there were even patches of soft green grass for people to lounge on.
His favourite part of the day was the morning; he lead a stretching session that was a combination of different yoga and martial arts disciplines for the crew and civilians right in the middle of the massive garden. Many of them came dressed in uniform, the Freeground style vacsuits the crew wore didn't impede movement like regular clothing. His robes were made for free movement as well and he preferred to wear them instead of a vacsuit during morning exercises. A few of the civilians had taken his example and used materializer rations to create white robes of the lowest Axionic level. The fact that some of them had taken the time to research the order and made an effort to follow his example flattered him, a sentiment he accepted then gently dismissed during meditation.
To his surprise Ashley had joined them that morning. She was dressed in full uniform with the exception of her flight jacket, which had been hung over a large birch tree branch nearby.
Ashley followed the group through their exercises from the side and a few minutes after the class begun he moved to stand right in front of her. Her dark eyes looked into his nervously. “I'm screwing up, aren't I?” she whispered with that soft lisp that always made Liam smile.
He shook his head and fixed her with a reassuring expression; “You're only doing what comes naturally. Close your eyes, try forgetting where you are. Now take a slow deep breath,” he called out to everyone. The majority of the two dozen participants were patient people and they wouldn't mind slowing the class down to a more relaxing stretch. As she took a breath, everyone else followed along. “Exhale slowly, all your nervousness and negative thoughts are leaving you, passing out of your body.” He waited until she had finished and continued; “good, now bring air in through your nose just as slowly, fill your body with clean air, relax your stomach so you can take it all in and when you're full begin releasing slowly through your mouth. All negative thoughts and energies are leaving you.” He did this with the class, watching Ashley as she began to forget that she was the center of attention, at least momentarily.
“Now we're going to lay flat on our backs. Slowly lower yourself down, stay relaxed and be concious of each movement,” he directed the class by example, everyone watched him throughout the sessions, even through such simple motions.
When he had everyone on their backs he went on; “now keep breathing from your abdomen, evenly, deeply as you move your arms just out to your sides, palms up and then separate your legs. Rotate your feet inwards, then outwards. Let them fall naturally, don't force them, they know where they want to be.” He waited for everyone to reach the position he was directing them to and peeked at Ashley. While she concentrated on going through his directed movements she stopped breathing. At the conclusion she started to breathe deeply again. “Breathe with your movements,” he instructed generally, trying not to single her out. “Now slowly turn your head from side to side. We're centering our spines and bringing our bodies in line. Once you've finished, lay with your face to the ceiling.”
She stopped breathing again as she rotated her head. He quietly got up and sat just above and behind her. Her eyes popped open, all her self conciousness rising to the surface.
“It's all right, just keep breathing. Now relax your neck for me, let me move you.”
“Okay,” she whispered back.
He gently took her head in his hands; “now breathe in slowly,” he told her as he turned her head left in a pace that matched her inhale. “Exhale slowly,” he instructed her quietly as he brought her head back to center. “See how natural that feels? Our bodies are more oxygenated, more energized if we breathe with our movements. We are also more self aware, can maintain calm more easily and our thinking is clearer. Try it yourself.”
She turned her head to the other side, inhaling through a smile and then back to center, exhaling as before. “Better?” she asked.
“Much better, now through the session try to match your breathing with the movements. No motion has to be perfect, just don't force yourself past your limits and take it slow. Just concentrate on breathing properly for now.”
“Thank you Chief,” she whispered to him as she watched him stand up and move back to the head of the group.
The rest of the session went well. Everyone was focused, stretched and relaxed by the end. Most of them were on their way to begin their shift right afterwards. Ashley said goodbye to a few of the crew members she knew before approaching Liam with a big smile. “Thank you for helping me get started. I've never done anything like this before.”
“That's all right, everyone has to get started somewhere.”
“Did you learn how to do this on Earth?”
“I started long before I applied to visit, actually. About fifty years ago during my first time in college.”
“Wow. At least we have the right teacher.”
“Well, to be honest I didn't feel ready to teach until I attended on Earth. They have masters there with knowledge that far surpasses anything I've learned, it was a good environment.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes, but like anything; it would be different if I were to return now.”
She smiled at him and nodded; “I know what that's like.”
“How are things with you and Finn?” It was what she wanted to speak to him about and his invitation to the topic was a relief to her, he could tell.
“We're taking it slow,” she shrugged.
“That's something new to you.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Only a guess,” he smiled.
“I'm so glad he's okay, but I guess I expected something else.”
“You used to think about him often when he was in stasis?” Liam stated as he folded his hands into the sleeves of his deep blue robes. They started walking towards the rear hall.
Ashley nodded. “Maybe too much.”
“Infatuation is hard to break,” Liam concluded for her.
“Well, I don't know if I was infatuated,” she paused a moment then nodded. “I mean, okay, a little.”
“The only way to break infatuation is with reality. You have to look at him for who he is. Watch him, ask him questions about himself, let him speak to you. Get to know him better than the version of him you imagined. Your preconceptions and fear are the cause of the distance you're experiencing.”
“What if, I mean, if what he says isn't…”
“What you expected? Or if you don't feel the same way? Well, how do you feel now?”
Ashley sighed and pulled the tie out of her long black hair, letting it fall loose around her shoulders. “I already don't know what to say to him, we hung out in observation and it's just…” she wrapped the hair tie around her wrist then changed her mind and retied her hair, “awkward. We're supposed to go on leave for a couple days together during a recruiting mission and I don't know what to do.”
“Be yourself. Don't be afraid to tell him anything, and do your best to invite him to the conversation by asking him questions, even if it's hard. If he's not the person you expected him to be then speak to him honestly. Tell him how you feel. Shared experiences help, do things together away from the ship if you can. He's a friendly person, remember that.”
They had come to the express lift that would take her to the command deck and he pressed the call button for her.
She smiled at him; “I'll try. Thanks Chief,” Ashley waited for the express car quietly for a moment and suddenly, playfully punched him in the arm. “You're good at this stuff!” She looked at him, noticed his surprised expression and rubbed his arm where she'd struck him; “oh, sorry, not s'posed to punch priests.”
“Don't worry, it takes more than that to bruise me,” he chuckled at her. “Besides, I'm a Pilgrim, not a priest. You'd be surprised at what I'm allowed to do,” he winked.
The doors opened and Ashley stepped inside. “Well, thanks again. I'm on shift in five,” she smiled at him.
“See you in observation sometime.”
“Or tomorrow morning!” Ashley called out as the doors closed.
Liam shook his head as he turned and walked back down the hallway towards the rear express car doors on the other side of the garden. A smile graced his visage as he considered how he had just had almost the exact
