[b]Lance Corporal Lucy Holden
Anvil Station[/b]

The training areas had been bustling since the station first went into operation. The UNSC was more than eager to learn all they could from the Covenant races aboard. Weapons research, tactics, cultures, psychology. Everything that they could get, no matter how small, could impact the greater war effort. The war effort. The sole thing that had brought Lucy out of her early retirement. She'd been canned after the end of the Human-Covenant war in 2553 due to unbecoming attitude, despite being promoted to Sergeant for it. Now she was back down to Lance Corporal and still teaching marines and troopers much higher than she was about the finer points of knife-fighting.

Unfortunately, not everyone above her was so willing to learn. As she finished the lesson with a Sangheili, Kig-Yar, and Unggoy standing behind her, a Marine Second Lieutenant stood up.

"Why do I gotta take your class. I already did combatives on the daily. When will I ever need to stick one of these Covvies with my knife when I have my gun?"

The marines all gave a pity chuckle to their platoon leader.

"Well, sir. Would you care to demonstrate how to use a knife against an unarmed opponent for us?"

Lucy had to work to keep from donning her signature shit-eating grin. She was about to wipe the floor with this guy.

"If you want it, Lance Corporal." The Lieutenant said, walking up towards her.

Lucy turned to the rest of the group and said. "We will now demonstrate how to overpower an opponent. Here, sir. I think you'll need this more than me." She said to him, tossing him the rubber practice knife. "Give me your best shot."

The Lieutenant caught the knife and took up a standard fighting stance. Lucy smirked and watched the man move in towards her, trying to test her reach. He was probing for a reaction. A defense. Lucy could see through the feints. When the Lieutenant came in with a full strike, she swiftly stepped around his arm and grabbed it with one hand and pinned the arm against her chest. Her other hand reached across the front of his chest and snatched at his bicep, pushing her own against his head in an unorthodox hold.

"Alright let's show everyone how you got here." Lucy said, pulling him in a circle as he struggled to switch the knife to his other hand. "And now, a quick takedown will finish this lesson."

Lucy made sure the group was in full view as she kicked the Lieutenant's knees from behind, causing them to buckle immediately. She then used her left arm that was currently across his chest to throw him back, planting him onto the mat and knocking the wind out of his lungs. She pulled the knife out of his hand and tapped it into his chest.

"And here we can get creative and puncture his lung. Or maybe go for the gut. We can also stab up into the armpit and sever an artery. Or we could-" Lucy flipped the Lieutenant on his stomach and pulled his head up, exposing his neck as she tapped it with the rubber knife again. "-go right for the throat. This concludes the class." Lucy said, standing up off the man. "Thank you for the demonstration, sir. Better luck next time."

The Lieutenant glared at her and marched off with his hair on fire. She shrugged to herself.

"Alright class dismissed."

The rest of the group stood to attention and departed. Lucy rolled her shoulders as she stood in her t-shirt and PT shorts. She headed out to her room and switched over to her boots and fatigue pants.

"Let's see what they got in the chow hall today."

Lucy took off and headed for the D-FAC. A station as big as Anvil's had multiple stores and dining facilities for separate sections of the station. She preferred to eat with the other troopers, though. She grabbed her tray, got a nice helping of krab alfredo and biscuits, a fresh apple, and grabbed a cola for her drink. On the way back she quickly snagged two pieces of bread and some peanut butter single-serving cups. Extra protein never hurt, especially when she hit the gym as often as she could. She took a seat next to her fellow ODSTs and dug in, knowing that a meal could be interrupted at any time.