What Happens In the Pandora Gym . . .

Posted on Wed Mar 17th, 2010 @ 5:40pm by Lieutenant JG Hannah Andeti & Commander Earlond

Mission: Episode 1.2 - "A House Divided"
Location: Deck 10, Gym
Timeline: MD02 1745

The ground flew away beneath Andeti's feet as pounded her way around the gym's track. It wasn't much different than the one on the Tethys had been, but she felt a temporary sense of discomfort that only pushing through it would cure. She liked to know her route inside and it would take a few more days of this sort of training for her to get completely used to it.

"Computer, time." She pushed out between breaths.

=/=The time is,=/= a pause, as though the computer were checking its watch. =/=1745=/=

She shook her head. Maybe it was just her imagination but time seemed to be moving a lot more slowly than expected. If she didn't know any better she would have thought that the Commander was late. Trouble was, she did know better -- her internal chronometer was entirely to blame. She sighed and pushed her way into another lap just as the doors gym's opened.

Earlond walked into the gym and immediately started stretching. He didn't usually stretch too much - he liked to give his opponents the advantage of possibly having him cramp during a fight. However, during intensive lessons he made sure to limber up.

As he got ready, Earlond watched Andeti rounding the track. She seemed to have at least adequate stamina, which was essential for the type of combat he was teaching her. As she drew near, he raised a hand in greeting.

The counselor slowed halfway 'round the track and walked the remainder, finally approaching the commander with a smile. "Nice to see you turned up." She said with a teasing grin.

"I arrived when I said I would, did I not?" Earlond asked with a raised eyebrow. It seemed Hannah had been impatient; that would not be easy to train out of her. Fortunately, that wasn't their focus today.

"You did, Earlond." She said with a deep breath, her voice still tinged with amusement. "Exactly on time, as always." She smiled and motioned to the ring. "Should we get started?"

Stepping over into the ring, Earlond stood casually. "I'm ready when you are," he said, though he did not appear at all ready. His stance seemed far too casual.

She stepped in after him and eyed him for a moment, knowing not to be fooled. She feinted left and moved to strike him from the right, but he was too fast for her and blocked her attack with apparent ease. She was not put off and instead struck out with her foot. She hit his knee solidly, but he stumbled only slightly as she tried to punch, this time with her left fist. She managed to connect and followed with a quick right hook.

The hook connected solidly, and there was a crunch as Earlond's nose broke. He fell back, stumbling and falling to the floor.

Andeti immediately straightened and hurried to his side, cursing. "Are you okay?" Almost at once she saw, very clearly, that he was not as the blood began to flow. She tapped her commbadge. "Andeti to sic-"

In another instant, Andeti was flat on her back, immobile under Earlond's surprisingly one-handed grip. "Did I not warn you," he asked calmly, "to always treat me as your enemy here?"

It took her a moment to catch her breath and she felt the slow drip-drip of his blood as it struck and ran down her neck. "No room for sympathy in your world?" She curved one leg around his hip and at the same time struck him in the neck and twisted him onto his own back, coming out on top, with a grunt. She was always surprised by his solidity.

"Sympathy may be paid to an unconscious or dead enemy, no more," Earlond said. Pushing off forcefully from the ground, he managed to bring his knees up between his body and Andeti's. Shoving sharply away from him, he loosened her hold enough to grab her arms with his hands. In a split-second decision, he opted not to break her arms, though his refusal to do so slowed his attack such that it opened him for another one from Andeti.

"I'll have to bear that in mind the next time I take a sick day," Hannah grunted, trying to free her arms only half-heartedly, instead using her knee to strike him in the solar-plexus, winding him and giving her the opportunity to free one of her arms. He shoved her back again and in a move they were standing. She moved quickly to punch again, her arm still held by him, but hesitated when she saw his blood-smeared nose and changed her attack last minute to aim for his torso, rather than his already injured face. Part of her mind chided her for holding back, but he wasn't going to rid her of her sympathetic nature so easily.

"Too slow," Earlond said, catching her fist and stopping it solidly. "Why did you hesitate?" His nose was no longer freely bleeding, which was fortunate, but it was still seeping slightly. It was probably already healing crookedly - he'd need to break it again later so Evans could set it straight.

"Because I'm not as cold hearted as you think I should be." She grinned, despite the seriousness of her statement and hooked her foot around his leg, pulling it out from under him.

Earlond was already shifting his weight, and by the time his foot was out, it bore none of his weight. Of course, this left him vulnerable to another attack, but he was already shoving Andeti back. "Hold," he said, taking another step back and out of the ring. He eyed Andeti. "Have you ever thought about opening your mind to sense your opponent during a battle?"

She stayed still for a moment, but remained tense. She trusted him not to attack when he said he wouldn't but knew that he could cue them back into action with very little notice. "No," she responded honestly and briefly. "Considering my recent . . . problems, is that really something you would recommend?"

"You'll have to eventually face it," Earlond pointed out. "Besides, we've progressed enough with your mental training that you can start opening your mind and learning how to limit where it takes you."

"Alright," she accepted the suggestion, but grudgingly and concentrated hard on Earlond. Slowly she let her mental guards down and was surprised to find that there was more emotion coming from him than she had expected. Certainly telepathically he was still impossible, but she had expected him to seem more . . . holographic. She concentrated, trying to feel the instinct that drove his action.

Earlond sighed, stopping his fist an instant before it connected with Andeti's face. She hadn't even raised a hand to block him. Letting his mental blocks come up again, he waited for her to snap out of it.

She blinked, seeing the fist that was only centimetres from her face she jumped back and looked at him. "I have a feeling I should be grateful for your restraint." The corner of her lip rose in a half-smile.

"Quite," Earlond said. "Perhaps you aren't ready for that yet..."

"Maybe it's just that you're too good at blocking your thoughts." She continued to smile. "And remember I'm about five years out of practice."

"You're doing well," Earlond assured her. "Most people can't just pick up mind control as a battle tool. Though there is one man I knew of that could..." Earlond trailed off, looking past Andeti. "Speak of the devil," he muttered.

Drake Lexon (NPC) was strolling casually into the gym. He looked around, then did a double-take as he saw Commander Earlond and Lieutenant Andeti in a sparring ring. "Well, what a pleasant surprise," Drake said, walking over. "Nice to see you two are still together."

"Hi," Andeti greeted him, but her eyes were on Earlond. She wasn't going to bother denying anything, remembering what Rayne had said about him picking up more strongly on the subtler thoughts.

Earlond's gaze had grown hard. "What do you want?" he demanded of Lexon.

"You're quite right," Lexon told Earlond. "And I was just coming to ask you if you wanted me to go there now."

"I am busy at the moment, Lieutenant," Earlond said coldly. His gaze bore into Lexon's, but the pilot did not flinch.

"If you're sure," Lexon replied after a moment. "I'm assuming you talked to the admiral about it?"

"Drake," Andeti cut into what was quickly becoming an argument and stepped between them, as though that would hinder Earlond in the slightest if he decided to attack the man. Actually, she thought, with harsh amusement, he would probably use her as ammunition and throw her at him. "Did you need something?"

"Apparently not anymore," Lexon said cheerfully, glancing again at Earlond. He glanced back at Andeti. "But I'm fairly certain that he wouldn't use you as ammunition."

This made the counselor laugh, her face splitting in a grin. "I don't think he would at that." She glanced at the commander and then back at Drake. "Maybe you should go, just to be safe."

Drake glanced between the two of them. "Yes, I think I'll leave you two to yourselves," he said, quickly heading for the exit.

Earlond followed the pilot's progress with narrowed eyes. This was certainly a difficult decision. Superficially, of course, Earlond didn't like Drake at all. The man was too...forward. And a security risk. And yet...some part of Earlond wanted to help him.

Andeti looked at him. "Is there anyway I could talk you into helping me out with him?" She knew Earlond liked to help people, even if he didn't like to advertise it and she thought she might as well try.

Turning an amused gaze towards Andeti, Earlond actually gave a small smile. "It would help," he said, "if you didn't try and get me to do something that I was telling myself I shouldn't do."

"My mistake." The counselor laughed and looked at him slyly. "What would you suggest, then?"

"I don't suppose you could keep it quiet from Iluvar if we misplace an occupied escape pod?" Earlond asked.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "It depends if you ask nicely." She couldn't help but allow a grin to spread her lips. "Although that would solve both our problems, wouldn't it?"

Earlond frowned slightly. "What's your issue with Drake?" he asked.

"He's asked me to help him block his particular . . . talent," she explained simply. "Although you would probably be a more apt instructor."

With a nod, Earlond glanced back towards the door. "With him, it would be easier," he said. "Just remove the head."

"Which is the reason I tried to convince him that you weren't the proper person to help." Hannah laughed again.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't take the whole head off," Earlond said. "I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad for him."

"No suggestions for me then?" She asked, beginning to stretch her legs, but still laughing.

"Well, with him, you'd need to figure out what his abilities come from," Earlond said. "Until you know what that is, you can't do much to block it."

She looked at him and sighed. "I was planning on having Evans run a brain scan both alone and while in conversation, to try and pinpoint what part of his brain he is using." She changed position and continued to stretch. Her expression was thoughtful when she looked at him. "Do you think he's being completely honest about not knowing the origin of his ability?"

"I think that it hasn't been of great concern to him," Earlond said. "He's obviously not gone out of his way to look for answers on his own."

"You're probably right." Andeti found herself wondering about what Rayne had said about Drake not being honest about his own humanity. She found herself trusting Earlond's opinion and couldn't decide whether she was being unbiased in doing so. That thought made her slightly uncomfortable and she changed the subject. "Are you about ready to have that looked at?" She motioned to his nose as though it were nothing more than a bad bruise.

"I suppose I should," Earlond said. "Iluvar might not be happy if I showed up on duty like this."

"Really? I think you look rather good like that." She grinned.

"Well, my good looks aside, it's unbecoming an officer," Earlond said with a smile. He wondered if there was any truth in her words.

"I doubt that anyone will believe that I was the one who broke it." Andeti followed him towards the door, not really believing it herself.

"Let them believe what they want," Earlond said with a shrug. "The point is, we know." He didn't add that a broken nose would hardly hinder him; best to keep her morale up.

She laughed again and smiled a little longer than usual at him. "We do." The doors hissed open and she stopped for a moment before they separated. "Thanks for the sparring. As always it was incredibly . . . instructive."

"Any time," Earlond said, watching Andeti. "You're a quick learner; it's not that hard to teach you."

She looked at him in surprise. "Maybe you're just a good teacher."

"I can't teach where there isn't talent," Earlond pointed out. "Well, I could, but then you get people like the counseling department during security drills." He grinned to show her he wasn't serious.

She laughed. "Well, I appreciate your magnanimity." She sighed dramatically. "We counselors really can be an annoying breed, trying to solve other peoples' problems while you're running drills." She shook her head. "I don't know why we can't get our priorities straight." She smiled back, enjoying the sight of his own.

"Well, you're not all annoying," Earlond said.

"You're just saying that so I don't break your nose again," she replied at once.

"If you say so," Earlond said. He started down the corridor. "I expect to see you on time for your next lesson."

She just laughed over her shoulder as she turned and started away from him. She was still smiling when she got into the lift and called for deck two.

[OFF]

by

Commander Earlond
Executive Officer
USS Pandora

and

Lieutenant JG Hannah Andeti
Chief Counselor
USS Pandora