Recruiting The Wolf Pack
Posted on Mon Mar 25th, 2024 @ 1:05am by Commander Chisato Nishikigi & Lieutenant Tatsuo Shimada
Edited on on Mon May 20th, 2024 @ 1:31am
982 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Starship Graveyard
Location: USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)
Timeline: Approximately 0100 hours after "Planning A Heist"
Kisad Vuyi knew that there would be some growing pains to be had with relocating the surviving members of the Redemption's crew to the Tokyo, but this past month had put even his patience to the test.
Not that there had been any issues with integrating the wolf pack into the Tokyo's Security Compliment, far from it- they asked him to sign some paperwork, but otherwise gave him free reign to determine how to best govern his men, so he just carried on doing as he had for the past 14 years, and the Tokyo's security officers left them alone. He'd honestly expected that part to be a lot harder.
Instead, the hard part had come in convincing the other surviving members of the Redemption to stay this course, whether it be in assuaging Tatsuo's concerns that the crew of the Tokyo weren't just going to use them like that unspeakable woman had; T'Shin's paranoia about what would await them if and when they got back to Federation space (if the Federation hadn't already been absorbed by the Cardassian Union); Reina and her feelings of abandonment; and even Chiyo seriously contemplating full-on defection. Admittedly, Kisad was a security officer and not a counselor, and holding together an uneasy alliance that was threatening to come apart at the seams was no easy task; but at the end of the day, he still considered himself a freedom fighter, and if there was a chance, no matter how slim, of getting off of this Prophets-forsaken rock, then he was going to fight for it, tooth and nail, as he had done so many times in the past.
Right now, he had let off the wolf pack for lunch while he himself was on his way back to his assigned quarters for a quick midday prayer. It was perhaps of little consolation to him at this point, but convincing himself that the Prophets had not fully abandoned him and that this was all part of a greater plan was one of the few things driving him to make this collaboration work- no matter how much Tatsuo, T'Shin, Reina, Chiyo or even himself oftentimes doubted the feasibility of such an alliance.
"Lieutenant Vuyi!" a familiar voice called out from directly behind him. "Can I speak with you for a minute? I have a small favor I want to ask..."
Kisad turned around. It was the blonde woman from the Tokyo's Intel department.
"It's Lieutenant Kisad, dear." The aging Bajoran man calmly corrected her. "Anyhow, what can I do for you?"
"Ehehe... sorry about that," the blonde grinned sheepishly. "Anyways, I was hoping I could enlist you and your team for an assignment; it's certainly not going to be easy, but the payoff will put us one step closer to getting out of here; think they're up to the task?"
"The wolf pack has fought and defeated the Saviors before." Kisad responded. "If they can take on Captain Lancaster's goons and win, they can do just about anything."
"Great!" the blonde smiled. "How do they feel about stealing some power nodes from a Borg Cube?"
"It'll be like taking candy from a baby." Kisad responded enthusiastically. "You'll never meet a more fearless group of Starfleet Officers."
The blonde blinked in surprise. "Wow; no objections or anything like that? And here I was thinking I was going to have to convince you..."
"Commander; nobody likes to see their friends get killed." Kisad said. "Especially when they get killed right in front of you, and you just have to sit there at disruptor point and watch it happen. That's exactly what Captain Lancaster did: She killed my boss. Smashed his brains into the sand and made me watch! Well, that there can change a man. When Tatsuo named me as Commander Breech's replacement, I wasn't shy about telling my department of his fate. Surprisingly, they all rallied behind me, and they wanted to see Captain Lancaster dead as much as I did. That, and the war with the Saviors that ensued led me to believe that any fear they might have had when we had crashed was gone."
The blonde smiled. "I think that's very brave of you, Lieutenant; I think Commander Breech would be very proud of the leader you've become."
"I'm sure he would be..." Kisad sighed. "That's probably one of my only regrets with leaving the Redemption: We gave Commander Breech and Commander Wilson from Science proper burials not far from the ship, and leaving the ship behind meant we left their graves behind too. You want to know why I wouldn't let your people pull those pieces of scrap metal out of the sand? Each one of those was a grave marker."
The blonde's smile faltered. "Oh, my goodness, I didn't even think to ask... if I had known, Lieutenant, I would've had the remains collected so we could give them a proper burial once we got back to Federation Space-!"
"Captain Reizei would have never agreed to go through with it:" Kisad responded. "That's the one belief of hers we held onto: Everyone we've lost; this planet is their final resting place, and Captain Reizei believed never to disturb one's final resting place, even if there was a moral obligation to do so."
"Well, if that's what Captain Reizei would've wished, then that's what we'll choose to honor," the blonde nodded. "But if ever we do manage to find our way back to Federation Space, Lieutenant... then we will see to it that their sacrifices were not in vein."
"Let's hope so." Kisad agreed.
Posting by
Lieutenant Kisad Vuyi
Acting Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Redemption
Lieutenant Commander Chisato Nishikigi
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Tokyo
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