Torilla Returns: Rachael's Epiphany

Posted on Thu Mar 12th, 2020 @ 5:12am by Commander Ennis Cullen & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 87: Torilla Returns
Location: Various Locations - USS Tranquility
Timeline: 1400Hrs May 28th, 2392

Warrant Officer Rachael Yamaguchi stepped out of the shower before wrapping a towel around her midsection which covered her body from just above her breasts to halfway down her thighs. She reached for a second towel as the door opened. In walked her husband. "Hey Rachie." he greeted his wife with a gentle kiss on the lips. Something she gently returned. "Hey, Ennis. I wasn't sure of what you wanted so I kept the dinner plans simple," she explained. "It's not yet cooked."

"It's good to see you smiling again," Ennis commented quietly. "Kameron ran into me today, he was not a happy camper." the two moved into the bedroom so Rachael could dry herself off and dress.

"Who can blame him, He's got a lot to be upset about," Rachael responded quietly.

"Yeah, he does. With the-" Ennis paused before he sighed softly. "-passing of your mom. I think he's lost. He's considering going back into Starfighters."

Rachael regarded her husband as she toweled herself off, drying her body before she began to don her clothing in silence before she spoke when pulling on her track pants. "Kameron is younger than you and he doesn't have the life experience that you or I have. Especially combined between us both."

"What do you mean?" Ennis inquired

"Kameron is twenty-seven years old. He's lost a lot for someone in his position." Rachael began counting off her fingers as she did so. "He dated Elizabeth while the two were at the academy except she was a bonehead there and she broke it off with him, he had an issue but got that resolved with his father, pissing off his entire family in the process. He's almost not on talking terms with his mother as she from what I have heard, never let that slight go against her son." Rachael shook her head in disgust. "If I ever get to that point, shoot me"

"Consider it done," Ennis responded, in a rather dry tone of voice. "Go on?."

"Kameron reconnected with Elizabeth during that incident when Zara Tane was helping mom adjust to the fact that shot someone dead in cold blood after he tried to kill me and Wing Commander Wukari." Rachael slowly smiled. "What didn't help was that I was also pregnant with Saki at the time."

"I'm glad that Gonad is dead. I'd kill himself for that travesty." Ennis explained quietly. Rachael smiled as she knew her husband meant every single word that had just come out of his mouth. "I know," she responded. "Anyway. Kameron also lost one brother due to a swimming pool accident that started this entire drama, to begin with." she paused. "If all of that wasn't enough. Then came the incident with Tienn."

Ennis nodded. "I helped with the surgery. That was touch and go for awhile. It was unique, helping your sister with getting her knee rebuilt. I still think Tienn got off far too lightly about what happened."

"Oh, I disagree with that." Rachael suddenly grinned. "There is no punishment that we can do to her that's worse than she did to herself. She's still terrified of mom and is still scared witless of Elizabeth." she smiled up at her husband.

"Wait. I thought Torilla was dead." Ennis paused. "So, whats going on?" he inquired of his wife.

"Yes.. and no," Rachael responded. "Mom did die. The Akurians have the technology to revive the recently deceased and place them either back into their original body after the body was healed and restored or into an android body pending a new clone of the original body." as she spoke, Rachael went into the kitchenette that now came as standard with most personnel's quarters as most people's homes were much larger than they used to be. "Computer. Two steaks, twelve ounces. Tenderloin." Rachael rattled off her order as she began gathering the items she would need to make this meal. "Feel like a Saki surprise?"

"Naming your dishes after the kids now?" Ennis chuckled in amusement.

"Why not?. I mean getting her to eat meat most days is an achievement." Rachael responded in a dry tone of voice as she placed her large cutting board before her which was more or less a repurposed piece of debris from the outer hull of one of the ships in the battlegroup. Rachael had simply sliced off the edges with a plasma cutter before turning it into a chopping board that was guaranteed to last forever.

Rachael smiled. "Coleslaw Salad, here we come." and with that, she went to work with replicating some thirty items including several sets of vegetables she'd need. "Alright.. oil, salt, and spices." as she began pouring the salts and the spices into the pan after she used the oil. "Let's see.." and with that, she turned on the flat top so it would heat the oil before the steaks went in. "You recall Saki's first time?"

"I remember quite well. She didn't know what to make of the steak." Ennis gently moved in beside his wife as he began chopping up the carrots, except he had a much more practiced hand than Rachael did as he diced up three to her two. Within minutes the dicing of the vegetables was finished before they all went into a bowl which Rachael then began mixing up with the sauce contained within from earlier. "Elizabeth had no idea I was learning how to cook," Rachael commented before she regarded the pan before her.

"It's ready," Ennis commented. "Go ahead and toss in the steaks."

Rachael used a fork to move both steaks from the plate and into the pan where they both began to sizzle and cook in the oil. The scent was one of food being cooked. Rachael stood over the steaks as she watched them carefully, before flipping them over, a loud sizzle indicated the raw meat encountering the hot oil for the first time.

A short time later, the two steaks were finished before Rachael moved them both onto a place each, she then spooned four tablespoons worth of salad onto the steaks before Ennis took them over to the table as Rachael started her clean up.

A few minutes went by as Ennis finished bringing everything to the table and Rachael finished her clean up before she recycled everything she had used and no longer needed before she joined Ennis over at the table nearby. "I had a feeling that at some point. Someone I was related to was going to die at some point, there are too many of us in Starfleet and too much of us in harm's way." the young woman explained. "I may stick in an assignment to go to a Starbase as one of their engineers." she paused. "I can get a commission while I'm at it so it won't be Warrant Officer. It'll be Ensign instead."

Ennis regarded his wife in silence, a thoughtful look in his eye. "It sounds like you've already given this idea of yours a great deal of thought.." he commented. "Do you think Starfleet will go for it?"

"Why not?" Rachael inquired. "Our family needs some serious stability. Sarah and Saki especially need a stable place to grow, develop and thrive. Daniel also needs space for himself and so will any future children we have." she spoke while she proceeded to slice off a hunk of steak before she took a bite. "Mmmmm. This is always worth coming home to," she added while eating a mouthful of steak.

"Agreed." Ennis grinned. "Well just know that whatever you decide. I'll be right there beside you. Besides. I can always get an assignment there too." as he grinned at her before settling in to eat dinner.

Rachael grinned at him as she likewise settled in to eat her meal.