Meeting the Captain

Posted on Thu Jun 18th, 2015 @ 11:18am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Ensign Noriko Ogawa

1,636 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Captains & Contraband
Location: USS Tokyo, Bridge & Ready Room

ON:
[Bridge]
[USS Tokyo]

With the Tokyo undergoing repairs and the Wolff alongside maintaining watch in case the Romulans counterattacked, M'Elise had a chance to beam over and meet her counterpart. Most people paid her no mind as she stepped onto the bridge, everyone seemed busy trying to get the ship back up and another red uniform from the Wolff wasn't out of place.

Walking down to the Commander's ready room, M'Elise keyed in her code, announcing her arrival to the Commander.

The doors swished open. Taiga was still not in a good mood, she had just been reading over the damage reports to her ship and she was severely pissed off with everything the Romulans had broken, or in her case killed.

"DON'T WALK IN WITHOUT KNOCKING!" she shouted as she picked up her last potted plant of geraniums and threw them across the room towards the door.

M'Elise sensed the object flying towards her head and were it not for her reflexes, would have been wearing a rather pleasant looking plant. As it was, the plant crashed to the floor out on the bridge after narrowly missing the helm officer. She looked from the plant to the Commander before she spoke. "Commander. I assume therre is a rreasonable explanation why you just thrrew a plant at my head?"

Taiga looked up at M'Elise. "Damn Romulans that why!" Taiga replied with a slight harsh tone. "They've damaged my ship Captain! And they've killed something so innocent that I just want to snap their green blooded necks!" Taiga explained. "You wouldn't know of course!" she said noticing her body figure.

"Commanderr. Stand down." M'Elise took a step forward towards Taiga. "Do not make me make that an orrderr."

Taiga glared at M'Elise. "You'd be angry if you'd have lost yours...." Taiga muttered. "I shouldn't have gone on that damn mission, but I didn't know!" she explained. "We'd been trying for months and months, and once it happens it only took one blast from a disruptor to literally rip the dreams out of me!" she explained, a few tears escaped her eyes. It was obvious she was trying to stop herself from breaking down and crying.

"There's no guarantee it'll happen again. How am I supposed to be strong after finding that out!" she questioned. She spun around in her chair to face the wall, tears now running down her cheeks. She was trying to keep it in, but the tears were now coming naturally. "I'm sorry Captain" she started as a sniff, but it turned out into a cry.

M'Elise paused. It didn't take a lot for her to guess from Taiga's comments that the women had just lost a baby during this mission. From Taiga's size and lack of apparent pregnancy, M'Elise had to guess not very far along. And for M'Elise to walk in so soon, her own pregnancy obvious to all, would have set the women off.

"Commanderr..." M'Elise began. Taking a seat in a chair opposite Taiga's desk, she looked at the back of the women's head, giving her time to compose herself.

The chair turned around. Taiga's brown eyes glistening with tears which were silently rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry" she sniffled. "I should be strong, being in command of a ship and all. Most Starfleet Captains aren't seen like this, how am I supposed to switch my emotions off. I'm not a Vulcan"

M'Elise looked at Taiga, compassion in her eyes. "You don't Commanderr, you can't. Trrust me, it's harrd to maintain that sense of decorrum when yourr whole world has collapsed arround you."

Taiga just sniffled then wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. "I trust you came to find out how we're doing over here, I should thankyou for showing up with the Wolff like you did" she explained trying to get off the topic.

As much as M'Elise wanted to continue the discussion, things were probably still too raw for Taiga. "Yourr welcome, though I suspect Starrfleet was expecting trrouble when they sent us. They don't norrmally send crruisers on rresupply missions."

"Well, we were lucky you were around I guess" Taiga replied. "Although we did cross into Romulan space, we were authorised to do so" she explained. "We didn't expect quite a party though"

"I was individually brriefed by Starrfleet rregarrding your overrall mission Commander. I don't think anyone expected you to stirr up quite the horrnet's nest though." M'Elise chuckled a little before she caught herself. Her ears flattened a little in contrition upon realizing how that laugh could have been taken. "Sorrry Commanderr. Underr the cirrcumstances, it wasn't really funny."

Taiga just looked down at her desk. "I'm thinking of resigning from Starfleet" Taiga said. She let out a slight laugh as if not sure. "Twenty Seven and already retiring... I thought I was cut out for it, but then all this happened" she explained. "I guess I can't be a mother and Starfleet officer at the same time..."

M'Elise bobbed her head. She knew that feeling of loss. "Commanderr. Can I speak frrankly, as one women to anotherr?"

"Go ahead" Taiga replied simply. "You're the ranking officer here anyway..."

"I've been where you are Commander. I've lost three pregnancies, five kits before this litter. It's raw for you right now and I won't downplay that but it doesn't make you unfit to be both a mother and Captain of a starship."

Taiga looked at her. "I see" Taiga said. "I'm not sure what to do right now"

M'Elise nodded. She hated this conversation when she had it with counselors and she was sure Taiga probably did as well. "I can't honestly tell you what to do Commander. All I know is that your mate, if he already knows, will be hurting as much as you are right now. Be there for each other is all I can say."

Taiga bowed her head. "I haven't told him yet..." she admitted.

M'Elise quietly responded. "Don't wait Commander."

Taiga stood up. "Shall I go now?" she asked. "Plus, I don't want to really waste any more potted plants..."

"For one, I think you are out of plants Commander." She replied, trying to lighten the mood. "And for two we have some ship's business to discuss."

"Oh..." Taiga said as she sat back down into her chair. She slumbed back into her chair and crossed her legs. "So I'm guessing that the Wolff took some damage?"

"We did, nothing we can't manage though. The Tokyo however took more damage and I'd like to send some engineering teams across if that's okay? I also have a bunch of supplies and crew we need to send over, including a new department head for your science team."

Taiga raised an eyebrow. "I suppose that should be ok" she explained. "I wasn't aware you were transporting senior officers, did they hitch a ride?"

"Our resupply mission involves several personnel transfers, including a Chief Science Officer and his family who were assigned to the Tokyo just recently."

"I see" Taiga said. "Who are this new Science Officer? I hope he knows that this is a more of a military vessel, we don't have much Science capability" she explained. "Limited at best".

"He is aware of that. I think he wanted a change of pace from his last posting, something a little quieter then a Galaxy class so he can focus on some research he's conducting."

"I see" Taiga said. "Well have him report in when he arrives on board. We have a lack of scientists aboard this ship, it might be nice having someone around who knows things..."

"I will do. Him and his family are presenting packing up." M'Elise paused, knowing how Taiga might feel about the next part. "They will need a decent size family suite. Keith has four children and the family is expecting three more."

"Wait a minute" Taiga said. "How big of a family are they having?!" she asked as she tapped on her computer. "How old are they like?!"

"Lieutenant Alex Walker and his wife Meru have four children. They are both early 30's, the eldest two are 14, the youngest is two. Meru is expecting twins, due in the next 4-5 months. Their eldest daughter Kala is a bit of a delicate subject as she is also pregnant."

Taiga just stared at M'Elise for what seemed like a good few minutes in awkward silence. "Are they... like... half rabbit or something?" she asked. "Bloody hell, its like the universe keeps throwing its Karma shit at me..."

"Half Bajoran actually." M'Elise remarked, not quite getting Taiga's remark.

Taiga facepalmed. "Earth reference..." Taiga said with a slight sigh. "I'll talk to the XO about arranging some quarters, but they're probably going to have to be split up between our largest quarters".

M'Elise nodded. She wasn't about to tell Taiga how to run her own ship.

"Anything else?" Taiga asked. She was eager to meet this new science officer, she wanted to know what he was researching and why he wanted to bring his family aboard a warship. Taiga shook it off, that was a little contradictory of her as she was trying to make her own family aboard.

"I think that's everything Commander. We'll be around until your mobile again, then we're due back on patrol." Standing to go, M'Elise adjusted her jacket. "And Commander, Taiga, your time will come too. I don't believe it is your destiny to remain childless."

Taiga watched her stand up. "I suppose so. Thankyou for the assistance" she said simply holding out a hand for the woman to shake. "See you around the galaxy?"

M'Elise shook the women's hand. "Quite possibly Commander."

END:

Posting by

Commander Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo

Captain M'Elise Emerson
Commanding Officer
USS Wolff

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