The Small But Fierce Shoe Ninja

Posted on Sat Feb 21st, 2026 @ 10:05pm by Lieutenant Commander Sabastian Walker & Lieutenant JG Aiden Poe
Edited on on Sat Feb 21st, 2026 @ 10:05pm

963 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Forgotten Wounds
Location: XO's Quarters | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Night before Undocking

ON:

Aiden moved on instinct. The sound that had torn through the door had been so pained, so raw, so unsettling that thinking wasn't an option. The door was locked, he knew that and his mind started flipping through images, maps, blue prints. He thanked his excellent memory that could remember details unlike anything or anyone he'd met. It was a gift and a curse.

He removed his shoe and slammed it into the panel by the door. Clearing the shattered jagged material he reached in feeling around until he felt a small curved handle. He pulled and was rewarded with a double hiss before the door slid open.

Poe moved into the room and yelled, "Keep your hands off the XO or I shall....um...unleash my shoe power!"


Sabastian who'd been seated at the desk talking to T'Prel turned at the hiss of the door and the yell that...was both puzzling and somewhat funny. He looked over at the new science officer, purple eyes blazing, brown Starfleet issued shoes in hand like old Earth Nunchucks.

"Lieutenant Poe?"

T'Prel, from her view point on the screen raised both eyebrows.

"Um..." Poe looked around for a threat but saw none. "I um...heard a cry...for help?"

T'Prel's lip twitched. "You heard a therapeutic technique. Vulcan's are encouraged to give their feelings .... voice when they are overwhelming them."

"Oh..." Poe wiped his forehead with this right arm still holding the shoes. "I thought someone was attacking the commander and I wanted to help."

Sabastian still stared at the man. "How..."

T'Prel's eyes narrowed in amusement. "I think he's trying to ask how you got in Lieutenant."

Still in a fighting stance he shrugged. "I know the blueprints and while engineering doesn't advertise there is a manual release for each door hidden in the secondary panel I know that there is."

"Fascinating." T'Prel said and pointed through the screen. "I think there is no threat, Lieutenant, you can relax."

Poe blushed. "Oh!" He stood out of his fighting stance but still holding his shoes.

Sabastian seemed to have found his voice. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Poe, you are what...five foot six..seven..."

Poe turned red again, this time from anger. "I am Five FOOT TEN, SIR."

T'Prel held back a snicker.

"Right," Sabastian went on. "You're five Ten and I'm well over six foot three and built somewhat like a barn and you ran in here because you thought you could ... help me in a fight. With your shoes?"

Poe let out a huff of indignation. "Shoes are weapons too you know! They have heels, specially those lacy red things the women wear on their feet with the ice picks." Poe made a stabbing motion as he spoke.

Sabastian's mouth hung open and then he did something he hadn't done since Zai died. He laughed. He honest to Gods laughed.

T'Prel's eyes turned to Sabastian and then to Poe who was flushed so red he could have been a ship Klaxon.

Sabastian doubled over wiping tears from his eyes.

T'Prel's lip twitched. She got one of her evil ideas, as Sabastian called it.

"Ignore the idiot laughing," She said to Poe. "I think it was quite heroic. Lieutenant ... Poe was it?"

Aiden noticed her rank and then promptly dropped the shoes giving a salute. "Yes...Captain um... Lieutenant Junior Grade Aiden Poe, Science Officer."

T'Prel made a note quickly off camera, she had a very, very interesting idea. "Well he is fine if you could kindly leave us to finish the rest of the session."

Sabastian was trying to draw in breath, a difficult thing since he was still laughing.

Poe gave him one more embarrassed look saluted and ran out....then, a few seconds later, ran back in to grab the shoes, which he'd dropped and then ran out again after another wave.

Sabastian who'd gotten himself together laughed again at the sight.

T'Prel watched. "Well that was... interesting. Why don't I let you fix your door and we can re group tomorrow?"

Sabastian sighed. "Yeah. By then I hope to have some of these journals read that I found. Zai was a constant writer and as much as i don't want to read them I want to." He wiped his eyes again. "That was...a bit of a break."

"Yes," T'Prel said. "Remember to talk to you counselor about calling me."

He sighed. "We'll see." Then he added, "Good night T'Prel."

She gave the typical Vulcan salute and signed off. She had another plan.

***

Poe paced his quarters. "Oh Gods! You broke into the XO's quarters you looked like a fool and ....and...."

"Bridge to Lieutenant Poe."

Poe squeaked but walked over to the wall. "Um...Poe here."

"There is a coms coming in from Earth."

"I don't have..."

"Captain T'Prel Starfleet Medical."

He let out a yelp scream. "Ohhhh the scary Vulcan lady."

"Lieutenant?"

"Crab apple! I didn't mute...um...put her through?"

There was silence and then a sigh. "Was that a question?"

Poe straightened his uniform. "No...um. Okay Put her through. I can do this."

The person at the other end muttered something and then ended the coms. In a second his desk unit beeped.

Poe walked over to the desk and sat down. He hit the open button. The Vulcan appeared staring back at him. "Mr. Poe, we meet again."

He gave a little yelp. "Um... sorry, Sir.. Um... I .... I.."

"Relax Lieutenant. I'm just calling because you did a brave thing today. Thought a fellow officer was in trouble and ran in to save him. Yes you made him laugh but that saved him more then anything. I need your help."

Poe started at her. "My....he...help?"

"You're just the person."

OFF:

 

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