Chapter 1
Lt. Tasha Yar crept though the forest. Underfoot, the ground was soft moss grown over lava rock. She would have to mind her footing here. It would be all too easy to twist an ankle and where would that leave her defenses? The sound of a snapping branch caused her to stop. She crouched down low and looked around for movement in the trees. A dense grove of bamboo stood to the north of her. It would be a good place to hide in the shadows. Maybe she was being watched now. She stared at the stand of green bamboo trees for some time. After a few moments, she decided that she was alone. Only a fool would chose the bamboo grove as a hiding place The trees grew so closely together that a person would find it quite a challenge to move without causing the trees to sway. Their position would be betrayed.
Drifts of dry brittle branches littered the ground. Tasha stepped cautiously around the dead wood to avoid any unnecessary noise. The sky was overcast and the gloomy light filtered through a thin fog. The air felt damp and chill. Cobwebs clung to Tasha's hair and a couple of times she had to brush away a spider or two. She crawled over a hill under low bushes scaring up a family of birds that took to the air in a panicked flight breaking the preternatural silence of the forest. She cursed under her breath, knowing her positioned was likely betrayed due to her careless move. She froze for a second scanning the immediate landscape. Not that one could see far in the dense foliage of these surroundings. She moved faster to put some distance between herself and the bushes.
As the gloom of the forest thickened, the foliage changed from low bushes and skinny bamboo groves to much larger and ancient trees. The lack of light was going to make it difficult to see, but that would work to her advantage for the same reason. Tasha shuddered a little when she stumbled upon human skeletal remains. She stepped around them delicately and continued to make her way through the darkening forest. It was frightening but exhilarating, too. She felt like her nerve endings were crackling with electricity. She could understood what it was like to be both the hunter and the prey and it made her feel sharp witted, with all of her awareness in the present.
Tasha heard another snap and looked up towards the sound. A figure in black dropped from a branch above her. He landed on his feet behind her and threw his arms around her shoulders. Tasha let herself fall backwards into her attacker. He tumbled to the ground with her, losing his grip along the way. Tasha turned her fall into a reverse somersault and hopped onto her hands and feet like a cat about to pounce. She kicked her foot back and it connected powerfully with the man's lower leg. This did not slow him however, instead he reached out and grabbed her foot and twisted hard. Yar responded by rolling her body along with the leg twist. She was flat on her back and the attacker attempted to bring his foot down on her abdomen, but Tasha kicked up both feet into his groin.
As Tasha fought, she moved with the grace of a ballerina. Her body was long and lean, but athletic. There was an art to her movement as if an invisible symphony orchestrated every move with it's unheard rhythm and measure. Tasha was a long time student of martial arts and she used advanced Jujitsu to defend herself. Jujitsu is a martial art that is not about strength, but using the attacker's moves against him to gain the upper hand. She fought with graceful precision. Her attacker fell to the ground, temporarily incapacitated.
But this was not the end of the assault. A second man dropped from the tree and reached for her. Tasha grabbed his arm with both hands and tossed him over her shoulder. He landed on the ground with a soft thud, throwing out divots soft moss into the air. He kicked out his leg attempting to knock her off her feet but she jumped up avoiding the assault. He regained his feet and made another grab at her arm. This time she leaped up and threw her whole body weight onto his out-stretched arm. They both tumbled onto the loose moss. Her landing was softened by her ability to distribute her impact to her arms and legs therefore protecting the more delicate torso. She landed on the ground laying perpendicular to her attacker. She lifted one boot high and brought her heel down hard on his head.
By this time the first attacker had recovered from the groin kick and approached her cautiously. She rolled and jumped to her feet once again. She was going to have to get more aggressive in her tactics. She crouched low and knocked out the attackers feet with a swift kick. She threw herself down on the man, grabbing his arm and twisted his wrist back with one hand then she drove her elbow into his neck, rendering him immobile. Tasha lay on the ground panting for a moment before getting up. She looked down at the men lying on the moss covered ground dressed in black, like ninja fighters. Their forms became pixelated, flickering in and out of focus until finally they disappeared.
"Computer, end program." she said
The forest around her disappeared. She was in a black room with yellow intersecting lines. She walked to a doorway of the holodeck nestled in an arch and picked up a towel she had dropped there. She wiped perspiration from her face. In the arch was a computer console and a replicator.
"Water, cold " she stated to the replicator. A glass of water materialized on the tray. She picked it up and drank down the water.
She went to the console to chose another training program. As Chief of Security of the Enterprise, she took her job seriously, fitting in training sessions as frequently as possible - and she really enjoyed the workout! She could keep her senses sharp and pick up new tactics in the controlled environment of the holodeck. The variety of scenarios kept it fresh and exciting. Sometimes Tasha just couldn't believe how lucky she was. She wholeheartedly embraced this life she was living. Things had not always looked this bright. She began life as low as a human could possibly get. She came from Turkana IV and survived that hell of filth and hunger and rape. And now she was part of the crew of the Enterprise. Only it was more than just a crew. They were becoming her family.
Tasha picked a new training program, a desert setting with adobe structures and trenches. She looked at the scene before her and grinned beautifully. Life was a joy!
