Training Day

Posted on Thu Jun 13th, 2024 @ 5:45am by Ensign Anya Bagh & Commander Tamarra James
Edited on on Thu Jun 13th, 2024 @ 5:46am

1,183 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Joint Logs
Location: gymnasium, TDV Sapiyr

Anya opened the door to the gym. She was starting to get used to the Sapiyr and the mostly analog facilities. Something about not being in a holodeck made it feel more like home to her.

She started stretching as she showed up a few minutes early.

TJ jogged along the hallway to the gym, a smile lighting her face. The semi-regular workouts with Anya Bagh were always fun. Besides, she mused as she rounded the corner and spotted the door, one day they would need to be able to anticipate each other seamlessly.

She opened the door and stepped inside. “I’m here, I’m here,” she called out. And immediately looked around in case she was about to be ambushed.

Anya grinned. “Right on time.” She stretched her quads, balancing on one foot. “Must be leg day? Unless you want to teach me something else.”

“Leg Day…” TJ paused for a moment, then grinned as a plan formed in her head. She’d been watching some of the other crew working out, and had some ideas that she had picked up from Aoife Duffy, the Head Nurse that Doctor Ceja relied on so closely.

“You ever see Duffy in action?” She asked as she carefully flexed her feet.

Anya thought for a moment.
“Not exactly, not outside of a medical capacity.” She tilted her head, knowing that scheming look on TJ's face. “What'd you have in mind? I don't think they want us exercising in sickbay.”

TJ laughed, a rich hearty sound that seemed to come from somewhere in her belly.

“Duffy and Nasir are not just proficient in medical matters,” she said. “They have other skills that come from their background of being in one of the most prolific and successful pickpocket gangs on Mars.” she didn’t speak of the other things she suspected. Best to keep to the matters she knew.

“Aoife uses acrobatics in addition to her hand to hand combat skills. It makes her unpredictable to the enemy.” She laughed again. “Shall we?”

“I admit acrobatics isn't my strong suit, but I like being flexible.” She stood, limbered up as much as she would be. “Then again, Sean asking about pickpocketing makes much more sense… “ she shook her head.
“I'm as ready as I'll ever be.”

TJ nodded, and bounced onto her hands, her feet flying over her head as she tumbled into a handspring. She landed, wobbled slightly, laughed and did it again, aiming towards Anya. This time when she landed, she crouched suddenly, and swept her leg sideways towards Anya’s knees.

Seeing where TJ was headed, Anya stepped back, caught the leg with her hand and lifted the leg up suddenly into a leg lock.

“ Could be different with more than one attacker I suppose.” she grinned, holding up the leg. “Though good execution.”

TJ rolled into the lock, breaking the angle enough to get her other leg bent and braced. She pushed off with her free leg with enough force to unbalance Anya. Immediately, she began to wriggle to break Anya’s hold.

“Nice.” She commented in an approving tone. “Very nice.”

She thought back to the first few sessions they’d had. Carefully circling each other, until it became clear that if they kept doing so, neither would have fun. Since then, they’d met at least once a week. Anya, TJ knew, would be an ally if things got rough.

Anya’s hold broke, letting her take another step back before stepping closer again to offer a hand to help TJ up.

“I used to do more parkour growing up than acrobatics. Granted I haven't done much of that since starting the academy.” She mused, still keeping an eye on the aptly named armswoman.

TJ took Anya’s hand, nodding her thanks. “Parkour?” she asked, “I wonder how we can do that too in here. I miss the ability to just ask a computer to make what we want it to make.”

She looked around the chamber they were in, and considered the possibilities. Then rushed at Anya sideways, just to see what she’d do.

Seeing the move suddenly, Anya ducked, grabbing at a leg to try to trip her. She let out a giggle as she did so.

“Nice” she laughed earnestly for probably the first time since coming to the Sapiyr.

“Parkour would be fairly easy here, we can rearrange benches and weights…. Though maybe not as much jumping as I'd like.”

She made her way to the workout equipment, seeing a weight bench and thought for a moment.

“Do you want to build an agility course? It could be fun.” She grinned, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Gotta keep the Tserrans on their toes”

“They do seem to rely on heavy artillery rather than agility and surprise,” TJ said. She paused and looked around at the space again. “We need to get the Potemkin back. And soon.”

She pointed at some equipment stored against a wall. “I don’t know what that is, but it looks sturdy enough to jump on, or over, or around. Hand flips all the way there?”

TJ did not wait, but flipped forward neatly, and walked a short distance on her hands before allowing her feet to touch the ground. She laughed as she discovered a distinct lack of momentum, and ended up on her back, staring at the ceiling.

Anya grinned looking at the equipment. She looked at the walls, trying to scheme. Eventually she ran, tucked her arm to her forehead and rolled. A loud thwap could be heard right before she landed on her back next to TJ. Trying to see what was on the ceiling.

“What's so interesting up there?” She looked in the same direction as TJ.

“Places to put hooks,” TJ replied in a dry tone of voice. “So, want to help me get the Potemkin back?”

“If we can add some rail guns… but yeah. The kittens miss it. Plus I miss teaching Sean the basics of properly handling a bat'leth.” She looked to the ceiling and sighed.

“What do you need me to do?”

“First you need to understand that I was very kind when I gave my ship back to Captain Mitchell,” she began,

Anya smirked. She should've realized the ship wasn't his.

TJ rolled over onto her stomach and began to detail how she thought they could get the ship back. Her fingers traced routes, and access points.

Anya knew most of the routes, noting what she could remember, adding extra points she could think of from when she was able to roam the Jefferies tubes for fun.

TJ finished, rolled back to look at the ceiling, then with a neat flip bounced to her feet.

“Now I am grumpy,” she announced. “And must fight more.”

A familiar glint was in Anya's eyes as she reached for TJ's leg, starting their typical grapples while still laying on the floor. She fought with a new fire in her soul, as if training were again the difference between life and death.

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