"Well, Tyr? Have you thought about it more?", Beka asked when she hit the bag, which Tyr was holding for her.
"Yes, I thought about it. I should have killed Harper in the instant when I learned about him putting up these advertisements. Since this moment I've had no peace", the Nietzchean grumbled. "Either Harper is firing questions at me because he wants to know what women answered my advertisement or you are questioning me because you want to find out if I'm going to meet with one of them or not. If there is something like hell on earth than I'm living in it!"
"Anasazi, don't think about it so negative. Obviously, everyone is making an effort that you don't remain alone. Your love live is even more miserable than Harper's."
"My love live doesn't matter for anyone. Harper should keep his nose out of it."
Beka forcefully hit the bag a few more times.
"Impact alone isn't enough", the Nietzchean explained who wanted to change the subject. "If you are only hitting the bag on one side, then the effect is lost. That's the same than grazing your opponent at the ear. It doesn't matter if there is all your power in this hit. You won't knock him down like that."
Beka pranced a little bit around then struck the bag hard and well directed.
"That was better. A lot better", Tyr admitted.
"See", Beka said immediately, „I'm able to accept advice and tips and follow them. Why can't you, too?"
"And what advice do you want to give me?", Tyr asked, although he knew he wouldn't like the answer. However he would listen, rather he liked it or not, so he could ask Beka about her opinion as well."
"You should choose one or two of the women who wrote you and meet with them. That would be good for you."
"Nietzcheans take sex very seriously. That's no game. The purpose is propagation and inheritance of one own genes. I don't want to be the mother of my children just any woman who accidentally read and answered this advertisement."
Beka hit the bag two more times with Tyr giving no negative comment.
"First I didn't tell you to dance the horizontal rumba with the woman. Second, there are possibilities of contraception. And third: Why shouldn't exactly the right woman for you answer to the advertisement?"
Tyr caught Beka's hands before she could hit the bag another time.
"That's enough for today", he told her and Beka wasn't sure if he meant her training or her words. Slowly he unwrapped the bandages from her hands and continued without looking at her: "Contraception is a concept that I can't understand. Nietzcheans have sex for propagation, to give their genes to the next generation. Which purpose has sex if you avoid just that?"
"Heard about fun?"
"Well, it seems we have a very different idea of fun. "
"You really want to tell me that you nether slept with a woman to … well … you know … just to have fun?", Beka asked disbelieving.
Tyr didn't answer, but for Beka it was clear, that she had hit bull's eye.
"Well, then you really missed something!", she said.
"Then you are meeting with this guy tomorrow to … have fun?", Tyr wanted to know.
"Fun, of course. However, that doesn't mean that I will jump into bed with him. That comes after to know him and then only if I like him."
"But you don't exclude the possibility."
Tyr's words sounded more like a statement than a question and Beka thought that there was also some criticism in them.
"Yes, I don't exclude the possibility - I'm not Nietzchean. Therefore, I'm not immediately married only because of sleeping with a guy. And I'm cautious, that I'm not accidentally producing offspring. I'm very good in that."
Beka grinned from one ear to the other. It seemed to her, that Tyr because of some unknown cause didn't like to see and hear that she was so easy about sex. And that excited her even more than teasing him about it.
She bent over to Tyr a little bit. "I make you a proposal: If you go on a date tomorrow evening, I will tell you with all details what I did with Korolan. That's a great offer, isn't it? Perhaps you could learn something new from me. That could be very pleasurable for your future wives."
Tyr shook his head disbelieving.
"You seem to mistake me for Harper. He would really like to hear your juicy details."
"I sure wouldn't tell him anything. If I would do that I might as well put up an advertisement in one of these holomagazines that are delivered to all three galaxies."
"So, that's an exclusive offer for me?" Tyr was curious though. He smiled because after Beka's comment about Harper's chattiness he didn't believe that she really intended to tell him anything. It seemed that she only had in mind to bait him with her report. She would laugh about him afterwards because of him not sticking to his principles.
"Very exclusive and temporal limited. Yes or no? Once I left this room, the offer is canceled."
"I have to think about it", Tyr said. In the meantime, he had unwrapped Beka's hands and pulled her with him to one of the mats lying on the floor.
"So you are a little bit curious?", Beka teased him.
"More interested in which pretext you will bring forward tomorrow to not having to give me your report", he answered grinning
"You think I'm bluffing?", Beka challenged.
"I'm tempted to think so."
"Well you will only know if you are taking me up on my offer. You are dating a woman and I'm going to tell you truthfully and with all details what I experienced and what we … did together."
Because Tyr didn't tell her no at once, she was now quite sure, that he would accept her little deal if she would talk at him a little bit more.
"Theoretically, if I would take you up on your dare, what exactly would be the terms? I just have to meet with any woman?"
"You can choose any woman. However, I also offer to help you with your choice if it is too difficult for you."
"I think the choice really is mine alone. What do you imagine I should do with the woman?"
"Do I have to tell you in detail? I thought you have already been with a woman. How was it with Freya? What did you do with her?"
"Freya was Nietzchean. I think you know what we did", Tyr answered shortly. "And I'm not the one who wants to go into details."
"Okay, but let me give you an advice: Avoid words like procreation and children at this date if you do not want it to end after five minutes. And don't tell her in the first few minutes that you want to jump into bed with her. She could misinterpret that. Even a permissive woman wants to be wooed a little bit before dancing the horizontal rumba with some guy."
"Then this …. This … what was his name?"
"Korolan."
"Then this Korolan has to woo you tomorrow evening?"
"Of course he does! Unless he is so hot, that I can't restrain myself. Then we simply will skip that little formality."
"And just how much do you expect me to tell you? I don't think that you would be content with me just dating a woman and telling you nothing."
"Oh, of course I would want to know a little bit about the date. You would have to tell me who she was and what you did with her. Of course no details. A simple outline would be enough."
"Dylan, are you sure you want to do this?", Rommie's hologram asked. She stood with hands folded behind her back in the middle of Hunt's quarters and watched her captain who, only dressed in socks and boxers, stood before his closet and looked for the right clothes for the evening."
"Why do you ask? I thought you checked all data available about Cassandra and found nothing negative."
"So I said", confirmed the AI. „But I don't think, that this date is a good idea."
"And are you also going to tell me why you don't approve?", Dylan wanted to know.
"You are a representative of the Commonwealth. Therefore every of your steps is observed. This date could be seen negative for you."
"I don't plan on appearing in full gala uniform at my date or advertising my appearance", the captain objected and showed Rommie a shirt and trousers. "Does this work?"
Rommie nodded shortly, but didn't let herself being diverted.
"Dylan, don't you think, that you will be noticed? And what does it look like if you are having a blind date with some strange woman? Do you believe that every holomagazin and every holosender won't notice?"
"Rommie, I can't disguise myself, if I want to meet somebody. That would be the false method to make new acquaintance. And I have the right for some private life. Don't you think so?"
Rommie was silent for a moment. Then she said: "And what if you are visiting the academy on Mobius? Perhaps you can meet somebody there instead? That would be a more respectable possibility. Or you could meet again with Molly."
Rommie didn't like to mention Molly, because she didn't like the young woman very much, but the likelihood, that Dylan would accept her proposition wasn't very big either. Her captain hadn't had any contact to the woman since her good bye. So his affection to her was limited.
"I don't know. Molly has her own life. I don't want to intrude there", Dylan said while slipping into his trousers. "I would prefer somebody who has nothing to do with the High Guard. Sometimes I want to forget the job."
"Where will you meet her?", Rommie asked then, recognizing that it was not possible to dissuade her captain from his plans.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I want to check the location to see if there are some journalists around."
"Okay, you can do that. It doesn't hurt to know if journalists expect me when I go out with a woman."
Hunt turned around from the mirror, where he stood, and asked, "Do you think I look okay?"
Rommie had to smile about his insecurity mixed with vanity.
"You are looking perfect", she said truthfully.
TBC