The next day found Jim and Captain Amelia arriving at the gates of the Interstellar Academy. Amelia made her way to Headmaster Roxby's office, telling Jim she would catch up with him later in the day.
As Jim made his way from his dormitory, he met up with his friend, Marie. Marie was a pretty, foxlike girl, who sported long fur and a bushy tail on an otherwise humanoid female body. "Hey, Jim! Glad to see you back. Hey, I'm headed to the gymnasium. We've got our first unarmed combat class," Marie asked, smiling at him.
"Okay, let's go," Jim answered, smiling handsomely at the attractive girl, taking her smaller hand in his own. They made their way down at the gymnasium, where they as well as the other students lounged about, waiting for class to begin.
"Attention!" a cadet lookout yelled. They all scrambled to form into lines as Amelia made her way inside the exercise room. Jim noticed straightaway that she proudly wore her old uniform, spotless as always.
"Good morning, class," she told them, her hands clasped behind her back, as she began to stride back and forth before her students. She explained that she was their new unarmed combat instructor, and then what she expected of them all. Finally, she added in her most commanding voice, "So, gentlemen and ladies, while I am running this class, you shall address me as Captain, or ma'am." She looked from one end of the line of her teenage students. "Am I CLEAR?" she yelled the last word.
Every cadet came to attention, saluted, and proclaimed, "Yes, ma'am!" in unison.
Jim laughed silently to himself. This was just like the first day she meet the Captain. Classic Amelia, he thought.
Amelia's sharp green eyes looked into each cadets' eyes as she talked to them all. Amelia frowned minutely as she noticed a crocodile-like fellow who happened to be talking with his friend beside him while she was instructing. She continued her lesson, while angling her acute ears, focusing on just what the crocodile cadet was saying.
"She's supposed to be our teacher? Come on, please, what a joke! Just what kind of combat experience can she have anyway? Combat embroidery?" The two boys chuckled softly at the joke.
Amelia suddenly stopped her teaching, and strode toward the two malcontents, her heels clicking ominously on the wood of the floor. "Attention! Your name and rank, Cadet," she asked, her green eyes narrowing menacingly.
"Alan Longtooth, Cadet-in-training, ma'am," he proclaimed quickly, stiffening to attention.
"Ah, Cadet Longtooth," Amelia said bracingly, a small smile appearing on her lips. Jim shuddered to see that smile, but Longtooth thought differently. "Might I inquire as to your career aspirations?"
"I'm going to Captain of my own ship one day, ma'am," Alan told her, just a bit smugly. He was used to getting his own way at the Academy… what with his being bigger and meaner than most the other cadets. That… and the fact that the infamous Captain Longtooth was his father, of course.
"Captain, eh?" Amelia said, running a practised eye over Mr. Longtooth. "Commendable ambition, Cadet. However…" She let her observation dangle.
"Yes, ma'am?" Alan said, suddenly interested.
"Cadet, if you ever want to make command, then I strongly recommend you listen to my instructions, instead of insulting me under your breath," Amelia said matter– of–factly, followed by a steely glare, that made Alan pale to a chartreuse green.
"Beg pardon, ma'am," Alan stammered, distraught that she had actually heard him. How could that be? He wondered.
"Of course, my boy. Your punishment, Cadet, will be not for just your sake, you see, but also for the good of the class. Kindly step out on to the mats, Mr. Longtooth, if you please," Amelia answered firmly, and then pointed to the cushioned floor.
Alan reluctantly walked out onto the exercise mats, while thinking, this won't be so bad. I can take her…easy. Alan flexed his prodigious muscles, showing off as was his wont.
Amelia removed her uniform jacket, and made her way before the posturing Alan.
"Now, class," Amelia began, blatantly ignoring the posturing cadet. "Kindly observe while Cadet Longtooth attacks me. If you would be so kind, Cadet…"
Alan smiled a toothy smile, and attacked the slender feline Captain by trying to overwhelm Amelia with his bulk.
Alan was most surprised to find his outstretched arms closed on nothing. Amelia nimbly jumped aside, allowing him to rush past. As he went by, she clamped her strong hands on his tail and said, "Sorry, old boy. I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit quicker than that."
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Alan yelled, trying to turn on her, but not being able to.
"Oh, I don't know, Cadet," Amelia answered quietly, with that same small smile. "Something like this, I suppose…" She put Alan's tail over her shoulder and expertly threw him over her hip to crash heavily to the mats. "Care to try again, Cadet?"
Alan growled, clearly angry at being bested by this slight, mocking woman. Then Alan tried some sort of martial arts move, but the results were more of the same… Alan flat on his back, wondering just what was happening to him.
"Come, come, Mr. Longtooth," Amelia coaxed, her voice sweet. "I'm surprised that a big, strong fellow like you can't seem to get the better of a slight woman such as myself…"
And, predictably, Alan rushed her again.
And, predictably, Alan ended up on his back once more. He tried time and time again: different moves, different strategies, same result. Alan was getting tired of looking at the gym's ceiling.
"Another go-round, Mr. Longtooth?" Amelia asked, looking fresh as a proverbial daisy to Alan's disheveled, sweating state.
"No, ma'am," Alan replied, not even trying to get back up to continue. He knew he was beat.
"Thank you for your admirable assistance, Cadet," Amelia told him and the class as she helped him back to his feet. "Class, kindly give your Cadet here a round of applause." The class did as they were bade to, though not very enthusiatically.
As Alan walked wearily by her, Amelia quietly advised him, "Oh, Cadet, a word of advice. Next time, do try to not provoke me."
Then she moved back and retrieved her coat from the cadet that was holding it for her. As she pulled it on, she looked at her class of cadets. "I fear this class will have its work cut out for it, especially if this demonstration was a representative sample of your abilities."
There was an uncomfortable silence among the cadets. Amelia continued, "Tomorrow is going to be a a rather trying day for you all, so I advise you get your sleep." Amelia looked back at her stunned cadets. "Trust me, you're going to need it. Very well then, off you go. Dismissed."
Marie and Jim were still standing in the gym, long after their fellow cadets had beat a hasty retreat.
"Yes, Mr. Hawkins, what is it?" Amelia asked, as she made her way before him and the fox-like cadet standing beside him.
"Yes, ma'am. Just wanted you to know that Cadet Longtooth, Alan, deserved exactly what you gave him," Jim said earnestly.
Amelia raised a graceful eyebrow, surprised. "Oh, really?"
Marie nodded, looking over at Jim before saying, "Captain, Alan is a bully. He's big, he's arrogant, and used to doing anything he wants to. If he's not saying something sarcastic and demeaning about our instructors, he's saying something sarcastic and demeaning things about us."
Amelia smiled, nodding her head. "Well, then. Let us hope that Mr. Longtooth has learned a valuable lesson this day." She walked the two cadets to the door, adding "All right then, off you go. To your next class. Remember, get your rest, you two, because tomorrow is going to be a day you long remember," she said.
Both teenage cadets saluted her, saying, "Yes ma'am!" before turning smartly about and heading to their next class.