Saki and the Tribbles

Posted on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 12:27am by Commodore Siaxx "Bluemoon" Dvald-Vaxx MD & Saki Yamaguchi-Cullen & Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan & Director Tienn Gyce

Mission: Mission 37: The Troubles and Tribbles
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1700Hrs - July 14th, 2391

Saki Yamaguchi peered down at Shonax who was swinging his paws, claws unsheathed as he mewled loudly, clearly he wanted the tribble that Saki was holding above him.

"Now now Kitty, behave yourself.." Saki looked around at the half dozen tribbles that she had rounded up earlier and placed in a sizable cage that Siaxx had replicated for her. "Can I keep them?"

"We'll see.." the small Bolian had responded.

A tribble dropped from the air vent above and Shonax instantly went for it as Saki sighed softly, before going over to place this one into the large cage she had placed on one of the counter tops nearby. "here you go." and with that she went over to Shonax as she relieved him of his new toy.

"What are you doing?" Phoenix asked reproachfully to Saki.

"Kitty wants to play with tribbles.."

"Should you be teasing Shonax?. Should Gyce need to be told you're torturing the cat?" Phoenix asked warningly.

Saki blinked. "Umm...mmm No." she paused. "Shonax is a good boy.." meanwhile the cat stole the tribble back off of Saki before he began feasting on it, making loud noises as he tore into the tribble.

Saki winced. "Ewww... What are you guys feeding him?"

"Cat food... plus whatever voles an' rats he hunts," Phoenix answered with a stern face. "Do not tease the kitty with prey again."

Shonax meanwhile got swatted aside as Dora came over. The cat protested as Saki went in the retrieve the dead tribble, she then recycled it as she felt it was the best option. "Aunt Phoenix... the tribbles or whatever these vile things are... are everywhere.."

"Yeah... Let's hope they don' shut the ship down," Phoenix agreed with a small laugh. "Engineers are gonna have kittens over this mess."

Saki sighed as she picked up another tribble as the cat leapt at it but missed and landed on the dog who growled at the cat.

Shonax blinked before he turned and went after the tribble in Saki's hands. "Bad kitty..." Saki responded. "Away..."

"Bad Saki," Phoenix corrected. "You just got through teasin' him and now he thinks it's a game. So it aint his fault at all."

Saki moved away from the cat as the cat chased her. "Evil cat!" the child wailed as she ran away, the cat chased after her.

"Not good," Phoenix groaned, and felt compelled to help the kid, if only to keep the cat from scratching Saki. The first attempt to catch the cat ended up in a huge miss, and Phoenix face planting into the wall.

Saki reached her destination as she tossed the tribble into the cage with the others as she found herself face to face with an angry looking cat which hissed at her. "Oh shut it cat."

Shonax arched his back as Saki picked him up. "Oh give it a rest already."

"Put-the-cat-down," Phoenix spoke angrily as she was dazed.

The cat reacted angrily as he raked his claws over Saki's skin, she dropped him as he ran away. The child turned her attention to the rather evil looking gash on her arm, and then she turned and went over to the replicator.

The bedroom door opened as out came a rather annoyed Bolian. "What the-Ooof" the cat collided with Siaxx as he quivered in rage.

Siaxx held the cat. "Easy... whats going on out here.... Saki.. why are you....Oh." she growled.

"Come over here, Saki." Phoenix was calm and displeased as she sat on the sofa with a bit of a dazed expression on her face.

Saki turned as she saw the look on her face, she froze in fear. "You're.... gonna hit me!" she said it quietly before she went over to the replicator to get herself a wet towel, which she then used to clean her arm off, while keeping a wary eye on Phoenix.

"No... Hitting means to hurt you, and I will not do that," Phoenix spoke honestly. "Do you know what you did wrong, Saki?"

Saki looked at the tribbles, fear shone in her eyes. "I hate these things." she whispered, rage in her voice. "they hunt weaker prey.." she suddenly rubbed her left arm. "I hate these little shits.." she whimpered.

"I hate Cardassians... Killing them ever' time I see 'em, don' make it right," Phoenix countered to the young girl and pat her knee. "Come here and sit down, please."

Saki went over to Phoenix in silence.

Siaxx meanwhile stood nearby, wondering what Phoenix was going to do but she was dreading what was coming.

"This behavior can' continue, Saki. You can' be cruel ta animals. They aren' you're prey. An' ya can' goad Shonax ta kill the animals you don' like either," Phoenix tried to explain. "You get why it's wrong?"

Saki nodded. "These furry things..." she tapped one with her boot. "They... remind me of forest predators.. and they are everywhere."
as she pushed the tribble away with her foot. "I hate these vile things..." now there was real hatred in her voice. "Oh I get it... some love these... things..." she whispered.

"Look...." Phoenix sighed and picked on up with her hand and began to pet it in front of Saki. It started to coo at Phoenix. "One can actually keep one as a pet, so long as they don' let it have any babies."

"No thank you." Saki whispered softly. "They... scare me." she added quietly as she gently shoved one away from her feet with her boot. "They remind me... of home."

"They don' eat you, Saki. They eat grains, mostly," Phoenix tried to explain to the girl. "And the next time you kick it, I will punish you. Just cause you hate 'em don' give you tha right to be cruel to 'em."

Saki gave the tribble that cooed at her a rather evil glare. "I don't understand the uses of these things...... I mean whats to stop them from eating things they can't process...?" she inquired as she tapped one of the half dozen scattered around with her hand. "considering they apparently eat anything... or so the computer says."

"They have tiny mouths though," Phoenix pointed out, and turned it upside down for the girl to see. "Can' really bite folks."

"I'd rather not take my chances... Sorry Phoenix.." Saki whimpered.

"Let's pack your things up," Phoenix sighed with pain in her eyes. "I love ya like my own, Saki, but if ya can' see what ya do ta animals is wrong, then ya gotta be punished. An' 'at means no overnights with friends."

"Wait... what?" Saki protested as she heard Phoenix call Gyce as she sighed. "I hate these evil things." as she picked up the only item she had brought with her this evening, a PADD.

"If you toss that, I will spank you," Phoenix warned coolly. "I will not have you sass me or Siaxx under my roof."

Saki held her PADD close to her as she growled. "Fine." as she went over towards the door, clearly wanting to leave and the sooner that happened, the better off for all concerned.

"What'd I just do?" Phoenix asked Siaxx with teary eyes.

"Only what had to be done." Siaxx answered quietly. "She was being cruel to these tribbles because they reminded her of a jungle predator of a similar size..." the small Bolian gently set the cat down.

Shonax gently went off around the corner as he caught a tribble. Saki looked at the cat as he was attacking a tribble. "Hey kitty, leave it be..." as she gently picked up the cat. "easy.."

The Cat protested her actions as Saki gently petted the cat. "Easy Shonax... let the... thing be..." as Shonax gently touched her nose with his own before she gently set the cat down on the ground nearby, just as Gyce arrived. "Time for me to go." and with that Saki stepped out side, without looking back.

She stopped outside before she let out a loud scream at the top of her lungs. "I HATE TRIBBLES!!!!!!!"

"It's OK," Gyce tried to console Saki by placing an arm around her. "Let is all out."

Saki looked angry. "No... I already made too much noise.." she paused. "must go."

"All right then," Gyce agreed and walked with the kid. "You want to talk about it? Or do you prefer to wait until after dinner?"

"No... must go.." Saki replied quietly. "Its been a bad night.... and I did something bad."

"You want to talk about it?" Gyce prodded gently.

"No." Saki responded quietly. "No point... It wouldn't mean anything anyway..." Saki turned her head to look at Gyce. "I mean who's left here?... just you... everyone else is gone."

"They aren't gone, Dear." Gyce gave Saki a sympathetic smile, "Sometimes ship life can be hectic. Doesn't me you're loved any less."

Saki plodded along, now truly miserable. "Benice... its been like this now for weeks... things keep coming up, first the wedding, then the Aryssa issues and the never ending drug issues and now the tribbles."

Gyce hugged the kid warmly. "You're loved, Dear... Your family wants to be with you too. Just sometimes it's not possible. It's the burden you pay when you serve in Starfleet."

Saki sighed as she hugged Gyce back. "I just ... don't see whats so cute about... these tribbles... they just sit there and they never move."

"It's the cooing... It can be very relaxing to most people," Gyce spoke instantly. "I would not be surprised to see some people taking them on as pets."

Saki sighed softly as she walked beside Gyce. "I don't get it... they remind me of a jungle predator... that liked to ambush..." she cringed.

"Not all creatures like that are bad. Take Shonax, for instance. He's a cat. He hunts for rats, but he doesn't attack people," Gyce tried to explain. "Because he's a pet and has been trained as such."

Saki regarded Gyce. "I guess.." she sighed. "I dunno.." she looked down at the various tribbles scattered around the corridor.

"Trick to knowing your predators, is to know what they eat," Gyce supplied. "So why don't we do this... I'll let you study up on tribbles on my computer. Learn about their quirks."

Saki regarded Gyce carefully. "Alright..." she paused. "I'll try it.." she paused a second time. "and in exchange?"

"If you take it seriously, I'll make you a mudslide cake for after dinner," Gyce promised.

Saki smiled before she frowned again. "So what exactly am I learning about Tribbles again?" the nine year old inquired.

"Enlightenment... Knowledge brings understanding. In this case, you may just understand why you fear what you do," Gyce spoke very sagely.

"Okay..." Saki responded. "I can do that.."

"This isn't a school report," Gyce told Saki. "No three-page summery. This is a personal understanding and enlightenment assignment for your soul."

Saki regarded the older woman as she slowly blinked. "To face my fears....and draw strength from it." she then nodded. "Okay.... I can do this."

Gyce ruffled Saki's hair lovingly. "You're a good kid. Phoenix knows that too... Thing is, she's had a hard childhood, same as you. And I think your aunt acted the way she did because she fears you walking her path."

Saki walked on slowly. "the EPS conduits give me nightmares... they sound like bugs." she admitted. "I never get a good nights sleep... and I wake up thinking about those Hornet things.."

"I'll see if the engineers can't put a sound barrier around the ones in your quarters then," Gyce promised. "Give me a few days, and I'll try to see of Half-Talon will give me someone to help you rest as well."

Saki paused before she smiled. "Alright... Lets try it your way."

"I can sleep with you if you like," Gyce promised.

Saki walked into a turbolift with Gyce behind her. "Some people on this ship are perverted." she responded. "and I don't want to put you out of your own bed."

"Then you can curl up in my bed," Gyce offered.

Saki smiled. "Alright." she responded as the doors opened and off the two stepped. "The tribbles are breeding through... how are they getting enough food to live?.... unless they can use the replicators systems...."

"That might be a question to ask Ra'Vak or Tane about," Gyce suggested. "Both are skilled engineers."

Saki nodded. "I'll do that.." she paused. "we can only support so many..." she paused. "Don't tribbles replicate at a considerable rate?"

"If they are fed, yes." Gyce shivered at that prospect. "Let's hope they don't shutdown the ship."

"They will." Saki responded. "That many mouths and that many little bodies need to eat.." she sighed.

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," Gyce reminded Saki.

Saki sighed softy. "I just relized something.... This isn't going to end well for anyone."