Amid the Storm Peaks - Part One

Posted on Sat Mar 7th, 2020 @ 1:53am by Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Fleet Captain Torilla Yamaguchi & Saki Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 73: Near Misses and Close Encounters
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1600Hrs - March 21st, 2392

Saki Yamaguchi sighed softly as she regarded the snowscape before her, the land was covered in snow many feet deep, the mountains were massive craggy rocks peeking out and from behind the snowscapes, but the sky was so dark one could see the stars even though it was almost mid afternoon, the clouds were light and gentle but there was also a rather powerful aurora overhead that blazed a bright green with shades of blue mixed in for good measure. "Interesting place this mom." the small child commented.

"Well.. I was inspired.. It was something Elizabeth mentioned earlier to me." Rachael responded softly. "Got all your arrows?" Rachael inquired of Saki who was wearing identical clothing to her mother, a pair of heavy boots with two pairs of pants, a heavy jacket and a hat which covered both women's ears and gloves completed the set. In Rachael's left hand was her bow, over both of the two Yamaguchi's shoulders, they carried a quiver each with two hundred arrows.

"Yah" the child responded as she picked up her bow from where it had been leaning against the bulkhead before she followed her mom into the holodeck. "How'd it go?" Saki inquired.

"How did what go?" Rachael inquired, wanting to be sure she was talking about what Saki was thinking about.

"Your hour spent with Auntie Elizabeth...?" Saki inquired, pressing ahead with her request.

"It was..." Rachael paused as she sought to find the right words. "Educational.. I guess is the best word I could use for it... Elizabeth as it turns out...Is a better therapist then I originally thought.." Rachael admitted quietly before she turned her head to regard her daughter who watched her with a look of disbelief on her face. "You disagree?"

"I dunno... But I didn't think Auntie Elizabeth wanted to evaloate...." she paused as the word sounded wrong to the childs ears so Saki tried a second time. "evaluate you for... whatever the issue was... I forget." Saki paused. "I'm just sick of it mom... I'm tired of people yelling at me and me getting into trouble because I didn't try enough or that I'm not good enough or that Sarah is so much better then I am... What am I doing wrong!" the small child demanded of her mother, to answer the age old question pestering her like an inch that wouldn't go away or a rash she couldn't heal from.

"You're not doing anything wrong... Which is even more aggravating then if we were doing something wrong... You've had to adjust to a lot in a very short time..." Rachael paused. "I'm proud of you for that..." the older woman sighed softly while they trudged through the snow towards their destination nearby. "I mean... I went to Boot camp... and then I went to Warrant school and then flight school... I was gone a lot... and you were left to people you didn't know... Yet you adjusted.. Sure you had your issues but... You handled it.. and you did okay.. I asked far too much of you."

Saki was shaking her head. "No mom... I could have taken more time to appreciate what I had.." the small child sighed softly. "I didn't give Grandma Torilla or Grandpa Jake a chance..." Saki was miserable. "I doubt I'll ever forgive myself for that.."

"Saki... We could both say many things but... What do you say we both learn from this.... and more on with life... reminds me.. No more sex jokes however.... Am I clear young lady.." Rachael smiled to take the sting out of the words she was saying, she wasn't upset at this but she was also angry that issues kept coming up, again and again and again.. "Phoenix got yelled at by a few people for that stunt... Someone working on Tranquility's hanger deck reported me for child abuse for that incident... Its still being looked into."

Saki looked up at her mother, a measure of disbelief in her eyes. "Mom... You do not abuse me.. I can't recall you ever hitting me."

"Thats because I don't believe in it. My parents did not hit me... and I do not spank my own children... It causes more issues then it resolves and it also offends me on a very personal level anyway..." Rachael explained evenly, as the two trudged forward over the snowscape towards several targets that were lined up underneath a massive waterfall, now frozen solid.

"Wow." Saki breathed. "Incredible." the small child admired the snowscape before her, before she turned to her mother, she then quickly drew one arrow and launched into a large bird that was swooping down on both women, the bird found itself impaled on the arrow, quickly dropped out of the skies to its death.

Saki paused. "Ummmm was that part of the program?"

"No, actually." Rachael responded, somewhat surprised as she regarded the large bird. "Your skills are as sharp as ever... Archery sounds like it might be your thing Saki..." Rachael smiled before she took a moment to nock an arrow, before she fired it downrange into the center of her target. "Seems its my thing too."

"You should be happy mom... Yet you've already been miserable... Since we came here that is... Is there nothing in your heart but hate and sadness?" Saki peered at her target as she nocked and arrow before letting it fly, it landed with a thud into the target just off center.

"I sometimes wonder sweetie." Rachael sighed. "Nice shot!"

Saki nocked an arrow. "I guess.." the small child said before she fired off her own arrow into the target. "You should do what makes you happy... Not what I want you to do mom." Saki turned to her mother who loosed off another arrow.

"Saki. I gave up my flying career for you."

"I didn't want you to give up your life for me." Saki responded quietly, while the child nocked an arrow. "I grew up reading Lord of the Rings and a few others... You taught me about your love of what you did... Flying... I saw how happy is made you.... You should ..." she paused. "return to the beginning.. The truth will attend to itself."

Rachael regarded her child, suprise etched into her eyes. "Saki... You should be careful how you say certain things..."

"I should watch what I say around people who think I'm a wild child and a hellion.." Saki sighed at her own statement. "Mom... I'm being forced to change the essence of who I am for others who can't handle me... I don't like it.."

"I know... and you learned from me, very well..." Rachael responded. "Above all else, remain true to who you are... because you are the one who must live with your choices and your decisions."

"I know mom... I chose to consider Ennis my dad rather then Paul Harrison. I talked to him and he's little better then a stuck up kid who refused to even give me the time of day... I consider Sarah my sibling, same with Daniel even know.... I have no blood in common with them."

Rachael nodded her head, clearly agreeing with her daughter. "We make our own families.. Same as I did with Ennis... Sarah and Daniel are now my responsibility too... But... You're right.." Rachael slowly smiled. "Its time for me to return to my life's path.... Which should remain engineering." Rachael loosed off another arrow, it went into the target next to the previous arrow with a loud 'thud' sound.

"They are weird mom... I remember coming to find you and they were acting... weird." Saki loosed another arrow into her target while the two of them spoke.

"Yes.." Rachael responded in a dry tone of voice. "Their church services.." she sighed. "Bunch of weirdos." she nocked another arrow. "I'm not sure if I like being in there anyway... I do everything right and I get shit on. I stick in more hours then anyone else and its never good enough... Well.. Y'know what Saki... You're right about me... I walked from fighter corps too soon and while that in itself can't be fixed .... But what I will do is stick in my request tomorrow and then you and I are going surfing."

"At noon?" Saki inquired.

"Yep." Rachael answered. "I'll take Sarah along too... Daniel can remain in daycare." the larger woman answered, before Saki cheered, expressing her joy at the statement.