Saki's Ruminations - Part Two

Posted on Fri Mar 13th, 2020 @ 8:53pm by Commander Shireen Stark-Yamaguchi & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Saki Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 91: The Sum of All Fears
Location: ACSF Noble - High Orbit over B Kayor.
Timeline: 1400Hrs, August 27th, 2392

Warrant Officer Rachael Yamaguchi was sitting on one of the beds in one of the various medical centers on this massive ship as the door opened and in came Saki along with a female human she didn't recognize. "Hello, Ms. Yamaguchi. I found someone who was lost." the shorter than average human female explained.

Yamaguchi-Cullen chuckled softly. "Saki was never 'lost' as you say, Doctor. She was homing in on my psionic emissions." as she grinned at Saki, who smiled back at her mother. The small child came over before she hopped up on the bed before she gave Rachael a hug. "Hi, mom. I came to pay you a visit."

"You're both telepaths.?" Shireen inquired. "Oh. I'm sorry, where are my manners?." the small blonde-haired woman smiled. "I am Shireen Yamaguchi. I am your ancestor. Apparently, anyone related to you is also related to me too." she smiled as she let out a sigh. "The curse of being average I guess." as she regarded Yamaguchi-Cullen.

"So, you're the legendary insurgent." Yamaguchi-Cullen smiled at the other woman. "I have heard so much about you," she added as Saki nodded her head. "I'm Saki." the child introduced herself.

"Hello, Saki. I'm Shireen." the small female shook hands with the child before her, she turned her attention back to Rachael. "Legendary. Now, this I have to hear." Yamaguchi commented with a smile. "Insurgent?. I only just got away by the skin of my teeth.."

The one who destroyed a Klingon force at the cost of her own life and ship. Yes. We've heard of you." Yamaguchi-Cullen explained.

Shireen nodded as she sat down on the bed across from Rachael. "I did only what I had to do. I attempted to escape after they had attacked me. It was only by sheer chance that I fled through that wormhole." she paused. "We were able to destroy two of the birds of prey, ambushing one of them but an Akurian patrol intervened before the Klingons could finish me off," Shireen explained with a smile. "The Mohawk, however, had been completely wrecked and my crew was surviving on their wits alone at that point."

Yamaguchi-Cullen regarded Shireen as she nodded. "Your ship was only a fraction as fast as ours are now and that was before the introduction of slipstream drives."

"Are they anything like Wormhole drives?" Shireen inquired.

"Not likely," Yamaguchi-Cullen answered. "Don't all Akurian ships have them?"

"No, only the more massive ones do," Shireen responded lightly. "Besides, I do like the new Starfleet uniforms. Shows off my figure." the small female added.

Yamaguchi-Cullen chuckled softly. "I know what you mean," she commented. "Black was always my color," she explained with a smile. "I find that I can work better when I'm not worried about my clothing catching fire which is why I always wear armor while on duty."

"Well, it has been a hundred and fifty years... So I'd hope the technology has improved." Shireen sighed softly. "In my case, it was a colored shirt and black pants and boots. Not a lot of imagination went into my old uniform. This one, however, is much nicer."

"Oh yes," Yamaguchi-Cullen answered. "Plus the one I was issued is fireproof. A good thing in my line of work."

"Which is what?" Shireen inquired of her descendant.

"I'm an Engineer. I fix the things others blow up when they do their thing." Rachael explained. "Besides we just finished driving the Klingon Empire out of Gorn space and they are telling me the Klingon Empire is finished." the younger woman simply shrugged.

"The Empire deserved to be finished centuries ago," Shireen responded quietly. "Well better late than never I guess," she added a moment later. "But we can have that chat at another time." Yamaguchi paused. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. I feel .. I dunno." Rachael did indeed feel strange but she didn't have the light sensitivity that she had been dealing with previously. "My eyes are better though." Yamaguchi-Cullen paused. "How is the little one doing?"

"You mean little ones" Yamaguchi responded. "You are carrying twins, Rachael."

"Oh." Yamaguchi-Cullen paused. "I didn't know," she admitted in a quiet tone a moment later, clearly not thinking this was good news as Saki reacted. "Yay!" she responded, clearly overjoyed with this development. "That's great!" Saki grinned.

"Saki... That means my hands will be even more full than before." Yamaguchi-Cullen regarded her daughter before she let out a soft sigh. "If my life wasn't complicated enough." she let out a soft sigh as she regarded Saki. "You and Sarah might start feeling left out as the twins will be more demanding of me then Daniel was."

"So... Whats the issue mom?"

"It means that you and Sarah will have issues processing the new reality you'll find yourself in sweetie," Yamaguchi explained in a gentle tone of voice. "You and Sarah will be watching as your mom spends all her time mothering two new children and you might feel unwanted or unloved."

Saki paused, while she processed this news. "Oh." her good mood suddenly evaporated like a flame that had just gone out, leaving the faintest wisp of smoke to drift on the winds. She turned to her mother in silence.

"Saki, you are still my daughter and nothing will ever change this," Yamaguchi-Cullen said in a gentle tone as she gently ran her hand over the side of Saki's face and down over her shoulder to take her child's hand in her own. "Just because I'll be changing diapers or waking in the middle of the night to look after the twins or to feed them at funny times does not mean I'll love you any less, its the same with Sarah or Daniel. You five are my children and nothing will ever change this."

"I dunno mom. A lot has happened over the last year." Saki responded in a soft tone.

"I know," Yamaguchi-Cullen responded. "You've done a lot of growing up Saki. You've dealt with a lot of crap that you really should not have had to deal with but you did and I am proud of you for what you faced."
Yamaguchi-Cullen explained. "But what you are facing is normal. Its natural to feel what you're feeling. Its been happening for centuries in many cultures and species."

"You ain't alone Saki," Yamaguchi explained. "I've been where you are, twice. As the child and as the mother." Shireen brushed her mane of blonde hair out of her eyes. "This is entirely normal but your mom and dad will be there for you, that won't change but you'll get woken up in the middle of the night too, it'll be quite often that the cries of babies will wake you."

"That bad?" Saki inquired, in a soft tone. "I dunno if I wanna face this." the small child admitted. "Not if it's that bad."

"It'll be an every night occurrence Saki," Yamaguchi-Cullen explained for her daughter's benefit.

"If anything goes wrong when things get stupid, babies are helpless, they can't do anything for themselves and they can't help themselves," Yamaguchi added as Shireen nodded to Rachael. "I had five children of my own, I know what goes into it, this will be a demanding experience for you as you'll be expected to assist your mom and dad with things," Yamaguchi added.

Yamaguchi-Cullen regarded Saki. "Personally, I think you'll make a grade A babysitter but, I can understand if you didn't want to help," Yamaguchi-Cullen explained. "Same with Sarah or Daniel. I won't demand your help." she paused. "But I'd welcome it." Yamaguchi-Cullen turned as she let out a soft sigh, she had no idea how to reassure Saki that it would be alright, that there was light at the end of the long tunnel.

"What happened to your children?" Saki suddenly inquired of Shireen Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi regarded the small child, a soft look in her gaze as she paused, she let out a soft breathe. "Well. I know that two of them, Nicole and Michael were their names and they were both killed at the hands of the Klingons, long ago. Long before you were born." Yamaguchi paused a moment but then she pushed the thought away. "I never had the heart to find out what happened to the others.." Yamaguchi admitted.

Saki regarded her mother, Yamaguchi-Cullen nodded at her. "May I ask why not?" Saki inquired gently.

"Because of young one, I'm not sure I'm ready to find out what became of my own children," Yamaguchi commented. "In order tog et away from these Klingons, I had to sacrifice everything, up to and including my family so that I might live, then the differences in realities forced me to spend a hundred and fifty years traveling to find out what happened to a United Federation of Planets that never existed in their reality," Yamaguchi explained.

"Oh." Saki paused. "Wow, I'd be rather angry about that.." the child explained.

"In truth Saki. I have no idea how I feel about any of this." Yamaguchi paused. "I've struggled to come to terms with it, I've tried to move on but I can't." Yamaguchi sighed. "My son, he was ten and he spent his whole life without his mother."

"I can help you look," Saki announced happily, a wide smile on her lips. "It'll be great. We'll find out and we can help you move on from this."

"Just like that?" Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow, clearly in a state of surprise. "Umm, I can't do that to you, sweetie."

Yamaguchi-Cullen shrugged. "Saki here is one of the most stubborn people I've ever encountered and, she does have ways of getting things done when people tell her no," Rachael explained. "

Yamaguchi gave Rachael a dubious look. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

Saki regarded Yamaguchi before she nodded. "Okay," she admitted in a soft tone. "I just don't like it when people hide from the truth, what, I never got confused with what I wanted from the truth," Saki added.

Yamaguchi regarded Saki in silence for a moment as Yamaguchi-Cullen facepalmed, thinking 'Fuck Saki, why did you have to go and open your mouth and say something like that!'.

Yamaguchi slowly smiled. "Y'know Saki. There are a lot of people, both in my time and in yours who I suspect could learn a great deal from your words. Alright, young lady, you have made your point."

Yamaguchi-Cullen sighed. "I'm sorry about this."

"No. There is no need, she's right." Yamaguchi answered. "I have been a prisoner of my own making for too long but I will accept penance from you, Rachael." Shireen regarded the other female, a rather evil smile on her lips.

"How so?" Yamaguchi-Cullen inquired, clearly unsure of this.

"I will look, to find out what happened to my family and Saki will assist me with this effort," Shireen responded. "Loan me her for a few days and we can call her transgression's resolved."

Saki grinned widely as she shifted her attention to look at her mother, Yamaguchi-Cullen nodded. "Sounds good to me. Just don't let her have access to anything of an adult nature."

"Adult nature?" Yamaguchi inquired.

"Yes, like porn. Saki was exposed to it when she shouldn't have been and she has ways of getting anything out of anything so be aware of that." Yamaguchi-Cullen explained.

"Lovely," Yamaguchi explained in a droll tone of voice. "Well she need not worry as I don't have that problem in life at present," Yamaguchi added with a soft sigh. "I'm not dating anyone and nor am I looking."

Saki regarded Yamaguchi in silence a moment as Yamaguchi-Cullen gave Saki a look. "Don't say it. I can hear you thinking it."

"But mom!" Saki responded.

"It's not your concern and please do not involve yourself in the affairs of others, you'll find its far too much work for too little reward, kindly do not do it, young lady."

"You're mom's right Saki. Getting involved in the affairs of others is generally a very poor idea and you would be better off not doing it." Yamaguchi explained evenly.

"Okay," Saki answered simply, the small child let out a sigh as she turned her attention back to her mother. "When do you get out of here?"

"When the doctors tell me I can," Yamaguchi-Cullen explained, clearly used to such questions. "When is your next treatment?"

Saki regarded her mother. "In two hours time," she commented.

"Yes," Yamaguchi responded. "I'm the one who's going to be helping you with that treatment Saki and this time, I'll have some Federation modern medicine to assist me so you won't go home looking like something out of an Egyptian horror movie," Shireen explained with a smile on her lips.

"Cool, then I can go with you and help you look for your family. awesome!" Saki responded.

Yamaguchi traded a look with Yamaguchi-Cullen. "Is she always like this?" Yamaguchi asked Rachael. Yamaguchi-Cullen nodded. "Most of the time, yes. Saki is well. Saki and she will always be true to herself."

"Mom!" the child protested. "I am sitting right here, you know?"

"Yes, we know," Rachael responded in a dry tone of voice. "Stop taking things so personally Saki. You should develop a sense of humor. It will help you."

"Okay I will," Saki responded. "Once I figure out how humor works."

Yamaguchi chuckled softly. "Saki, you really are something else." as she went over to Yamaguchi-Cullen. "Alright, let me check you over, just in case of any issues," she said to Rachael, who was just sitting up.

"Okay." Yamaguchi-Cullen responded.