Skeleton Crew

Posted on Thu Feb 27th, 2020 @ 11:03am by Fleet Captain Torilla Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 17: The Drug-Dimmed Tide
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 0800Hrs - December 16th, 2390

Commander Torilla Yamaguchi was sitting on her sofa as she held both cats on her arms, well one was on her lap and the other was sitting on her chest when she heard the door beep at her.

She gently plucked Pufftail as she gently placed the cat next to her as she rose to her feet. "Enter..." she commented. "Commander Saint... " Yamaguchi greeted him. "Whats on your mind?"

"Commander," Jacen said as he stood in the doorway for a moment and looked around the room, seeing the woman's pair of kittens as one scampered up onto the back of the couch to watch him and the other ran and hid under her desk. "Do I have to have something on my mind to want to just stop by and check in with the XO."

"Come in..." Torilla turned as she went over to the replicator. "I don't get you Commander... I really don't..." she explained.

The Security Chief stepped into the room and watched as she got herself something to drink from the replicator. "Not much to get, just a simple kind of guy really." he said and then tapped the side of his head as he smiled in a depreciating fashion "Just booze, women, and shooting stuff up here."

Torilla indicated the replicator. "Help yourself..." she commented. "I just have one question for you before we start." she paused. "How do I know that you have my back... I mean you come across as this washed up, broken man... how do I know you have my back.... my career is in ruins because I acted to end a threat to my baby and grand-baby.."

"First of all, drop the defeatism....I have looked over your career before being assigned here and it was just bad luck that got your moved to this assignment so that will stand you in good stead with a court-martial." he said as he hesitated between taking a seat and getting something to drink, finally deciding on a cup of hot jala as the slightly minty scent filled the air before he moved to take a seat across from her.

"Next, I think that we can sell an angle of self defense given your psionic abilities and based on the Captain's previous behaviors in his other postings where he was humiliated...he never went this far in his assaults but he has a history of violence and leave it at that." he said, blowing gently on the warm liquid as he considered the best way to discuss himself with Torilla.

Torilla had no trouble being told to do something, the fact that Jacen was able to stand up to her said something about his character. "Okay... so what options do I have?" she inquired. "Because if it does go to court marshal... I'm going to fight it."

"In my opinion, you'll be looking at charges of voluntary manslaughter, from viewing the recordings and the witness statements, but looking into some cases involving psionic's I am going to make a recommendation that you were acting in self defense of your daughter and grandchild. JAG might try for something harder, but if they did there wouldn't be a case."

"So what more do you want from me Torilla?" he asked as he stared at the Amazonian woman sitting on her couch. "I told you what happened to me, I have explained what I have been doing for you now, you want to doubt me after all I am doing to try and save your ass and your career then that is on you, not me."

Torilla regarded him as she considered what he had to say. "Okay... fair enough. You make your case bluntly Jacen... I can appreciate your candor.." she then smiled a moment before it vanished. "If... this goes to trial... and I get convicted... what sort of sentence am I looking at?"

"It depends, the standard sentence is three to eleven years in a penal facility, you will be stripped of your rank and be given either a dishonorable or other than honorable discharge from service," he told her and took a drink from his drink, giving a shrug.

"Though by the way I have carefully assembled the evidence to present mitigating circumstances...you could be facing as little as one year jail time with an other than honorable discharge. Acquittal, which is how I am figuring that this will go is going to be a black mark on your record, will set back your promotion chances and take you off the short list for your own command."

Yamaguchi nodded her head. "I'm honestly not in a rush for my own command anyway.... I'm starting to like it here..." she paused. "but I have to wonder how I could get an acquittal?" she looked at Jacen

"Acquittal will come down to being whether or not you seem remorseful about your actions and given the waste of meat that the Captain was, I don't see a court-martial really trying too hard to convict."

"Well.. considering I've not had a decent night sleep for the last few days.... I can't seem to get it out of my head... I'm wasting my emotions on that waste of skin.."

"Yeah but that shows that you are remorseful over what you did, that taking his life was not an easy thing or simply an action that you would seek to repeat it just for the pleasure of it." he said, looking at Torilla and speaking honestly with her.

"The moment you find yourself not feeling guilt is when you need to worry."

"Jake and Elizabeth have both told me the same thing.." Torilla explained. "Rachael and Wukari are okay and they're gonna stay that way..."