"Sulu, I CAN'T possibly fire an engineer who's doing his job properly and causes no troubles except having a personal issue with one of the crewmembers." Kirk threw his hands up exasperatedly as he was trying to communicate his sincere concern.
Sulu looked at him all disappointed, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Aye, sir." He said bitterly.
Kirk rolled his eyes. Then, for a while, he contemplated helmsman with a look, before releasing him without any more discussion.
Sulu went through his current possibilities. Without captain's intervention, there haven't been too many left. He couldn't do anything about Kazakov's position at Enterprise, he could not reveal Kazakov's true nature without risk of hurting Chekov. So what he could do? He will show to everybody that this perfect Russian specialist isn't as perfect as he pretend to be. He will show that to Chekov. Did he still love him? This question was strange, but the answer was… Yeah, he probably did. It surely didn't seem Chekov overcame it fully.
Sulu observed Kazakov carefully, thinking 'He has to have some weak points, something that would make him subdue and stop this crap.' But even after few days of thorough scrutiny, it didn't show Kazakov had any flaw except making one hell out of Chekov's life. Sulu already started to feel clueless and vain. He was just thinking that even if he cannot get rid of Kazakov he definitely wanted to at least punch him into that arrogant face of his, when an idea struck him. Maybe, it wasn't that great, but it could work. He just needs a little bit of help…
He decided to do things his very own way, but to achieve a greater outcome, he had to risk a bit. First, he needed to contact Mark Colbert, Chekov's counterpart in navigation and also Chekov's good friend. Then, the best would be… Well, why not? Uhura was definitely at Chekov's side, too. She should be willing to help as well.
"I heard you practice with rapier." Kazakov mentioned as he appeared gracefully in the sport hall, where Sulu just finished a fencing practice, stretching his body, skin glossy with sweat. "Would you practice with me?" Kazakov continued in his smooth voice.
"I am sorry, but I'm done for today." Sulu said, picking up a face shield, a lancet – a modern rapier – and small towel he used to wipe sweat from his face. "You can practice with ensign Cartner."
Kazakov looked over at young blond ensign, who has been still practicing thrusts with his lancet, and then back at Sulu. "I'd prefer to practice with somebody of my level." He replied solemnly.
"Got it. So, see you next time." Sulu smiled. Then he paused. "Actually… I heard fencers of your school are pretty good. It's been a while since my last competition. Let's make it a duel. What do you think about it?" Sulu suggested.
"Alright. That should be entertaining." Kazakov agreed.
"So, see you later." Sulu said finally and left to a dressing room.
'Yes!' he thought, when he left Kazakov behind his back. 'Thanks, Colbert.'
Sulu set up the duel, inviting Mr. Spock to be a referee – first to provide an unbiased judgment, second to make him occupied and to divert his attention from other critical points that came along this and that might not be thrilling to a pedant commander. Uhura agreed to be a back up and enable a leak in ship's transmission system. As Sulu expected, she had more guts than people tended to think.
Now he had to get Chekov at the scene. He considered the best way how to do so, discarding one idea after other. In the end, he settled on being straightforward and telling Chekov simply how it was, betting on the ensign's curiosity.
Just half an hour before the event, Sulu engaged Chekov into a conversation.
"I am having a fencing duel with Kazakov. I am just heading there now. Do you come with me?" Sulu asked, smug smile on his lips.
"What?!" Chekov looked at him all surprised. Then he picked up at the question and answered. "I should be goin' to meet sinz I hawe an eppointmen' wiz him."
"You really want to miss this?" Sulu prodded.
"No?" Chekov said, his curiosity already overwhelming his sense of responsibility.
"This is for you." Sulu whispered in his friend's ear so that only he could hear it. Then, without hesitation or a single glance to Chekov's baffled face he turned and as he paced forward to his opponent, he put on a face shield, checking it to fit tidily.
Kazakov watched that intently. "Don't tell me this all is because of that wimpy kid." He smirked sarcastically, full of himself as he nodded to Chekov.
'Come on, you're just three years older!' Sulu thought of the irony, bothered, when he heard this tall young man use a word 'kid' in regard to Enterprise navigator. Outwardly he remained quiet and didn't answer.
"It is?" Kazakov exclaimed with faked incredulity. "Is he still mad because of his girlfriend?"
'What?' already started to formulate at Sulu's lips and he restrained himself only a split second before it actually left them.
"Oh, sorry, his ex-girlfriend. But that wasn't my fault, he was the one to come up with this 'I think I love you' queer bullshit." He parodied Chekov's words with exaggerated drama.
Sulu's look darkened. He didn't know a single thing about that girlfriend, but one thing was clear now – Kazakov knew that Chekov fell for him and that was also probably the reason why he bullied him. Sulu's hatred rose even more.
Kazakov contemplated Sulu's uncertain face before concluding: "No way… It's not about the girl. You fell for him!"
"We're friends. And that's what friends do." Sulu replied deadly serious with accusation in his voice. "I'll kick your ass."
"Fencers, please salute your opponents." Spock's low baritone echoed through the stage. The snow white figures regarded each other with raised lancets, touching opponent's lamé – a jacket for detecting hits – with the lancet's blade.
Standing apart on their starting spots, they took a guard position. Measuring each other over tips of their weapons, they stayed still for couple of moments. Then Sulu suddenly rushed out and attacked with a speed of cobra. They exchanged few thrusts and blocks, only to analyze enemy's skill.
Next time, Valery was the first to attack and he pushed Sulu with his fierce thrusts back, Sulu putting in nothing more than blocks, some of which seemed to be just a good luck than anything else. Still, he managed to block or parry all of Valery's attempts to put him down.
'This is bad.' one could read from the onlookers' expression. Their faces were mostly mournful as they were exchanging quiet comments. But Valery Kazakov wasn't fooled by Sulu's passivity and withdrew soon in order to not waste too much energy on very small chance to break through while Sulu was focused on defense.
Sulu struck with renewed force. Though most of the audience was shocked by such a change and they were letting out excited exclaims expecting Sulu to end up the duel easily, Sulu didn't manage to do so. Spock and one or two other officers, who practiced with Sulu, as well as Chekov remained silent, wholly focused on what was going on between the two men. Unlike others, they knew that modern fencing duels rarely took more than few seconds and were not usually filled with breaks, surely not that many. That meant Sulu and Kazakov were fairly even opponents. Both of them had a chance to win or lose.
In next attack, Kazakov used a fleché thrust – jumping forward as he forced his lancet further. It has slid over Sulu's lancet though and again he haven't got to him. They ended up close, face to face. This close up, Sulu could see Valery to pucker his eyebrows as he was starting to be furious with yet another failed attack.
"I'll make your friends regret they bet their credits on you." Kazakov threatened. He had to hear some of the talks on bets from those standing around.
"You'll do? Then, I should make sure that won't happen, because it's broadcasted to all decks." Sulu replied serenely, using the chance to distract Valery while desperately searching for something to work in his fortune.
"Ah, so let's make it a show worth watching then." Kazakov said cockily. He released Sulu, stepping away and plucked his face shield off to make his face visible clearly and tossed it away.
"Crazy bastard." Sulu mumbled to himself exasperatedly, but took his face shield down as well.
"I have to object." Vulcan's strong voice captured everybody's attention. "It would be highly hazardous to carry out a melee weapons combat without a use of complete protection garment." He stated and his faced showed something that would be scowling, if he was human, emitting his strong disapproval. Both fencers glanced at him. "Also, I demand an explanation of what you meant by the ship-wide broadcast, lieutenant." Sulu just realized that even thought they were far enough to prevent others to overhear their low-voice spoken conversation with Kazakov, that didn't apply for Vulcan ears.
"Commander," Sulu's friend involved himself. "actually, it would be illogical to…" Whatever he said to distract first officer Sulu didn't hear it, he stopped listening and focused on his opponent again.
Kazakov took an offensive posture, holding a lancet above his head, it's tip pointing towards a spot between Sulu's eyes. This tactic was meant to discourage, but Sulu also knew it was not that advantageous, since it took slightly longer time to get a lancet into other positions. This was his chance.
"Let's make a bet ourselves." Sulu exclaimed. Kazakov gave him an amused look in respond. "If I win, " Sulu continued. "if I'll give the first hit, you'll let Chekov be. You'll pay appropriate respect and won't say a single bad word to him or about him ever again."
"And if I win?" Kazakov asked purposefully.
Sulu considered that for a moment before saying: "I'll give you my month's credits." Given Sulu's position of a main officer of the helm, that was quite a lot.
"Do you think I am that cheap?" Kazakov pretended to be shocked, wronged expression stuck on his face.
"Two months' then." Sulu corrected himself.
"Credits are boring." Kazakov shifted. Sulu raised his eyebrows. "If I win, you'll work as my servant for a month." He suggested.
"No." Sulu cut him out right away.
"Well, you wanted the bet…" Kazakov trailed off, shrugging.
"Alright." Sulu gave in after all.
Kazakov got back into his position, weapon above his head, steading his movements as his whole body strengthened. So did Sulu, holding his lancet in front of himself, hands in a waist level.
In a whirl of events that happened within few seconds after that, Kazakov struck, thrusting his armored hand from above his head down and forward with all force of his body, putting the energy of a half turn into his shoulder and arm. Sulu parried. Tilting his head to side, he lunged forward too, Russian's blade sliding only an inch from his neck as he moved. Sulu's hand held a lancet that touched Valery's side, his lamé detecting the hit and signalizing it immediately with a sound. This time, an expression of surprise on Kazakov's face was genuine.
They stood back. Sulu raised his hand, thrusting his lancet in the air above him with a victorious gesture, before he lowered it again rubbing his neck with the other hand. One-handedly he turned the lancet in reverse hold - tip down, and waved on his assistant, who threw him a small towel. Sulu caught it, wiped sweat off his face and hang the towel around his neck, putting down the gloves.
Kazakov stood on the same spot still. "That's it?" he said with a disdain. "No way. I want a rematch."
"Don't have to. Don't want to." Sulu replied cheekily.
"Ooyobische!" with that shout Kazakov threw himself on Sulu. With his free hand he pushed Sulu in the shoulder with such a power that Sulu ended up on a floor. He already made a step forward to point a tip of his lancet to middle of Sulu's chest, but Sulu recovered fast and rolled to the side, he made a somersault and got on his feet with incredible speed, standing up behind Kazakov. Inelegant, he raised his leg and kicked the high and mighty Russian into his butt.
This was more than Sulu could hope for. Picture of engineering specialist flapping his arms in vain effort to find a lost balance after Sulu dealt him with a kick into his rear end still vivid in their minds, Valery Kazakov lost his respect from most of the crewmembers. Kazakov was the first to start, he desisted from a fair play and moreover he pushed somebody who drew out stronger feelings of solidarity, of belonging to Enterprise, than he did himself. All that stirred up crew's strong sense of rightness. That was a good punishment.
Although, Sulu spared few thoughts in worries about consequences of this impish piece for those who helped him, especially Uhura, it kind of solved itself. Captain was not a one to raise any charge. Sulu just wondered how she made Spock to not take any action either.
Sulu never told anybody about the scratch at the edge of his jaw just under his ear he hidden by his hand and then a towel after he hit Kazakov. If they were still wearing face-shields, that signalized hits as well, things might turn out differently.
