If war were a game that a man or a child Could think of winning [Open]

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel staggered out and away from the sensorium pod, clutching her bruised jaw. Blood pooled between her teeth, coppery and salty in her mouth and she swallowed it.

There was a special kind of humiliation that came with being physically bested and though Lafiel knew she was in the right, it still stung.

Master Chief or Captain Kirk would have known what do immediately, but she had only exacerbated the situation. She knew this to be her own fault. The punch had been a predictable consequence of her actions.

She couldn't even curse for fear of spitting more blood.

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[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

She'd had sleep, finally. She figured she was going to take it easy from now on too, since Toph had had a point: she wouldn't be useful in any way if all that happened was her falling unconscious at an inopportune time. But doing that didn't mean she was going to stop training either, so Katara was on her way to do some more training before she started making any more plans-only someone was already coming out of the Sensoriums.

"Oh, sorry," Katara said apologetically, and then saw it was someone she knew: Lafiel. "Oh h..." her voice trailed off when she noticed the newly bruised jaw, and Katara went into immediate mother mode. "Lafiel, your jaw! What happened?" Her hand went to her pouch immediately. "Are you okay?"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel swallowed down more blood, making herself feel faintly queasy. "It's nothing. I was careless during training." She replied, full of pride.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara gave her the typical "mother hen" look. "I know when someone's been in a fight, or got a free shot anyway. Here, hold up your chin a moment."

She opened the pouch and the water streamed around Lafiel's jaw, where it swirled a moment, glowing momentarily and then fading. The blood stopped, and her jaw should feel a little less sore.

"How did this happen?"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

"I cannot reveal that." was what she intended to say, although it came out more like "I'g g'not rbeel dad".

She rubbed her jaw where the pain had been. "Thank you."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Even if she didn't understand what she said, Katara clearly understood what she meant and shook her head, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "worse than a boy."

Katara shook her head, sighing. "Can you at least tell me why it happened in the first place? You know, Stacy doesn't allow people to fight anywhere unless you do it in the city."

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

"I humiliated my subordinate in the simulator." She said, as if that explained everything.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara sighed, shaking her head. She'd been around enough people to know when pride was going to prevent actual details from being spilled: it was just as well anyway, it wasn't important right now. What WAS important was helping Lafiel anyway.

"You signed up to be a pilot then," Katara said, giving the woman a smile. "How's that working out for you, aside from the punch in the jaw?"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

"I am enjoying it quite a bit. This is the job we Abh were designed for, after all." She grinned red and turned to go to the med bay. Katara would follow or not, it was her choice.

[unsc-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Kelly had been heading to the Sensoriums to get in some practice. She hadn't run through a combat sim in what seemed like weeks. But then, with the amount of sleep she'd been getting, or rather, the amount of sleep she hadn't been getting, it probably couldn't have been more than a few days. She needed to do something to keep herself active, so she'd grabbed a sonic shower and headed down to the simulators to let loose some tension. That was when she saw Lafiel.

The Abh was clutching at her jaw, and by the expression on her face, it was obvious she'd been hit. Knowing full well the Abh's light build, the Spartan frowned. Coming up behind the girl, she laid a hand gently on the Empress' shoulder.

"Let me see." The tone was gentle, but firm. If Lafiel knew what was good for her, she wouldn't argue.

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel whirled, still adrenalized. "It's nothing. I was careless in training." was what Lafiel tried to say, but it came out all bubbly.

Unable to even articulate a refusal, she swallowed and opened up her mouth like a kid at their first dentist's visit. Cheek had been smashed against her prominent moe' incisors, cutting it, but no teeth were broken.

[unsc-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Frowning, she lifted a gentle hand to the girl's face. Her finger traced lightly over the bruised skin, trying to find any other place she was injured. It looked like a nasty cut on the inside of her mouth. They'd need to get a healer to look at that, maybe one of those magical people. Otherwise Lafiel would be in a lot of pain for a week. And that wasn't something the Spartan liked to think about.

Removing her hand, she looked into the Abh's eyes. "Who did this to you?"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

"I did. I humiliated one of my subordinates in the sensorium. I continued to provoke, knowing their nature. This was a natural consegllggh..." More blood, more swallowing. "...consequence of that." Lafiel was the type to take on responsibilities for herself.

[unsc-rabbit.livejournal.com]

There was a strained pause as the Spartan tried to keep the anger out of her voice. When she spoke again, it was a credit to her self control that she didn't have to grit her teeth. "Be that as it may, a subordinate doesn't take a shot at a superior officer without repercussions. As an Empress you need to know that. There is protocol. Despite your personal feelings, insubordination within the chain of command can't be tolerated."

She lifted a hand to the girl's face again, gently this time. It was more a soothing touch than a probing one. "Now, tell me who did it."

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel, though calmed by the touch was still defiant and full of a mixture of shame and determination. "I will take this up with Squadron Command then. But I should have never let it get to this point in the first place."

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

Wedge had also been on the way to the Sensoriums, if only to check in on Asuka and see if she was still at it. He came up short, watching the two for a moment before he approached, one eyebrow raised at the mention of 'Squadron Command.'

"Something wrong, Your Highness?" Oh. Kriff. That's a nice bruise you've got started there, Lafiel. "...what happened?"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel was almost relieved by Wedge's approach. There was something about Kelly's manner at that moment that was soothing, a bit of balm on the burn of her humiliation. "Thank you, Kelly. This is need-to-know information though. I'll find you after this is done."

And, when Kelly had left, she looked up at Wedge, snapped him the Abh salute (index and middle fingers to forehead). "Sir, I came upon Pilot-Trainee Soryuu in the sensoriums. I let my temper get the better of me and challenged her to a dogfight. I outstrategized her twice and continued to provoke her when we were finished, though I knew the Pilot-Trainee's nature. This is, for the most part, my fault."

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

A few minutes later, after her little talk with the squadron commander, she rejoined Kelly in the hallway.

"My apologies for leaving so suddenly. I hope I didn't worry you too much. It's being dealt with." She gave her a hesitant (though still red) smile as if to say 'See? All OK!'

[unsc-rabbit.livejournal.com]

The Spartan had waited of course. While she wasn't exactly happy about it, it was something she was used to. So, leaning against a wall, arms folded tightly and a scowl on her face she'd waited. She didn't like being brushed off like her opinions didn't matter, like her concern was unnecessary. 'Need to know.' Tch.

When Lafiel came to meet her again, she stood straighter, her hands coming to clasp behind her back. She was a soldier, at attention in front of a ranking officer.

"I'm glad then, Empress." A short pause. "I'm sorry if I was out of line earlier. I let personal concerns get the better of me. It won't happen again."

Yeah, this is Kelly's way of telling you she's pissed off that you brushed her off, Lafiel. Pardon the woman.

[aworldnevermade.livejournal.com]

Meluly had been going along to do some laundry. It was a strange little guilty pleasure, using the limitless possibility of the Sensoriums for something so banal and practical.

And then—

"Lafiel!" If the stitched-out-of-a-tarp bag hadn't been slung over a shoulder, she'd have dropped it in her rush to get closer to her friend.

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

"Meluly!" She tried to say but it came out more like 'Merlgrrlg'. She swallowed and the coppery taste spread into her stomach, making her feel vaguely queasy.

[aworldnevermade.livejournal.com]

Meluly grabs Lafiel into a momentary hug. "What happened?" she asks, her tone sharp and concerned. She looks in closer, trying to judge the grade of the injury. Even when her grip lightens up, one arm stays curved a bit around Lafiel's shoulder.

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel looked up at her, perhaps a little chagrined, but definitely glad she was around. "I humiliated one of my subordinates too badly in the simulator."

[aworldnevermade.livejournal.com]

"What happened?" Luly repeats. She lets out a little breath, momentary panic subliming into cooler emotions. She can tell with a closer look now that there really isn't that much damage—lots of blood, maybe, but it's one of those fairly shallow injuries. "Tk, we should get you to Medbay. Get that sealed up."

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

"...Which caused this subordinate to punch me." Asuka was lucky Baronh had no gender specific third person pronoun. "I suppose I should go then."

[aworldnevermade.livejournal.com]

"I'll go with you," Meluly insists. Lafiel might get the idea that Luly would be picking her up and carrying her if the injury were any worse.