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Heart of a Warrior
CHAPTER SIX:
The Federation Starship Voyager, somewhere in the Delta Quadrant The two warriors circled eachother warily as their 'patrons' looked on. During their previous sparring they had picked up on a few of eachother's quirks and now Xena watched the Klingon's dark eyes carefully for the flare of energy that she knew would give her a split second's warning of attack. B'Elanna's gaze narrowed in concentration as she focussed on her foe's body language, watching, waiting...waiting. Xena's eyes gave no wraning, she had trained herself atainst it, but B'Elanna noticed the tiny twitch in the Warrior Princess's bicep and reacted within a millisecond, raising her Bat'leth almost unconsciously to block her opponent's swing. Weapons locked, they danced about eachother, pushing against eachother's strength as each tried to shove the other off balance. At first glance, the casual observer might have expected Xena to gain the upper hand quickly. She was taller and seemed more solid than her adversary, but B'Elanna's strength was equal, if of a different kind. Her wiry muscles possessed a power that was the match of any warrior that cared to come against her. Struggling against this steely force of nature, Gabrielle's words momentarily flashed through Xena's mind. 'Just make sure you win' she had said, but it wasn't going to be that easy. As she felt B'Elanna suddenly surge against her and shove her to ground she fervently hoped she wouldn't let her wife down. Xena rolled over just in time to avoid the Bat'leth, its blade piercing the ground wher her body had been a second before. Springing to her feet she kicked B'Elanna full in the face, sending her crashing into a nearby tree. As the Klingon dropped to one knee and shook her head to clear away the stars that spun arount it, Xena stalked toward her, Bat'leth raised and ready to strike, but as it shot toward her, B'Elanna lunged with her own weapon, blocking Xena's blow and almost knocking the human off her own feet. Xena knew little about Klingons, only what half an hour exploring the data banks had happened to tell her, but she could see that the battlelust had taken B'Elanna in its grip. As a warlord she had revelled in that lust herself and indeed, it was only in the last couple of years that she had really brought it under control. But, she reminded herself as she parried another blow, this woman she faced was another species, how could she guess her instincts and her reactions? Was Klingon battlelust the same as human? Was it like the berserkers of the north, or was it controlled like her own? Certainly it did not seem to be distracting the Klingon, but rather giving her a more ferocious focus than before. B'Elanna knew her battlelust well. It was like a friend to her. Whenever she was in a fight, whether it was with her bare hands, with a Bat'leth or a phaser or a starship, she welcomed it for the strength it gave her. She knew she could never completely control it, but her warrior training meant that it did not control her either and she had learnt to use it. Of course, before she had come to terms with her Klingon side she had hated it and tried to control it, but the frustration of the failed attempts had been too demoralizing. Tuvok had helped her, had let her see that it was fruitless to try and deny such a fundamental part of herself, to attempt to control such a primal foce of nature, her nature. He had helped her to realise that this force could be used. She used it now. There was no way she was going to let her captain down. She slashed viciously at her foe, her eyes narrowing to peer through the red haze before her. The blow was confidently blocked, but she ran her Bat'leth downwards, flicking the other end of it up, under her enemy's arm and leaving a gash high in her side. Xena gasped and flung the Klingon backwards, giving her a little repite from the onslaught. When B'Elanna came forward again she was ready for the opening she was presented with and waited until the sparks flew from the clash of their weapons before turning her back to B'Elanna and hauling her over her shoulder. Bringing her knee down onto the Klingon's chest, she grabbed the curled black hair with one hand, wrenching the Klingon's head back. The Warrior Princess's Bat'leth descended swiftly toward her opponent's exposed neck and stopped dead just as it had indented the skin, leaving a drop of blood on its blade. "First round to Xena, Warrior Princess" announced the computer cooly.
Gabrielle stifled a whoop of victory and confined herself to a smile and a whispered "yes!" attracting a narrow-eyed glare from Janeway. As the bat'leths disappeard from the combatants hands to be replaced by swords, B'Elanna sprang from the floor, swiping at her opponent's form, but Xena had not let her guard down and easily defended herself. As the swords flashed in the sunlight, Xena felt herself being pushed back nearer and nearer to the edge of the cliff. Letting out her battlecry she sprang upwards, tucked into a sommersault and sailed over B'Elanna's head, landing neatly behind her. B'Elanna spun around, scowling at the smug look on her opponent's face. A wicked smile inched over the Warrior Princess's lips and, holding out her palm, she flicked her fingers up twice in a beckoning gesture, taunting "come on," her tone goading. The cockiness vanished from her features, however, as the Klignon did just that, throwing herself at her opponent, eyes blazing, a purely animal roar tearing from her throat, her sword raised to hack at Xena. The Greek woman danced back, barely blocking the ferocious attack before lunging back. The fight raged on, first B'Elanna having the advantage, then Xena and then B'Elanna again. Gabrielle stole a look at Janeway, noting the woman's flushed skin, rapid breathing and eyes wide with desire as they followed the Klignon's every move, flinching whenever she was close to being struck. She allowed herself a tiny knowing smile as she leaned closer and murmurred "they're magnificent, aren't they?"
A loud groan brought Gabrielle's attention back to the fight and her face scrunched in sympathy as Xena's knee slammed into B'Elanna'sribs. The Klingon straigthened up quickly, however, catching the Greek's wrist as it descended, sword in hand, towards her head. Rapidly, she used Xena's own momentum to spin her around and kick her legs out from under her. The Warrior started to get up but froze as a Klingon forarm locked around her neck and a sword point pricked her lower back. "Second round to Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres" announced the computer. Janeway smiled widely and lowered her head to hide her smugness from the queen. B'Elanna was fortified by her victory and grew taller as the familiar bat'leth materialized in her hands. Warier of eachother than before, the two circled again, but they were now too pumped up to wait long. The Klingon was the first to move, feinting left then diving low to grab Xena around the feet and bear her to the ground. Once Xena was prone, B'Elanna had hoped to bring her weapon down on her and end it quickly but, impossibly, her blow was blocked by the warrior's sword, and incredible force holding her at bay as Xena regained her feet. "You know," teased the warrior as their blades locked again, "I wouldn't be so anxious to win, if I were you."
* * * * * * Kathryn and B'Elanna stared at eachother in astonishment. "Gabrielle!" gasped B'Elanna, turning as red as a beetroot.
Gingerly, the two officers approached eachother. Simultaneously they tilted their heads in the same direction and fell from seriousness into gentle giggles. Smiling sweetly, the captain reached out and tenderly tilted the Klingon's head to the left as she moved in. When their lips met they both stifled a moan of pleasure. It was so sweet, so enticing, they fell just as Gabrielle had hoped they would. Lost in eachother's embrace they didn't notice Xena and Gabrielle smile at eachother and embrace tightly. Gabrielle pulled her wife's head down gently and whispered "my hero" in her ear and then pulled her away to find a private place for Xena claim her reward. * * * * * * As they finally pulled away and looked deep into eachother's eyes, B'Elanna was strengthened by the obvious love she saw there and gently pulled the captain into her arms. They held eachother comfortably, letting all their feelings for eachother flood their senses. "I...I'm sorry I let you down" the Klingon sighed into Janeway's shoulder, but the captain pulled away a tiny bit and stroked B'Elanna's cheek lightly, her other hand still resting on the Klingon's back. "Oh, B'Elanna, you didn't let me down in the least," she assured, "you were incredible. I had no idea you were so good."
* * * * * * Writhing deliciously under her wife's attentions, Xena let out a moan of pleasure and rested her head back on the springy turf. The bard peered upwards and smiled around her mouthful of sweet warrior breast as Xena's eyes fluttered shut. She reached one hand up to stroke the warrior's face and moaned lightly as it was caught in a strong grasp and a passionate kiss was planted on the palm. "Gods, G..Gabrielle!" cried Xena as the bard's practiced fingers massaged her inner thigh and started their upward journey. Xena could feel the tesion building already as her belly began to contract. The combination of battlelust, watching her two friends' desire in full flame, and Gabrielle's expert touch had brought her so close she could taste it. Her fingers clutched at the bard's back, digging into the flexing muscles, as she reached the point of no return and arched back, crying out her wife's name as the waves of pleasure crashed over her. A little way away the two starfleet officers disengaged from eachother, their heads jerking around towards the scream. Both realising the cause of the cry, they both turned red and looked at the ground, shuffling uneasily as the spell was broken. Tentatively, the captain raised her eyes and stuttered "um, I.....I must be getting back to work."
End of Chapter Six  SW
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