there's not much call for it," he chuckled warmly.

Amon smiled gently as he watched him, nodding. "I know. Never was much call for it. I used to do it on Earth. Started in school, then it went country wide and then world wide. Not off planet."

"World Wide?" Gabriel asked softly, with awe and obvious admiration.

"Nothing exciting...under 18s, a long long time ago," Amon said and groaned as he pushed himself up. "Now of course I'm not quite as quick as I used to be. And I am a bigger target."

Gabriel laughed, grabbing hold of Amon's hand to pull himself up with a groan at the pull in his ribs. "Just about right, if you ask me..."

[OFF]

WO Amon Mormont
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo
(PNPC - Lt. Amynta Markos)

PO2 Gabriel Stark
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo
(PNPC - Lt. Cmdr. Scarlet Blake)

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