Rapture fills the minds of the sisters, training side by side with each other, learning skills they have never heard of and techniques that would be impossible to learn alone. They have found their heaven. They have found the life that suits them. The Admiral watches them as they do warm-ups for their test. They were training how to do Jigoku for months, a martial arts technique that could break stone with a flick of finger. They trained for six years and seemed ready, but they needed to test their combat skills with their master to claim their finish.
Matthew enters the room and sits beside the Admiral. They both began to smile.
"Could you believe we thought these two were going to be threat?" Matthew said. The Admiral let out a peaceful sigh.
"The Council still believes they could be," he said in a soft toned voice. "They said that if I don't keep an eye on them, it may cost the lives in the federation or my position as Admiral."
"They don't see the fire in them that we see, Silas," he said. "They don't know anything about good recruits." Matthew started to chuckle. "Most of the members in the Council I recruited as fireteams and they were just as young as they were." The Admiral looked down towards his feet while his smile faded.
"It's been six years, Matt," he said softly. "Six years. You would think they would trust me and these two, but they just see someone making a mistake waiting to happen." Matthew put his hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"Just wait until they get entered into a task force team, Silas." The Admiral looked back from the floor and watched the sisters warm-up again. "They took every proper training they need for the offer. Trust me, they will prove themselves."
The master walks into the training room, the sisters stop what they were doing and bow respectively to their master. The master bows as well. He points to the middle of the room where the fighting ring was. A large blue circle with two lines crossing each other in the middle of ring. Some smudges of blood marked the rubber fighting ring. It was time for them to fight.
"You both were trained very well," the master said. "You both are great students, but we shall see if the training was a success in combat." Jaelen came and sat in the closest bench. She wore fighting apparel with protective fighting gloves on that covered half of her forearm.
"You both with fight me at the same time," the master said. The sisters looked at each other surprised. "Why are you looking at each other like that, fight me!" He began to get in fighting stance. The sisters began to fight him. the master just standing there, dodged every hit and blow the sisters tried to deliver. The sisters were frustrated, every hit landed on the floor instead of on the master. He began to scream in his native tongue, "Tatakai!" He kept screaming the word. The master began to show anger, instead of dodging, he began to parry the attacks and staggering them in the process. He screamed it again. "Tatakai!"
Ashley began to circle the master slowly as Talya kept her stance. Ashley looked at him intensely, while her sister stayed her ground in front of their master. As soon as Ashley was to the master's right, Talya looked at her sister and winked at her. Ashley struck and missed, but left the master vulnerable. Talya saw the opportunity and struck at his back and knocked him down. Ashley held him down, but the master flinged her back. Talya struck him again, drop kicking him down again and Ashley pinned him to the floor as she punched him in the side as he tried to escape.
The master whipped his hand on the floor calling a defeat. The sisters got off of the master and helped him back up. "You are impressive!" the master said. "That was a good strategy you did there, Ashley!" The sister both smiled. "You passed Talya. You earned it. But you Ashley." Ashley was afraid she might have failed. "This wasn't your test."
"Then what is my test, master?" Ashley said. The master pointed towards the bench on the other side of the room where Jaelen was sitting.
"Jaelen Hoster is your test." the master said. "Make me proud as did now." The master bowed to Jaelen and she bowed back. Jaelen is shocked and yet happy. The feeling of fun began to take over her mind. Ashley put out her hand to offer a handshake to Jaelen. Jaelen looked at the offer and smiled. She shook her hand vigorously and Jaelen's smile grew larger. She pulled up and threw Ashley over Jaelen's shoulder, starting the fight. Jaelen began to choke her while she pinned her on the ground. Her forearm covering Ashley's neck, she struggles to escape her grip. The air began to escape her lungs, and her blood started to fill her eyes. She tries to escape, but it was difficult for her to lift her arm. Ashley grabs Jaelen's arm and pulls her towards the floor. She escaped her grip. Jaelen got back up and got in ready stance. Ashley got up and got her breath back. She went into ready stance and prepared for any blow Jaelen might deliver.
Jaelen threw a kick, but Ashley dodged quickly. Jaelen was vulnerable, so she took the blow to her abdomen. She staggered, but wasn't down, she prepared the next blow and began an all out fight. Fists grazing faces, kicks crushing ribs, it almost looked as if it was a straight tie. Jaelen tried to break her guard, but Ashley was too defensive against her. Ashley began to feel the fight grow larger. She began to use techniques that would put a person to sleep. Ashley rampaged and began to push Jaelen's guard aside. Before Jaelen could react, Ashley grabbed her head and slammed it against her knee. She was down. Jaelen seemed to be out of her head.
The Admiral stood up in fear of her daughter. Once Jaelen felt her conscious linger back, she laughed. Ashley puts her hand out to pull her up. Jaelen grabbed her hand and pulled her towards herself. Jaelen grabbed her and while she fell towards her and kissed her. Jaelen looked at her and said, "You passed."