Her Last Funeral Pyre Lit - Part Three

Posted on Sun Jul 31st, 2022 @ 8:04am by Admiral Jake Yamaguchi & Fleet Captain Torilla Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 115: The Pale-Fac'd Moon looks Bloody on the Earth
Location: Various Locations - USS Grey Wolf
Timeline: 1210Hrs - November 15th, 2393

Division Admiral Torilla Yamaguchi tapped the display as she put down the PADD that she had been reading. She lifted her left hand to her face before she gently rubbed the skin between her eyes. There was no mistaking the exhaustion she was feeling.

This last mission had been really exhausting, not only for her but for everyone around her as well. Yamaguchi knew that she was going to want some serious leave time to compensate for the two leaves that she had missed. However, she would leave that subject alone for now. It wasn't worth getting all hot and bothered about. Not at the present time, anyway.

Yamaguchi gently craned her head to one side, and she felt a sudden pop. She groaned in response. She missed her husband and she didn't care if others knew it. Yamaguchi was a married woman with children and grandchildren to show for her efforts earlier in life. The Division Admiral lifted her hand to tap her combadge, which was affixed to her uniform top over her left breast. "Yamaguchi to com centre, get me, Admiral Yamaguchi, on Starbase Vanguard. Mark this as personal and secure it on our end."

"Copy. Placing your call now." responded the voice of James O'Halloran. Since the Grey Wolf was present without a communications officer, he was handling both his normal assignment and communications. He apparently enjoyed handling both tasks aboard the ship. He was also doing a good enough task of handling both that Yamaguchi didn't feel the need to request someone to cut down on his workload. So long as this remained the fact, she would leave the issue alone.

Yamaguchi settled in to wait, but after a minute or so. The face of her husband appeared on the display before her. Yamaguchi slowly smiled at her husband. "Hey, Jake. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?." she inquired. It was not just a matter of being polite and civil to her mate. It was also a practical matter too. He has as many stars as she had pips. He severely outclassed her in terms of rank and authority. Torilla knew all of this and thus, she had to respect it at all times.

"Nah," Jake answered in a flat tone of voice. "Just the usual drudgery that so plagues my existence. Paperwork." thats when he grinned back at his spouse, as if happy with the interruption.

"Oh. Lovely." Torilla answered. "Well. I got some news... I don't know if it's good or bad... But I'm going to share anyway." Torilla paused. "My exile is over. I am allowed to return to Halanna." Torilla paused. "But Jake... I don't feel anything about it," she admitted. "I..." she paused before she huffed a sigh at him. "I just don't care about it... I don't know if that makes any sense to you," she admitted. "All these years, I wanted this exile over... But now that it is... I don't feel anything. Nothing good, nothing bad... I feel empty."

Jake slowly smiled. "Thats because you made your family wherever we were stationed. When you last left Halanna after your parents passed. You swore publicly that Halanna and all of its people were dead to you, that you'd never set foot on that world, ever again." he explained. "You then spent almost twenty years living with that statement. I know you well enough Tee... You considered that as fact because you never considered that your exile would, or even could ever end, with anything other than your own death."

Torilla nodded in agreement. She remembered these dark days very well. "Not the best time of my life Jake... Had it not been for you and your family... I don't know where I'd be." she admitted.

"Tee. I can understand what you're saying." Jake admitted before he huffed a sigh back at her.

"But you still blame yourself for my exile," Torilla answered. "Even after all of this time," she added. "Jake, I was the one who initiated it. I recall that night well and I enjoyed it as much as you did. Besides. You did things to me that night that ruined me forever." as she grinned at him. "I had no idea that sex could feel so good." as she grinned at him. "I was the one who wanted children and you gave me Elizabeth and Gabriel." she grinned at him. "Do not blame yourself for the misdeeds of others... I was prepared for exile long before I gave birth to Elizabeth or Gabriel," she added. "I didn't expect it with that much force, or that soon." The Halanan then shrugged. "Besides. We have children and grandchildren. I think we did okay."

"Now we have a bunch more kids in the house. It can be really chaotic at times. Besides. Having all of our children within shuttle travelling range is..." as Jake then made a show of looking left and right as if to make sure he wasn't being overheard. "It's fucking lovely. I can spend time with Rachael or her crowd. I can help Beth with her issues... and Gabe with his concerns as well." Jake then grinned. "If I could get you an assignment here on the Starbase. I would not hesitate... But I know you earned that command of yours Tee... I don't want to deny you that. But I do miss you all the time."

It was at that point when Torilla the mother went to war with Torilla the Starfleet officer as she commented. "Say the word Jake and I'll come home. I can always come back in twenty years when the youngest leaves home as an adult... Ageless medical tech is a wonderful thing." she added with a grin.

"Torilla, my love I will consider it." as he grinned at her.