Strong Release

Posted on 12/27/2021 @ 1:08pm by Commander Aer Feshau-Patton & Lieutenant JG Stefan Zamfir

3,619 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: The Mirror’s Edge
Location: Gymnasium, Intelligence Deck

Aer needed to breathe, it felt recently with all that had been going on she needed a little release. The intelligence department had a small gymnasium on their deck. Nothing fancy but everything you need to maintain a fine physique.

Aer's victim was a punching bag, and it was taking a minor beating. She was never the strongest due to her size, build and frame. Pretty much everything about her screamed insignificant in terms of physicality but she was quick and knew how to move. Punching bags rarely put up much of a fight, unless you didn't pay attention and got hit by the backswing.

She had her sports bra on, tight just above the knee length shorts on. They clung to her body as it glistened from the amount of effort she put into hitting the bag. Her hands wrapped up in white tape, a little red had formed on some knuckles as she did not know when to stop. Small strands of hair falling on her face, coming free from its tied back jail of a ponytail.

Bombs, almost dying fiancés, important deaths in custody and now the threat of the Unseen. Sometimes it helped to hit things.

Stefan came out from the locker room, moving his neck about to loosen it. He was clad in a blue tank top, pair of black sweats and some runners on his feet. Draped around his neck was a towel. He loosened up his arms and shoulders by moving them across his chest and stretching them. As he went further in Stefan first heard the sound of the heavy bag being hit, curious he went to investigate.

There she was, the blonde ice cream goddess, Commander Feshau. She seemed to be working some sort of frustrations. He drew nearer to see her strike form. He also wasn't blind to the fact of her form fitting outfit. Then he noticed something about the tape about her fists, her knuckles were paying the price.

"Aer, hey you need to stop." Stefan gruffly said, actually stepping between her and the bag, and blocking her punches. "You need to look at your knuckles."

Her breath was ragged, her appearance slightly dishevelled from her time smacking the bag about. "My knuckles?" Aer asked simply as she got her breath back a little. The pause somewhat welcome but she was surprised when he stood directly in her path. She looked at her knuckles and her hands shook a little from the drop in adrenaline. "I was doing fine." she protested.

"I could see that." Stefan remarked.

Noting the familiar tell tale signs of adrenaline crash, Stefan went into action, scooping Aer up into his arms murmuring, "Sorry for this, I don't want you to collapse to the floor. A chair would be better to take a break on." holding Aer against his chest, as he headed on over to a comfortable chair. He paused for a moment to grab a water on the way to the chair, then gently set her down.

Taking the towel from around his neck, Stefan handed it to Aer, and crouched down beside her. "Are you going to be all right?" gazing into her eyes. " I don't know what that heavy bag did to you to piss you off, but I feel sorry for it. Why don't you tell me what's going on, okay?" reaching out and tucking back a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I would have been fine." she said once more noticing a pattern in her speech. She didn't like to show weakness, Goddesses knows it was easy enough for people to assume as much looking at her.

She sat on the chair as she watched Stefan move hair from her face. "The bag hasn't annoyed me... there's just been a lot to deal with recently. But you barely know me, what is your interest in my welfare?" she asked as she flexed out her fingers beneath the tape. This wasn't her being horrible, anything like that, this was her being curious at someone showing interest in her troubles.

Stefan merely smiled and opened the bottle of water before handing it to Aer. "I don't have any ulterior motives, Aer. Just honest concern. I felt like we had developed some sort of bond over ice cream and a banana split." giving her a teasing smile. "Other than that, is it wrong to show concern for someone? I maybe early in the game of working here, but I am aware of what a person deals with in this line of work."

He reached out to take her free hand and did a look at it. "lets get this taken off and I can take a look at it." Stefan being matter of fact.

Aer winced as Stefan began to take the tape off. It began to sting a little, especially around the knuckles where she had broken skin and by looks of it she had dislocated one.

"No, it is not wrong to show concern for another person, and I appreciate you asking. Our ice cream did open up a bond, a sweet one one at that." she smiled softly at the memory.

Stefan nodded, his hands skilled in feeling the condition of her knuckle. "This finger is dislocated, I could take care of it for you, or we can go to medical." he wasn't certain how she would deal with a dislocated finger, after all, like she said they didn't know each other that well.

"Maybe I should have slowed down, or at the very least not kept hitting it..." she said as she looked at her hand. "Jack's going to have questions if I go to medical, just pull it, pop it back in to place. I'll bite on to something while you do it." she said with a fake smile of confidence.

"Hold that thought." he moved to go get the medical kit, and brought it over. "Always best to have something to stop the pain." he remarked. "Besides" he applied a pain killer with a hypo-spray. "Always best to do something like this, and then..." once the pain reliever kicked in, he firmly pulled and put the finger back into the socket. "I've had to do this without the lovely pain killer. Not a lot of fun."

"I'm a big girl you know." She said as she then realised her stature, she was quite aware she was only 5' 4". "Figuratively speaking." Aer felt a little discomfort as the finger found its way home. "I mean look..." she pulled the left strap of her bra down to reveal a scar.

It was quite impressive and sat just down and to the left of her collarbone near the shoulder. The scar was clear to see, some scar tissue still there. It looked as it should, a wound healed from being impaled through the body.

Stefan sucked in air through his teeth when he saw that, wincing. "How the heck did you get that." reaching out and gently touching the scar for a moment then withdrawing his hand. The touch was more like a medic would, and nothing threatening. "I would say you are quite able to take care of yourself. Especially seeing that scar there."

He finished up with her finger and picked up the towel, then retrieved an ice pack from the kit, and molded it in his hands to start up the chemical reaction, for it to become cold. "Here keep this on, it will help to take down the swelling." giving a small smile. "And then you can utilize my ear and tell me what is really weighing you down."

His touch was surprising given that he was attending to her hand. Aer blinked a little but he was gentle enough as he traced the wound on her upper body. "It was before I entered Starfleet, during the Dominion War I think, in 74. I was in a shuttle heading past a moon when I detected a faint energy signature. I investigated and the moon had an old defence system that knocked out all my power so..." she imitated explosions, carnage and the falling of her shuttle from grace with her free hand and noises.

"I was a little wounded but alright. Had some working equipment and decided to find where the faint trace was coming from. I found Dusak... Ambassador Dusak then. He jumped me from behind saying I had brought his shuttle down and we fought." She could see Stefan go to ask a question. "No, I kicked his ass Stefan. Well the first time... he hadn't expected me to be as experienced as I was. We fought several times until we conceded to each other and decided to work together to get off that planet." she left out the parts where Dusak and her got closer in other areas. Her first Klingon... her mind then drifted back.

"As he worked on the outside of his shuttle a large animal came out of the forest and attacked him, injuring him so much that I had to drag him back inside the shuttle and deal with the creature myself. This..." she pointed to her shoulder scar. "was a result of a spiked barb it shot from its tail. Penetrated all the way and I couldn't get it out. I had to play dead as it came over to claim me as its kill and I stuck a Klingon Mek'leth into its throat and I think I killed it, it ran off. Never did get that weapon back..." She said looking at Stefan with a somewhat cheesy smile as if her story was as simply done as making breakfast.

"Taking out barbed items is a real mess to deal with." Stefan remarked, then he gave her a return grin. "Yup that confirms it, you are quite capable of taking care of yourself. And definitely really brave. Plus also proving that you are equally dangerous too. Big explosions come from small packages. And honestly I do not consider you, short. You see, when I look at you, I see someone who is just as tall as me, standing eye to eye."

"Small packages... Boo!" she shouted at him to make him jump. He did a little and that pleased her as she giggled into herself. She was quite proud of herself in that moment for no apparent reason other than catching him unaware. "I have my moments... and if we are standing in front of each other Stefan all I can see is your chest." she cocked one of her eyebrows up at him.

"Well that is true." Stefan chuckling, looking into her eyes. "I hope you got a new Mek'leth to replace the one that creature rudely took off with." giving her a wink. "I can hazard a guess as to a worry you've got. Almost losing Patton, due to an explosive cake. And all the other things that have happened before I came and are currently going on. Think of this, you didn't lose him. And who had caused that explosion, will be caught. I've got faith in that."

"Oh I have plenty of Klingon weapons." Aer grinned. "Dusak replaced the Mek'leth, to be honest it was his and it came in handy." she added as Stefan then touched a pressure point of conversation.

"Yes... he did scare me." she said playing with ring she wore on a chain around her neck subconsciously. "And he's lucky he didn't die, because I'd kill him." she said more seriously.

Stefan gave a nod. "It wasn't his fault as to that explosion from what I am gathering. There still needs to be found the one who did that deed. And I am glad that he didn't die. I am also thinking of that girl who ended up saving his life. Will there be any next of kin looking for her?"

Aer felt a pang of remorse. "Well now I feel really guilty, and selfish. Here is me complaining that my fiancé is still alive and not even thinking about the girl who died in front of him..." she said shifting a little in her seat and taking a small sip of water.

"Aer." Stefan started, then he kissed her on the forehead. "I do understand you feeling that way, you must have been feeling that way earlier. You are kind woman, so don't beat yourself up about your thoughts about the living. I just was going to say as tragic as it was for her death, it was also the fact she was a hero too. I am grateful that she was there."

"I am grateful too, but there is nothing heroic about simply being in the way of an explosion. It is only tragic and I feel deeply for her family once they are notified. Station security is doing that. We operate much differently as you know." she offered a small smile. "I am just angry that people can be so horrible... not that I am an Human angel or anything. I mean, I've done some things I am not proud of in my life as well."

"Still the fact that someone had done such a horrific thing following on the heels of that airlock explosion. And yes we do operate on a whole other level. Now what can I do to help you?" giving a playful smile.

"I know." she said placing her hand on his shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. "The fact I know I have someone else to lean on is a help. Sometimes I can get a little bit dramatic... Jack tells me this quite often."

Stefan rolled his eyes at that comment. "Really and what is wrong with being dramatic at times? I see nothing wrong in that, and you are a very passionate woman who feels things deeply. I have a slight desire to pop him a good one, in truth." shaking his head. "Does he have sisters? Can he understand or take notice of a woman who has feelings?"

"Oh no, nothing at all." Aer tried to back track. "He says it playfully, not as a way of shutting me up or dismissing me. We sit and talk about what's bothering me, and I him. I think I ground him a bit. Marines have a tendency to be slightly hot headed and I help clear up and focus his thoughts on things." she added justifying that Jack was not dismissive of anything. "Oh and he's an only child, just in case you actually want an answer. Whereas I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters, all older." she beamed.

Stefan relaxed, "Okay then that's good. Sorry, had some friends who well, had some trouble with a significant other who would say that and it wasn't in a joking matter. Those relationships weren't good for them, so it got ended." he sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You've got quite a good sized family. I've got a brother and sister. I think I told you this..." he paused, then stated. "I am glad both you and he balance each other, its a good thing."

"You have told me but you didn't go in to much detail as I don't think an ice cream shop is ideal for family gossip." Aer said with a smile. "I know you have a sister on the Majestic, and your brother... well that is your story to tell. I usually dig on most people I work with so closely."

"Yes my sister is on the Majestic. As for my brother, I do not know where he is, I do know that he is alive but that is as far as I know. Its more of the feeling here." touching where his heart was. "Its sort of the twin thing but here it is a triplet. He's been really evasive and has covered his tracks. Its almost as if he's become a ghost. He was in science but before that he was working intelligence with me, sis and my aunt. We made quite the team." Stefan remarked. "He wanted out of the game so he did. His first love was science. He had met someone while at a research center. She died during an attack and he had been severely wounded, we almost lost him. He became, well moody, broody then one day he just disappeared. I firmly believe he's been utilizing the skills he had learned in Intelligence and knows how to make himself scarce."

"I can understand that. Sometimes the connections we have in life are deeper and more meaningful that we realise." Aer said as she watched him touch his chest, just over where his heart was. She took in all he said and it made the gears in her mind turn. "Do you think he went to ground to find who killed his friend, who nearly killed him?" She asked. "I know sometimes you need to go off the grid to make things move around the board a little. Also, if you say he has our kind of background mixed with science... makes him a pretty smart guy." she added.

"Yes he is very smart, and also there were indications that the woman he had an attachment to, they might have had something developing between them. Some of the survivors of that science research facility had spoken about that, however he doesn't remember. Its as if they had just met and were just friends." Stefan giving a shake of his head. I am still trying to piece together a possible timeline. Maybe I will have better success here. If I can just find someone who may have met him, a reaction to our resemblance. It will offer a clue and help me find him."

Aer nodded. "If I can help you in any way let me know. Can call it a favour repaid for you know..." she said as she waved her hand around a little.

Stefan gave a nod, "No need to feel you need to repay me. I will accept the help though, I know somewhere out in the vastness of space someone may have come in contact with him. Just have to have that one pin point needle in the haystack moment. I think I am overdue for that. Myself and my sister. "

He took another look at Aer. "You know, I do wish we had met sometime earlier, as you are someone I would have liked to be with... However, you have someone who is very much in love with you. And I can tell you love him as well." a gentle smile drifting across his lips. Then he moved to place a kiss on Aer's forehead.

Aer smiled at the recognition from Stefan. She did love Jack very much, nothing would change that, but it was still nice to hear things like that every now and again. "I do, very much but I am still happy we met. I think we will have a great relationship both in and out of work." she said.

Stefan nodded, "I feel we will have a great relationship as well." he rose from his crouched position and took a few steps back to stretch his stiffening muscles. "I've got to go make a call to my sister and see how she is doing. Hopefully she's integrating with the crew. Or if she is just keeping to herself. One never knows about your own siblings."

For a moment, a brief moment, Aer was caught up in watching Stefan stretch. The way his muscles moved under his shirt left little to the imagination. She was broken from that daydream by what he said next.

"I'm sure she is fine. My cousin is on the Majestic as it's Operations Chief... and don't start me on siblings." She laughed softly. "I have 4 very long lived ones, and they don't let me forget I am the baby."

"My sister she acts like she is the boss of the trio, and not Lucien. Well that was back in the day. Its pretty funny. We used to tell her, we're older than you, and then she would respond with a toss of her blonde hair..." he stated in a falsetto voice. "You maybe older but I am the brains of this operation." going back to his normal voice he continued, "At times she was the brains of the operation. We all took turns in filling that role. We had one heck of a team though." A wistful expression crossed his face, "I do miss that team work, I truly do."

Aer frowned with a little concern and placed her hand on his bicep and gave it a little squeeze. "I know we cannot compete with a triplet team, familial bonds mean a lot, but you have a team here. I hope we can live up to the connection, of what you want us to be." she then tapped the side of his head, his temple to be exact. "Just don't get trapped in there when we are out here."

Stefan smiled gently, "Don't worry Aer, I'll keep my head right where it needs to be, just at times, the nostalgia hits." his eyes clear as his smile grew more brilliant. "Besides, I have already seen connections that will happen. And already made one with you. I feel and I hope, I will be here for the long run. "

"That makes two of us Stefan, if not only for your lovely bedside manner." she teased a little.

Stefan chuckled, and gave a nod. "Thank you."

---

Lt. Commander Aer Feshau
Chief Intelligence Officer
Poseidon Station

Lieutenant JG Stefan Zamfir
Intelligence Field Officer
Poseidon Station

 

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