The First Meeting

Posted on Fri Feb 28th, 2020 @ 3:56pm by Commander Tressa Brislan-Antilles & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Saki Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 31: The Ashes of Eden
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1400Hrs - March 26th, 2391

Music Soundtrack: Long Night of Solace - Halo Reach Soundtrack

Rachael Yamaguchi was wearing civilian clothing, a pair of khaki cargo pants, a pair of boots and a sweatshirt. Next to her was her eight year old daughter. "Is this where we meet this... Treesia?" Saki tried to pronounce the smaller womans name, only she managed to mangle it.

"Tressa." Rachael responded. "and yes... so be nice to her..."

"I am always nice." Saki smiled slyly.

"Saki... this is me, you're taking to.." Rachael gave her daughter a wry look as she tapped on the doorchime.

"Enter."

Rachael tapped the door release and she walked in, followed by Saki behind her. "Hey Tressa." Rachael regarded the smaller woman who'm she was once almost equal to in height but now she towered over Tressa. "Its good to see you." Rachael was now 5'7 in height, she was now a woman with a figure to match rather then an adolescent teenager on the cusp of womanhood. Also she had leaned out and had gained some serious color, it didn't hurt that she had also gained some curves as well.

Tressa smiled and hugged her in greeting. "My goodness, look at you," she said, reaching up to touch Rachael's face. "Has it been so long?"

Rachael smiled warmly at her friend. "Tressa... Its been a long time... form my point of view anyway.." she smiled softly as she indicated the child nearby. "Tressa... meet Saki..." she looked at the child. "Saki... this is Tressa Brislan.."

Saki nodded before the small child bowed to the woman before her.. "Hello. My Lady." she greeted Tressa the old formal style.

"Hello Saki," Tressa said, kneeling down to give the girl a hug. "You're as big as Kaylee..."

Saki gently returned Tressa's hug with one of her own. "Mom has told me all about you. All good things.." she assured Tressa with a smile.

Rachael grinned down at Tressa. "I remember being much shorter." she indicated the sofa. "A lots happened..." she admitted with a smile. "I was fourteen, with my wings and a fast track to the academy... now I'm twenty-two and I don't remember anything." she indicated Saki who had sat down next to her mother. "and Saki here is bored."

"Everything on this... ship looks alike... It's so easy for me to get lost.." the small child admitted. "How does anyone find their way around without signage..."

Rachael raised an eyebrow. "True.."

Saki regarded Tressa. "Who's Kaylee... If I.." she stopped as she suddenly turned her head. "What was that?"

Rachael gently held her daughter who moved closer to her mother. "That was a crewman walking down the hall..." she sighed. "Its too quiet for you... isn't it?"

"I can't hear anything..." Saki turned her gaze about the office, fortunately, there were few spots to hide behind.

"She's spent her entire life outside.. until now... she's used to the sounds of wind and nature." Rachael explained for Tressa's benefit."
the older woman smiled. "Mom was kind enough to make a bed for Saki... who was asleep for over twelve hours..." Rachael then smiled.

"Living on a ship takes some getting used to," Tressa said. "I don't think I slept at all my first week on the Essex."

Saki regarded the older woman with dark eyes. "Not having any breezes... no sun... it's... strange.." she paused. "I miss the sun."

Rachael had expected this, the look on her face said as much. "Saki... you're sleeping in a bed thats outright strange to you. You've never known this level of comfort before."

"I've always slept on rocks...and plants... its... strange" the eight year old responded.

"Different, but not strange," Tressa said gently. "Tell me more about where you lived. What did you do?"

Saki and her mother shared a look, Rachael nodded, indicating it was okay for Saki to speak. "Well... I spent a lot of my time bored as there wasn't much for me to do, Mom read to be from a book-set called the lord of the rings, she added other books as I needed to read more m'lady." she addressed Tressa formally, in the way one addressed royalty.

"The clime was not distressful, the animal life in the area was all predators, none of them were plant eaters, this world was a kill or be killed world." the child seemed at ease with her statement. "Sleeping on rocks in a cave was not bad in the least, it was quiet and dark but I could hear the sounds of water running or the breeze blowing."

Rachael nodded. "Most of the time, Saki stayed with me in the Runabout, she was too young to be outside until about age four when she had to move out. we needed the space on the Runabout for other things. Like furs and none perishable items."

"What I did was make arrows, cut wood, forage with others for food like fruits.." as Saki regarded the bowl of fresh fruit on the table. "May I help myself?" she inquired, it was clear she wanted the orange.

"Please," Tressa said, motioning towards the fruit. "Well you know many things, and it sounds like you lived in a very exciting place."

Saki plucked the orange from the bowl, before she quickly peeled it, she then plucked a slice and ate it quickly. "Just because I lived in a cave... doesn't mean I liked it.." the child paused as she popped another slice of orange into her mouth. "wow..."

"What didn't you like about it?"

"I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without someone going with me... We were hunted relentlessly.... we needed to build some serious defenses against them..." the small child explained. "Holes in the ground... stakes... as well as a few others.."

The counselor looked up at Rachael and back at Saki. "You sound.... very advanced for your age," she said. "You were hunted by whom, or what?"

"Hunted by the local wildlife." Saki explained.

"A lot of the predators were the ambush types... very birdlike...they could appear and disappear.... We have Halftalon down in the arboretum. Siaxx is the only one who gets near him... he tolerates me and Saki here but thats about all."

Tressa nodded at Rachael. "Will Saki be able to attend school here, or will we need to acclimate her to life on board?"

"No... We need to acclimate Saki here to life aboard then enroll her."
Rachael responded evenly.

"Excellent, i'll arrange for her preliminary testing tomorrow."

"I'll be here with her of course." Rachael responded. "Let me know what time and we'll be here.."

Tressa smiled at the little girl. "It was a pleasure to meet you Saki, I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

Saki smiled. "Alright.."

Rachael meanwhile smiled warmly at Tressa. "I will babysit for you of course.. usual times... I'll bring Saki too, she needs to meet new people."

"Thank you Rachael," the counselor said.

Saki regarded her mother. "So... I'm going too?"

"Yes... you are..." Rachael responded. "It'll be good for you to meet new people."

Saki blinked once. "Alright.."