They have only barely begun to scratch the surface of Zelien. Honestly, Beverly has yet to talk about in depth with anyone, even Deanna or Jean-Luc. The memories are still too new, too difficult to get past. The second Annie asks her about it, Beverly's entire demeanor changes. Her body shifts, expression closing just a little into wariness before she can smooth it out again, and tenses, just enough to show that the place her mind wandered to (see also: Zelien in its entirety) really isn't a pleasant topic.

"Like I said, I use it for meditation purposes," she explains slowly, gauging Annie's reaction as she goes. "A friend was teaching a class a few years ago and I decided it would be a good use of my time. Starfleet might advocate peace, but we are a military organization. We are all trained in some form or another for combat, even if we prefer to use it for protection rather than gain." She purses her lips for a minute before adding on, "It's saved my life a few times, especially right before I got here."

If she hadn't been able to fight in Zelien, she never would have survived. She's sure Annie can understand that.