Ride the Lightning

Posted on Thu Feb 27th, 2020 @ 6:14pm by Commander Jiao Anderson-Smithson & Grand Admiral April Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 23: Foundations of Stone
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1400Hrs - January 26th, 2391

Fleet Admiral April Yamaguchi smiled as she was now going to meet Zara Tane. She had heard lots of horror stories about the smaller woman and now she wanted to separate fact from fiction.

She reached her destination as she tapped the door chime, she took a moment to look around the bridge.

An Asian woman she didn't know was presently sitting in the center chair. "Uhh Lieutenant... is the Captain actually in her ready room?"

"Yessir." The Asian woman rose to her feet. "I'm Jiao Anderson, newly assigned here as Commander Yamaguchi wanted me to oversee the supplies transfer. Its... a lot of work as we're finally getting a good replenishment."

"How long have you had these issues Lieutenant?"

Jiao tapped the side of her face with one finger as she thought about it. "Years sir... Starfleet has been... forgetting about us and screwing us over... we've been forced to use... other methods."

"Well Jiao.... you need not worry... I will see to it that Roanoke as well as every other ship under my command... IFO has a new skipper and you won't have to worry anymore...."

Jiao smiled. "On behalf of Roanoke, Admiral... I thank you."

"Its overdue Jiao... I have a personal connection to this old girl... as does my mom before me."

"I didn't know that sir.."

"No worries Jiao." and with that she went over to the door and tapped the chime a second time.

"Yo!" Tane called. She was on her back on the couch, looking straight up at the ceiling. Her glassy eyes were watching the clouds of smoke she created with each exhale of her Klingon cigar.

The door opened as April Yamaguchi walked in. "Lo Zara... I see you're feeling medicated... you feel like sharing?"

"Have to... to stay sane here," Tane laughed wholeheartedly.

"Well... I thought it best we met.." April them smiled as she plucked one of the bottles as she read the label. "Mmm... Aldebaran whiskey." she shrugged as she poured back a mouthful.

As expected it felt like liquid fire going down her throat. "Holy shit!" April gasped. "wow..."

"Borrowed it from Admiral..." Zara rubbed her glassy eyes as she tried and failed to come up with his name. "..I forget."

"Well no matter... its good." April commented before taking another swig as she sat back and put her feet up on the desk. "Nice place you got here.... you have no drinking buddies?"

"Fucked one too much, that I got caught by their offspring. So I don't drink with that one much," Zara counted off her hand. "And the other... I forget why I don't drink with him."

April chuckled. "Yes...Torilla told me about that tale at length." she smiled as she drank another mouthful. "This is good."

Zara tilted her head a bit, as she was processing April from an upside down position. "You're in Torilla's clan?"

"I am.. yes." April smiled. "I'm Jake's eldest sibling..." and with that she downed another mouthful of her drink. "Besides... Torilla and Jake are such a lovely couple... don't you think?"

Zara nodded in the affirmative. Then nearly wet herself as she jackknifed once she realized this was an admiral "Uh... yeah - I mean yes - I mean yes Ma'am. They are."

April simply smiled as a chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm not in uniform Zara." she commented as she took another mouthful of the bottle. "Tis good.." as a laugh escaped her. "Why are you jumping around like... that?" she inquired. "That was... soo cool."

"Torilla insisted I... do something," Zara frowned as she could not connected her thoughts well at the given time, considering how drunk and high she was. "It was important though."

April continued her smile. "I wouldn't worry about it.... though I hope Torilla is alright.." she looked at the Trill woman before she gently pulled Zara onto her lap. "Just relax... this is fun..." as she sipped her drink.

"Err... Sure," Zara nodded quickly in agreement. Like someone who had a tad over their limit. "Umm... I'd offer ya good stuff to eat, but we ran out of it when... I forget her name - but she gave us food before. It's gone."

"I read the reports submitted by Torilla." April responded before she gently set Zara back down on her feet. "Apparently Captain Olmos was able to get you some good food... but the virus killed it all." April commented. "We're still looking into how that got loose by the way."

"I'm not sick," Zara snickered, then took another inhale of her cigar. "I mean, I was, but I'm good now. Furban did something sneaky with our salt-to-water-something-or-nother. I didn't pay much attention. She grates on me. Everyone, really."

"Furban... I've heard about her from others.." April responded. "Some say she's nuts, others say she's retarded while others say she's a genius." she shrugged. "Who knows..."

"She's a genius," Zara confirmed. "An OCD, literal, medical savant."

April sipped her drink, now really starting to feel the effects of her drinking. "Oh... nice... and she irritates people.. can't be worse then Idiot Peterson..." the taller woman responded. "As I tore him a new one... he shit himself."

"Her foster mom thinks she's got something akin to...." Zara paused as she tried hard to place the word. "Autism? I think? ...So she's a bit special. Don't come out of her lab unless we need her."

"Fair enough..." April commented as she was quickly taking notes. "I heard her mother didn't want her or something... I never kept up on all the details.."

"Mom abused her," Tane corrected without realizing who she was talking to. "...Probably why she's weird a lot. Has no social skills at all. But she's high-up in society and Furban doesn't have the chops to face the bitch again to make her pay."

April nodded her head as she sipped her drink. "Okay..." the taller woman smiled. "Then.. we will do it for her."

"I'd like to have my ship working before I have to put up with diplomats," Zara groaned.

"I'll loan you several hundred Engineers... I'll have them all answer to your Commander Ra'vak." April commented.

"He thinks the warp core's a god," Zara laughed maybe a too enthusiastically. "Another nutter genius."

April chuckled softly. "Wait... he prays to the warp core..?" the taller woman inquired.

"Something about the anti-matter being a divine substance that all must pay homage too... I try not to understand it," Tane spoke honestly as she took another exhale of her cigar.

April blinked. "Your Chief Engineer sounds like he's utterly insane... and Torilla called him 'her little demon'."

"He's got an afro too," Zara laughed.

"Oh dear god.." April giggled. "Wow.." as she took another mouthful from her drink.

"I got a lot of weird people on this ship," Zara pointed out. "My science officer looks like a rejected horse concept from My Little Pony."

"Wait... what?" April blinked, this was news to her. "Rejected... from who?"

"As I said... I have a weird bunch," Zara laughed. "Status quo for this ship."

"Yes I remember, Captain Kurek liked as few humans as possible.. When she was commanding the ship... I was the only other human on the bridge next to her."

"That was a long time ago," Zara blinked. "Before the Ol' Girl was converted into a carrier."

April drained the last of the bottle. "Mmm... empty." she commented as she turned and began pawing through the other bottles on the desk.
"Mmmm... lets see..." and with that she selected a bottle.

"Careful... It's not easy to five-finger good stock on short notice," Zara cautioned as she watched the bottled get downed.

"I'll replace it." April answered with a smile. "I have a dozen bottles I can't seem to be rid of... so I'll donate them to your cause."

"Roanoke has no cause," Zara pointed out a bit too bitterly than she wanted. "We have about three-hundred ships in IFO. Seventy percent of them are admiral ships being parked. The rest are mostly science ships and the flagship... and Ro, here."

"Well... the new Commander of IFO will take things in hand.." as a rather evil sinister smile appeared on the taller womans face. "Oh.. I think you'll like the new head of IFO..."

"So long as I don't have to be my mother's elbow ornament with her fellow council members for the next three months while waiting for my next mission? I don't care who my next boss is," Zara admitted as she took another swig of her cigar. "I loathe having to dress right in front of those pricks."

April raised an eyebrow. "Oh... I think I can find someone else to fill the role of her arm ornament." the taller woman responded. "Politics..." as sighed softly. "I sometimes miss knowing who my enemy is... makes my life easier..."

"The enemies change daily," Zara frowned and went over to her desk for a bottle of bloodwine. "Mom's been sending letters to me, talking about a new Cardassian-Federation alliance.. She doesn't like it."

"What!!!" April blinked. "A Federation... Cardassian... Alliance!!" April gasped. "Holy... god."

"Oh yeah," Zara confirmed grimly. "Stupid pricks want to buddy-buddy with us again. But mom's Traditionalist Party are trying to block the proposal at every attempt. Which so far, it's succeeded with the Ambassador of Bajor reminding the Council of the evils of the Cardassians."

"We can only hope this request dies... where it belongs.." April sighed, clearly she was not hopeful.

"If Ambassador Krill Forna wins the upcoming election, she'll probably knock it down very quickly," Zara shrugged. "Gal is one scary Bajoran. Survived four cell raids during the resistance."

April raised an eyebrow, easily shaking off her inebriation. "Sure... and I'm the fucking fairy godmother." she responded. "I'll believe she'll do it when I see it."

"So whatcha come to see me for?" Zara finally asked when curiosity got to her.

"Well.. I thought we should meet.." April commented. "Torilla speaks highly of you."

"She's fucking me," Zara pointed out with a shrug. "Not sure why she likes me. Most think I'm an ass."

"From the way she tells it... you're fucking her." April giggled. "Are you trying too hard or not trying hard enough?" she inquired.

"I used to work hard at this," Zara confessed gloomily while she drank more of the blood wine. "...But Ro started getting less and less love from the fleet. And the fleet started focusing more on how I wind down, than how I deal with shit."

"You worry too much.." April responded with a smile. "IFO has a new boss... one who's more interested in making these idiots work for it... not pimping out their rides.... and you know who he is?" April inquired as if sharing a trade secret.

"I'm always the last to know about stuff in the fleet," Zara told April. "I'm one of few captains without Scorpion level clearance."

"Yeah.... Until I get back to my office." April responded. "I'm going to have a word with your new boss.."

"Do I look trustworthy?" Zara asked wryly.

April shrugged. "Do I?" she asked. "Does anyone really?" she then shrugged. "Who cares..." and with that she finished the bottle of bloodwine. "Oooohh... wow, that shits potent.."

"House Carn'Pak are pals of mine from the war.. They hook me up with wine and cigars, anytime I ask," Zara said with a huge grin.

"Explains it..." April commented. "I have four bottles of Andorian spirits with you're name on them.." the Fleet Admiral responded.

"You're my new best friend, Admiral." Zara beamed widely at that notion.

April chuckled softly. "Others have called me far worse Zara." she responded.