Behind the Warspite - Part One

Posted on Mon Jul 31st, 2023 @ 12:44pm by Admiral Jake Yamaguchi & Fleet Captain Racheal Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 120: All Along the Watchtowers - Part Two
Location: Various Locations - USS Warspite / Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1800Hrs, January 15th, 2394

Fleet Captain Rachael Yamaguchi sighed as she sat down at her dinner table. She always ate her meals alone. She had gotten off watch almost an hour earlier, which was an hour after the rest of her crew. With the approaching departure of the Warspite and her group on their mission within the coming days. Rachael knew she needed to try and resolve this issue of frustration that had been on her mind of late. She had yet to select a Chief of the Boat. The man she wanted was presently listed as missing in action. Rachael sighed softly. Once again for the umpteenth time on this particular day of the week, she cursed her bad luck, as the man she wanted was dead.

Abruptly. The com system interrupted her reverie with the officer's voice. "Com center to Captain Yamaguchi?" came the voice.

Yamaguichi tapped her combadge. "Yeah. Go ahead?." she responded in a soft tone of voice.

"There is a call for you, coming in in secure channel four." came the unexpected reply. Yamaguchi knew that whatever this was, someone with a lot of authority wanted a word, so she rose to her feet and moved into the study that she maintained as a workspace for her private use. She tapped the display. "Go ahead and route the call to me. I'll take it now."

"Understood." Rachael found herself looking at the face of one of her children. Her only son until a few years earlier. "Jake. What's up?" she asked, sounding utterly defeated.

"Hey, mom... Are you alright?" Jake inquired. He had a coffee and two sandwiches near to him. It was clearly early morning wherever he was, while it was early evening for her. "You don't look so great," he added quietly.

"I'm tired Jake. All the time," Rachael answered without thinking about the matter at hand. "I feel it chasing me. I'm always tired. I get a decent amount of sleep, but I'm always tired. From sun up to sundown." she mused. "But you didn't contact me to listen to me complain about feeling old and worn out." a gentle smile graced Rachael's lips. "As much as I appreciate you letting me."

"You're my mother. I worry about you." Jake responded with a nod of his head. "Besides. If Torilla heard me being all business and you were venting to me about life. Then she would make her displeasure clear." he commented. "I wish I could help you mom." he then sighed.

Rachael knew that her son meant well but he did have a business to conduct. He had four stars and she only had five pips. Most of that was because she had refused anything higher than these five pips. Mostly on the principle of not having earned it while she had been in Starfleet. "So, what's on your mind, Jake?"

"Did you select a new chief of the boat yet?" Jake knew instantly that upon asking his mother had not yet done so. It showed with the look on her face. "I'm not suprised. Do you want me to pick one for you and send him to you?" Jake added.

Rachael paused, it was tempting. So tempting to give in to her frustrations and hand this one off to someone else. But no, she still had her standards, and she wasn't about to compromise them for anyone or anything. "No... No," she answered with a long sigh. "I will take care of it. But... The man I really want is dead." she sighed softly.

Jake could see it in his mother's eyes. She was still mourning his father. He should have expected this. Everyone else had mourned Ben Yamaguchi when he was assumed to be dead and had long since moved on. Only now was Rachael in a position to mourn her husband's passing, even though it had taken place many years earlier. Jake sighed, he would have sought to spare his mother this pain if he could. What was worse was that Torilla had warned him about this issue creeping up on her the previous evening. When the two had discussed it over dinner. "I'll make up a list for you. Help you with your choice." Jake commented softly. "I know you well enough to know that you probably have it in hand but... Still," he commented.

"It's fine, Jake. I got this." Rachael answered with a gentle smile on her face. "I'll get over it."

"You say that so easily. April took two months before she could even process it. Coral was done in a week." Jake reminded his mother. "We all grieve in our own ways. It took me a while to process it." he then shrugged, not to say he didn't care but that he felt utterly helpless with the events in question.