Reggie Never Stood a Chance

Posted on Thu Aug 13th, 2026 @ 10:21pm by Lieutenant JG Aria Rice & Lieutenant Commander Christopher Evans

1,243 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Behind the Curtain
Location: Gymnasium, Deck 12, USS Fenrir
Timeline: Enroute

[ON]

The gym on Deck 12 was quieter than usual, which suited Aria just fine. She had the place mostly to herself, the soft hum of the ship and the rhythmic thud of the punching bag the only real sounds in the room. It swung slightly with each hit, the straps that secured it to the ceiling creaking faintly as she circled it on light feet.

Petite or not, Aria Rice had never believed in standing still. It was her superpower...just not staying still. Or her curse. Both were viable options.

Her ponytail snapped behind her with every turn of her shoulders, the coloured streak threaded through the black hair catching the overhead lights as she moved. The bag took another sharp strike and she stepped back again, rolling her wrist once before bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. Okay, Aria...Not bad, she thought and then shrugged. It wasn't brilliant either, but she’d learned a long time ago that perfection was a myth mostly invented by teachers and ballet instructors.

She let out a slow breath and shifted stance again, the movement instinctive...the same kind of rhythm that used to guide a dance routine now repurposed for something far less elegant. “Come on then,” she muttered under her breath, squaring up to the bag again. “Let’s pretend you're a smug pirate captain.” And the bag put up no verbal argument.

Chris Evans had entered the gym and found himself listening to the end of a conversation he was almost certain he wasn’t supposed to hear. He tossed his towel on one of the benches and replied for the bag “well that isn’t much of a pirate captain.” By the time he finished his sentence he was holding the bag and smiling at the woman giving it a good thrashing.

Aria stopped before she looked at him, smiling, her hair tied back in a high ponytail and still some escaped to cling to her cheeks. "You know how it goes, right? They might not look like much and then they end up being some secret spy agents from some dystopian alternative reality..." she said playfully, looking at Evans before she gave a nod. "Sorry if I was loud. I can get loud..."

“I’m not complaining” Chris looked around the gym “and this place is pretty empty.” He smiled at the woman working out with the punching bag. “If I’m not mistaken you are Lieutenant Rice, from security” it was said as a question and a statement at the same time and he hoped he had remembered correctly.

"Yes...and you're Evans, Chief Operations Officer and generally best friends of Engineering," Aria said and smiled, looking at him and giving a nod of approval. "You can call me Aria. I'm off duty and hence...off all that rank and saluting. Besides, you've already thrown shade at my pirate friend here..." she motioned to the bag, but her smile showed she was just joking.

A smile crossed Christopher’s face by her pirate friend joke. “That’s me and I’m good with dropping rank when off duty. Unless for some reason it is appropriate” Evans paused thinking about the mess he just made out of speaking. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Aria” he was still holding the punching bag.

She looked at him before she glanced at the bag. "I...you don't have to...you know..." she motioned to the bag. "It's not that I don't appreciate it, it's you know...you're here for you workout, not to hold poor Reggie here while I...kick."

“Reg…Reggie you say?” Chris said with a giggle. “Who wants to work out alone” was his second question.

"I've named the punch bags since I was a teenager," Aria said lightly before she nodded. "And you're right. Working out alone are boring. Want to swap? I'll try and hold, you...show Reggie how it is done?"

“Sure” Chris said with a smile and got into position. “Well, Reggie don’t make me look bad” he got ready and gave the punching bag a quick left and then right jab, he was really trying not to get embarrassed.

She smiled as she put her weight behind the bag to keep it steady for him. "Doubt much could make you look bad," she said with a laugh, unable to stop the playful words. Because he was well built, fit the way a lot of officers were who took care of themselves and also wanted to pass the fitness requirements. Although he looked like he could have joined the Marines.

Chris landed a few punches, hitting the punching bag, but not with all his strength. He blushed slightly at her words and didn’t really know what to say so he just landed a few more punches until he came up with something. “So how are things in your department” came out of his mouth quickly and he almost instantly felt kind of silly, like he was in junior high again.

Aria laughed warmly before she shook her head. "Well, most excitement this week? We found a stowaway...a cat. I've never...really been around them...I'm from the Moon," she moved her head a little, so she could see him past the bag.

“Finicky little creatures… cats” he smiled at her peaking around the bag.

"Yeah, I sort of...get that...but also...there's this tribble with legs, tail, head, ears and...oh! Teeth!" she laughed, shaking her head as she smiled back. "And it's now on the ship and we let it on here."

Chris let out a chuckle “I had nothing to do with this” was his reply.

"See...I don't know if you are a cat smuggler or not..." Aria joked, her blue eyes shining with it before she sighed dramatically. "I suppose I just have to trust you, as an Officer and Department head and all that."

“Well I guess you don’t have to trust me” Evans replied a slight smile on his face.

"Hey..." she laughed and shook her head. "Doesn't work that way! We wear the same uniform colour, work on the same ship...I trust by default. It's my way, which makes me a bad Security Officer I guess..."

He shrugged “I don’t think trusting your fellow officers makes you a bad Security Officer.” Chris paused and shot her a smile “I have a feeling you do your job just fine Lieutenant Rice.”

"We'll find out. If not...you should get used to calling me Ensign," Aria joked, with a bounce in her movements as she looked at him. "Hey, you ever go to the Valhalla?"

“I haven’t had the chance myself” Chris admitted. “What about you” he asked with a raised brow and a curiosity.

Aria grinned as she looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "It's my home away from home. After this, let's go, I'll introduce you to the cocktail menu!"

“Are the two of you close?” Chris asked before chuckling.

"Oh we are," Aria laughed, her eyes shining at the way he said it. "Best friend for live, my dear man. Do not worry, Aria Rice has never steered someone wrong when it comes to cocktails..."

“A good friend to have” Chris smiled.

OFF:

Lt. Aria Rice
Assistant Chief Security Officer
USS Fenrir
[PNPC Hanlon]

&

Lt. Commander Christopher Evans
Chief Operations Officer
USS Fenrir

 

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