Returning to Duty

Posted on Mon Jul 15th, 2024 @ 5:16am by Major Chiyo Shimada & Captain Taiga Aisaka

1,574 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Starship Graveyard

Light duty hadn't been all doom and gloom for Chiyo:

Only putting in a few hours' work every day meant that Chiyo had plenty of time to fall in love with Tatsuo all over again. Granted, her fiancé was skeptical that they would be able to make their relationship work as they once did, especially after what happened with Liz, but Chiyo hadn't spent the past 14 years holding out hope that Tatsuo was still alive only for their relationship to fall apart once they were reunited, and it seemed Tatsuo also had a want to put in the effort to make their relationship work once again.

Chiyo had also taken steps to repair her strained relationship with Liz, and while her half Vulcan XO was still disappointed that Tatsuo wouldn't take responsibility (even though this was largely her doing), the two women had at least made peace with each other to the point of being able to call each other sisters in arms once again, and Chiyo had taken on a role of helping prepare Liz for motherhood by being available to answer any pregnancy related questions Liz had, and this too seemed to bolster Liz's confidence with her situation, as she made a final decision that she would keep and attempt to carry her and Tatsuo's unholy lovechild to term.

For the time that Chiyo and Tatsuo had been together again, some of the sadness that betrayed Chiyo's complexion had melted away. Granted, the marine corps-instilled harshness remained, but perhaps the Chiyo Shimada that the crew of the Tokyo had grown accustomed to had died in the crash landing after all, and Chiyo Mabuchi had been reborn. It didn't take much for one to notice that Chiyo looked and felt much more like her younger self. Gone was the uncertainty that loomed behind her eyes, and in its place burned a bright hope for the future.

She couldn't deny then, that every morning she woke up with Tatsuo by her side was nothing short of a miracle. A gift from powers higher than her that fate had caused them to reunite. Such was the case this particular morning: Chiyo and Tatsuo had taken turns preparing a hearty breakfast for their family depending on who was awake first, and on this morning it was Chiyo who opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep from them first.

Chiyo turned over and lightly caressed Tatsuo's sleeping form- an assurance that she was going to take this round of breakfast duty and for Tatsuo to come ahead at his own speed before Chiyo sat up and fixed her hair to a usable state.

Even though it was early morning, the chime at the door rang. It echoed around the Majors quiet quarters.

Wondering who would be calling at this early hour, Chiyo pulled her hair into a ponytail and got up from the bed to grab some clothes so she at least looked presentable to her visitors: She contemplated putting on her uniform, but decided on a black Starfleet marine corps t-shirt and a pair of matching bike shorts.

"Computer, lights, 50%" Chiyo instructed as she made her way into the main living area.

As the lights came on in the main living area, Chiyo couldn't help but quietly break into song as she crossed it to answer the door.

"You know I used to be a bad girl. I got busy in the bathroom at my high school prom..." She sang under her breath as she approached the door.

Chiyo trailed off as the main entry doors swooshed open, revealing who her visitor was.

"Oh, hey, Captain." She greeted casually. "Here to speak with my fiancé again?"

Taiga yawned as she smiled at the Major. "Sorry its early Chiyo," she said. Her attire was rather informal, her uniform tunic was unzipped showing her gray tank top undershirt. It was rather snug on her belly and was riding up a little from her forming bump exposing the bottom half of her navel. "Actually, I'm here to speak to you..." she said before yawning again.

"Oh?" Chiyo said, stepping aside and motioning for the captain to come in. "Please, come in: Watashinoie wa anata no iedesu. (My house is your house.)"

Chiyo strode over to the replicator to replicate the things she would need to prepare breakfast. However, before she began replicating ingredients, she turned back in the Captain's direction.

"Want anything to drink?" She offered. "Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee, double strength if you can make it. Triple sweet and cream." Taiga stated as she stepped into the quarters. She looked around, clearly curious as she hadn't visited Chiyos quarters since Tatsuo joined the ship. She was mainly interested to see if anything had changed.

Nodding, Chiyo turned back to the replicator. "Coffee, double strength, triple sweet and cream."

Within seconds, Taiga's beverage materialized within the replicator. Chiyo removed it from the replicator and brought it over to the Captain.

"Here you go." She said, handing the beverage to Taiga. "I hope you don't mind if we chat while I cook? Chances are the man and the spawn aren't too far behind me, and they'll be wanting some breakfast."

Taking the mug Taiga gave her a nod. "Sure," she said as she seemed to hover not sure what to do. Usually Ryuuji cooked breakfast, but he had left for an early shift. Her stomach rumbled loudly. She took a long sip of her mug, pretending that it didn't happen.

Nodding, Chiyo made her way back to the replicator and began replicating the ingredients needed to prepare a Shimada family breakfast: Enough eggs to make omelets for herself and Tatsuo and a little extra to scramble for Alice, waffle mix to make waffles, mainly for Alice, but it was expected that Chiyo would be able to help herself to some, and of course, the all-important breakfast proteins: Sausage and bacon.

Of course, Taiga's rumbling stomach wasn't lost on Chiyo. Call it her mommy-sense, but once she had the ingredients together, before she began breaking out the pots and pans, she glanced once again in the captain's direction.

"You fancy an omelet or some waffles?" She gave the menu she had planned in case she needed to replicate extra portions for her guest.

Taiga seemed to give Chiyo 'puppy dog eyes' as she nodded slowly. "Yeah... please..." she replied like a child who seemed unsure if she should be accepting. It was a totally different side to the Captain then what most see.

Nodding and taking Taiga's response as she wanted both an omelet and a waffle, Chiyo made her way back to the replicator and replicated some extra eggs and waffle mix, and of course, more sausage and bacon too.

"Ham, green peppers, and spinach alright for the omelet?" Chiyo asked, needing to know if she needed to prepare Taiga's omelet differently before she started cooking.

"Anything is good," Taiga stated as she took another long sip of her coffee. "So, I cane to ask you..." she paused for a moment. "If you think you're ready to resume your duties in full?"

Chiyo fired up the stovetop and the waffle iron as Taiga asked the question.

"I was starting to think you'd never ask." She responded.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you last night..." Taiga said. "But, I kind of fell asleep..." she told her. "This whole situation has been taking it out on me, not to mention this..." she said as she placed both hands on her belly.

"Let me put it this way, Cap. Be grateful you fell asleep, because last night, me and Tatsuo were going at it like wild Zumbabeasts." Chiyo explained, a shit-eating grin spreading on the marine commander's face. "It was surreal, like a constant porno, you have no idea."

Chiyo was unsure whether her description of 'a constant porno' described the events of the previous night, or her time on light duty. Perhaps it was fitting for both.

Taiga raised an eyebrow and hesitated for a moment. "I didn't need to know that..." She said simply. "Like seriously... You should keep that sort of stuff to yourself."

"Look, all I was doing was saying we both had other things on our plates last night." Chiyo said as she began cracking open eggs. "So, what made you change your mind that you want me back on full duty? You liking what you've been seeing from Counselor Johnson?"

"Well, I did get a report from her. It was..." she took another sip of her coffee. "Promising. Plus, I need all hands on deck now that we're starting the final stage of the plan."

"Final stage?" Chiyo asked. "You're going to have to catch me up on everything, you know. Tatsuo hasn't necessarily been keeping me up to date. Says he doesn't want to stress me out."

"We'll be building 'boosters' now that we've moved to flatter ground and then attempting an escape," Taiga explained. "And with our guests coming aboard in the next few days, we're going to need extra help."

"So, what do you say? Will you be ok with coming back... today?" Taiga asked.

"Absolutely." Chiyo said, restraining her enthusiasm. "But, of course, not without a hearty breakfast first..." She nodded towards the eggs that were cooking in front of her.

Posting by

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo

Major Chiyo Shimada
Marine Commander
Second Officer
USS Tokyo

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