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Willing or not, Sa'Rahn will make things right somehow. In the meantime, new assignments have come in, centering around an interesting species...

I hope you enjoy reading!

Leave a comment and let me know what you think please! I love reading them, anything is appreciated! :)

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It had always been difficult for Sa’Rahn to gauge the time of day while aboard a starship. From his combadge to the ship’s computer, there were of course numerous sources ready to tell him. His internal clock gave him a general idea of when morning was, and his stomach when breakfast ought to be. In space though, there was neither sunrise or sunset. There were no moons to see rise over a horizon, and no birds to start chirping as daylight broke. The eternal darkness of empty space outside never allowed Sa’Rahn the time of day.

Likely it was just him that had an issue keeping track of time, Sa’Rahn reasoned as he slowly sauntered along. The empty halls of the Alpha-Caitian IV had an eerie, almost haunted feeling this early in the morning. Overhead lights were off and the lower wall runners were dimmed to conserve power; most of the crew was still asleep after all. Each lumbering step Sa’Rahn took along the carpeted deck echoed loudly in the silence as if he were a giant stomping about. Other than the ever-present hum of EPS conduits embedded in the walls, the ship was quiet.

It had been close to two weeks since his meeting with Fleet Admiral S’ttel to discuss the deteriorating state of his health. Since then, Sa’Rahn had been attending regular counseling sessions, as per the Admiral’s instruction. Little came out of them however; Sa’Rahn proved less than willing to open up to the ship’s counselor. He didn’t need a doctor to tell him how to feel.

Since then however, despite the S’ttel’s direct orders, Sa’Rahn had rather skillfully been avoiding his mandatory exercise regime. Reasons varied from actual coincidence to lies he made up to get out of it. Yesterday his back was too sore. The day before he had a stomach-ache and was feeling nauseous. And before that he was buried in an unusually high number of duty rosters. It didn’t take long for Doctor M’tolli to catch on though, and report Sa’Rahn’s disobedience back to the Fleet Admiral. Having both run out of convincing material to work with, and S’ttel threatening to follow through with sending him to the Militia’s boot camp yet again, Sa’Rahn finally caved and agreed to comply.

He was glad most of the crew wasn’t awake yet; he already felt embarrassed enough as it was. Instead of one of his usual uniforms, Sa’Rahn was barefoot, wearing only a pair of stretchy red shorts and an old undershirt he had lying around, leaving him a bit chilled. He didn’t exactly have regular exercise clothes set aside. The grey tank top was somewhat old, stained and worn from age; it didn’t even fully cover his belly anymore. As for the slick polyester shorts, he could remember when they used to be a little baggy on him, years ago when he was still a Commander. They were much more form-fitting now. At least the elastic in the waistband still had some life left in it.

Sa’Rahn slowly weaved from side to side on his way to the ship’s gym, still half asleep. Wanting to avoid any additional gossip among the crew, he had opted for exercise sessions during gamma shift, when traffic in the gymnasium would be at its lowest. This meant getting up at o’ four hundred, far earlier than his comfy job ever required from him. His tired golden eyes scrolled left to right as he skimmed over a datapad in his hand, filling out duty rosters for the next day. If he was going to have to be conscious this early, he might as well get enough work done to justify a well earned nap after lunch.

Truthfully though, Sa’Rahn was paying little to no attention to what he was doing or where his feet were guiding him. Ever since he and Iris had fought over his declining health, and his failure to address it, their relationship had been in what he could only describe as an uncomfortable limbo. Nothing he did, no matter how sincere, helped to smooth things over. Iris had become distant and cold towards him. She hadn’t kicked him from their bed, but the woman that slept next to him seemed like a stranger now. With each passing day, Sa’Rahn was starting to grasp that things weren’t going to get any better on their own. Besides, she’d made her reasons for staying cross with him very clear.

Mindless grumbles of grief and frustration escaped him as he walked, heart heavy and torn over the situation. Why did he have to improve himself to demonstrate how much she meant to him? Iris’ desire to see her mate in good health just didn’t register with him. The size of his waistline had never been an issue between them before; she’d even encouraged it when they first met! It made no sense. Yet, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Sa’Rahn knew Iris wouldn’t be happy or forgive him until his health improved.

While he’d been scrolling through duty rosters, checking boxes and filling out input fields, he noticed a new message from the Fleet Admiral marked with high priority in the latest batch. Sa’Rahn gradually slowed his pace as his attention was drawn to the message, until he came to a complete stop in the middle of the empty corridor. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned deeply, trying to wipe his sight enough to read clearly.

Years had passed since he had laid eyes on a Special Fleet Directive, however he still recognized the format as orders for a new assignment. The Alpha-Caitian IV was to travel to the Beta Renner system to attend a diplomatic summit that was going to be held on Antica. Sa’Rahn skimmed through the bulk of details with little interest, only looking for the highlights that would give him the gist of things. Additionally, an number of officers were to attend the summit as ’Federation Observers’. S’ttel had already made it clear Sa’Rahn wouldn’t be fit for duty until he lost a substantial amount of weight, so it came as quite a surprise to find his name on the list of attendees.

Deep trenches of concern etched their way into Sa’Rahn’s forehead as he read that the Beta Renner system was located deep within the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet’s Department of Temporal Investigations still hadn’t cleared Iris for passage outside the Beta Quadrant! Going ahead with this assignment would mean leaving her behind at the 23rd Fleet’s starbase. Sa’Rahn’s stomach twisted around inside him as he weighed his options; perhaps it would be best if she didn’t come along? She didn’t want to be around him any longer it seemed; the past few nights of sleeping next to a woman as cold as stone had made that abundantly clear. But she was his first, and only love; he wasn’t sure how to handle this. Perhaps distance would be good?

A sigh of relief slipped from him as he continued to scroll through the orders however, seeing that S’ttel had attached a certified notice of exemption allowing Iris to pass through the Alpha Quadrant at the bottom of the message! She would still be under house arrest, under his custody, but this was the biggest jump in her case for freedom in years! He bit down on his lower lip and closed his eyes painfully tight, both elated at the news and bitterly disgusted with himself! Only moments before had he nearly chosen to leave his mate behind because things had gotten difficult. His whole frame shuddered like a leaf and tears trickled down his cheeks, realizing never, even as passing thought, had he considered acting so selfishly against Iris before. He cursed himself bitterly, then cursed some more. Rubbing his eyes, he knew this was exactly why they had fought in the first place!

Sa’Rahn attempted to calm his breathing as he lifted up his tank top, exposing his furry belly as he used the shirt to wipe his running nose. He continued to sob into his hand, unable to stifle his crying. He didn’t to want to alert anyone nearby as he took a few minutes to sort out the painful emotions that had washed over him. This had to stop! He had to be better than this, he told himself! Swallowing and clearing his throat first, Sa’Rahn tried to put on a calm face as he resumed making his way to the ship’s gym. He would have time to mull things over later.

Despite the numerous rumors about his lifestyle he knew circulated among the crew, Sa’Rahn actually had visited the ship’s gym before. Not with any real frequency, granted, but he knew where it was at least. Back when he was still a Commander on active duty, exercising came easier, but he still hated and avoided it at all costs just the same. Now that his duties consisted of sitting at a desk all day though, what little of a ’routine’ he once kept had long since been lost.

Sa’Rahn’s attention was lured to the sound of stifled grunts and heavy impacts nearby as he stepped into the ship’s gym. A little off to the side, he spotted his brother, Morley, apparently killing time with one of the punching bags hanging from the ceiling.

The burly Caitian drew back each arm close to his chest for only a moment before lashing out another jab into the punching bag at incredible speeds! His shaggy tail thrashed from side to side violently, obvious adrenaline coursing through his veins. Even beneath his sandy fur, the taught muscles in Morley’s back and arms visibly tensed and curled before each strike. Left, right, left, left, then a powerful right hook that dug deep into the sand-filled bag.

Sa’Rahn leaned silently against the closest wall, watching in curiosity. Although Morley had a sizable gut of his own, the fat was backed by domed muscle, putting him in far better shape than Sa’Rahn could ever hope to match. Despite his efforts though, it was unlikely his brother would ever be any more fit than he was now; their family’s bar’shra made sure of that. Still, Sa’Rahn couldn’t help but be impressed as Morley continued boxing without any hint of tiring out!

Ever since his promotion to Admiral, and the reassignment of the Alpha-Caitian IV and her crew to his disposal, Sa’Rahn had never actually seen his brother act in any real capacity as a Starfleet Captain. Morley still commanded the ship technically, but nowadays he was more or less a benchwarmer with four pips on his collar. Sa’Rahn knew his brother had worked for Starfleet Intelligence in the past on who-knows how many shady classified assignments, but even so, it was concerning seeing him taking a sort of of sadistic pleasure in beating the punching bag to death. His body language, posture, and even his scent all screamed of pent-up anger. Had Morley been like this in the field when he was still active? What had happened to the fun-loving older brother Sa’Rahn knew when they were cubs?

The rhythm of Morley’s punches broke as he paused for breath, chest heaving and whiskers quivering. Without warning, he lashed out once more, the weight of his back behind the brutal strike. The blow caught the bag in the middle, bending it, and swinging it violently on the mounting chains. Sa’Rahn’s hackles rose instinctively at the sight, startled by the display!

Apparently finished, Morley stepped off to the side and unwound the wraps from around his fists, before retrieving a water bottle from the nearest bench. He silently glanced at his brother with a mild scowl for a moment before taking multiple swigs. “It’s about time you showed up...” Morley mumbled, quiet enough so Sa’Rahn wouldn’t hear him. Wiping his mouth with the back of his arm, he commented, “I’ve been waiting for almost an hour, Sir.”

“Sorry I’m late… I didn’t want to come.” Sa’Rahn smirked a little at his own humor, failing to take note of his brother’s frustration. “I’m not used to waking up this early…”

Morley’s jaw tightened as he visibly tensed at his brother’s blatantly lazy excuse. A low, rumbling growl began to grow deep within his throat before his temper abated. They were no longer on Cait, and Sa’Rahn outranked him. Morley swallowed his pride and put on a mask of subservience. After so many years, he was good at it, after all. “Of course, Admiral.” Morley replied dryly. “You… are the one who requested early morning sessions, Sir.”

“I know...” Sa’Rahn started to say, sheepishly glancing around the gymnasium. As he had hoped, there were fewer people around this early in the morning. However, a few crewmembers were still present at the opposite end of the large room, probably part of the night staff. Stepping a little closer to his brother, as if they could somehow hear them from so far away, Sa’Rahn whispered, “I don’t… I didn’t want anyone else here. I don’t want any of the crew watching me.”

Morley closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his patience already growing paper thin. “May I ask why, Sir?”

Sa’Rahn shrugged a little as he shifted from one foot to the other, bowing his neck. “It’s embarrassing…” He whined.

“No one is going to be watching you. Sir.” Morley replied as he calmly drew his arms behind his back, tightly clenching his fists as he felt his claws extend involuntarily into his palms.

“Argh…” Sa’Rahn groaned a bit as he rubbed his soft neck, taking another look behind him. “Maybe today’s not a good day for-...”

“With all due respect… Sir.” Morley interrupted, taming his tone quickly. “I-... The Fleet Admiral will not be pleased if you disobey his direct orders. Again. Sir.”

“I know, I know… You don’t have to call me ’Sir’ so much, you know. We’re family, Morley.” Sa’Rahn explained, lifting an open hand to him. “I don’t call you ’Captain’ all the time.”

“Fleet Admiral S’ttel assigned me to oversee your progress during these sessions as your…” Morley visibly struggled to spit out his last word. “...trainer.”

Sa’Rahn hesitated to speak as he finally noticed his brother trying to maintain a false demeanor, his left lip inching its way into a hint of a snarl. Morley’s scent was bitter, his stature rigid, and his tail unswaying. Sa’Rahn’s ears lowered in shame as he deduced he was the cause. “Morley I… I’m…” Sa’Rahn tried to speak, unable to find the words he wanted. “It wasn’t my decision to have you-... I know you don’t want-...” He sighed, crossing his arms over his stomach.

Morley muttered something inaudible but didn’t reply, his sight remaining straight ahead like a statue, purposely avoiding his brother.

“I know it’s been a few weeks, but... we haven’t really talked since what happened back home.” Sa’Rahn offered again, searching for any sign of emotion from his brother. After what felt like minutes of awkward silence, he realized Morley had no intention of acknowledging him. “After what you said to me, while I was in the hospital… I get that you pretty much hate me… And... I-... I don’t blame you. I’m sorry?”

Sa’Rahn paused, hoping something would move Morley to speak before continuing, “I-... I-I know I have a problem, Morley. I feel awful for lying to Mom and Dad... and Leo... Mother’s Cubs I looked the boy right in the face and lied to him. I didn’t want to, but... how could I-... how could I tell him? Cath, Morley, the cub said I was his hero! Me!? You know Leo, you know how naive he is...” Sa’Rahn shook his head. “I don’t know what got into the cub. He was hurting himself, overeating and trying to make himself look like me! Gods I can’t believe I’m even saying that… I tried to get him to stop, I swear it...!”

As Morley remained silent, coldly performing the bare minimum to fulfill his orders, Sa’Rahn soon gave up trying to win over his brother. Lowering his head, he began to pace bit as he continued to ramble. There were things he wanted to get things off his chest, even if they would prove to have no effect. “After you left for Starfleet, back when we were cubs... I lost contact with you for so many years. Then, I guess Chath’s will brought us back together.” Morley’s rigid appearance cracked slightly as his whiskers twinged, fragile nerves being drilled into. “You were different, but I thought that was you just doing your job, so... Look, I know you blame me for being benched, and obviously hate me for out ranking you. For whatever it’s worth... I’m sorry. I really am... I didn’t want things to be like this. I don’t want to be over you, I don’t want to order you around.

“Morley, you’re the only family I have out here... I don’t-... I don’t want you to hate me. You’re my brother, I love you...! I wish things could just go back to like when we were cubs. When we were best friends, when we used to play together and go fishing together…” Sa’Rahn’s voice started to slur and crack a little as his eyes teared up, remembering his loving older brother from decades ago. “I just want my brother back…”

Morley hesitated as the absurdity of the situation was starting to sink in. The Captain of the ship callously standing by and shouting at the Admiral who was having a breakdown in front of him. That was bad enough itself, but he was suddenly made aware that crewmen were still present when someone was unable to stifle a cough. Catching sight of the few remaining crewmembers at the opposite end of the gym starting to stare, a quick authoritative scowl from Morley was all it took tell them to leave immediately. Dragging his brother by the arm further away as the others left, Morley continued, “You had a heart attack! You scared Mum and Dad half to death! You could have fixed this! You could have prevented all of this! But you chose not to!” Morley growled, pointing at him angrily.

“I know…” Sa’Rahn sniffed.

Telling himself it was merely to avoid unwanted rumors from the crew later, Morley stiffly wrapped his arms around Sa’Rahn in a light, awkward hug.

Feeling his brother’s embrace startled Sa’Rahn at first; it’d been years since Morley had hugged him. Not wanting to question if his intentions were genuine or not, Sa’Rahn happily leaned all of his weight into Morley and hugged him back, tightly pulling him close. “I’m so sorry, Morley.”

“Yeah, well…” Morley mumbled, briefly considering apologizing for his own actions back home, but quickly stopped himself from doing something he’d regret. Done with showing that he cared, Morley grabbed Sa’Rahn by the shoulders to shove him away, adding, “This doesn’t change anything. We each have our own demons; I’m not scared to face mine, and you shouldn’t either. I won’t forgive you for lying to Mum and Dad. And especially to Leo!”

“I-... Yeah...” Sa’Rahn sighed, rubbing his face. “Are… are we ok?”

“No.” Morley snapped, steaming off his emotions. “...But… we can be, eventually.”

“...Alright.” Sa’Rahn swallowed, gathering that was the best he was going to get for now.

Finished with the completely uncomfortable conversation as far as he was concerned, Morley rolled his neck as he switched gears. “During... my time with Starfleet Intelligence, I was subjected to rigorous combat training. The Academy teaches only basic skills for the frontier. SI teaches you how to survive.” Morley explained. “Eventually, my instructors were pleased with my skills; I was briefly put in charge to train new recruits. So... as disgustingly ironic as it is... I actually do have some experience as a physical fitness trainer.” He paused, thinking for a second. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Fleet Admiral dug through my records and assigned me to you solely because of that...”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad he chose you.” Sa’Rahn added. “I wouldn’t really feel comfortable doing this with anyone else, if I’m being honest. That’s kind of why I asked if you’d help me, back at the hospital.”

“I remember...” Morley grunted as he slowly scanned over his brother. How Sa’Rahn had ever circumvented Starfleet’s fitness regulations in the past, even with his battlefield commission from Captain Fort’yive, was beyond his comprehension. Sa’Rahn’s waist alone was nearly twice as wide as he was! Morley’s cold blue eyes gradually widened, taking in just how morbidly obese his brother really was, and how difficult assisting him would be. "Cath sserrot you’re fat... this is gonna be hell…” Morley groaned, resting his head in his hands.

“I think I carry it well.” Sa’Rahn quipped as he glanced over himself briefly, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“I promise you, you don’t.” Morley retorted sharply, massaging the bridge of his snout. Planting his hands firmly on his hips, Morley shook his head in disgust. “Why did you let it get this bad, brother? You could have prevented so much of this…”

Sa’Rahn’s ears fell flat as he shrugged a little, not sure how to answer. “I’ve always been like this. I’m just… used to it.”

Not content with the complacent answer, Morley strode up close to Sa’Rahn to stare him straight in the face until he was pressing into his stomach. Baring his teeth and driving a finger into his brother’s chest, he growled, “Alright, you listen to me. The Fleet Admiral can go shove it! Orders or not, I have no intention of helping you if you won’t work with me. I won’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped!” Morley snarled, making sure he had Sa’Rahn’s undivided attention. “I don’t want any of your lazy excuses; you do as I say or I’m out! You understand?”

Sa’Rahn’s muzzle wrinkled up in a grimace, feeling his brother’s bellowing breath on his face he was so close. Gathering it would be best to not answer, he silently nodded in agreeance to Morley’s terms.

“Alright... You obviously haven’t done anything to control your bar’shra since you were removed from active service. I can’t work with you like this. Agh... You’ll have to start out with something simple." Morley lifted his head, taking a step back as he quickly glanced around the gym. “There’re some exercise mats over by the wall. Grab one. We’ll start you out with some stretches for now.”

“Exercise ma-... ok. Oh, right! Uh, here. Take a look at this... while I... do that.” Sa’Rahn stammered as he followed Morley’s directive, handing the datapad he was still holding off to his brother.

“What’s this?” Morley asked, his voice showing little interest as he casually looked over the device. Sa’Rahn opened his mouth to reply, but was swiftly cut off before he could utter a single word. “Where did you-... These are active service orders, from the Fleet Admiral!”

Sa’Rahn smiled a little as he rolled out one of the exercise mats across the floor with his foot, listening to his brother read over the message in full under his breath. He couldn’t help but notice Morley’s tail swaying again, but far less violently than before. During his meeting with the Fleet Admiral, Sa’Rahn had asked for the Alpha-Caitian IV, and more specifically, his brother, to be placed back into some amount of active duty. It wasn’t much, but he had hoped it would make him happy. He honestly hadn’t thought S’ttel would have come through with the request so quickly!

“I didn’t read over all myself. I just noticed it was sent to the chain of command, so I figured I’d let you know.” Sa’Rahn explained. He was tempted to boast and let Morley know he was the one that had requested new orders. But, as he was about to speak, Sa’Rahn realized saying that would likely only make matters worse. Morley already resented him, thinking he was powerless as a Captain. He didn’t need reassurance that was true. “Um… by what I saw, the Admiral has taken the ship off standby and put us on a new priority assignment.”

“Bah! ‘Priority’! ‘Diplomatic peace summit on Antica’... this is nothing more than a glorified inspection tour!” Morley scoffed, lightly striking the screen of the datapad with his knuckles.

“Inspection tour? What do you mean?” Sa’Rahn asked as he carefully sat down on the exercise mat, trying to stretch out his legs flat across the floor. He winced a little, feeling the tendons in his ankles stretch more than what they were used to; even something as simple as spreading out his legs strained his weak muscles already!

“I take it you haven’t met many Anticans.” Morley questioned, still reading over the assignment in hand.

Sa’Rahn had seen many species during his service in Starfleet, though he couldn’t recall ever meeting any Anticans specifically. Or perhaps he had, and just couldn’t remember what they looked like. They were one species out of hundreds in the Federation afterall. “I don’t think so-... oof.” He grunted while leaning forward in a futile attempt to touch his feet, only to realize his belly was far too large to allow such freedom of movement.

“Not surprising. Disgusting people… They may be members of the Federation for now, but they’re hardly worthy allies.” Morley growled with obvious distaste for their race. “They attempted to apply for Federation membership back in 2364 I believe. Took them over a decade before they were accepted. The Federation still doesn't give them much leash to this day though. Don’t blame em.”

“Ten years? Why did it take so long?” Sa’Rahn asked, propping himself back on his arms to catch his breath.

“Because they're barbaric! Anticans are barely space capable, and they were still in violent war with the Selay back then.”

“I’ve heard of Selay I think... Why were they fighting?”

“Because Anticans would eat them.” Morley replied in all seriousness.

Sa’Rahn simply blinked at his brother in disbelief, unable to discern if this was some sort of attempt at humor on Morley’s part. “You can’t be-... wait. What?!”

“You heard me. Antican culture centers around hunting. They’ll hunt, they’ll kill, and they’ll eat whatever they deem too beneath them on the food-chain. I remember the history lessons back at the Academy. Each time they applied for Federation membership, another story would hit the newsnets about how more Selay were attacked, captured, and then eaten alive in retaliation for their own attacks on the Anticans.” Morley continued, folding his arms over his chest.

“Mother’s cubs… Do they still-...?”

“No. They’re supposedly peaceful now. They haven’t attacked, or tried to ‘eat’ another sentient species in decades. At least not publicly. Rumors still float around though. The Federation’s tied a tight noose around their governments’ neck to keep them in check. I still don’t know why we tolerate them...” Lifting the datapad up, Morley pointed at its screen as he continued, “The briefing here is an example in itself. This peace summit is trivial at best. It’s between a few local packs no one heard of and no one cares about. But, the Federation is shoving their nose into it anyway because they don’t trust them.” Morley dropped his arms, shaking his head. Yet, over the course of a few seconds, a slight ghost of a smile slowly crept across his lips. “Even still… I’ve been nagging at the Fleet Admiral for a real assignment for over a year now. Barbarians or not, I'll take it.”

The temptation tell Morley the origin for their new orders was building up. Sa’Rahn could feel the urge sitting heavily in his chest, at the base of his throat. Maybe he would actually appreciate it even. It might prove he didn’t mean to interfere with his brother’s carrier all along? But, Sa’Rahn chose to keep his lips sealed and remain silent nonetheless. It was better for Morley to believe his pleas to the Admiral had finally been heard.

Continuing to read over the assignment in further detail, scrolling through the briefing, Morley added. “I’ll make preparations and let the crew know we’re headed for Beta Renner... It’ll be good to get my boots on the ground again, and some of the crew off the ship for once. Even if it is just to watch a bunch of old windbag-politics bark at each other for a few hours.” Morley’s whiskers stiffened as he tapped his claws on the datapad’s screen in thought. Scratching his chin, he suddenly asked out of nowhere, “How’re things between you and Iris? I’ve heard things among the crew lately.”

Sa’Rahn’s gaze lowered as he continued to stretch, twisting his torso around at far as his size would allow. Much to his surprise, despite all the weight layered on him, he was still quite flexible! Or at least more so than he had expected. “We um... not good.” He admitted, hesitantly. Catching his breath, he continued, “Iris isn't speaking to me. She hasn’t kicked me out yet but... things have been... I don’t know…”

“You haven’t gotten any in weeks have you?” Morley asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow.

Sa’Rahn’s head spun around at him. “That-...! I... No...”

Morley glanced back down at the datapad in hand, a smug grin across his face. “The briefing says there’s going to be a obligatory dinner included at the summit. Sounds like a banquet of some kind. Figures as much...” Lifting his eyes back to his brother, Morley added, “You should take Iris, make a date out of it.”

Sa’Rahn’s ears perked at the thought as he bent over to stretch out his back. He immediately stumbled over and stopped though as he felt his short’s tighten exponentially as he did so. It had been longer than he could remember since he had treated Iris to an actual date and not just a visit to the ship’s holodeck! Sure, the holodeck had an infinite number of venues to choose from, but none of it was real. What initial excitement had sparked in his heart swiftly fizzled out as Sa’Rahn realized that, although Admiral S’ttel had somehow managed to earn her passage outside of the Beta Quadrant, Iris would still not be allowed off the ship. “I would love to, but…” Sa’Rahn began to explain, “...But, her parole officer probably wouldn’t grant me permission to take her off the ship. They still believe she’s a threat.”

“Hmm…” Morley grunted, leaning to one side as he looked around his brother. The gym was empty for now, though in a few hours it would fill up again he knew. Morley drew in a deep breath, debating if he cared enough to indulge his fleeting idea. Tapping his foot, he lowered his voice to a whisper, “Let me worry about her parole. I can arrange for her to beam down separately. She’s no threat.”

“Wha-... really!?” Sa’Rahn spoke up, his voice escalating in joy. “You would really do that for-...”

Morley frantically waved a hand to shush him before he could finish. “Shut it! Before I change my mind. It’s not for you. It’s for her.”

Sa’Rahn’s pulse quickened as a sliver of hope grew in his heart. He was being given a chance to fix things between him and his mate! He couldn’t afford to waste this. “Th-... thank you, Morley.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Morley commanded, lightly tossing the datapad off to the side. “We’ve wasted enough time talking. I have a lot of work ahead of me now that we have new orders, so let’s get this session started, and over with.”

“...I thought I had started...?” Sa’Rahn whined, hoping he might get off easy now that his brother seemed to be in a better mood than before.

“You’ve been stretching. That's not exercise.” Morley retorted. “Back in my days at the Academy, I was... a lot bigger then than I am now. So, I started fighting it. Hard... Thing is, I didn’t consider the ramifications of what exercising with so much excess body fat does to someone.” Morley paused, pointing down to his legs. “Ever since, I’ve had pain in my knees. Doctors can’t fix it, damage has been done. We need to start you off simple. Things with low impact.”

“Agh…” Sa'Rahn groaned, exasperated.

Snarling at his brother's reluctance to comply, Morley placed his hands on his hips, nodding at the floor. “Fine then! Drop and give me some crunches! I’ll tell you when to stop.”

“I, er…” Sa’Rahn stammered sheepishly, lowering his voice to a timid whisper as he took a quick glance around the gymnasium again. “I-... I can’t. I can’t do crunches.”

Morley stared at his brother in utter astonishment, his tail starting to thrash from side to side once more. “...Excuse me…!?” He finally spit out, baring his teeth. Completely staggered by the obvious attempt at an excuse, Morley’s bottled-up anger swiftly rose to the surface as he loudly barked, “What do you mean you CAN’T do crunches!?”

Sa’Rahn instinctively lowered his head in embarrassment. “I mean, I physically can’t... I have a hard enough time just rolling out of bed in the mornings nowadays, Morley...” He explained, placing his hands on either side of his stomach.

Morley’s eyes drifted up to the ceiling as he threw his head back, pacing backwards a few steps and groaning loudly. Why had he agreed to help his brother?

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-To Be Continued...