Torilla Falls: Shatterpoint

Posted on Thu Mar 12th, 2020 @ 3:12am by Commander Ennis Cullen & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 86: A Hero Falls
Location: Various Locations - USS Manticore
Timeline: 1900Hrs - May 17th, 2392

Warrant Officer Rachael Yamaguchi sighed softly as she placed her tools back into her oversized toolkit, she recalled how her elder sibling had an oversized medical kit and Rachael had simply done the same thing, she had gone and replicated herself an armored backpack for all of her gear and some she didn't need but thought might be useful like phaser power cells, a combat tricorder, and a small power generator. The entire thing weighed in at about thirty pounds, give or take a little. The back was marked 'YAMAGUCHI-CULLEN - R"

Yamaguchi-Cullen was extremely proud and happy with her work and now she was nicknamed 'The American Girl Scout" by her new crewmates, she found that the Engineering department on the USS Manticore was very different from the one she had known on the USS Roanoke but Rachael, to her credit, wasn't going to complain about it.

The youngest of the three adults Yamaguchi's related to Torilla Yamaguchi was tired and she knew it too, for her, her husband along with her siblings and their husband and wife had all been at this now for roughly six weeks straight and they were all tired. Even mom was exhausted too, she had seen it in her mother's eyes the last time the two had chatted which was two days ago before Torilla had gone off to escort that convoy to Gornar.

Yamaguchi-Cullen was making her way down the hallway as the comm system beeped at her. "Rachael. Lass, where are ya?" her husband inquired of her.

Yamaguchi-Cullen tapped her combadge, a sudden surge of fear seized her heart in its relentless grip. "I'm right down the hall from our quarters. What's happened?" Rachael inquired, she could tell something wasn't right because of the tone of her husband's voice.

"You-You'd best get down here!". Ennis's voice broke before Rachael charged down the hallway towards her new home, she entered her quarters to find her husband on the sofa, he looked upset with eyes that were dead and lifeless. In his hands, he held a PADD. "The... casualty report.." and with that, the PADD slipped out of his hands as he made no effort to catch it. "Shit..." he muttered as she went to pick it up, however, Rachael got there first.

Yamaguchi-Cullen paused before she extended her hand, the PADD suddenly changed direction from falling to flying as it arced around to fly into her open hand. Rachael was almost hesitant to read it. Who's number had come up from her kin?. Would she find Gabriel or Savannah listed here, she loved her siblings and Gabriel was always the solid and steady one in her life, whenever she had needed someone she could absolutely, positively depend on for help, advice or just plain good council, she had always turned to the one man who had never steered her wrong. Her husband, however, did not count.

Would it be Savannah, who much like her brother, always had her head on right and had a smile and a joke for every occasion? She was the glue that held her small family together, Rachael knew her brother loved his wife dearly.

Would she find Elizabeth's name here?. Rachael trusted and cherished her eldest sibling but she knew that Elizabeth could be out there in left field at times, or would it be Kameron whose number had come up. Her brother in law was a true rock in a tempestuous ocean with waves the height of city spacescraper's. Or was it Saki and Sarah on B Kayor?. She looked and she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the one name she didn't need to see on the list.

"No," Rachael whispered. "Not you Mom." Rachael Yamaguchi-Cullen whispered. "No!" she added, a soft but angry whisper.

Torilla's name was listed along with sixty-something others from the USS Courageous as Rachael felt her eyes welling up with tears unshed. "Why you mom..?" and with that, the tears began to fall, they burned hot and bright like molten fire as Rachael got angry.

Cullen knew what was coming as he quickly rose to his feet while he watched his wife slowly come apart right in front of his eyes, when a glass that was nearby suddenly popped, he gently pulled his wife into an embrace. "I'm here Rachie. I'm here," he said quietly, it might not have been much but it was enough to get through the rage that had settled in her mind like a really thick fog. "Oh, Ennis... Why her..?" Rachael whimpered. "Why did it have to be her?" she asked as her world imploded under the weight of her grief and rage.

Cullen regarded his wife as he held her in his arms. "I'm Sorry Rachie.."

Yamaguchi-Cullen cried as she felt the news of her mother's death in battle, rip at her as she was close to her mother. Torilla had been helping to teach Rachael in the ways of raising a child and she'd also been helping to babysit for Saki and Sarah while Rachael and Ennis were both working their duty assignments but now, Rachael felt as if a great void had been opened in her life where her mother once stood resolutely.

Cullen looked down at his wife since he was several inches taller than she was as he gently held her in his arms. He gently rubbed her back and shoulders with his hands in lieu of not knowing what to say. He too was angry but for different reasons.

Yamaguchi-Cullen knew that on some level, her husband was blaming himself for what happened to her mother. "It was the Klingon's doing and as much as I'd like to go off and claim vengeance, it would be a waste of effort and mom wouldn't want me to hate them for killing her."

Cullen shook his head. "No sweetie, your mother was better than that and she'd want you to be okay."

"Mom knew what she was doing.." Yamaguchi-Cullen responded quietly, even though it sounded hollow and false to her own ears.

"Do your siblings know?" Cullen inquired of his wife. Yamaguchi-Cullen paused a moment as her eyes seemed to glass over, she searched out those of her sister and brother and within moments she had her answer. "Yes, they know." before she blinked, while turning to face her husband. "Oh Ennis, what are we gonna do?"

"We do the best we can with what we have," Cullen responded. "I can't believe she's gone myself." he paused as he sighed softly. "Come on. Let's at least change and clean up. We both don't need to wear horrible and stinking uniforms."

Yamaguchi regarded him, she knew full well that he was thinking of Olivia as she followed him into the bedroom, she perched herself on the bed before she shrugged off her uniform jacket, she felt numb while she did so as her mind seemed to turn off and she was carrying on as best as she could on autopilot.

Cullen noticed it was hard to miss. "Rachie?" he asked softly.

"I'm here. I think." Yamaguchi muttered quietly, her eyes were unfocused as she was staring off into space, she couldn't get her mother out of her mind. "I hope I never find the Klingon who killed you, mom. Otherwise, I'll glass the entire planet he came from," she muttered.

"Now, there's no need to be thinkin' like that hon," Cullen commented. "Anger doesn't really help."

"No." Rachael's attention shifted to her husband. "You sure about that?" she inquired, there was a rather nasty glare in her eyes. "Oh, I know what you'll say... Revenge is unwise and it's immoral and it's stupid and foolish."

"No," Cullen responded. "I was going to say that I understand how you feel at this point, you're angry and you want an explanation." he regarded her.

"You're damned right I'm angry." Rachael's temper fused solid. "I fucking hate the Klingons for taking away my mother. I'm angry that they have caused my family to know pain, fear, and loss. I'm angry with the fleet for sending her with inadequate forces to escort a convoy that was too large to be properly escorted. I'm angry..." Rachael ran out of steam moments later. "I'm... angry.."

Cullen regarded her, a gentle smile on his face as he knew his wife's anger wasn't directed at him and he knew she needed this release. "Go on... There's more," he said before his smile widened. "Oh, I've been here myself, my love."

"I'm angry with my father for not listening to my mother when she said she wanted out but... I'm angry with mom for getting herself killed." Rachael finished venting before she broke down, it was the sharpest blade that had ever cut her and now she felt like she was bleeding out of a hundred wounds.

Cullen drew his wife to him, he gently rocked her as she cried the tears, not of a strong woman but the helpless tears of a small, lost child, eventually she started to fall asleep in his arms so he gently helped her change into her usual sleep attire before he put his wife to bed. Cullen climbed into bed with his wife as he remained awake.

Rachael slept on, tears staining her face.

"Sleep well, my wife. I'm sorry for your mother. I'm sorry for everyone we lost in this insane war.." he said softly. "The Akurians started this and they dragged us into their shitstorm." as he laid on his back, now giving voice to his own rage and anger at their entire situation.