Can She Stay? (Part 3)

Posted on Sun Sep 14th, 2025 @ 4:32am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Ichika Misono & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott M.D.
Edited on on Sun Sep 14th, 2025 @ 4:32am

1,519 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Next Myogi
Timeline: After 'Can She Stay? (Part 2)'

Previously, on Star Trek: Myogi:

Yaeka trotted over to Kurumi and grabbed her arm tightly. She buried her head into Kurumi. "I'm safe with Kurumi." Her muffled voice said. She shyly looked out. "She promised to keep me safe." She said to the others before hiding her face again and clutching harder to Kurumis clothing.

"And you will be, dear." Maho said. "All this would mean is that you and Commander Ebisuzawa would be relocated- together" She put special emphasis on the word together. "To a place that can better protect the two of you than we can here."

"But... this is... home." Yaeka sniffled. "My home."

And now, the continuation:

"It's our home too, Yaeka," Ichika smiled. "And I promise you that everyone here is going to fight tooth-and-nail for it; but we're also accountable for the safety of everyone on board, and that includes you."

"How about a compromise then?" Kurumi said as she began to run her fingers through the young girls hair. "Yaeka stays aboard for now. If things get too dangerous and I feel like I can't protect her anymore. I will take her to somewhere safe, or I resign from Starfleet and take her back to Earth where she'll get every moment of my attention."

The tension in the air hung thick as Maho looked as if she were going to continue to play hardball with Starfleet's new guidelines, but at long last, the captain appeared to cavre:

"Fine: She grumbled. "But I'm going to need a couple forms signed in order to file an exemption with Starfleet Command:"

"First, I'm going to need a doctor's note, signed by both Scott and Dr. Ryo, affirming that Yaeka is medically unable to be relocated." Maho explained before turning to Kurumi. "Then, I'm going to need a liability waiver signed by you declaring that you understand and accept the risks associated with keeping Yaeka aboard at this time. Once I have those forms on my desk, I'll speak with Commodore Honda on having the exemption notarized on the TFCO level."

"Already done." Kurumi said as she pulled some PADD's from behind a cushion on the couch and slid them towards the Captain.

Maho repositioned herself.

"Now, there's no guarantee that Starfleet Command will approve the exemption request," She reiterated. "But if I have all the necessary paperwork filled out ahead of time, the chances are a lot greater that they will."

Scott didn’t like the fact they were continuing to have this discussion with Yaeka present. She believed it was probably unintentional, but unintentional or otherwise, it still felt like emotional blackmail in a sense. As much as she cared for the young girl and didn’t want to send her away, Scott knew she still had a duty to raise concerns no matter who was present.

“This proposed solution assumes there will be enough time and warning to get everyone to safety should leaving the ship become necessary. I don’t think we can count on that given what we all understand about the nature of Starfleet. Are we being fair to parent and child if we hold the parent responsible for deciding when it’s too dangerous, given the parent’s competing interests? I’m not suggesting anyone will act out of selfishness here, I’m just wondering if, given the stakes, it’s fair to expect any parent to make an unbiased assessment of the risk when there are conflicts of interest?“. Bree asked.

Yaeka began to nod as her little eyes starting to surrender to tiredness. Kurumi was quick to sweep her up and carry her over to the bedroom. As soon as Yaeka's feet left the floor she was asleep, now resting against Kurumi. Kurumi turned to the counsellor. "Thats a good question Counsellor. However, I know one thing. If the Iconians do attack, which they haven't yet; then there's no where in this galaxy thats considered safe. From what I've heard, even Earth could be destroyed." With that said, she quickly stepped into the bedroom to put Yaeka to bed.

"While that might be true;" Maho said in a lower voice as Kurumi came back. "Is it a worse fate to keep such a young child here on a tin can that the Iconians could turn into cottage cheese in an instant from what I've heard, or a planet which could potentially take them longer to destroy, and at least give an evacuation a fighting chance?"

"As much as I hate playing a fatalist, Captain, she raises a valid point," Ichika sighed. "If the rumors are true, there may not be a truly safe place in the galaxy; if this were your daughter, would you rather she die quickly, or protract her inevitable demise over a longer period of time?"

There was an almost uncomfortably long period of silence that followed.

"All I know is that I wouldn't want to be the one trapped behind an emergency forcefield, watching my child float out into space and suffocate." Maho finally responded, turning to Kurumi. "I'm not sure if I could handle that happening once in my lifetime, let alone twice. And if I somehow did, I sure as hell would take all necessary steps to ensure it doesn't happen again."

"Thats not fair Maho." Kurumi said. "Thats just... downright cruel..." she looked as if she was about to burst into tears. The emotions from her exploding into sadness, sorrow, regret and loss. "I think... We're done here..."

There was another long, dreadful moment of silence that followed, broken intermittently by Kurumi's sniffling.

"I think we'd best let her be, Captain," Ichika whispered as she gently helped Maho to her feet. "We can continue this discussion in your ready room."

"I think I've said all I can..." Maho whispered back.

As the two of them stepped out into the hall, Ichika paused for a second and glanced back at Kurumi.

"Miss Ebisuzawa;" she called out.

Kurumi who was now sat leaning forward, head resting in her hands looked up through her fingers. "Yeah?"

Ichika smiled. "While it's on my mind, I just want to say that your daughter is a far braver individual than I think we give her credit for; to know full well of the risks and wanting to remain here in spite of them takes a great deal of courage- especially considering everything she's been through."

Kurumi didn't respond, just gave her a tiny nod.

And with that, the two of them disappeared from view.

Bree watched the two go, and as she turned away from the closing doors behind her, she was confronted with another moment in which she simultaneously hated and felt privileged to have her job all at the same time.

It was true those in command red had difficult decisions to make. They ordered phasers to be fired, and torpedoes to be dropped. They sent people to their deaths and put people in harm‘s way.

But in this instance?

In this instance, the people in command red not only required her to drop torpedoes of truth, but after dropping their own, they strategically retreated and left her to deal with the emotional fallout of their own metaphorical weaponry.

Bree was now acutely aware she somehow had to shift from being the one who caused pain to the one who offered comfort, all without knowing what would ultimately be decided while a little girl she cared for deeply was asleep in the next room, hopefully not plagued with worries that she was about to be ripped from the only safe home she could really remember.

This was a counselor‘s battlefield, and while she would never minimize anyone else’s battles, in times like these, she sometimes prayed for the simplicity of a broken bone or the opportunity to give orders and then strategically retreat. Still, she loved her job just as much because she truly believed no matter how complex battles, technology, or even leadership could be, all of those things paled comparison to trying to understand and mend the sentient soul.

Scott contemplated her options, finally deciding on doing and saying nothing for now, not because she was at a loss for what to say or do, but because she ultimately understood that none of this was about her and sometimes bearing witness to another person‘s pain, not trying to resist it or change it, was the most therapeutic support she could offer.

Kurumi didn't look up. "You probably think I'm a bad person. A bad parent... right?"

“Not at all,“ Bree replied. “Do you think you’re a bad person or a bad parent?“

"Honestly... I don't know anymore." Kurumi said quietly.

"Maybe it would help to start with identifying the things you do know," Bree suggested.


A mission post by

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer

Commander Ichika Misono
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott
Chief Counselor

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