Burning Off

Posted on Wed Oct 4th, 2023 @ 7:04pm by Lieutenant Roan Gaeta & Lieutenant Nixie Wilde

2,711 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Mission 1 - Project Concord

The gym itself had clearly been set up by people with a lot of energy to burn up. The mats on the ground, the equipment set up, even the corner with the holo-emitters that allowed for someone to do sparring if no one else was around...all spoke of people who were used to always being active who now did not have enough to do. The last years had shaped many people within Starfleet. And perhaps, without realising it, Roan had been one of them.

His fist connected with the bag, the thud oddly satisfying. He had tied his hair back from his face but hadn't strapped his hands. Even the vest he wore was more that he had removed the uniform jacket and shirt. The rest was just the standard uniform, nothing special being put on before heading here. He hit again, hard, before driving his elbow into the bag as well, a sneer on his face. He didn't know how long he had been doing this, all he knew was that he could feel the sweat on the back of his neck.

The red haired woman who moved into the gym kept her eye on him as she made her way across the floor. Unlike the boxer, she had come prepared to work hard; wearing black shorts and vest. Nixie Wilde dropped her bag down before hopping onto a treadmill, starting it up at a brisk jog as she watched him move. "You really should strap those hands..." she finally called across to him.

Roan chuckled, hitting again, first the left fist, then the right and then his left elbow. Not really a pattern, but more something familiar to him. "In a real fight, no one wraps their hands," he said and took a step back, glancing over at her. She had good form for running...he suspected she was just warming up though. "You're right though. I should. And I'd tell others exactly the same thing."

"They'll be swollen and good for nothing by the end of the day," she chuckled, shaking her head at his seeming cavalier attitude to it. He wasn't one of hers, which would have been her usual guess for someone training like that. Which made her curious.

"Still be good for something. Swelling goes down, pain is a teacher..." he looked at her, his eyes going over her properly, taking her in. "Besides, worst case I happen to know someone with a good medkit and discretion." He had stopped though, if only to watch her run. "I'm Roan."

She slowed down to a walk, mostly because it made it easier to talk rather than jolting up and down. "Nixie," she offered, taking the chance to retie her hair back.

He took a moment at hearing the name, trying to place it, but unable to. "You seem a bit of a fighter, Nixie," he said, lightly, watching her tie her hair back. "Fast, I'd gather."

"Well I need to be," she shrugged with a small smile, setting her hands on her hips as she enjoyed the stretch on her legs with the walking. "I'm the Chief Security Officer. There's always someone to chase..."

"Ah," he chuckled at that, watching her for a long moment. "Now that makes sense." He moved to the treadmills, getting on the one next to her. "Chief Medical Officer. It's good to meet the person who'll get me customers."

Nixie gave a soft laugh at the way he put it, shaking her head as she turned the speed up again with him being closer and easier to talk to. "Customers? I'd be doing a rotten job if that's the case..."

He grinned as he sped up to match her, looking ahead. "Well, you say that, but I am yet to meet someone from Security who hasn't bruised or gotten bruised. But I suppose it depends what you go to sickbay for. Some people go for everything. Others, only when the blood is draining..."

She glanced across to him with a slight smile at that, almost rolling her eyes although not quite. "I mean...I suppose I'd rather take my chances with a hypospray and a glass of liquor than go to Sickbay," she conceded to his point.

"Most people are like that," he admitted, with a chuckle as he shook his head. He ran easily though, looking ahead. "Different when you have to use a thread and needle on yourself though. A lot of people take it for granted, the pain-free healing of modern medicine."

Nixie fell silent for several moments at that, but she glanced his way as she ran, the thudding of her feet matching his rhythm unconsciously. "You ever done that?" she asked lightly.

He grinned, looking at her before he reached to pull the vest up, exposing his right side and the scar that ran across his ribs to his sternum. "Sword," he said, taking a deeper breath. "Rival clan, there was a minor war when I was 15. I was also the healer's Second, her apprentice, so...while she was taking care of the other wounded, I practiced my stitches on myself. I learned a lot, and my needlework improved through the years." He lowered the vest and looked ahead, a small smile on his face. "I'm a descendant of the Polaris Generation Ship. I know what it is to grow up with just what is around you, limited tech and lost knowledge."

"Hm..." Nixie had looked on with interest, but she kept a casual expression on her features as she ran, considering what he had said...and how it related to her own experiences. "You know that as soon as we leave, I'll be looking up your record now...just so we're all clear about that."

Roan laughed at that, nodding as he looked ahead. "It won't be the most interesting read, but why not. I've seen the inside of the brig a few times in my years, put it that way. But that temper's...died down a bit as I got older. As I found my place."

"Your place in Sickbay?" she asked bluntly, glancing his way with a small smile. Sweat had broken out on her skin now and there was colour on her cheeks from getting the blood pumping.

"I think so. Guess I finally found my calling," he said, looking at her. Healthy. She looked healthy like this. "So Nixie...Security..." he let out a whistle, still running, still sweating from earlier. "I feel there's a story there."

Nixie laughed breathlessly at that, shaking her head with clear amusement at the insinuation between the lines. "Because no one would want to be in Security without one?" she teased.

He laughed as well, turning the treadmill down to walk, rolling his shoulders. "It's not the most glamorous parts of Starfleet. It's also one of the more thankless roles too, if you ask me. Besides, everyone has a story to tell."

"Look to the counsellors if you want the thankless jobs," she chuckled, shaking her head as she jumped off before switching the machine off. She watched him as she grabbed her towel, patting her face. "Do doctors avoid them too?"

He stopped his own, turning to watch her. "If we can, yes. More difficult if they're in our space," he got off as well, to grab his water bottle. "I've always found them difficult anyway. Where I'm from, we don't talk about our mental health."

"Where are you from? And what do you do instead then?" she asked lightly, but there was a hint of genuine curiosity in her tone.

"Well, the official designation is B-425, in the Beta Quadrant. Some pilots call it Ceres, I...we just called it Arise," Roan said as he looked at her, before back at the bottle of water he held in his hands. "We fought. You had a grievance, it was sorted by sword or fists. Depending how serious it was. Of course, when I was really young, any mental...difficulties...could be punishable with being Cast Out."

She nodded slowly with realisation as she motioned to him, watching him with new eyes. "I've heard of it," she said softly with interest. "A place of...death, destruction. It's a miracle any life clung to it."

"It was not a place of death and destruction when we landed, not truly. Nature ruled. Animals...not that many insects," he said, thinking about it. "What insects were there, they were vicious. But also helpful in a way. Very attuned. The death and destruction that wiped out whoever had once called it home, that was long gone." He rolled his shoulders, slowly, clearly thinking. "Nature will always take over, if it can. There is beauty in that. Except for the fish. No beauty in that."

Nixie laughed softly at the idea of horrific fish, shaking her head as she pulled a foot up the back of her thigh to stretch her leg out. "Aw, well you lived to tell the tale," she teased lightly, a sparkle of humour in her eyes at his expense, at the idea of this clearly athletic and capable man being spooked by some fish.

"Barely!" Roan said with a grin, unable to stop it. "Vicious teeth and all..." he shuddered, watching her for a moment. "I take it you're very good at fighting, Nixie." He could see her balance...it was excellent. She moved with confident grace.

She spread her hands to either side, as if to indicate herself as she chuckled, arching an eyebrow at him with amusement. "It comes with the job description. Literally."

"Hm," Roan nodded, watching the woman closely. "Do you spar with others, or just holograms?" he asked. Some people hated sparring with another real person, out of concern of taking them out by accident. Others loved going up against someone who wasn't predictable.

"Depends if you mean spar, or fight," she pointed out, her hands dropping to her hips as she gave a lazy shrug. "There are a lot of bad people out there that need reminding of their manners."

"And some who just need to be put back in their place when they get cocky," Roan said before he grinned, unable to stop it. "So which one do you do? Spar or fight?" He liked she had a distinctions between the two, too few people did.

"I fight," she replied without hesitation, holding his eyes with a small smile as she motioned to him. "And I'm starting to think you want putting in your place..."

"Of course I do," Roan said with a laugh, nodding as he held his hands up. "It's good exercise and no one tends to want to fight a doctor. So. Do I just ask, or do you want me to annoy you into it?"

Nixie chuckled softly, shaking her head as she set her hands at the small of her back, just watching him for a moment. The way her gaze moved over him, she was clearly sizing him up as a combatant. "Okay, come at me...I can't attack an unarmed doctor, I won't sleep for a week."

He smiled at the words, nodding as he watched her. "Fair," he said before he ran at her. He aimed a punch at her side, still smiling, because to him this was a bit of fun. The sort of fun he did as a teenager, practicing with the others. Although back then he had a weapon.

Nix swept her arm down to fend it off, pushing away to the side to miss the force of his momentum too. She turned to face him as he moved past her though, lashing a foot out to try and trip him off balance.

He did trip, managing to turn as he fell, as if his priority was not to turn his back to her. He got up, grinning, hands ready. "You're a fast one, Nixie. And controlled..." It was good, or more...she was good. Really good.

"I have to be...I'm not as strong as you," she replied bluntly but honestly, clearly not bothered by it. She swung a fist at him, but expected him to avoid it easily enough, so her other fist was already moving at him, a jab to his side.

He groaned at the hit, but took it as he realised he had been led into a trap. "Strength's not everything. You know that," he said and swung his body, to kick out at her legs. "I've never...been that good at unarmed fighting."

"I don't believe you..." Nixie laughed, actually laughed as she hopped back from his foot, but the follow up kick got her and she grabbed his arms to keep up, tugging at him to try and keep him off balance.

He gripped her in return and threw them to the wall, because he was getting off balance and this was a way of trying to turn things around. "Sword. Or bow and arrow."

"Bow and arrow?!" she watched with surprise, bringing her leg up between them to shove him. "Now that's one you need to show me..."

"Happy to," he groaned at the pressure of her leg against him, eyes narrowed as he reached to put his forearm over her throat. She'd wriggle out of it...he could tell, she had that sort of bendy quickness about her that someone with brute strength couldn't really guard against.

In reality, Nixie would have rammed her knee up into his groin, but seeing as she didn't want to make enemies quite so quickly, she shoved his elbow upwards. Twisting with the movement, she pulled out from him, turning quickly to get behind him and lock her arm around his throat.

He groaned as he got her arm across his throat, his hand going to the arm. But he stilled, stopped fighting, and he tapped her arm lightly. "No wonder you're security," he said, with a warm chuckle.

Nixie let go of him, slapping his hip in a comradely fashion as she moved to see him properly, stretching out her leg. "Well good job the position exists, or I'd be stuffed," she countered.

"Nothing else you could see yourself doing?" Roan asked, rolling his shoulders before he stretched, arms above his head.

She thought about it for a long moment, catching her breath as she settled her hands on the back of her hips. "Not really," she admitted quietly. "I'd better hope there's always someone who wants to cause trouble, hm?" she teased.

"Oh, you're in luck, there's always someone," he said with a grin, nodding. "You know, I come here often. Always trained and I get bored easily...you're a great sparring partner."

"Well I'm happy to buddy up with you," Nixie suggested, a genuine offer, not a polite one. "Training with someone else will help keep me on my toes too. And besides, I can jump the queue for patch ups."

"Of course, the best biobed as well for Security," Roan said with a laugh, nodding as he met her eyes. "Well, I train every day, usually before my shift. But I am flexible."

"I can manage that," she assured with a small smile, looking him up and down as if to try and figure out what she was getting herself into. "Well, I guess we'll find out if I can in any case," she chuckled, her hands resting at the small of her back, clearly relaxed around him.

Roan grinned, giving her a little nod. "Well then, we will see where our training leads. Of course...I am hoping you'll come by sickbay. For your medical. Without any injuries, of course."

Nixie sighed softly as she looked to the side, her elbows swaying back and forward for a moment as she considered whether she had a reasonable excuse to say no. "I suppose it's only fair," she finally acquiesced.

"Good," he said lightly, almost playfully. "My master plan worked to track down the person most likely to avoid me like the plague...the Chief of Security."

Nixie lifted her eyes, but it wasn't quite a full eyeroll as she folded her arms and shook her head with the slightest of sighs. "I'll remember this, Gaeta..."

 

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