Finding the Center
Posted on Mon Feb 18th, 2019 @ 1:57am by Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde & Master Chief Petty Officer Liang Shao
Edited on on Mon Feb 18th, 2019 @ 3:42am
672 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Ghost of a Chance: Epilogue
Location: Exercise room
ON
Jayde walked into her usual exercise room and saw Liang sitting on the mat, waiting for her. "I did not expect to find you here."
"You should have." Liang waved a hand to the mat. "Sit down and tell me what has upset you so, and why we have a new captain."
Jayde dropped to the mat. As succinctly as she could, Jayde told Liang about the conversation on the bridge that led to the Romulans being marooned on the Genesis asteroid, and then what happened when she and Captain Theisman arrived on the Romulan station.
"And this has caused you to lose focus?"
"No..." Jayde looked at her friend and mentor for a long moment. "It is just the last of a series of events."
"I have time."
"Liang...I don't know what to do about Jason."
"Why? The problem is clear. You both talk around the subject, but neither of you really speaks your heart."
"I do not know what my heart says." Jayde sighed. "At times it is like we never parted. But we did, and we are two different people now. We cannot be what we were."
"No, but you can be what you are."
"What are we? Two people who can't let go of what was and what was lost to see if there is still anything there?'
"How do you feel?"
"Frustrated. Angry. Off balance." There was a long pause. "Lost."
"Because you cannot let go of the belief that the past is lost to you."
Jayde shook her head. "It is. I can no longer change the past than I can fly."
"And yet you do fly, do you not?" Liang waved her hand around the room.
"This is a starship. It is not the same thing."
"It is my point. You and Jason Smoak do not speak the same language. What you must do is find common ground and build from there."
"Why should I build?"
"Look inside yourself. You know the answer. Why should I tell you what you already know?'
"He wants me to be the person I was."
"And are you not expecting him to be the person he was and feeling all the old hurts? He opened up old wounds, yes. Let him close them."
"How?"
"Child, you should know the answer to that. The way millions of men and women have found common ground. Reserve the holodeck for a day and do not talk."
"Then what would we do?" And then Jayde understood and blushed.
"Exactly. It will do you both good. Then, you can talk."
She stood, still blushing. "No. I can't ask him to do that."
"You do not ask that. You go camping or fishing. Push him in the lake."
That was a strange foreplay. Jayde wasn't sure it would do any good. Since Jason returned, so had the old feelings, but she wasn't sure sex was the answer. Or pushing him in a lake. He'd only get mad at her.
Liang stood. "Face me."
Jayde shook her head. "This is not the time."
"Youngling, face me."
"I am not a youngling, and you are not ancient," Jayde replied, getting to her feet.
"That is not the point." Liang took a defensive posture. "Now, throw me."
It was a basic move, one they had practiced hundreds of times. Jayde bowed to Liang and balanced on her feet, looking at Liang's chest to watch how she would move, even though she knew Liang rarely projected her next move.
Liang feinted. Jayde blocked. Liang pushed Jayde onto her backside.
"You see? You cannot focus. You have been irritable for weeks. Make peace. Then make love. Or vice versa. Find balance again or you will be of no use to anyone, especially yourself."
Liang walked to the door and paused, turning back to Jayde. "You still love the man. Do something about it." Then she walked out, leaving Jayde to her thoughts.
____
OFF
Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde
Executive Officer
Master Chief Petty Officer Liang Shao
Master-at-Arms
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