By ten o'clock in the morning, the high-key luxury facility was packed with soldiers.
Over fifty troops lined the edges of the bright white marble floors to watch the drills.
In the center of the floor, high-density blue combat mats were arranged in a wide square.
Senior Officer Master Sergeant Davis stood near the edge holding a metal whistle.
He looked at Miller and then looked at Maya with a expression of deep concern.
Davis knew how rough Miller could be on young recruits who challenged his authority.
"Listen up!" Officer Davis barked as his loud voice echoed off the pristine white walls.
"This is an official evaluation drill to test your defense against heavy attackers!"
Sergeant Miller stepped onto the blue mats while bouncing aggressively on his feet.
He flexed his massive arms and tightened the red hand wraps around his wrists.
"Come on down, rookie!" Miller yelled loudly so the entire room could hear him.
"Let's see if your training holds up against a real man!"
Maya took a deep breath to steady her rapidly beating heart.
She adjusted her camouflage uniform top and stepped onto the soft blue surface.
Her face showed complete focus as she left all her nervous thoughts behind.
Two nearby soldiers watched in suspense with wide eyes and hushed murmurs.
"Miller is going to tear her apart in front of the commander," one soldier whispered.
"She should have apologized when she had the chance," the second soldier replied low.
Maya dropped into a low and balanced defensive stance that surprised a few observers.
Her posture was flawless and anchored firmly to the solid mat underneath her feet.
Miller saw her stance and shook his head with pure arrogance.
"You're in my ring now, rookie!" Miller bellowed with a mean glaring smile.
"I'm gonna break you in front of everyone here!"
The room went completely silent as every soldier held their breath in anticipation.
Maya did not back up a single inch from the giant man standing before her.
She raised her hands into a tight guard position protecting her chin and body.
"Save the trash talk, sarge!" Maya called back with an unshakeable glare.
"Bring everything you've got!"
Officer Davis raised his metal whistle to his lips and looked between the two fighters.
He could see the determination in Maya's eyes and the cruel anger in Miller's eyes.
"Fight clean, keep your guard up, and protect yourselves at all times," Davis warned.
He blew the whistle sharply to begin the official match.