The Marine CO and The Pilot

Posted on Sat Sep 25th, 2021 @ 3:38pm by Lieutenant JG Nozomi Kusuda 'Gemini' & Major Chiyo Shimada & Alice Shimada

1,084 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Operation Romulus Return
Location: Marine CO's office, Deck 16
Timeline: Part 2 of 'Can I get your autograph?'

Chiyo sat in her office, filing paperwork when her attention was caught by the sound of the doors swooshing open. She looked up and recognized the face of Alice walking in, and she looked up even further at the reg entering the office behind Alice.

"Hi, Alice:" Chiyo greeted warmly. "Who's your reg friend?"

"Mom, you're not going to believe me when I say this, but this is Nozomi Kusuda." Alice responded.

Chiyo blinked twice in response to the revelation, looking up at the pilot standing before her.

"Good lord, where are my manners?" Chiyo asked, getting up and stepping around the desk to shake the pilot's hand. "Chiyo Shimada; it's a pleasure to meet you. Safe to say, my daughter here hardly shuts up about you."

"No, I'm honored!" Nozomi insisted flatteringly. "This is really my first time getting to meet the Marine CO in person, outside of that brief encounter in the holodeck. So tell me; is that rumor I've been hearing about you besting a Borg drone true?"

"The stories always change in translation." Chiyo responded. "I just had the idea of a creative new way to destroy a Borg cube. Really, it was teamwork on the behalf of regs and marines alike to make it happen. Though, I'm sure we'll never get to use it again, because the Borg have likely adapted: Bastards always do..."

"No way; for real?" Nozomi gasped.

"That story's really nothing to be proud of;" Chiyo responded. "If anything, we were just grateful to get away with our lives. Trust me, you do not want to experience the Borg up close if you don't have to."

"Here's hoping I never," Nozomi chuckled. "I've had enough of an adventure simply getting here."

"Oh? Well, you must have quite the story to tell, then;" Chiyo said before noticing Nozomi's lone rank pip. "Even if your efforts went unrewarded..."

"Oh, simply being deployed is enough of a reward for me right now," Nozomi smiled. "Just gotta take this one step at a time."

"Mommy, mommy; can Miss Kusuda come join our game next session?" Alice asked.

"Of course, sweetie." Chiyo responded. "Did you tell her where our quarters are yet?"

"No," Alice responded. "I didn't because I know how you feel about that stuff."

"That's my baby girl!" Chiyo said, turning to Nozomi. "We're a unit of family quarters on Deck 4. I take it you can read Japanese?"

"I am Japanese," Nozomi smirked. "But thanks for asking!"

"Well, you shouldn't have any trouble locating a plaque outside with the Kanji for 'Shimada' engraved on it, then." Chiyo said. "You'd be the only reg there, unless of course the Air Boss actually decides to take me up on my offer..."

Nozomi blinked. "You mean Lieutenant Commander Decius?" she (perhaps incorrectly) assumed. Didn't strike her as the type of guy who role-played, but oh well...

Chiyo laughed.

"No, some warrant officer and her kid;" She said. "Mikoto I believe the little rascal's name was..."

"You had to bring that up..." Alice grumbled, remembering how the younger girl had quite rudely run into her because she wasn't looking where she was running.

Nozomi glanced over at Alice. "Does your daughter get along well with the other kids?" she asked Chiyo.

"Between us, she really doesn't:" Chiyo said. "She's had trouble making friends with her peers ever since an incident about 7-ish years ago on the Morgan. I'd really rather not go into detail about it, because it makes my blood boil just remembering it, but safe to say, the regs in teal lost a bit of my respect that day."

"It was a genius report:" Alice grumbled. "They were all so blown away by it they sent me off to sick bay where the regs tried to say there was something wrong with me."

"That..." Chiyo said, her face turning red as she remembered how angry she had been that day.

"I see," Nozomi remarked before stooping down and gently placing a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"If it's any consolation, I get what that feels like," She confided. "I didn't have a whole lot of friends growing up, either; we were always moving around, so I never lived in any one place long enough to be making any meaningful friendships."

"You've probably never had anyone tell you you're Autistic." Chiyo responded. "I said some things I probably shouldn't have to those regs: But, I was up in arms as soon as the word Autism came out. I still hate that term, and how regs use it as a blanket term for saying 'something's wrong with your child, and we don't know what.' Yeah right, kiss my ass you sons of bitches; there's nothing wrong with Alice, she's just incredibly smart."

"I've been called a "gypsy" on at least one occasion, so I get what that feels like as well," Nozomi chuckled. "My mother was never a spiteful woman, but she always used to say that people who went about labeling others without bothering to do the research were never going to amount to anything in life."

Chiyo smiled.

"Well, your mother was wise beyond her years." She said. "I hold a similar ideal with those who have looked down on me because I was a feeble-looking woman in a green uniform; you might never be friends with people like that, but earning their respect is a good first step. That being said; is there anything else that you might require of me?"

"I wouldn't want to impose, seeing as I showed up uninvited," Nozomi declined politely. "Though I must confess; your cordiality's hardly what I'd expect of a Marine CO!"

"I get that a lot:" Chiyo smiled. "Well, then; you may return to what you were doing prior to running into my daughter."

"It's been a pleasure," Nozomi nodded as she turned to leave. "And when's this session again?"

"I've spoken to most of the Marines involved, and they've all agreed on next Saturday." Chiyo said.

"I can hardly wait," Nozomi winked before heading out.

"Bye, Nozomi!" Alice called after her.

"Right;" Chiyo said, turning to Alice. "Now, sweetie; what else was it you wanted to see mommy for?"
____________________________________________________________

Posting by (In Order Of Appearance):

Captain Chiyo Shimada
Marine Commanding Officer, USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)

Alice Shimada
Civilian

Ensign Nozomi Kusuda
Fighter Pilot, USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)

RSS Feed