Operation: Dark Skies - Part One

Posted on Fri Mar 13th, 2020 @ 8:55pm by Division Admiral Thomas Lasky & Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Yamaguchi-Solusar & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen

Mission: Mission 91: The Sum of All Fears
Location: ACSF Noble - High Orbit over B Kayor.
Timeline: 0900Hrs - August 29th, 2392

Warrant Officer Rachael Yamaguchi was not in any mood for anyone's attitude as she placed the large crate back onto the pallet while she and several others were checking out the gear that the Federation was going to set up aboard the ACSF Noble in preparation for the Federation's detachments tour of duty.

"Hey Ripcord. What's going on between you and the boss?" one of the Engineers asked her in a polite tone.

Rachael sighed softly. "Don't worry about it, it's because I'm wanted in the medical wing this afternoon and I'm going to be gone for half the day and Commander Lasky is unhappy about it.". It was a lie, a very big lie but for now, it would suffice rather than the truth which most did not need to know about.

Meanwhile, Commander Lasky was not in a happy mood with many things recently, his son's gene therapy had been postponed a week simply because of the fact that Torilla needed more time and Rachael and Saki were more critical care patients who needed more care than Kurt did, but that in truth, that wasn't what was bothering him. What was bothering him was the lack of trust that Rachael had shown in his leadership skills and in him as a person during his last mission with the Roanoke which very nearly resulted in his death.

Lasky sighed softly as he opened a bottle of water as the Akurians did not have replicator technology which did not bother him in the slightest if anything it reminded him to enjoy what one had as he downed a mouthful of water while he turned his attention to the report in his hands.

Lasky read the PADD in his hands, as he couldn't commit it to memory, he sighed as he realized that five minutes had gone by and he had reread this PADD at least four times. "Dammit. I can't even fucking focus on my work... Godammit Rachael." he snarled as he slapped the PADD down on the desk.

The doorbell for his office beeped at him. Resigning himself to the fact that he seemed to be unable to get any work done. "Enter." Lasky growled. "What!." he snapped. "This better be good!" he added a moment later, losing his temper before he could reign it in.

The door opened and in walked a rather tall female officer with the physique of a champion volleyball player, with a moderately thin waist but massive upper legs and a large bust and chest but then this was Lieutenant Elizabeth Yamaguchi and she had a concerned look on her face. "Sir. You okay?" she inquired of him.

"Speak plainly Elizabeth. I have a feeling I know why you are here, as in why you are standing before me, right this second." Lasky regarded her. "I'm gonna read your mind." as Lasky gave her a look.

"Yessir." Yamaguchi regarded Lasky with a gentle smile. "May I speak freely?"

Lasky regarded the large female before him whom he knew so well, he huffed a sigh at her. "Elizabeth, did I ever deny you the chance to speak your mind to me since we last spoke?" Lasky inquired. "Last I recall. My policy on things has not changed." he regarded her. "By all means then, out with it."

"Will you go and speak with her?" Elizabeth Yamaguchi inquired bluntly, both she and Lasky knew exactly who 'she' was.

"Probably not. I do not wish to cause a major incident with Rachael. She knows she fucked up and nearly got me killed and almost left my son as an orphan. Beth. I am not happy." Lasky explained. "I don't need to lose my temper over this."

"I think every telepath within range can sense that Tom," Yamaguchi admitted. "Rachael asked me of what to do. I told her that I was going for a cup of coffee and remain out of it.." she explained. "I am not getting into this one as I have enough issues of my own already."

"A wise plan Elizabeth." Lasky sighed at her. "You really want no part of this disaster, you didn't cause it, you didn't provoke it and you didn't disobey orders. She did all of those things."

"I understand sir but my other relatives can sense your anger towards her and they asked me to talk to you." the tallest Yamaguchi explained why she was here in a few words.

"Of course," Lasky responded in a tone that could melt Andoria and then dry the planet, both acts more or less at about the same time.
"Elizabeth, it's not that simple. I would like to march down there and tear her head clean from her shoulders but I can't because Jake will come down on me." Lasky explained as, from his point of view, this was obvious.

"I have it on good authority that Dad wants no part of this particular fiasco." The tall female responded with a smile. "Neither does any other Yamaguchi, including mom."

"Ahh, yes well, your mom, well." Lasky sighed softly. "What can I say?"

"I know your relationship with mom has been a strange one, Tom but Kurt is a good-" was as far as she got before Lasky interrupted her. "He's not developing normally, he's behind all over the place because he has down syndrome."

"I know." Yamaguchi quickly realized what was bothering him and now the warhead had been primed and was quickly counting down to detonation, she waited for Lasky to lose his temper, right at her.

It didn't come as Lasky simply sighed softly. "I don't know what to do Elizabeth," he said softly. "I know it's not my fault and it's not your mothers but-" Lasky was interrupted which he was honestly thankful for.

"Mom just has bad genes Tom," Yamaguchi answered. "She didn't ask for it, her ancestors fought several brutal wars over the unification of Halla every hundred years ago. They got so bad that the rendered the planet as a lifeless hell." the larger female explained. "They called it the First, Second and Third Unification wars." she paused. "The third war got stupid."

"I don't know much about your mothers species Beth. I should change that at some point." Lasky responded quietly.

"I can't speak to that point Tom but I do know that Mom's ancestors are to blame as they fought several major wars that ended up glassing most of their former homeworld," Yamaguchi explained. "I know that because mom told me." the tall woman explained. "She used it as a cautionary tale about keeping control of one's temper."

Lasky regarded her. "Didn't you and your mom have issues at one point?"

Yamaguchi paused as she regarded him. "I did. I'm surprised you remembered as I do recall having something of a mind-meld with you during the second Peeves incident."

Lasky regarded her. "It seems that we are never going to live that one down," he commented with a smile. "I remember most of it when you weren't trying to rip off my clothing... I'll admit about midway through, it got a little funny.."

"Well. That's because I initiated a mental link with you, subconsciously. That's why.." Yamaguchi paused. "I should not have done it and I'm sorry."

Lasky regarded her. "For what?. You did no lasting damage and we were both stuck in a bad situation, It sucks that it happened but honestly. We both made the best of it as we could." he paused. "Besides, you were simply amazing," Lasky responded. "I still call that some of the best sex ever."

"You were no blushing violet yourself. I'd honestly call it some of the best sex I've ever had. That's not a slight against Kameron but that's only because he's rather gentle at times and sometimes I don't want gentle. I want rough." Yamaguchi explained.

"We all have our preferences," Lasky explained.

"Yes. So.. Tell me about you and Plataea.?" Yamaguchi inquired, a rather devious smile on her lips.

Lasky raised an eyebrow. "How do you know about that?" he inquired of her. "Plataea and I have been keeping that to ourselves," Lasky added.

"Yes and getting anything out of Plataea is worse than trying to examine the teeth of a very angry dog, she might bite me but Plataea has already told me and I quote: 'Beth, you have a husband so you don't need to be worrying about what Tom Lasky does with anyone else, your relationship does not give you the right to intervene or interfere in his life. Now, back off and leave him be.' Unquote."

Lasky winced. "Ouch, sounds like she wasn't taking any prisoners whatsoever." he paused. "But while I know you worry Beth. Just know that she and I are in a relationship together and don't worry about things, you need to worry more about your own children and your husband."

"Yeah," Elizabeth answered quietly. "I worry for good reason, Tom. You've been through a lot in the last eighteen months. Especially where your relationships are concerned. There were the wild swings in affairs between you and mom, going from friends to hating each other, then back to friends and then back to war against the other, then you got her pregnant and then things got really stupid from there." she sighed. "Then there was your relationship with me which followed much the more or less the same track record and then there was Zara which I am not going to get into. But the big one was Rachael." Yamaguchi huffed a deep sigh. "That fucking idiot," she muttered under her breathe.

"Yes. Rachael." Lasky answered. "I was her teacher, her mentor. In as much as Phoenix was, she was working with me more on a day to day level. I got to decide if she flew or not. She was the air boss and I was commander of the first wing." Lasky sighed. "She was that good before she lost her talent thanks to being stuck on that shitheap for eight years."

"She never regained her interest, thanks to Saki," Yamaguchi answered. "Which is why you were irritated with her." Elizabeth paused as if an epiphany hit her.

"I thought she was throwing her career away." Lasky sighed softly. "Blasted woman had the innate talent, she had the instincts and the luck. She could have been one of the finest pilots I'd ever seen."

"Now she's stuck as an engineer, not her first choice of job in the fleet," Yamaguchi answered in a dry tone of voice. "Because of Saki and to a lesser degree, the rest of her family. But she can always retrain later and go back into Starfighters later."

"Rachael has made no effort to keep current so she would need to retrain from scratch," Lasky responded. "She wants to be an engineer, let her remain as such, fixing other people's mistakes and screwups. " Lasky huffed a sigh. "I am sorry Elizabeth but I want nothing to do with her at this point in time"

Yamaguchi nodded her head, she knew that once Lasky had made his mind up on something that there was little she could say or so to move him from that point. "Alright. then I'd best go and let you get back to work."

"On your way then," Lasky answered as he watched the massive woman turn and depart in silence. He felt bad for her but at the same time, he knew he didn't need any extra drama in his life, something Rachael could bring aplenty.