They disembarked to the find the Klingon ship in absolute chaos. There were guards for them, drunken Klingons hurling unrepeatable insults in both human and Klingon and one heck of a smell.

            "Is it just me or does it really stink?" Buffy raised her voice to be heard by the men flanking her. Capt. Archer threw her a wry smile, "It's always like this."

            "Well ewww." She stated emphatically. They walked into a large room with a place in the middle for the fight. Buffy slipped out of her coveralls, wearing a tight tank top and shorts, and a ratty pair of exercise shoes. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid to keep it out of her eyes. She stretched and sipped some water, totally ignoring the jeers from the Klingon's.

            "So any words of wisdom 'wise companions'?" Buffy quipped, seeing their anxious eyes on her.

            The Captain shook his head, "How about you're crazy and don't get yourself killed?" She grinned and looked at Malcom who smiled back, "Good Luck?" he said. She nodded, walked over into the middle and stood quietly, unmoved by the noise surrounding her. It began to get quieter when they realize that she wasn't afraid.

            Kalak strode out and met her, raising his hands for silence. "Do you have any questions human?" He barked.

            Buffy looked at him impassively, "So, you Klingon's believe in honor?" She asked it like she didn't believe it. He looked around to his crew and nodded, "Honor is everything to a Klingon!" He roared and the surrounding Klingon's roared with him.

            Buffy raised her hands for silence, and to the Captain's surprise, got it, "Ok, until first blood or death?"

            "Death." Was the reply and Buffy nodded, "I don't fear death." She stated simply and he read the truth in this puny human's eyes, feeling suddenly very uneasy.

            "Let's begin!" He yelled to the assembly and they roared. Buffy watched as a massive Klingon came striding out, parting the crowd in front of him. The Captain and Malcolm were aghast. The Klingon had to be 7 foot tall. Buffy looked like a midget in front of him.

            The Klingon grinned and raced towards her, only to be suddenly on his back. There was silence as Buffy waited for the big lug to realize he was down and that she was still up. He roared and jumped to his feet and threw another punch, missing her entirely. She had jumped up and over him, then she turned and kicked him solidly, cracking his ribs audibly in the process. He whipped around and caught her with his longer reach, using a backhanded slap, throwing her to the ground with its force. Buffy gracefully stood, blood streaming down the side of her face. She took a finger, wiped at it and looked at him in surprise. "Lucky shot." Then she deliberately licked the blood off of her finger. The crowd roared in approval.

            Buffy fought hard and fast, successfully wearing him down. She used kicks and lightening fast punches to good effect and the Klingon was bleeding heavily. Everyone watching could see that she was about to win when Kalak threw the wheezing man a bat'leth. Buffy shook her head in disgust, "Oh yeah, where's the honor in that?"

            Buffy stepped back and the Klingon wielded the weapon, spinning it expertly. Buffy remember T'pol had said it was sharp enough to take a man's head off and sighed. He swung it at her and as she jumped out of the way she heard the whistle it made as it swept by her.

            Captain Archer and Malcolm were yelling protests at the smug Klingon when Hoshi's voice came over the Captain's com link. He listened grimly to what she said and leaned over to tell Malcolm when a roar was heard from the crowd and both of their heads snapped up.

            Buffy was on one knee, kneeling under the pressure of having both hands on the bat'leth, palms bleeding and the Klingon pressed down, using his weight to an advantage. There were roars when suddenly they could see Buffy's muscles in motion, inch by bloody inch pushing herself back up. He jerked back, causing her to stagger, using the back side of the blade to catch her in the temple. She was back down to one knee, shaking the stars from her head when he swung for the death blow. As it swung down she somehow grabbed the edge, twisted it out of his hands and swung it upwards with all of her strength, beheading him neatly on the spot. She stood, sprayed with blood, trembling as she watched the man's blood leak sluggishly onto the floor from its severed parts.

            There was a shimmering interruption and a new crew of Klingon's appeared. Klaang looked at the carnage, and noticed Captain Archer and Malcolm in the crowd.

            "What is going on here?" He roared as he recognized the dead man as one of his mate's relatives. Kalak was pale as he rushed up to explain what had happened. Klaang ignored him and gestured to Captain Archer, "Explain this." Klaang then gestured to Buffy as Malcolm rushed over to her to check her out. She shook her head and gestured him back as she waited for Klaang to hear the Captain's explanation.

            "We were ambushed by Kalak here, and forced to give a crewmember to fight as champion. If we lost he'd keep the ship and sell us into slavery. It was supposed to be to the death without weapons but Kalak saw his man was losing and threw him the bat'leth." Archer glared at Kalak who was still babbling.

            "Be silent." Klaang barked to Kalak. He looked over to the defiant woman standing silently and smiled. "It seems you have won your freedom."

            Buffy nodded, "I want to keep the weapon." She lifted the bat'leth up, blood dripping onto the floor. He threw his head back and laughed approvingly,  "It's yours, use it in health!"

            Buffy stiffly walked over to the men. Kalak looked at her curiously as she handed Captain Archer the bloody bat'leth. She smiled at her Captain, then suddenly she turned and using all of her might punched Kalak in the face, making him fly back, bloody and unconscious. "That's for your honor." And she leaned over and spat on him, then took the bat'leth back and walked out, Malcolm following her closely.

            "She is a formidable warrior." Klaang nodded to the bodies on the floor. The Captain smiled, "I know it, now." He nodded then followed Malcolm and Buffy out to the shuttle bay while he heard Klaang roaring at the Klingon crew behind him.

            Buffy stood, shaking slightly as Malcolm opened the shuttle door and she turned to look at the Captain, one of her eyes starting to swell shut, "You can catch me now Captain." And her eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed into his quick arms.