Exercising Demons [Back Post]

Posted on Fri Jan 27th, 2023 @ 1:03am by Commander Vianola Paxidor & Lieutenant JG Evelyn Stewart

1,028 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Mission One: Goodwill Tour [Part One]
Location: Triton Seabase-Deck 7 Corridors
Timeline: MD 6: 06:30

Evelyn was quickly realizing that Vianola wasn’t joking about her passion for early morning runs before her shifts. Despite being in shape herself, Evelyn’s hangover from the night before made her more exhausted than normal.

Having completed their latest run around the deck, Stewart was almost grateful for their cooldown lap before their next sprint. She was bordering on being out of breath. Despite the exercise, her mind still was preoccupied by her encounter the night before in the bar with Max.

"I can feel your holding back, Evelyn. You've got your head in the clouds." Vi commented as they had slowed down considerably. She could tell a hangover when she saw one but there was something more there, her mind was elsewhere. "Exercise those demons!" she joked making a pun intended to lighten Evelyn's mood and possibly make her open up as to what was annoying her so.

Stewart felt herself go on edge for a moment. The idea of anyone reading her thoughts or feelings put her guard up. She had to remind herself that Vianola was a friend and she probably couldn’t even help reading her emotions if she tried. She relaxed and smiled at the Commander’s joke.

With a heavy sigh that had more to do with exasperation than oxygen deprivation, she nodded. “That just it. My head is in the clouds, where it belongs. Not on some sea base where I have nothing to do.” She complained. Stewart shook her head, “And the captain suggested I take an interest in the submersibles. As if any pilot wants to chauffeuring a bunch of scientists around. Of course this is before he gave me a lecture about how I spend my time off duty. The hypocrite…” she muttered before wincing slightly. She realized she may have gone too far and said too much in criticizing the captain, especially to a close friend of his.

Vianola stopped for a hydration break and took a few sips of her water. "Max can be... how do I put this delicately... difficult to read." she said diplomatically. "Off duty Max is totally different from on duty Max. It's almost like they are two different people." she took a big swig of her flask. "He only gives lectures to people he see's potential in, it means he cares... even if it is a funny way of showing it." she gestured to start a light jog.

"I can only imagine what it must feel like to be a pilot on a sea-based station. Kind of makes me wonder why Starfleet has that position here but... hey who am I to question the head honchos." Vi said as her Irish brogue hit full swing. She tried to tone it down in the company of others but when she stopped thinking about it, it hit its restart. "If you want why don't you think of taking up a secondary position? Could join security, Goddesses know I need the bodies, or maybe something in the sciences? If you have an interest in digging for worms or whatever." Vi offered. "You shouldn't pigeonhole yourself into one spot... its like tryin' to fit a square peg in a round hole... you'll only frustrate yourself."

Stewart stretched out her quads as they rounded a corner, taking a rest lap before starting again. “I appreciate it but I have already compromised my career enough and changing departments.” Evelyn said, biting her tongue against her anger at having to give up a promise Intelligence career due to some political fiasco that had nothing to really do with her.

She shakes her head in frustration again. “He still has no right to lecture me about how I spend my time off duty.” She insisted, steering the conversation back to the immediate source of her ire. “Considering he got so drunk he trusted a Ranger of all people. He nearly got himself killed.” I comment about the captain being so ignorant of Purge to take it from Jack. The whole fiasco nearly killing him. She muttered under her breath about how foolish he was.

Vi nodded as she understood the frustration that Evelyn felt for the Captain. Albeit it was for different reasons that only she knew of but she did empathise. "Well, its an open offer if you ever want." she smiled. "No pressure and even if its just you want to join in our training sessions or whatever. I'd be happy to have you there."

"But you are right. What you do on your own time is your own. As long as it doesn't affect your working hours then your privacy has to be respected." Vi spoke as she heard Evelyn mention the Purge. "Yes, well I am investigating that and can't comment on it but what I will say is that even the people at the top can make mistakes, no-one is infallible and I know the incident has affected him." What Vi wasn't saying was that she too was annoyed at the situation, especially the not being told straight away part, but she kept those thoughts and feelings to herself. She had already voiced them to Max days ago.

Stewart nodded. She was still frustrated but her temper was ebbed. She remembered Vi had a unique bond with Max and she wasn’t the person to say these criticisms to. “Listen, let’s just keep this conversation between us, alright? I don’t need an order coming down I need to see the counselor or something. That’s the last thing I need.”, Stewart didn’t even know how many she was ordered to be evaluated by when she was still at the academy and the start of her career.

"Ah, say no more." Vianola waved the comment away. "I don't tell him half of the conversations I have with people in general, let alone people that complain about him." she chuckled. "We'll call it 'friendly venting'... sounds a good enough name to me." she nodded as they began to pick up the pace again.

Evelyn nodded in agreement as she smirked. She focused on pushing herself for this next lap.

 

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