We have to Survive!

The Women's Ring:

The bridge crew looked around to observe the cheering crowd in front of them. Then an image of a robot projected in each ring.

"Welcome, you are receiving this image based on our scans of your origins. You have been invited to celebrate in our weekly entertainment. You have been chosen to show your skills. Fight and die with honor!"

The image faded.

Lola said nervously: "Invited?"

"We were kidnapped!" Charlene said, stomping her foot.

Nyota chimed in: "What's worse, we have no weapons."

"What are we going to do?" asked Lola.

Nyota closed her eyes to dampen the noise around them and concentrated on her inner thoughts. A calmness came to her, she focused on the central point to regulate her racing mind and heart. Meditation is the key.

Lola and Charlene both looked at each other, then back at Nyota with her closed eyes.

Lola whispered: "What is she doing?"

Charlene whispered back: "Meditation, be quiet."

After a moment, Nyota felt a surge of confidence as she turned to the others.

"Listen, this has happened to me before when I was with Chekov and the Captain. We had these beings gambling against us to fight. If we showed fighting skills then we would be paired off for mating for their next generation of fighters. I wasn't too thrilled about that, the Captain stood first for me, then he stood for the whole ship. Kirk made a wager and they counted us out because they thought we were weak. But Kirk showed them and won not just the ship but all those who were taken from their homes."[1]

"Wow Nyota, is that what this place is? A gladiator-type arena and we fight to survive?" asked Charlene.

"We need to stick together and use all our training. Concentrate on what we learned at the academy, and maybe... just maybe we all get out of here..alive."

Lola asked, "Is there any way to communicate with someone?"

"Now that would be a good idea, but who? Just look at that crowd, they are not interested in communicating with us!" stated Charlene.

"You're right, maybe if we could talk to someone.... back on Transkilion everything was a wager... if we could talk to some..."

The three women looked at each other and the realization kicked in. It's fight or flight. Then a door opened in the area and three big looking trolls came rushing at them armed with a hammer throw, javelin, and sword.

Lola saw them and pointed. "OH SH$T, what in the world..?"

Then, they noticed their shield had dropped and the crowd roared.

Nyota took the initiative and tried to communicate with the creatures and spoke as they approached.

"Hey, hello, we mean you no harm."

Then she thought about using sign language. She signed 'stop' with her arms and hand. They only grunted, she did it again, sharply bringing her open right hand down on her open left palm.

They stopped for a moment, then they just growled, swinging their weapons at them. Nyota tried another language, she had never seen this species before. But they became agitated and charged the three women.

"Well, that didn't work. Okay ladies stay close no matter what!" shouted Nyota.

They took a karate stance in a semicircle, their only defense. The first troll with gnarly teeth charged towards Charlene. She did a side-kick to his midsection, the thing stumbled back and growled. Nyota lunged on its back and did a chokehold, the troll drop its weapon. Charlene charged like she was going to ram it, she slid and kicked the thing in its knee and it popped. The troll fell forward.

One down. When they stood up, another troll had Lola by the neck dangling her, while she tried to kick him. Both women bum-rushed them, again Nyota lunged on its back. She jammed her elbow in the troll's shoulder and nerve pinched. It released Lola falling to the ground while still holding her neck. Charlene again kicked behind the knees, resulting in another popping sound. Troll 2 fell forward in pain. Nyota jumped off the troll before it hit the ground.

Nyota shouted: "Lola get the weapons!"

Lola, with a scared look on her face, scrambled to retrieve the hammer. It was too heavy, so she grabbed the javelin and dragged the sword. Nyota looked at the 3rd troll. He was observing them and what they did to the other two. It smiled with jagged teeth. The women gathered what weapons they could carry, and formed a semi-circle again. They were breathing heavily, their ripped uniforms, their tights shredded and their hair disarrayed.

Lola looked and spoke: "There's only one left? Is he going to charge us?"

Nyota and Charlene looked at him, sizing him up: "He's the smart one, wondering how to take us." said Charlene.

Charlene looked around and saw the cheering crowd chanting for more: "If we take him, will they send more?"

Nyota looked at Charlene and wondered. "Now that's a good question. You two stay here and I'll take this one."

Charlene looked at Ny: "What!? Are you sure? We should work as a team!"

Nyota remembered when she held a staff, she was fighting for love, the love of Spock. [2] She remembered how she took down her opponent. Nyota made up her mind, she found the strength to take an enemy down who was trying to kill them in a game. She picked up the javelin and felt the weight, rubbed the length, felt the density of the air, and judged the length of the target.

Troll 3 waved his sword and gave a battle cry to dare them to make the next move. Nyota lifted the javelin with all her strength, and threw the slender weapon. It lingered, wobbled in the air, and landed one foot in front of the troll. It laughed heartily, thinking that she had missed her target. He waved her to him to accept her fate and was laughing at the same time. Nyota charged the troll looking at it straight in its eyes. The troll took his stand and slightly bent his knees and snarled.

Nyota looked straight ahead and charged full throttle towards the troll. He had his sword ready to strike first. When she was just about to meet her death, she lept in the air. She held the embedded javelin for support, her body angle just right to smash both feet into the troll's face. Caught off guard, he stumbled back, and dropped his sword. She quickly grabbed the sword and, holding the blunt end, crashed the pommel against the troll's skull knocking him out. The crowd roared with excitement.

Nyota quickly turned around to the women who ran up next to her and looked at the unconscious troll.

Nyota looked around to the other rings and fell into shock and anguish. The bridge men were in trouble.