Forged in Fire, Chapter 19
Hong Kong Shatterdome
Crew Quarters, Corridor 47B
May 25, 2025
2300
Mako put her clothes away in her room. That was a crazy trip. Alaska, Hawaii, and then home. Mako looked around. If I can call this home anymore.
Raleigh knocked on her door. "Mako… yours or mine?"
"Uhhh… yours."
"Okay."
Ever since their trip to Japan, Mako and Raleigh had shared a bed. I didn't think the proximity would drive away the nightmares. But I'm happy it does. She pulled on a light tank top and a pair of gym shorts (her only pair of shorts, actually) and padded across the hallway to Raleigh's room. Raleigh opened the door right as she arrived.
As they settled onto the much smaller bed, they simply enjoyed the physical contact. No words were spoken; they didn't need to. Finally, Raleigh turned off the lights. Their breathing synchronized, and their hearts began to beat as one.
They slept.
-.-.-
May 26, 2025
0700
Mako slowly woke up. Raleigh was still sleeping, his arms around her slender frame. I'm in no hurry. We've got nothing going on-
Raleigh stirred. "Morning, Mako."
"Good morning, Raleigh. Did I wake you?"
"No." He removed his arms from her, and traced his fingers across the circuitry suit burns on her shoulder. "Healed nicely. Faster than mine did, anyways."
Mako shivered slightly at the odd feeling of Raleigh's fingers tracing her scars.
"Sorry, didn't know that they were so sensitive to touch."
"It's not that; you're the only person other than the doctor to touch them like that."
Raleigh nodded. "So, how close are we to finishing the katana?"
"Very close. A few more hours of work."
"Well, then. What are we waiting for?"
-.-.-
Gipsy Danger repair bay
1100
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
Mako put the steel back into the furnace. "Okay, last round. Then we need to let it cool so I can apply the insulation layer for the final phase."
Raleigh wiped his brow. "But the blade is straight. Isn't a katana curved?"
Mako grinned. "The last phase is what gives the blade that curve. You'll see."
Raleigh shrugged. "Okay."
Mako removed the glowing blade from the furnace and set it on the anvil.
Raleigh began to hammer the metal for the last time.
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
Mako watched the steel slowly achieve the desired shape. Finally, it was ready. Perfect.
Raleigh stopped hammering. "It's beautiful already."
"It'll be much better once it's tempered and polished."
"Are you going to polish it?"
"No. I'm a swordsmith. Others polish it and make the saya."
Raleigh quirked an eyebrow at the last word.
Mako sighed. "You would likely call it a scabbard. It's the sheath for the blade when it's not in use."
"Okay. Learn something new every day."
"So, lunch?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to dance before we eat."
"I'd love to." Mako put down the tools and set the still-hot blade in a safe location. "Outside or inside?"
"Outside. Weather's nice and there's a slight breeze."
"Wonderful. Let's go!"
The two Rangers set off for the Kwoon mats.
-.-.-
LOCCENT
1125
Herc's phone rang. "Hansen."
Tendo's excited voice came through. "Sir, Mako and Raleigh are preparing to spar outside on the mats."
Herc smiled and grabbed his video camera. "This should be good. I'm on my way." He hung up the phone and jogged towards the elevator.
-.-.-
Outdoor Kwoon mats
1130
Mako and Raleigh picked up their hanbos and bowed to each other. Then, they took ready stances.
Mako delivered a formal first strike to begin the match. As she expected, Raleigh easily deflected it and wound up with a powerful overhead strike. She angled her hanbo ever so slightly to redirect the incoming strike to her right.
Through the Ghost Drift, Raleigh sensed Mako's defensive move, and instinctively adjusted his strike to provide more energy for a follow-up hit instead. His hanbo scraped along Mako's and swung down towards the ground. He pulled it through an arc that was parallel to his left side, coming back towards Mako.
Mako knew from a combination of experience and the Ghost Drift what Raleigh was planning. She stayed in a defensive posture and prepared to redirect Raleigh's much more powerful blow while leaving her in a position to deliver a strike of her own.
And so the "dance" began. Mako and Raleigh sparred as often as many other couples danced. However, it was far more demanding and intimate than even the most challenging dance styles. With the sparring, they had to know their opponent's moves well enough to anticipate the next strike and parry it, while also thinking about how to land a blow of their own. With the Ghost Drift thrown in, Mako and Raleigh were only able to land a strike if the other made a grave error. As such, instead of the usual "four strikes marks a win" rule, Mako and Raleigh used an "Any strike marks a win" rule.
Today was no exception, and the two Rangers danced all over the mat as they traded blows in a flurry of movement that even the Kwoon Fightmasters could barely keep track of. It was awe inspiring, and it drew a crowd. This time, Herc was there, and he had brought a camera with him to record the match.
Mako and Raleigh tuned out everything but the mat and each other. After a minute, Raleigh slipped up, and Mako gave him no mercy. She used her speed and agility to dart inside of Raleigh's strike zone and began to deliver a furious series of blows, driving Raleigh backwards… until she slipped ever so slightly on a sweaty spot on the mat. Now Raleigh began to push the offensive again, and Mako expertly deflected his blows.
The match continued like that for almost seven minutes, before Mako and Raleigh somehow wound up with their hanbos locked together… on the opposite side of their opponent's staff. They looked each other in the eyes for a moment, their hearts pounding as one, their breathing perfectly coordinated.
Then, they kissed.
-.-.-
Herc laughed long and loud as the crowds cheered, and Mako and Raleigh snapped back to reality, clearly embarrassed. He stopped the recording, and walked out to them. "In all my time in the military and the PPDC… I've never seen a sparring match like that." He smiled at them. "THAT is what two paired Rangers should fight like. Unable to touch the other for minutes at a time, despite being hell-bent on landing a blow." He then took Mako's hanbo. "And from the looks of all these dents in the wood, you're not holding back any power either. If you landed a solid hit, you could injure the other. But you never touch the other, because you can't. They stop the strike, or dodge it." He handed back the hanbo. "You two move with a grace and speed that Chuck and I could never match. I'm impressed." He walked off the mat. "Thank you for the fantastic show, by the way."
Mako blushed. "Thank you sir."
Herc grinned and walked off towards LOCCENT, and the crowds dispersed.
Raleigh put the hanbos aside, as both were thoroughly beaten from the intense match. He then turned to look at Mako, who was staring out over the harbor. Perfect. He snuck up behind her and scooped her off her feet and into his arms.
Mako, caught off-guard, yelped in surprise. However, she let Raleigh hold her for a bit. The physical contact feels really good. I don't know why. It's not just the love, though. Sometimes I'll wake up wrapped in my sheets despite it being warm. It just feels good that way.
Raleigh began to walk back into the Shatterdome with Mako still in his arms. "You and I both need a shower before we go into the mess hall."
Mako nodded.
Raleigh had planned on carrying Mako back to their rooms as a joke, but she seemed to be enjoying it a lot. Need to remember to do this more often.
Too soon, they reached their rooms, and Raleigh set Mako down. "Meet you in the mess hall at noon?"
"Deal."
Mako grabbed a clean change of clothes, and headed off to the women's showers. Raleigh, however, hesitated until Mako was gone before pulling out his cell phone and calling Herc.
"Sir, I have a favor to ask… Can you call Mako off for about two hours later this afternoon? I need her workshop to myself for a secret project. … Yeah, it's going to be a gift to her. … Yep. Just don't tell her. That's why we haven't Drifted lately: I want to keep it a surprise. … You can? Great. I owe you big time, sir. Thanks." Raleigh ended the call and put the phone away, then grabbed some clean clothes and headed to the showers.
-.-.-
Gipsy Danger repair bay
1300
Mako sat cross-legged on the floor as she worked, the tip of her tongue sticking out of the right corner of her mouth. Raleigh watched her, entranced. I love it when she is deeply fixated on her work like that. She looks so cute and harmless.
Mako carefully applied the clay/ash mixture to the blade with a sliver of wood. The slurry varied in thickness from the front of the blade to the back, and from tip to hilt. Finally, it was ready to dry this first layer. She put it into the oven she'd made just for this task, and left it for a few minutes. She moved over and sat in Raleigh's lap, facing him.
"Okay, Mako, what sort of magic is this mud going to do with the blade?"
"It's a complicated process, but the two different types of steel will contract differently as they cool. This is helped by the varying thickness of the clay causing it to cool at different rates. This difference in contraction is what causes the katana to take on its classic shape."
"Wow. There's a lot going on in such a seemingly simple process."
"Yes, there is. Now, I need to take the blade out to let it cool before I apply the detail layer." She got off of Raleigh's lap and carefully removed the blade and set it on a stand to cool.
Raleigh stood up and sauntered over to look at the other new piece of equipment Mako had set up. "Mako, why do you need the water trough?"
"That's where I'll put the blade to cool."
Raleigh watched as Mako took the sliver of wood and applied a wavering line of darker slurry to the blade. She finished it with a PPDC logo just above where the blade would enter the handle.
"Time to dry it once more, then it's time for the magic." She was grinning.
Raleigh watched the clay dry in the oven. "It's like pancake batter."
"But with this, it's much more important that everything be exactly the right mixture and temperature."
"Point."
"Okay, time to heat the blade."
Mako pulled it from the oven and stuck it into the furnace, and slowly turned up the throttle on the furnace until it glowed a faint red. She watched the edge of the blade intently, seeking a very particular color… There. It's time.
"Raleigh, you ready to see some magic?"
"Sure!"
Mako pulled the blade from the furnace and stood over the end of the trough. Then, in a smooth motion, she plunged the blade into the water. Steam rose as the water nearest the blade boiled, but Mako held steady. Raleigh waited patiently off to the side.
After a minute had passed, Mako slowly pulled the blade from the water… and Raleigh's jaw dropped. "That was straight less than a minute ago, and now it's curved. The cooling did that?"
"Yes. One of the beautiful elements of classical swordsmithing."
Mako took the blade over to the work bench and slowly picked away the clay, revealing the metal beneath.
Raleigh observed closely. "Not much different."
"The polishing will take care of that."
Mako's phone rang with Herc's ringtone. "Yes, sir?"
Raleigh feigned curiosity.
"On my way." She ended the call and put the phone back into her pocket. "Herc wants to see me. I'll be back soon."
Raleigh kissed Mako on the forehead. "Don't have too much fun without me!"
"No promises."
Raleigh laughed, and Mako walked out of the workspace. Once he heard the doors close, Raleigh retrieved the small bit of stainless steel he had recovered from Gipsy's left arm, and the tool he'd made before the trip to Alaska. Now, let's make this happen. I still need to find the three other smaller, but much more expensive, elements of this, but I can get the hard part done now. He smiled. Mako's going to love this when it's done.
Author's note: I've wanted to do a sparring match for a while, and decided that I should just knuckle down and do it. So I did. It was fun trying to visualize the whole fight, then boil it down to a much more concise description.
And what is Raleigh's secret project? You'll have to wait until the very last chapter to find out. The revelation of it is my intended climax for the whole story.
