Getting it out

Posted on Mon Jan 13th, 2025 @ 8:17am by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Ship's main gym; USS Elysium
Timeline: MD4 1700 Hours
2621 words - 5.2 OF Standard Post Measure

As normal, Naxea spent her time after shift at the gym, dressed in a black SFMC tank top and grey athletic shorts. Her hair was pulled back as he landed a combo jab, straight punch, left hook, and another straight punch in quick succession at the heavy bag she was currently. Sleanna was currently being watched by Gami. Going to the gym was a good stress reliever from her duties and current situation in general.

Gary came to the gym. To get some work in and just blow off some tension. He had on a Starfleet t-shirt, grey slacks and a towel draped around his neck. The gym was too crowded and a weight bag was free as he walked to it. He noticed a woman going to town on the weight bag she was working on. He stopped to watch her technique and realized with a start it was Colonel Azhul Naxea. He smiled at her coordination and strength. He watched a few seconds more before he moved to his bag, threw his towel on the bench and go to work. After starting slow, he was soon peppering the bag, with hooks, jabs and solid uppercuts. A thin sheen of perspiration appeared on his forehead.

Naxea had taken a break to grab a sip of water from her water bottle when she spotted the XO also at a heavy bag behind her. She had been so focused on her routine that she hadn't noticed him walking in. She watched him for a minute as he worked the bag. "Not bad," she commented with a grin.

Gary was in the process of throwing a combination when he heard someone make the comment "Not bad" Taking a step back from the bag, Gary looked around and saw Naxea standing a few feet away with a smirk on her face. "Why thank you Colonel,' He answered with a smile. "I noticed you when I came in. Good form." He commented.

"Thank you. I don't see you in here too often. But then again, I spend most of my time in the Marine Country Gym. Just getting a workout in or relieving stress?" She knew the signs of someone working out to relieve stress--they often seemed so focused, in their own world. As she had been and she had noticed the same with Taylor.

Gary nodded at Naxea's astute observation. "I'm not usually here. at least not at this time." He admitted. " Probably a combination of both." He admitted. " I Just needed to come and hit something.... a lot." He added then quickly changed the subject and asked, "So, what brought you here today?"

"Lots of things," she admitted, before taking another simple water. "So I'm here to try to wear myself out to the point that I don't care anymore. At least for today."

Gary nodded in understanding. "I can relate to that. So, how is that working for you? Having any luck wearing yourself out to where you don't care?"

"Getting there," she said, setting her water bottle down on a nearby bench, pausing for a moment as she came up with an idea. "Care for a little sparring session?" She gestures to a nearby mat.

Gary didn't reply, not right away. His eyes drifted to the mat and while he liked the idea of a sparring session, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to spar with Naxea. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you," she grinned, teasing him as she placed her hands on her hips. "What better way to blow off steam than a good sparring session?"

He tilted his head at her. "You're right you won't." He bantered back but I may hurt you and I don't want that." He answered honestly. he glanced back at the mat and then back to her, "You sure you want to do this Naxea?"

*I can handle myself," she replied with a grin before becoming silent for a moment as she thought. It was indeed best to keep things on the safe side. "Fine. First to get the other to submit, or tap out wins. Is that ok for you?"

Gary smiled. "I have no doubt you can handle yourself. You wouldn't be in the position you are in if you couldn't." He continued, "Are we boxing or wrestling Naxea?" He chuckled awaiting her reply.

Naxea looked at him, grinning . "I was thinking a little of both. If you're familiar with mixed martial arts that is. If not, then we'll stick with boxing."

Gary nodded, "I am familiar with it but not very good at it at least not the martial arts portion, well not yet. So, I guess it will have to be boxing but I will work on my kicks so if your game we can do a mixed match if you decide on a rematch."

Naxea nodded. "Fair enough. Let's go," she nodded towards the ring as she moved to change gloves. After a few minutes of switching to boxing gloves, she was ready. "Ready?"

Gary followed her into the ring. "I am ready. A couple of things before we start. This is a friendly sparring session, not going for blood and no punches to the head unless we're going to wear protection. I leave it to you."

"Sure, take the fun out of it," she teased him before grabbing two sets of red head gear and tossing one to him as a nearby person helped to don hers.

Gary grinned at her. " Geez Naxea, I don't want the marines to lose their commanding officer." He joked back even as he put the head gear on and secured it in place. "Ready." He announced.

"Ready," she said through her mouth guard as she faced him and stepped towards the center of the ring, bringing her hands up.

Gary slid his mouthpiece in and walked to the middle of the ring to tap gloves with Naxea. Once done he back away and brought his hand up as he circled her looking for an opening.

Naxea circled the ring, keeping her eyes on Gary. She moved forward and threw a series of jabs designed to test his defense.

Gary blocked and slipped by Naxea's punches. He was impressed with her strength and coordination, in reply he threw a left, right combo aimed at her midsection and head.

Naxea blocked the punch aimed at her head as the midsection punch slipped past her block. The hit stung as adrenaline dulled the sting. She was impressed by the speed of the combo as she threw a right hook aimed at Taylor's side.

Gary managed to evade enough of the hook thrown by Naxea but it still stung. He moved in again and feinted a jab at her head and inside threw a right hook at her midsection.

Naxea realized the feign too last and silently cursed herself as Taylor's punch landed, causing her to let out a grunt as she threw a straight and hook combo.

Gary dodged the hook, but the straight jab caught him solid causing to slow his advance on her. Collecting himself, he again warily moved closer as he bobbed and weaved, flicking his left out to keep her at bay all while he looked for an opening.

Naxea pressed her attack with another hook as she moved forward.

Gary slipped under the blow and quickly countered with a right cross.

The blow slipped past her block and connected with her chin, sending her stumbling back. She was thankful for the padding of the head gear as she regained her footing. She hesitated as the image of an angry S'hib flashed shoving her. The pain, anger, and fear of that incident surged forward as did Naxea with a haymaker.

Gary stopped when his punch connected with Naxea's chin, and she stumbled back. He was afraid he had hurt her, so he stood flat foot and unprepared when she surged back and let loose a haymaker that connected solidly with his jaw and staggered him with the power of the punch.

Naxea stopped wide eyed, realizing what had happened. She was shaking as she backed away towards This was something that had never happened to her--it was like a bad dream, only she hoped it was a bad dream. She had lost control as she pulled her mouth guard out. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?".

Gary didn't answer right away. He had his head down shaking it to clear it. After a few seconds, he straightened up his eyes clear as he looked at her. A grin slowly spread across his face. "Great punch, great extension and follow through Nazea. You really rocked me." He answered his voice harboring no anger over the blow.

"I hadn't meant to," she said, slowly moving forward, letting out a shaky breath as she clenched and unclenched her fists in an effort to control her shakes. She hadn't fought in any actual spars since the incident with S'hib. Normally a shovel wouldn't phase her but it has been from someone she had loved and trusted. Now that trust had been shattered. "I--I think that's enough for today."

Gary reached a hand- out, "Naxea, please don't feel bad over this. You have nothing to feel bad over. I'm fine. I'll say this you can certainly take care of yourself. Not that I doubted if you could, but it is nice to see it in action. and don't let this affect you. As I am calling the right to a rematch and I don't want to hear any excuses when I deck you." He said with a grin, and he hoped enough teasing in his voice that she knew he was teasing. "Plus." he continued to can tell your marines you tagged me good."

It was nice to hear those words but she knew better. "I've had to take care of myself my entire life," she said quietly, feeling alone. "It's all I've known my entire life," she began to remove her gloves. Yet Gary's touch was comforting-- something she yearned for. "I lost control and I could've hurt you. That's inexcusable."

Gary could hear and see how upset Naxea felt and he was determined to change that. "And you do a damn fine job Naxea. Don't let this take away from all you have accomplished. It was an accident, no harm done." He smiled again. "You didn't hurt me; you surprised me and that is my fault not yours. So, not dwelling on it and move past it. Get your head right cause next time you could be the one getting hurt."

"I'd deserve it," she said, setting her gloves on the mat before removing her head gear. "But I don't know if there will be a next time. It's hard to move past being hurt by someone who you trusted most."

"No, you don't." Gary said firmly but not harshly. "There will be a next time because you aren't a quitter, and you will move past this. It may take time, probably will but you will because you have your whole life and your daughter's whole life ahead of you. So, suck it up marine."

'Suck it up. ' It was three words she had lived by since she was a child, three words that had made her the person she was but it was also three words she was sick and tired of hearing. She wasn't a damn android or Borg. Why did everyone think that about Marines? "So, what? Just go on? Act like nothing happened?" she asked, approaching him, ignoring the dull pain in her side where she had taken a blow from Gary. "Because nobody gives a damn about me or my feelings. Just suck it up. Act like a Borg. Wanna know why I lost control? Because saw S'hib pushing me hard, threatening me. Because I was hurt and afraid. You have any idea how that feels?"

Gary looked at her silently for several seconds. The hurt in his eyes evident. When he answered his tone was level and measured. "I didn't say to go on like nothing happened because something obviously did. I'm sorry you feel like no one cares about you or your feelings. I will just say you are most definitely wrong. As for being hurt and afraid. I know all about how it feels however, I guess you forgot the period, where Commander Qwynn, Lia, the Commodore and I were captured and imprisoned by the Romulans or what they did to Liselle and myself."

"You think you're the only one to be sexually tortured? I was raped by the Orions that captured the Away Team you sent S'hib, I, and other crew on," she seethed, fighting back tears. "Then let's not forget the time I was sexually assaulted and my DNA changed to make me more like an Orion by the Mirror Sthilg and then brainwashed to hunt down our own crew. And this whole time I have sucked it up."

Gary held back angry retorts. Getting angry wasn't the answer not when dealing with someone who was battling inner demons. He nodded, "You've been through hell Colonel." He answered using her rank instead of her name. "And no, I don't think I was the only one sexually assaulted." He tore off his shirt, to reveal his hideously scarred chest. "I know all about pain." He looked at her, "I repeat, you aren't alone. Let me help let the Commodore help, let others help."

Naxea was silent as she took in the scars. "The Commodore has already made her expectations of Marines clear--We're only good for dying," she said quietly as she recalled her conversation with the Commodore not that long ago. She fought the need to run her hand over his scars as if her touch would heal them. "I'm sorry...I just need someone. Someone who I can lean on at the end of the day, and tell me it's going to be alright. I think we all do."

"From my time as a Romulan POW. I was most stubborn." Gary replied simply and without fanfare. "No one is only good for dying Naxea. I repeat no one is only good for dying and not hearing the conversation, I would like to think you may have taken what Phoenix said out of context. " He grew quiet. "I'm here Naxea, you can lean on me anytime."

Naxea stood, trembling. Something she wasn't used to. She hates herself for getting emotional, especially with Gary. But she was simply dealing with too much. She looked at Gary and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him, leaning against him as his warmth felt good, despite the sweat.

Gary stands surprised by Naxea's embrace then slowly, hesitantly he brings his arms up and around Naxea in a light embrace as he slowly pats her back. He can feel and see her light trembling. "Everything is going to be alright." He says softly, reassuringly. "Everything is going to be alright." He repeats and hopes he is correct.

Naxea broke off. "Sorry I'm not the tough Marine you expected," she said softly. She felt a bit embarrassed about getting so emotional but she did feel better. She needed to get it off her chest. "I should probably go and shower."

Gary offered her a brilliant smile, " Azhul Naxea, you are toughest Marine I have ever met." He said honestly. "After your shower, how about I buy you a coffee?"

"As long as it's Raktijino," Naxea said before turning to get out of the ring. "See you in a half hour."

"It is a deal." Gary replied. "See you in a half hour."