TA50

==Chapter 50 - The Armada==
Unity City
Sol Star System Star System
Wolf Empire
3170
----
[Cameron Coliseum, SoDo neighborhood, Unity City...Day 3]
Kieran showed up at the ring in a dress uniform, and Karen tugged at her 'Coast Guard Surface Dress' uniform, the single row of ribbons and her submariner's badge on display. 
The "Wool body tourniquet' as commonly noted among the Blue Water fleet wasn't suitable for space duty, but it was authorized on surface or diplomatic missions.  It also worked pretty well for keeping steady pressure and support on her ribs while they healed back into 'rib shapes' under the surgical alloy mesh holding them together.
Her concession to her discomfort being a cold-bottle filled with a concoction of energy-drinks and painkillers.  The Caffeine being itself a mild pain management drug, but with the benefit of knocking the edge off the fairly heavy painkillers she was on.  "You ready?" she asked her opponent.
"I am." said Kieran
They began to play the game.
----
It was hard to think and focus for Karen.
Karen's state of mind was confused and the painkillers weren't really working that well. Every surgical splint, every damaged part of her body was screaming at her just sitting there.
She could barely focus on the game, but she also didn't really have the energy to reconsider any of her moves, and without the caffeine she would already be asleep from the sheer fatigue, never mind the soporific effects of the painkillers.
"Thinking?"  her opponent asked.
Remember to look confident. "Just a little." she answered, and moved her knight out to the obvious spot.
He took the knight, and she used a pawn to take his queen.
----
He couldn't figure out her strategy, except that whatever it was, involved blocking every gambit, swapping piece for piece.  Kieran was certain there was a deeper strategy to it. Her stone-calm confidence insisted she must be waging a subtle strategy.
Nobody could be so thoroughly playing checkers with chess pieces. She was clearly completely confident in her team's success-she never looked at their standings while he was watching.
Her calm demeanor and occasional sips from the sport smug were starting to work his nerves, while she was so bloody calm...
-----
Previous Story Arc - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
Category:Works by CannonShop
Category:The Armada Chapters