Leaving for Risa
Posted on Tue Nov 29th, 2022 @ 9:37am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu & Lieutenant Amu Hinamori M.D. & Lieutenant JG Silica Tetsuhiko 'Twin-Tails' & Lieutenant Fubuki Kuchikukan 'Snowflake' & Ensign Mikko Ishigami & Chief Warrant Officer Karuta Roromiya & Petty Officer 1st Class Yoshika Miyafuji & Mikoto Roromiya & Lieutenant Kylynn Adams & Major Chiyo Shimada & Lieutenant JG Nezuko & Lieutenant JG Nozomi Kusuda 'Gemini' & Lieutenant Iowa Riverside 'Grey Ghost' & Captain Elizabeth F. "Liz" Beurling & Lieutenant JG Mika Fujimoto 'Pickpocket' & Ensign Lynette Bishop 'Highlander' & Alice Shimada
1,825 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Sand Sea Fun and Surf
Location: Beta Antares Fleet Yards
The large transport sat at the docking port of the central starbase of the Beta Antares Fleet Yards. It had been specially arranged by Captain Aisaka to take the crew of the Tokyo to the holiday planet of Risa. Luckily she had pulled a couple of favours at Starfleet Command to organise a private transport just for crew.
Taiga had already boarded, it was an eighteen hour flight to Risa so she had managed to book one of the cabins with Ryuuji. She was staring out of the viewport at the deepness of space and the glistening stars in the far distance.
She sat down on the bed as an announcement came over the personal address system.
"All Crew and Passengers, we will be undocking in thirty minutes".
Within minutes of Taiga's announcement, a steady stream of officers began to trickle aboard and take their seats; having been both physically and emotionally drained from their latest assignment, a full three weeks of rest and relaxation seemed well-deserved.
"Excuse us, please..."
Clutching the strap of her carry-on bag and an oversized sunhat in the other, Nozomi sifted through the throng of vacation-goers, her eyes panning across the aisle in search of two open (and preferably adjacent) seats.
Behind Nozomi was Iowa, who was wearing a red baseball cap with white text that read 'MAKE STARFLEET GREAT AGAIN' along with a 3/4 sleeve baseball shirt and blue jeans. Iowa was also looking for two seats. Preferably two to shut Nozomi up, but if that didn't happen, Iowa was more than content to sit by herself. Finally, Iowa spotted something and grabbed Nozomi's shoulder.
"Gemini; Looks like there're a couple-a seats over here!" She said.
"Dibbs on the aisle seat?" Nozomi remarked with a mischievous smirk.
"Ah, hell, naw!" Iowa responded. "You don't have this bladder; you don't need the aisle seat like I do!"
"Well, how about we settle this with some good-old-fashioned Janken?" Nozomi challenged, offering her outstretched fist. "On three?"
"Oh, you're on!" Iowa said. "Though, fair warning, I was something of a rock-paper-scissors champion back in the day.."
"I'd kill to see that," Nozomi grinned as the two of them pumped their fists up and down. "Saisho wa gu... Janken pon!"
"Rock, paper, scissors... Shoot!" Iowa exclaimed at the same time. "Hah, scissors cut paper, my friend! Go on and slide into the window seat and leave the aisle seat for the old broad with the ancient bladder."
Nozomi simply chuckled as she began to stow her carry-on in the overhead compartment.
Among the crowd was the Tokyo's marine command staff, Captain Chiyo Shimada and 1st Lieutenant Liz Beurling, accompanied by Chiyo's daughter Alice. Chiyo had been lucky enough to book one of the transport's cabins for herself and Alice, but Liz, once she found out about it, had begged Chiyo to let her bunk with them, citing how old she was as an excuse as to why she wasn't able to sleep in a seat. Chiyo had eventually relented, but only because Liz was a close friend. Though Chiyo had her doubts as to how well Alice would sleep with both her mom and Auntie Liz snoring away.
As they were boarding, Liz had just put out what was supposed to be her last cigarette for the next 18 hours, and she was already complaining about the no smoking policy on the transport.
"Ugh, 18 hours without a cigarette?" Liz grumbled. "Should really just put a phaser in my mouth right now..."
Chiyo sighed rather audibly.
"It's going to be a long next 18 hours, isn't it?" She muttered.
"Ah, but would you have it any other way?" Liz teased.
Next to board was Nezuko, who had found just enough time to find her quarters, have a short sleep, research what she might need for Risa, and re-pack a small bag for the trip. Swimwear. Sportswear. A waterproofing kit for her rebreather. Her custom PADD. She made it to the transport just in time to find an available seat. She waved at the new faces, all of them her crewmates, all heading on the same vacation, before sitting down in an available seat.
When she saw a red-haired woman and a young child approach, looking for seats, she waved them over.
Kylynn followed her motion and sat Haylyx down on her lap "I'm kylynn Adams. This is Haylyx my daughter. I assume your Nezuko?"
Nezuko nodded, the corners of her lips visible as a smile. She gave a little wave of hello to young Haylyx.
"So," Nozomi grinned as Iowa sat down next to her. "Word on the flight deck as of late is that a certain ace pilot recently received a promotion; how does it feel to be the newly-minted Triumph Squadron Leader?"
"Well, frankly, I was surprised when I first learned about it." Iowa said. "I figured it must be a cold day in hell, because with the vendettas D'Lar and Trigman had against me, I knew that me becoming a Squadron Leader would never happen on their watch, and it turned out I was right, because it hadn't: D'Lar and Trigman had both been reassigned. I suppose if you can't beat 'em, outlast 'em."
Nozomi shot Iowa a look of surprise. "You had a falling out with Teach? I mean, sure, she could be strict at times, but I never knew of a person she couldn't reach a mutual understanding with. What did you do that was so bad that you two couldn't make nice?"
"Well, you see, Kusuda; back before you came aboard, when Crazy Dude was still the Air Boss, I participated in the scuffle at Alvatar." Iowa explained. "In hindsight, I admit that I made a decision to save my own skin instead of my squadmates', and I was grounded for it. Hot-headed me at the time, though, thought my grounding was unjust, and I tried appealing to her, I must have said something stupid, because she snapped at me, and I could see in her eyes then that as long as she was in a position of authority over me, I'd never move up the ranks. But, now that she's gone, here I am, finally moving up the ranks."
Iowa then proceeded to make a bras d'honneur gesture in her excitement.
Nozomi threw her head back and laughed. "You'd have to say something particularly offensive in order for her to hold a grudge against you like that; even with the mistakes I made back in my Academy days, it's not like she was keen to remind me of my shortcomings."
"Personally, I also think me being there because of Nakazato also had something to do with it." Iowa said. "You gotta keep in mind, Fujimoto and I were two of his picks, and I'm serious when I say Nakazato was not very well-liked. Dude was just about as demented as the admiral he served under, and like it or not, Fujimoto and I are both members of his legacy. Speaking of Fujimoto, I hear she got her extra half pip because she did some heroic shit on our last assignment or something. I've yet to speak to her about it, so I don't know too much about the details."
"Well, now might just be your chance," Nozomi replied, pointing towards a familiar blonde that was presently making her way up the aisle.
Iowa looked up as Kantele music approached her and Nozomi's seats.
"Hey, Fujimoto;" Iowa called out. "I just wanted to say congrats on that promotion..."
Mika stopped and looked in Iowa's direction, noticing that she was sitting next to Nozomi, among other things.
"I told you not to wear that hat, Riverside." Mika commented simply before continuing down the aisle.
"Well, that's just rude..." Iowa muttered in disbelief. "It was a free hat that I got at a rally one time, and everybody seems to think it was made by the devil!"
"Do I want to know the story behind that?" Nozomi asked.
"People go to rallies all the time and get campaign merch." Iowa grumbled. "I don't see why this hat is anything different..."
Making her way down the aisle, Mika eventually spotted Mikko several rows back from Iowa and Nozomi with an empty seat next to her. Mika approached the row with her friend.
"Excuse me, Ensign; is this seat taken?" She asked when she got there.
"Why the formality?" Mikko asked raising an eyebrow. "And no it isn't, feel free" she said offering it with her hand.
Smiling, Mika stuffed her carry on bag into the overhead bin and slid into the seat next to Mikko.
"Well, I didn't want to deprive someone of their seat if they'd already claimed it." Mika explained as she sat down. "You know, you could have easily bluffed and said the seat was taken and gotten me to sit elsewhere. Perhaps I was wrong to assume you don't want me around."
Mikko smiled. "Just sit down. We've got a long flight ahead of us, you know that the Captain has her own private cabin. I guess thats like travelling first class huh?"
"First class indeed, and I hear the Captain isn't the only one travelling that way;" Mika said, strumming her kantele. "I overheard Captain Shimada and 1st Lieutenant Beurling talking about the cabins too. I suppose that makes sense, given Captain Shimada's daughter and how it's probably difficult for a tween to sleep in an upright position."
Mikko nodded. "Yeah, well kids are like that I guess" she shrugged.
"Your attention please. Can all passengers and crew please take their seats for departure. Airlocks will be sealed momentarily. We kindly ask you all to remain seated until we have cleared spacedock. Once then you shall be free to move around the vessel" the captian of the transport announced over the tannoy.
The unique sound of the docking clamps retracting echoed through the transport as she gently pulled away from the starbase. Her impulse engines fired up propelling the ship into the blackness of space.
A few moments later the ship jumped to warp en route to the tropical holiday planet Risa.
Posting by
Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu
Flight Deck Crew Chief
USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)
Ensign Nozomi Kusuda
Fighter Pilot
USS Tokyo (NCC-91101
Lieutenant Junior Grade Nezuko
Chief Operations Officer
USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)
Lieutenant Kylynn Adams
Chief Science Officer
USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)
Haylyx Adams
Civilian
Ensign Mikko Ishigami
Flight Control Officer
USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)
Captain Chiyo Shimada
Marine Commander
Lieutenant Iowa Riverside
Squadron Leader
1st Lieutenant Elizabeth F. "Liz" Beurling
Marine Vice Commander
Lieutenant JG Mika Fujimoto
Squadron Leader
Alice Shimada
Civilian
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