All Stars point North - Part Two

Posted on Fri Feb 28th, 2020 @ 4:40pm by Fleet Admiral Paul Sutton & Lieutenant Commander Meslina Amakawa & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 31: The Ashes of Eden
Location: Various Locations - USS North Star
Timeline: 0900Hrs - April 2nd, 2391

Cadet Rachael Yamaguchi watched as the stars flew past as she thought back to the events of two days earlier, it had given her time to write out the formal report, she had also filled out the flight plan and had gotten it submitted, the cargo she had listed was called 'precious cargo'

She recalled as she had finished filing the flight plan before tapping her combadge,. "Yamaguchi to Amakawa?"

"Amakawa here, what is it Racheal?" Meslina answered as she rounded the corner of her office looking at some of the reports that needed attention.

"Meslina... I need a Runabout RFN." Rachael explained. "I need to take Saki home..."

"Uh, okay. I can give you the clearance as long as the Captain is okay with it."

Racheal nodded. "I have clearance already..." she responded as she sent the clearance to her friends database.

"Okay well I wish you safe travels and hope that all goes well for you." Meslina stated with all honesty. She wished that she could go with her friend but other matters where more pressing at the moment.

Rachael rose to her feet as she drew her dress uniform along with a few other things, along with Saki's urn which Rachael had kept in her possession for years.

A few minutes later, Rachael had finished packing her things and then she went down to the hanger bay, as she did so. Meslina came around the corner. Rachael for her part somewhat had expected her friend to appear. Meslina was waiting for her. "Meslina. Whats up?"

"Not much, I just wanted to see you off if you have no problem with that. Anyways I have to head in the same direction so I figured what the hell." Meslina stated with a hint of a smile.

"Sounds good." Rachael smiled as she regarded her close friend. "Its good to be home... y'know?" she inquired. "Would you mind watching Saki for me?" Rachael inquired. "I feel she'd appreciate someone who's friends with me."

"No I don't mind though I'm not sure she is comfortable around me yet, not to mention it still seems weird to me to see her sometimes. Don't get me wrong I love her as much as I love you and the rest of your family." She said quickly, "also I wanted to make sure that you are okay, I mean I haven't had much time to talk to you and we both have been busy a lot lately."

The two walked in silence as they reached their destination and Rachael smiled. "Thanks Meslina, I'll be back soon.... this trip will end badly but Saki is going home to her father.." she patted the urn in her hands.

Meslina quickly embraced her friend and gave a slight squeeze. "Now it's even harder for me to hug you since you gotten bigger, but I'll manage still. You'll be fine you're strong and brave more so than some others I've met."

Rachael smiled down at her friend. "Touche... You're so much smaller." she grinned. "I'd best be off... The man won't like it if I'm late and I know he doesn't like me already..."

Meslina looked up at Racheal and tilted her head slightly to the side, "why do you say that hun, I'm sure there really is no reason to hate you?"

"I'm bringing the remain's of his little girl home to him.." Rachael responded softly. "Its something I promised Saki that I would do...even through she told me it would end badly."

At the explanation that she had a hard task in front of her Meslina just nodded, "ah I see. Well no the less I think he will understand and won't be too hard on you. However I don't know the man so I can't say for a hundred percent certainty."

"Well... I'd best be off." the taller woman smiled. "I will see you when I return..."

Meslina gave her friend another quick hug, "okay take care and I'll keep both eyes on Saki as much as I can spare them." She added with a smile.

Now two days later, the alarm beeped at her as Rachael disengaged the warp drive, with a flash the USS North Star appeared as Rachael tapped the display before her. "USS North Star, Approach Control, this is the USS William Faulkner, requesting clearance to land?" Rachael decided not to demand anything but rather to be polite about it, she had no wish to make a bad situation worse.

"Say state and souls aboard?"

"One soul aboard, I carry precious cargo for your Captain." Rachael responded.

"Understood, deck's yours, come on down..."

Rachael nodded. "Thank you North Star control. I have the beacon." she commented as she guided the Runabout to a smooth landing, she quickly secured the Runabout before slipping on the jacket to her dress uniform as she could see an Asian man wearing the four pips of a Captain standing before her runabout, he had an antigrav sled with him.

Rachael knew she must not put this off any longer then she had to as she stood up and then she picked up one of her most prized items, as she carried it off the runabout.

Rachael turned and went over to the Asian man who she assumed was waiting for her. "Captain." she addressed him formally. "I'm Cadet Rachael Yamaguchi, permission to come aboard sir?" she inquired before she offered him a PADD. "My formal paperwork of the incident in question." she added

He just glanced at her then took the PADD that was offered. "I'm Captain Kishimoto Hiroshi you have been granted to come aboard." He said to her, now that they were talking in person it was obvious that he had a deep Japanese accent and from the way he introduced himself he valued his heritage as well. "Is the the ashes of my late daughter then?"

"Yessir... These... are Saki's ashes... We followed her instructions to the letter."

Hiroshi just narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rachael who held the remains out in a slight bow. "Hmm...I suppose you think I am pleased that you presented this to me. However young lady I am just a little displeased at the fact that I was not able to preform the rites myself. Though it can be overlooked since you had done well enough to at least bring me the ashes, you shall have some honor from this, and no I do not speak of the honor that the Klingons refer to." He reached out and grabbed the urn with both hands and looked it over, it had the intricate craving of a ying yang on the lid with a dragon around the outside of the base, just as Saki had picked out when she was younger.

"Come, there is much to talk about and I wish to hear all about what happened, I have taken the leave so that I can have time to do what needs to be done." He said and he turned on his heel and started to walk away, his strides where long considering that he was not very tall. As he kept on walking a crew man had come to take the antigrav sled away and as he passed the Captain. Rachael could tell that even the lower ranking people held their Captain in high regards.

In truth, Rachael was not pleased that she was bringing her friend's remain's home as she would greatly have preferred to have her friend, alive and well but regardless, she kept her mouth shut and she followed the Captain to wherever their destination would be.

She had her mission report in hand anyway, so he could review it at his leisure, a short time later they reached their destination as she followed him into the room which she assumed was the Captain's quarters, she stood in the center of the room as she waited for his questions.

As the door opened the room was filled with different things from all kinds of cultures but the general feel for the room was still of Japanese origin. Hiroshi went in and put the PADD on the table and then went over to the corner where a small shrine had been set up and placed the urn in the middle and did a slight silent prayer. After he had finished he turned and looked at Racheal, "take a seat young lady. Did you wish anything to drink because I will want to hear the story with as little interruptions as possible." He said as he went over to the replicator.

"No.... nothing thank you." Rachael responded as she slid her lithe body into a chair, she knew what was coming. "What is there to say?" she inquired as she shrugged her shoulders, clearly anticipating a fight.

He ordered up himself some tea and sat down across from her, his eyes were staring deeply at her though his voice was still soft she could tell that he was sizing her up and trying to find out the truth of what happened. "To start you can explain the relationship of you and my late daughter. Then I wish to hear the whole detail of her death and why she was not brought to me for myself to perform the rite of passing and left to someone that, no offense, do not know all our traditions."

Rachael raised an eyebrow. "First... let me answer your last statement first... Saki made it clear what she wanted us to do with her body... considering that we were stranded and we did not know if we were going to be rescued... Also we were stranded for eight years... Saki made it clear that we were to cremate her body and save the ashes."
The young woman explained. "This... we did to the best of our ability."

Rachael sighed. "Now... for your first question... Saki was a medical specialist who had been assigned to the Roanoke specifically because myself and my mother were both pregnant at the same time." she explained. "She was assisting me with my pregnancy... she along with Lt Commander Dvald were requested to go to a medical conference on Deneva on Stardate 67956.1" she explained. "We never arrived thanks to a temporal anomaly." Rachael paused. "She was a my friend.."

He took a sip of the tea and just nodded, "hmm...very well now the more important question that I have for you. How was it that she died."

Rachael took several deep breathes to compose herself before launching into the tale. "Saki and I were foraging for wood... a large birdlike predator appeared and clubbed her across the back before it tore her arm off.." Rachael paused as she fought to keep her composure. "Siaxx and I fought for over an hour to keep her alive... but she was too badly wounded.....and... she faced a slow and painful death.. so... Saki explained to us what she wanted done... and how it was to be done... so we carried out her wishes, to the letter..."

He put the tea on the table and just looked at Racheal without saying anything he just stood up and looked out at the stars. Sighing he turned back around, "so you say there was no other choice in the matter. Very well it was unfortunate but understandable, though I may not like it there is nothing left to be done. You are able to leave now I will not have the chance to see you off but I am sure you can understand." He said as a way to dismiss her.

"I see.." Rachael responded. "Before I go.... there is one other little detail you need to know.... Saki would have preferred it...... your daughter saved me... and I was able to give birth to my daughter a couple of months afterwards.... I named her Saki... Your daughter would have been honored... same as I was honored to have known her for the time that I did..." and with that she rose to her feet, before turning to depart.

Hiroshi didn't say anything, while he kept looking at the stars he could see Racheal leave through the reflection after he was sure that she had left finally that is when he allowed the sorrow wash over him. The tears that he held back finally came and he let out a slight but ever so heartfelt cry as he had lost his joy and wonder, thankful that his room was soundproofed he kept on crying until he was no longer able to do so.

As Rachael moved down the hallway, she could feel his pain and sorrow radiating from him, the way gamma wave particles flow from the poles of a neutron star, it was overwhelming as she wiped at her face, removing a tear. "I'm Sorry Saki..." she whispered to her dead friend.