Room to Adjust

Posted on Wed May 13th, 2026 @ 6:32pm by Commander Nusien & Lieutenant Commander Vianola Paxidor

1,706 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: One Year Later…
Location: Gymnasium, USS Yorktown
Timeline: MD01 - 1630 hours

Vianola had never trusted a ship she had not walked properly.

Deck plans and reports had their place, but neither told her what a vessel actually felt like once people started moving through it. For that, she preferred her own eyes, her own instincts, and a bit of time spent covering the ground herself. So far, Yorktown had made a decent first impression. Clean lines. Good flow. Enough life in the corridors to feel settled without slipping into sloppiness.

The gym had been next on her list.

That was partly professional and partly personal, though with her the line between the two had always been thin. Training spaces mattered. You could tell a great deal about a crew by how they treated the place built to keep them sharp.

The doors parted with a soft hiss and she stepped inside, the warmer air carrying the familiar scent of matting, metal, and effort. Her gaze moved easily over the room, checking layout, equipment, condition.

Then it caught.

The figure across the gym stood out at once, and not just because he was the only other person there. Edosians were not a sight one stumbled across every day, and Vianola had not seen one in years. For the smallest moment, the surprise of it flickered across her face before recognition followed close behind. The XO. There was only one Edosian aboard the Yorktown, and Commander Nusien was difficult to mistake for anyone else.

He seemed to be adjusting one of the exercise stations, making it suit him rather than forcing himself to suit it.

Fair enough.

A faint curve touched her mouth as she shifted the PADD against her side and crossed further into the gym, quiet-footed and composed in fitted training clothes rather than uniform. If nothing else, it was certainly a memorable way to meet the executive officer.

She slowed a respectful distance away, blue eyes taking in the adaptation with open curiosity.

Nusien had settled into the Yorktown with ease. There was a joyous party had over communications when he told Piret and the children of his promotion. But, now the dust settled on the newness of it all. Now, it was time to work, to meet the crew, and to gain their respect. He knew that there were not many of his kind in Starfleet as a whole. Further he knew that not many people have ever seen an Edosian. So, the looks he received from the crew were not surprising. By and large as they got to know him, and he them everyone settled in to a pattern of sorts.

He stood and began to move toward the weight rack. His tripodal legs rotated almost like an insect. The Edosian lower spine was called a feat of medical marvel. He retrieved a 45 kilogram weight with his left and center hand. His right hand extended toward the newcomer with its three fingered hand extended for a shake. "Lieutenant Commander Vianola Paxidor, species El Aurian, station Chief Security and Tactical Officer. I am gladdened to make your acquaintance." He turned as he held the weight and smiled at her.

Vianola’s eyes dropped briefly to the hand extended towards her, and for the smallest moment she was struck by the size of it. Not enough to put her off, but enough to make her quietly aware that her own hand would disappear into his. Still, she took it without hesitation, her grip firm even if his all but swallowed hers whole.

“Commander,” she said, a faint warmth threading into her voice. “Likewise. And if you like, just call me Vi.”

The surprise of seeing an Edosian aboard had eased by then, settling into something lighter. “I’ve only met one before,” she added. “Years ago, on a station stop. He was passing through with a relief convoy and somehow ended up in a full argument with a Bolian quartermaster over whether cargo netting counted as properly secured if half the containers were technically being held in place by optimism.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “I didn’t know who to side with, but he was very convincing.”

Her gaze flicked to the equipment he’d been adjusting, then back to him.

“I can see why you’d need to make a few changes in here, though.”

"My people can be quite convincing when we want to be. Additionally, most of us remain on the home world as it is suited for our needs. I for one welcome the unknown that space brings. It also allows for the exploration of the mind and body. It isn't just space that is unknown out there. There are unknown medical maladies just waiting to be discovered." Nusien finished setting up the weight bench. So, he turned to face Vi directly. "Forgive me. I came up through Starfleet Medical. This is my first foray into Command. So, my mind is still focused on medicine, still thinks I am a Chief Medical Officer." He laughed, but his laugh sounded more robotic then genuine. This was an unfortunate side effect of Edosian voices.

The sound of it caught her for half a second, strange only because it was unfamiliar rather than off-putting. By the time the laugh had faded, the corner of Vianola’s mouth had already moved with it.

“There are worse things than an XO who still thinks like a doctor,” she said. “Might save the rest of us from doing anything too stupid.”

Her tone was light, but not careless. She meant it.

She let her gaze drift once more over the adjusted bench, taking in the changes with the practical eye of someone who understood both training and the sheer stubbornness of equipment designed around the wrong body.

“And I can see the appeal,” she added, looking back to him. “Space, I mean. New ships, new people, new problems no one’s solved yet. There’s always something waiting to surprise you.” A faint breath of amusement touched her voice. “Some of it more welcome than others.”

She shifted the PADD against her hip, settling into the conversation a little more easily now.

“For what it’s worth, Commander, I don’t think coming up through Medical is much of a handicap. You still learn people. Sometimes better than the rest of us do.” A small pause followed, then, with a touch more warmth, “And I imagine anyone who’s had to work around Starfleet gym equipment has earned at least some command experience the hard way.”

"Yes I would say so." Nusien added with a smile. "I agree that having medical personnel in command is a boon. However, there are those who think that because of the Hippocratic Oath I cannot make the decisions that are often required of command level officers. Nusien began to lift the weight bar with his left and right hands. His central arm and hand continued to gesture toward Vi as he spoke. "I admit that decisions such as those can be hard for anyone, but especially for me. But, I still make sure to get them done. Additionally, I would never ask someone to do something that I would not do first." He began to perform reps with the weight bar. This demonstrated the ability that Edosians had to concentrate on two different tasks at once.

Vianola watched him for a moment, not quite staring, though it was hard not to notice the way he managed the weight bar and the conversation at the same time. Different physiology, different rhythm, and somehow very controlled. She could respect that.

“I’ve heard that argument before,” she said, shifting the PADD a little against her hip. “About doctors in command.”

Her mouth moved slightly, not quite a smile.

“I’m not sure I buy it. I’ve known plenty of officers without a medical oath who still struggled when the hard calls came.” She glanced briefly to the weight bar, then back to him. “I think it’s probably difficult either way. Maybe it should be.”

That felt closer to the truth than anything grander, so she let it sit for a moment.

“My partner was an engineer,” she added, quieter now, the words coming with a little more care but no drama. “Vulcan. He used to say I had too much faith in instinct and not enough in systems.” A faint, fond curve touched her mouth. “He was probably right more often than I admitted.”

Her gaze moved over the equipment Nusien had adjusted.

“But I think people bring what they are into command. Medicine, engineering, security, whatever came before. You don’t stop being those things because the chair changes. You just have to learn when to lean on it and when to get out of your own way.”

Then, after a beat, her eyes flicked to his central hand as it continued to gesture while the other two kept the reps going.

“I will say, this is the first time I’ve had this conversation with someone actively weightlifting through it.” Her smile showed properly then, small but real. “It’s impressive. Slightly distracting, but impressive.”

She nodded towards the equipment, letting the moment move back into easier ground without burying what she had offered.

“Do you want a hand with the setup, Commander? I came in to look over the gym anyway. Might as well be useful while I’m here.”

"A spotter is most welcome. Thank you." Nusien said with a smile.

Vianola’s smile deepened a little at that, easy now in a way it had not been when she first stepped into the gym.

“Gladly.”

She set the PADD down on the nearest bench, careful to keep it out of the way, then moved into position with the same quiet confidence she carried everywhere else. Different ship. Different crew. Different sort of executive officer than she had expected.

Not a bad thing, she decided.

As Nusien settled back into the lift, Vianola took her place nearby, ready and attentive, the formal edges of first introductions already beginning to soften into something far more useful.

A working understanding.

And for a first day aboard the Yorktown, that would do nicely.

 

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