Fortunes and Fates

Posted on Sat Mar 7th, 2020 @ 3:06am by Captain Elizabeth Ashcroft & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Master Chief Petty Officer Uldyssian Davis

Mission: Mission 73: Near Misses and Close Encounters
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 0930Hrs - March 23rd, 2392

Warrant Officer First Class Rachael Yamaguchi came into Engineering, mostly she was there to see Ra'Vak to inform him that she had changed her mind, she was expecting nothing less then a good lengthed asschewing on the subject. She went over to look at the assignment list. "Dammit. this list keeps getting longer and longer... is this ship just falling apart!" she sighed angrily. "Dammit!" she sighed. "No matter how much we fix... New stuff keeps breaking...." she said aloud.

Ra'Vak walked over and held out a cup of coffee. "Want a cup."

"I'd love one." Rachael responded. "I'm in for four hours and at times it feels like all I'm doing is just holding the line... Our damage list just keeps getting longer and I'm in all kinds of bother regarding my daughter." she sighed softly. "I just can't win Ra'Vak... I honestly love my job in engineering but.. the stress is getting to me... y'know?"

Ra'Vak took a sip of his own coffee. "Well you don't have to make it look pretty, just make it last as little while longer, that's all that's needed."

Rachael frowned as she accepted her coffee. "What do you mean?" she inquired before she took a sip. "Mmmm... the coffee is decent today."

Ra'Vak absentmindedly looked at the bulkhead," Well I have sent all these reports of the damage up to Starfleet engineering, and the feedback they have given me, is that at least the star drive section of this ship has maybe a year's worth of life in it, at best."

"So.. thats it then... this old girl is heading to the slagheap?" Rachael sighed softly. "Alright.." she then sipped her coffee.

Ra'Vak nodded. "The stardrive at least, starfleet will likely recycle the pod and saucer for other ships though."

"I see.." Rachael let out a soft sigh. "I hope the meeting goes well.." she explained. "I do not need this stress... Someone called child services because Saki was shouting sex jokes across Tranquility's hanger deck a few days ago..."

Ra'Vak didn't say anything on the matter, not knowing what to say. Several minutes later Hakaya came in the engineering sections with an amused look. Ra'Vak looked at her asking. "Whats up."

Hakaya shook her head, chucking. "Wow, just wow, that meeting, total and complete disaster. An utter train wreck."

Rachael paused as she downed a mouthful of her coffee. "Wait.. which meeting?" she inquired, as she felt fingers of ice close around her heart. "No...." she whimpered.

Ra'Vak also asked. "Yeah I have no idea what meeting your talking about."

Hakaya answered. "Well the one where the Jag guy was meeting with Torilla and Teval, regarding saki. Yeah, complete disaster."

Rachael stopped drinking her coffee before she set her mug down on the console. "I'm sensing a story here.... details please?" she inquired. "How long do I still have Saki?"

Hakaya started laughing. "Well if the sheer stupidity of the JAG officer they sent is any indication, oh it will probably be until the heat death of the universe before the pull their collective heads out of their asses. The guy the sent, no shit thought Torilla was you, and started immediately yelling at Torilla about the whole thing, without even bothering to check whom he was talking to."

Rachael paused as Hakaya's words hit home. "Oh god." she paused before she turned and fled, out of engineering and into the nearest bathroom, she practically dove into the female bathroom and into a stall, she them proceeded to drop to her knees before she threw up her coffee, her breakfast and whatever she had had to eat or drink that morning.

Uldyssian Davis came over. "Hey guys.. What did you say to her?" he inquired of Hakaya, regarding Rachael.

Hakaya had an incredulous look on her face," I,... that was not an expected reaction."

Ra'Vak was speechless then he noticed Elizabeth Ashcroft walking into engineering. "Um, Hi, welcome to the temple. If your here for Rachael, she is currently offering a sacrifice to the porcelain god."

Ashcroft raised an eyebrow. "A.. What?" the blonde inquired.

"She's throwing up." Davis explained. "She will be back shortly."

Ra'vak decided to dismiss himself with. "well I've got work of my own to accomplish so have fun."

Ashcroft decided to settle in to wait, sure enough her patience was rewarded a few minutes later when the doors opened and a young woman walked in, she looked very much alike Captain Yamaguchi who had endured that farce of a meeting twenty minutes earlier. "Mis Yamaguchi?" she addressed Rachael

"Yes?" Rachael responded. "What can I...umm do for you?"

"I was hoping I might have a few minutes of your time so we can talk." Ashcroft responded. "Its about the child custody case."

"Okay..." Rachael turned. "Ra'Vak. I'm going to borrow your office okay." the young woman then led Ashcroft into a room that could comfortably be called a scene from a disaster, it looked half like a storage room and the other half like a something from Doctor Frankenstein's lair. Rachael indicated a chair across from her as she sat down. "Go ahead with it.."

"Well.." Ashcroft paused as she looked around. "This place is a violation of my senses... How does your Chief Engineer get any work done in here?"

"Beats me." Rachael inquired. "I've never seen him actually use this room.." she added.

"Yes... You can rest easy Rachael.. Its over." Ashcroft started with a smile. "About the JAG case.. The JAG Officer in question didn't review the case and as such the complaint is being thrown out, had it come to me, I would have called you into my officer, told you about it and then thrown the case out." the older woman explained. "I personaly have no family and no children of my own.. But that doesn't mean I'm about to start separating families because of stupid shit like this."

"So.. I'm not going to loose my child then?"

"No." Ashcroft responded. "Besides. Had it gone to trial. I would have either served on the defense or been the presiding judge. I hope it would have been the latter as I would have had the case dismissed in five minutes after the trial started."

Rachael sighed softly. "I need a vacation.." she paused before she got up out of her chair, she then gave the other woman a hug. "Thank you... so much.."

Ashcroft smiled as Rachael screamed. "YYEESS!!!!!" at the top of her lungs, she was sure that half of Engineering heard the younger woman scream and she didn't blame her. "I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day."

With that Ashcroft came out to find herself facing Uldyssian Davis. "Something wrong Master Chief.?"

"We heard a scream."

"That was Ms Yamaguchi celebrating."

"So.. you are not here to take her daughter away then?"

"Oh god no, I was never told this crap was going down... " Ashcroft responded. "Besides the idiot who filed this didn't have a leg to stand on, his complaint was baseless."

"Oh.." Davis responded quietly. "I assumed.."

"I know Master Chief... Anyway... I need to go scream at Admiral Chegwidden about this bullshit." and with that he nodded, before she slipped out. Moments later Rachael appeared, she walked out of the opffice, crashing her right shoulder into the doorway. "Mmm... who put that there?"

"Thats.. always been there Rachael.. you okay?"

"I'll live... When I get my hands on the rat bastard who called in this complaint. Ill-" Rachael snarled but was interupted by Davis who added. "Do nothing other then let it go... Its not worth you getting upset about.. Besides the Fleet JAG is on your side..." Davis responded. "So.. when is your last day with us.?"

"I changed my mind about it... I'm not leaving."

"You'd best go tell Ra'Vak that.." Davis responded. "But Rachael.. Your sense of humor does need work... and I'm glad you'll give me more time to help you appreciate a good laugh because... you need it."

"Yeah.. Others have told me that.."

"Good. Now off with you.. Ra'Vak is right over there." and with that Davis shooed her away.

Rachael went over to her destination. "Ra'Vak?" she inquired. "I umm wanted to let you know... I umm.. I changed my mind regarding my reassignment request..." she paused. "I'm. Sorry.."

Ra'Vak looked puzzled. "OK, well if that's what you want."

Rachael nodded her head. "Yes... I realized that I wasn't giving you guys enough of a chance... So I'm going to stick around for a while longer... As long as this assignment lasts."