Unfortunate Circumstances (Part 1)

Posted on Wed Oct 8th, 2025 @ 4:45am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant Nyxala Valentine

1,162 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Preserving The Past
Location: USS Tokyo Ready Room
Timeline: January 27th 2397

"All right, crewman, you're going to be just fine." Nyx tugged the blanket up on the young woman that was laying in the biobed, taking one final glance at the readings and sighed. She gave the shoulder a rub and the crewman gave her a smile of her own.

"Thanks doc, I appreciate it." She was on her first deployment, she'd told the doctor, a nineteen-year old engineering rating who was a specialist with circuitry and electronics. Her injury had been more burns than anything, but Nyx had wanted to keep her under observation for several hours along with the other nine more seriously injured.

Nyx took a brief glance across the ward, no one was in any danger at this point and she could take some time for herself. "Nurse, I need to go see the Captain, if anything happens, call me first, all right?" She got a nod from the nurse at the station and smiled, then gave a three-toned whistle to summon Gigi from where she'd made herself a small nest on a vacant bed that hadn't been needed.

She was surprised she hadn't heard from her Captain Williams, who'd she'd reported in to just the week before. Despite being new to the ship, she'd been heartily welcomed and now? Kanna probably needed her over there as well, but she'd had to handle what she could while she was here.. Now she slumped as the turbolift closed after she stepped in and keyed for the bridge. She took the trip as an opportunity to give the drakeling on her shoulder some attention and sneaked a snack to her from a pouch on her belt. "Sorry about that, princess, but you know, work first." The drakeling ran her long neck up Nyx's hand with a chirrup.

Then the door opened and Nyx straightened up so she could step onto the bridge. Sure, her outfit, a uniform of the skirted variety, was stained with some blood on the skirt and one side, but it'd do until she made it back to her ship if need be. The bridge was a somber place and she had to think for a moment and she sidled to the closest officer and spoke softly, "Can you point me to Captain Aisaka?"

"She's currently in the ready room..." The woman said in a rather solemn tone.

"Thank you," Nyx gave the officer a slight smile and took another breath before heading off once more. A simple consult, she'd been told, that was all. She made it to the ready room door and pressed the chime for entry.

"Enter," A voice called from inside.

The door slid open and Nyx gave the drakeling a silent gesture to remain where she was as she walked in, "Captain Aisaka, thank you for seeing me. I'm Lieutenant Nyx Valentine of the USS Kanna, I wanted to let give you an update on your casualties from the battle?"

Taiga looked up from the PADD she was reading. She wasn't sitting at her desk, instead she was sat on the couch that was located under the window. The stars were slowly making their way past, showing that the ship was moving at impulse speed. "Oh..." she said lowering her head and putting the PADD aside. "I'm sorry Lieutenant..."

"Don't be, Captain, I was just over here for a consult with Doctor Hinamori when everything hit the fan." Nyx gave a slight smile, "There wasn't time to try to get back over to Kanna, but I'm sortof glad I couldn't. I've got a good secondary doctor over there and he can handle things until I get back and things did get a bit hairy over here, which would have overwhelmed Doctor Hinamori if she'd been by herself. But, has Captain Williams let you know if I'm needed back over there, or do you think she'd let me keep an eye on the patients here at least overnight?"

"Take a seat Lieutenant..." Taiga said softly. "There's something you need to know."

The words were ominous, that was for sure. Nyx stepped around and took the seat as requested, another gesture to the drakeling caused the small cat-sized creature to swarm down into her lap, "Something happened to the Captain, ma'am?" Nyx asked. It could happen, that was the risk everyone in Starfleet took whenever they left port. A sudden lump of lead settled in her stomach.

Taiga took a deep breath, she hated giving news like this. "During the battle the Herald fleet fired a high powered anti-proton beam weapon at the Preserver obelisk on the Planet." Taiga told her. "They also bombarded every settlement on the surface at the same time. However, the Anti-Proton superweapon ignited the planets atmosphere destroying all life down there."

The captain paused momentarily. "At the time, the Tokyo and Kanna were attempting to move into a higher orbit after beaming up our people." Taiga paused once again. "Unfortunately, the Kanna took a direct hit from their anti-proton superweapon whilst attempting to manuever higher."

There was a brief pause. "The beam split the Kanna in half... destroying the ship with all hands. There was no chance any starship could defend against such a weapon..." she looked down at her rounded out belly. "I'm sorry Lieutenant. The Kanna and everyone aboard is gone."

Nyx froze in her seat, hand in the middle of stroking down the drakeling's back as the words came out, her eyes opening wide. Thoughts sprinted back and forth through the experienced combat veteran's mind as she tried to comprehend what the Captain had just stated. Gone. Everyone on the ship was just... Gone. She'd been transferred to Kanna with a few others from the Unicorn to fill out some recently empty slots, people she'd known for a couple years already.

It felt like several minutes before she breathed again, though it had only been a handful of seconds since the words had been spoken. She took two quick breaths and swallowed once, feeling a nudge from the creature in her lap to continue the petting and her hands went into motion without conscious thought, but her voice came out even, despite being soft, "Everyone, ma'am? I'm the only survivor?"

Taiga nodded slowly. "We scanned for survivors. The crew didn't have time to get to escape pods." She said softly, her voice full of sadness. "I know it doesn't make it easier... But it was; quick."

"That's the best way to go." Nyx said very quietly, then straightened her back. She could mourn later, there were the living here on Tokyo that would need to be seen to and they needed her now, the dead didn't, wouldn't. There wouldn't be anything left of them even to bury and Romeo would have hated that, probably would come and haunt her like a vengeful ghost, "Captain, until we get back to a starbase or somewhere for reassignment, I'd like to place my services at your disposal."

To be continued...

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