Into the Storm Peaks

Posted on Tue Mar 17th, 2020 @ 2:53am by Commander Ennis Cullen & Saki Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 98: Building Our New Home
Location: Holodeck Four - USS Heart of the Tiger
Timeline: 1930Hrs - June 8th, 2393

Saki Yamaguchi sighed softly as she regarded the snowscape before her, the land was covered in snow many feet deep, the mountains were massive craggy rocks peeking out and from behind the snowscapes, but the sky was so dark one could see the stars even though it was almost mid-afternoon, the clouds were light and gentle but there was also a rather powerful aurora overhead that blazed a bright green with shades of blue mixed in for good measure. "Dad. I miss mom." the small child commented in a quiet tone of voice.

Cullen regarded Saki who was wearing identical clothing to the man she had come to call her father, a pair of heavy boots with two pairs of pants, a heavy jacket and a hat which covered both women's ears and gloves completed the set. In Ennis's left hand was his bow, over both of the two Yamaguchi's shoulders, they carried a quiver each with two hundred arrows. "I know sweetie. I miss her too." Ennis Cullen smiled at Saki. "You got all your arrows. How does this go again?" he inquired as he lifted his longbow and drew an arrow, he nocked it but the arrow sailed off into the air when he misfired it. The arrow landed a good distance away.

"Not like that, dad." the ten-year-old answered in a cheery tone, as she smiled at him. "Let me show you." as she came over, she moved through the snow, like a seasoned professional as she clearly knew how to handle the cold. "Got all your arrows?" she inquired of Cullen.

"Yeah," Ennis responded with a smile as Saki quickly nocked an arrow. "You do it like this.. Take your time and try it," Saki explained, she was trying to teach him just how Rachael taught her. Cullen had received a few archery lessons from Rachael before the two ended up having sex in the snow on more than one occasion. Many of Cullen's happiest memories of spending time with his young wife was here in the snow, rather than on the sand. He knew that Rachael was one who prefered her sex in the shower rather than in a bed and Cullen was curious about how she prefered it, he found she was skilled in the arts of love but he had so much to teach her.

"That's just lewd dad," Saki commented with a smile. Cullen sighed softly as he gave the ten-year-old a rather evil glare but he sighed. "Saki, you really shouldn't do that." Cullen shook his head. "What would your mother think?"

"Mom would laugh at me, Aunt Elizabeth would also laugh too but both would be unhappy for various reasons," Saki explained. "I'm sorry Dad but you did project that memory at me." the ten-year-old answered. "I won't tell anyone, you have my word." Saki gave him her sweetest smile that the ten-year-old could muster. "Besides. I know what mom looks like nude," she added, as a matter of fact, rather than something that people should hide from. "My childhood home wasn't the most well-stocked place in the history of decent clothing."

Cullen sighed softly. "I'm corrupting minors now. Rachie, you didn't make this easy for me." Cullen said aloud as if talking to Rachael like she was here, which she wasn't.

Saki nocked an arrow before letting it fly into the target downrange. "Come on Dad, arrows don't fly themselves," she commented evenly as she quickly nocked another but this arrow went wild into the snow.

Cullen slowly nocked another arrow before he took aim. He then let fly while the arrow sped into the target downrange, it came to a sudden stop with a loud thud as Saki smiled. "Now you're getting the hang of it, just think Dad. The skills you learn here will save you in battle." the ten-year-old cheered him on as he let fly with another arrow, Saki cheered. "Bullseye. Do it again dad!"

Cullen regarded Saki with a sigh, she gave him that usual innocent smile but he did as she demanded, nocking another arrow but this time he missed. "Ahh, well. I guess I can't have perfect aim every time."

Saki slowly nocked an arrow before she let fly with the arrow into his target at the same time as he let fly with his own arrow, both arrows collided and destroyed each other im midair.

"Wow... what the heck?" Cullen inquired.

"Dad, it's like firing a phaser rifle, only this takes a lot more effort. I make it look easy because... I had no choice whatsoever. You do have a choice... But you are trying too hard. Let go... Stop worrying about mom and relax." the ten-year-old explained.

"What do you mean Saki?" Cullen inquired, Saki in response, slipped her bow over her head before she came over to him. The small child looked up at him as Cullen knelt before her. "Dad, I can hear you thinking of mom every chance you get, you forget that mom and I share a very close bond. We finish each other's sentences. I don't need to speak to her when I have her mind's ear... you miss her... but please dad, try to think of it from my perspective. I feel like a painter that's gone blind, a composer that's gone deaf. I'm missing a part of myself because I've never had an extended period of time without her in my life."

Cullen gently ran his hands over the small child's shoulders, she was fifteen pounds lighter then Sarah was at ten years of age and several inches shorter to boot. "Saki. I love yer ma.. That'll never change."

"I know Dad. I wouldn't be here if I questioned that." the ten-year-old responded. "But for you, she is your spouse, for me, she is a quite literal part of me," Saki explained. "I could hear her thoughts. She could read mine." she looked at the man she called her father.

"I'm sorry Saki... Should I make arrangements to send you back to her?" Cullen inquired.

"No," Saki answered quietly. "I need to learn to live without her present. If I don't then this will only be harder." she paused. "Its tough for me but I will overcome. I will adapt." the ten-year-old sounded very unsure. "I mean I got you, Sarah, Daniel, and the twins. What more could I want?" she inquired.

There was a sudden loud meowing sound, as it produced on command. The head of one of their two cats suddenly emerged from the snow as he rasped loudly at Saki and Cullen who both jumped in fright. Saki regarded the cat. "Sandstorm. What are you doing here?"

The cat growled at her as he came over to his mistress before he mewled at Saki.

Saki raised an eyebrow as she watched the cat quite literally leap up into her arms. "Come on dad, let's go home and take this guy with us," she commented.

Cullen smiled. "Sure. computer, save and clear." and with that, the landscape, snow and the targets vanished. Cullen quickly cleaned up the arrows as Saki held the large cat in her arms, moments later the two departed the holodeck.