When Worlds Collide - Part Two

Posted on Mon Feb 24th, 2020 @ 2:39am by Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Commodore Siaxx "Bluemoon" Dvald-Vaxx MD & Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

Mission: Mission 11: Red VS Blue
Location: Various Locations - Starbase 400
Timeline: 1910Hrs - February 3rd, 2390

"That's how Irish folk mourn," Aryssa confirmed.

"Flying to me.... its like nothing else.... the trouble is... I don't know where to go or who to see for the information on your program."

"You can always ask me," Phoenix shrugged as if it was obvious. "What simulator programs you do?"

"Uhh." she rattled off a string of letters and numbers which indicated the program was at least four years out of date. "I fly Peregrines... and Valkyries but that's about all.... these newer fighters came out after the program was in use aboard the Courageous."

"I'll have to go back through the holodeck program data and upload your scores then," Phoenix spoke, impressed. "How many hours you got?"

Siaxx interrupted. "Guys... dinner's ready.." she looked at Rachael. "you were saying?"

The teenager nodded. "Thank you aunt Siaxx." she said with a smile. "I have about fourteen hundred hours in peregrines and another four hundred in Valkyries... though I'm sure the Valkyrie presently in service is a newer model then the one I'm used to flying."

"It is largely different in speed and manoverability," Phoenix confirmed, for she still flew them.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow as she regarded Rachael, it wasn't often she saw the teenager emerge out of her shell so to speak and speak as if she were speaking to an equal rather then a teenager to an adult, a possible trainee to a combat veteran. "Rachael... do you think you could fly the real thing?"

To her credit, the teen did not hesitate. "Yes.. I do."

"So tell me about this neutron star," Phoenix prodded with interest.

"Guys... come sit at the table and dig in... hopefully nobody has an allergic reactions... " Siaxx commented with a smile as she pulled out a chair for Phoenix.

Moments later, once everyone was seated, she began dishing out food. "Rachael you tell this story better then I do.... considering your mom almost killed me for it.."

Rachael nodded her head. "Well... I was on my way back from the Starbase 45 but since the USS Courageous was on assignment, she couldn't come collect me so I was forced to take public transport to meet with a shuttle from the Courageous which Dad had sent to meet up with the transport." she paused a moment. "The transports pilot got his math wrong on the destination solution for his warp drive and we ended up coming out of warp near the mass shadow of this pulsar."

Rachael paused. "The effects managed to do some damage to our warp drive so we were in effect floating above the Neutron Star.... I looked out the viewport as honestly had no idea of what it was.... but I could hear it screaming at me..." she sighed. "blinding, searing... I never felt pain like that.."

"Space Sirens," Phoenix nodded. "Mostly telepaths feels it, but it's been known that non-telepaths have occasionally felt that too."

Rachael regarded the Major as she looked surprised. "So... that's the term for them..." she paused. "I thought I was alone in how that felt..."

"It's a call a death to most pilots... Once you hear it, it means you're too close to the gravimetric field. Wicked hard to pull out," Phoenix explained. "...And you pulled out of that?"

"Only twice in training... and I did it ten times.... the last eight times were deliberate." Rachael paused. "I could feel... the stars rage, if you want to...." she stopped as she regarded the Major. "the screaming from the star was.... incredible each time.... and the last time... I could feel its grip...." as she looked at the Major. "Have you....ever faced something ... like that?" she seemed really nervous suddenly.

Phoenix was impassive outwardly as she thought on that. Sentient life? No. But Rage was something she felt on a daily basis. The exchange of hormones through sex was really the only release she got from her anger. And... well... She was still rather angry with Siaxx from the night before and decided she was too hurt to join Siaxx.

It was rare that Phoenix went back to her own quarters too. Try as she might to harness that feeling of betrayal from Siaxx talking to who-knows-how-many folks about their issues?

The older pilot shook her head in understanding Rachael. "Often, yes."

Rachael nodded. "Last time I tried... I couldn't pull out... I thought I could but... the neutron star tore my fighter apart..." she paused as she lifted her knife and fork. "This... looks great." she commented.

"Trick is to know where the gravity field bows. If ya wanna break free, almost always, you go all-in with as much power to the engines and punch the warp drive the moment you hit that spot on the bow," Phoenix explained, using the salt shaker on the table as the example, for going around the plate. "Shoots past it... Only problem is, you might bust the main engines once you're clear. Inertia is your friend in cases like that though."

Racheal nodded. "I'll try it in the sim tonight... see if I can't break out of a gravity well... if it works on a neutron star, I can use it anywhere." she explained, clearly she loved the subject.

Siaxx smiled as she looked around the table, expecting Dorothy and Blake to want time talking to Rachael as well as she ate a bite of her food.

"So what do you do when you aren't studying, or dating?" Dorothy asked politely.

"I help Tressa Brislan with babysitting her two kids." she admitted. "I also walk Earl the Tiger on a nightly basis.." Rachael then smiled. "Yes he's a fully grown tiger..." she paused. "other times I train with mom who's teaching me various martial arts... she expects me to be able to kick her ass before I go to the academy."

"Well I'm glad you got some goals," Dorothy spoke with relief. "Good head on your shoulders, Miss Rachael."

"Thank you... but I honestly have no choice." she sighed softly. "Its because of my abilities and I'll show you why." she turned her gaze to a nearby object which out of nowhere moved and then slid across the room in silence to her hand., it was a simple knickknack of Siaxx's that she had picked up from some planet she had forgotten about.

Siaxx had seen Rachael do this before many times and every time, it never ceased to amaze her. "Rachael... do you use your abilities for fighting?"

Rachael had not expected the question. "Oh god no. if I'm in a fight.. then I'm going to keep the playing field level, he or she is in it to mash my face in... least I can do is give them a worthy enemy instead of mashing them into walls, floors and doors.."

"That's... a bit creepy," Aryssa shivered, and made a note not to piss the girl off.

"I know." Rachael commented. "You should see my siblings fight... they throw things at each other..." she smiled. "it gets... ugly."

"Jill an' I don' fight like that. We just yell a lot," Aryssa spoke oddly thankfully.

"Hey if it works.." Rachael smiled at the larger woman. "Beth and Gabriel seldom fight... I can't recall the last time someone in my family had a serious issue with another member of the family, even cousins, aunts and uncles..." she paused. "Beth is a formidable telepath... she could blend into a crowd and make everyone think she's disappeared where as Gabriel will just pick up something and throw it at his target..." she explained. "in my branch of the family... Responsibility and Respect were hammered into us at a young age." she paused as she looked at Phoenix. "Watching my mom loose it several years ago was a frightening sight.... she demolished our quarters.... quite literally."

"Mastering one's rage aint easy to do," Phoenix both answered and evaded.

"I know..." Rachael answered. "I've known people who've fought with it for years...." she raised an eyebrow.

"Are you prying?" Phoenix asked gently with the girl's visual reaction.

"I'm a telepath but... I'm not very strong..." Rachael admitted. "I don't want to pry but...I can't help but be curious."

"Humans like to think our thoughts and feelin's are personal," Phoenix pointed out as nicely as she could to Racheal. Though in all reality, it only added to the anger she was suppressin'. "Best ta play dumb on stuff ya pick up from us, rather than ask personal stuff like that out in the open with others 'round."

Rachael regarded Phoenix as a Volcano that was ready to explode rather then a person, the look on her face said as much. "A good idea." she answered quietly, lest the wrong response detonated this Volcano in human form.

"Stop scaring the girl," Dorothy chided, then smacked Phoenix's arm like most disappointed moms did with rowdy children. "Well I like you, Miss Rachael and I hope you turn out to be a good influence on both my daughters."

"She aint my school buddy," Phoenix countered as she rubbed her sore arm.

"True. But she is Aryssa's and it's always a good thing to get to know your sister's friends, long before they ask for a weekend off-station unchaperoned or some other crazy idea that might come our way," Dorothy explained with a huge grin.

"I don' see myself gettin' in on something that stupid," Aryssa countered.

Rachael raised an eyebrow as she regarded the Major, much the same as her mother would regard an unruly subject she was dealing with. "Major... I'm considered one of the more laid back people in that entire school. There are others far worse.." she looked at Aryssa. "Tell her."

"She beat up a guy that wa bullin' us," Aryssa explained.

"If Mom approves then I'm good," Phoenix shrugged, giving in.

Rachael nodded her head. "Fair enough." she answered.