26. Turk
26
TURK
“ W e can practice in here,” I said, nodding at my Ready Room as we stepped into it.
“Really?” Cass looked around the room with a frown. “There’s not much room, is there?”
“There’s not much room anywhere on the ship,” I pointed out. “The Illyrian is a fine vessel but she’s cramped—which is why learning close-quarters combat is important.”
I was glad to teach the boy some skills. I was under no illusions that the Crew all loved their new navigator now. They liked Cass better than they had and didn’t actively wish him harm—well, apart for Jerx and Gurflug—but he was still entirely too pretty. They might be tempted to try something if they caught him alone, without me to protect him.
I wondered why I hadn’t paid more attention to his obvious beauty during his interview. For some reason, it hadn’t struck me. But the more I got to know the boy, the more I noticed his physical attributes, like those long eyelashes and his full mouth which looked so damn kissable…
I pushed the thought aside and shrugged out of my Captain’s coat and my shirt. I didn’t want to get my uniform dirty or crumpled when we were sparring. I nodded at Cass to do the same.
“Come on—take off your top. That way you won’t get your uniform dirty.”
For some reason, his amber eyes went wide and he clutched at his uniform shirt.
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“Do you want me to teach you or not?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Some of the moves I’m going to show you are tricky and you’re going to end up on the floor. If you don’t take off your uniform shirt it’ll get dirty.”
“Um…okay.”
Very reluctantly, he removed his black uniform shirt with its white collar and cuffs and laid it carefully over one of the chairs across from my desk. But I noticed that he kept on the tight black tank top he’d had on under it.
“You don’t want to take that off too?” I asked him, nodding at it.
Quickly, he shook his head.
“It’s a compression tank—it helps with a rib injury I had a while ago.”
I frowned.
“Are you sure you’re all right to do this?”
“Oh yes—it’s an old injury.” He shrugged. “The tank just helps me to keep from re-injuring myself.”
“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. “All right, let’s get started. Turn around so your back is to me.”
Obediently, he did as I said. I came up behind him at once and looped an arm around his throat.
“Oh!” He gave a strangled gasp and reached up to grip my arm, trying to pull it away from his throat with no success at all. “What are you doing?” he choked out.
“I’m going to show you how to break a choke hold,” I told him. I drew his slight body closer to my own until his back was pressed against my chest. “Just relax—I’m not really going to choke you,” I murmured in his ear.
“O…okay.” I could feel his tense body relaxing against mine as he slowly did his best to obey me.
“All right, now listen…” I murmured. I kept my arm around his neck but I didn’t squeeze—though I confess I liked having him so close. I could smell his scent and it was sweet—almost feminine. I tried to ignore it as I spoke in his ear.
“You did the right thing by putting your hands up but you also have to tuck your chin the minute you feel my arm come around your neck. Otherwise I can choke you out in a matter of seconds. Try again.”
I removed my arm and then looped it around his neck again. This time Cass tucked his chin at once as he gripped my arm.
“Good,” I murmured. “That’s a good start but the way to break a choke-hold is not to pry at your attacker’s arm—that’s just to try and protect the blood vessels in your neck. They’ve got all the leverage at this point and you have to find a way to break their hold and get away…”
I could feel the boy listening intently as I spoke and I tried to ignore the feeling of his body against mine. Why was I so hyperaware of him? I’d taught self-defense to others before but I couldn’t ever remember being so focused on the feeling of my student pressing against me.
“Now what you want to do is step to the side so you get a clear shot at your attacker’s groin,” I told him. “Make a fist and swing it backwards, right between his legs. Are you ready to try it?”
“I…I don’t want to hurt you, though,” he protested breathlessly.
“You won’t—I’m ready for you. Try it,” I ordered. “Step to your right and make a fist with your left hand.”
Cass did as I said, taking a step and making a fist. Then he swung it backwards. I moved as he did and it only hit my thigh.
“There—hopefully a regular attacker won’t be expecting that move like I was,” I told him. “The minute you hit him in the groin, he’ll loosen his grip and you can twist away and run.”
“Got it,” he said, nodding.
“Do you? Let’s practice again. From the top,” I ordered.
Cass turned around and I came for him again, looping my right arm around his throat.
This time he acted with graceful precision. He tucked his chin, stepped to the right and swung at me. He almost got me too—I had to swivel my hips quickly to keep from getting a fist in my balls. But the move put me off balance and he was able to twist away and get free.
“Good!” I said, nodding approvingly. “You’ve got it now.”
“Thanks.” He smiled. “That’s very liberating. I mean, learning I can get away from a bigger opponent.” He looked me up and down. “ Much bigger.”
“You did great,” I told him. I knew he was probably thinking about the attack by Jerx the night before. Now at least he knew how to get out of the position he’d been put in by the much larger Crewmember if it ever happened again.
I wasn’t done teaching yet, though—he had a lot more to learn.
“So what if the move I showed you doesn’t work? In that case, see if you can get your mouth down enough to bite your attacker’s arm,” I told him. “Or stomp on his foot. Anything you can do to cause your attacker pain—to make him jerk away from you—will give you time to get loose.”
“Bite them or stomp on their foot. Got it.” He nodded.
“Good—so show me. Come here.” I beckoned for him and he came to me once more and put his back to me willingly. Once more I looped an arm around his neck and drew him close. “All right now—show me what you’ve got,” I murmured in his ear and we started again.