Touring the Facilities, Part 1: Security

Posted on Mon Nov 27th, 2023 @ 4:55am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Captain Taiga Aisaka

1,814 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Operation Tokyo Return
Location: Captain Aisaka's temporary quarters and security complex
Timeline: Sometime following 'You've Got the Power'

Maho made her way down to the quarters on Deck 6 where she was reluctantly accommodating Captain Aisaka. She had requested Commander Ebisuzawa join her, advising her Chief of Security to bring a phaser rifle.

"Commander, if Captain Aisaka tries to deviate one step from the tour route, I want you to shoot her:" Maho ordered in a low voice as the two women approached the quarters. "If the rat thinks she's going to be able to chew on whatever wire she pleases on this ship, she's sadly mistaken:"

"Captain..." Kurumi asked a little taken aback. "Are you ordering me to shoot Captain Aisaka sir? If she even so much as gets curious? Don't you think thats a little... extreme?"

"Perhaps." Maho sort of agreed. "But Captain Aisaka is not to be underestimated. I want that little shit to know that rank does not automatically grant one power, especially when aboard someone else's ship."

Kurumi blinked a few times. "Erm... Captain with all due respect. She is a senior Captain. I'm not one to quote the rule book, but in an emergency she does have the right to take command if the situation warrants it..." The security chief paused for a brief moment. "I'm sorry Captain, I'll keep her away from anything you don't want her to touch. But I'm not going to escort her with a phaser rifle, there's no need. I don't think she has any intention on causing trouble here..."

"I hope you're right, Commander." Maho sighed. "Fine, go return the phaser rifle: There's no sense in you having it if you're not planning on using it."

Kurumi put the phaser rifle back away and turned back to the captain with a smile. "So, if you don't mind me asking sir. Why do you hate Captain Aisaka so much?"

"Oh, I could list the reasons: She ended my best friend's Starfleet career, turned my mentor against the whole fucking Federation, ruined my wedding..." Maho explained. "But there's one sin she's committed against me that I cannot, will not forgive: Don't get me wrong; I've had my fair share of getting insulted by corrupt officers, but getting insulted shortly after finding out you're pregnant? That shit just hits different. You... Probably don't understand..."

"Captain..." Kurumi said. "I know all too well how it feels to have your life ruined..." she looked away and down at the floor for a moment. "But hate is not the way forward. Take a little advice, off the record. Why not use this time to face your problems with her? I'm sure she's not as 'evil' as you make her out to be..."

"Commander, I was raised to never back down, and I sure as hell don't intend to start now." Maho explained as they reached the doors to Captain Aisaka's quarters.

Falling one step behind Maho as to be out of eyeshot Kurumi rolled her eyes briefly as they reached the doors.

Maho did not notice her Chief of Security's eyeroll as she pressed the chime to alert the guests to their presence outside.

The doors opened and there stood Captain Aisaka in her full command uniform. She looked rather smart and proper. "Yes?" she asked polietly.

"Captain, I believe now that we're underway, I owe you that tour of the ship that you requested." Maho responded.

Taiga gave her a weak smile. She looked back at Ryuuji, he simply shook his head. This was something that Taiga needed to do. "I would like that, thankyou Captain," she replied.

Maho nodded.

"Right this way; first stop will be the security complex, and perhaps a location all-too-familiar to you:" She said.

Taiga ignored the comment as she began to walk alongside her.

As they walked, Maho tried to strike up a conversation.

"You know, this ship wasn't always named the Myogi." She said. "In fact, when she first rolled out of Utopia Planitia in 2343, she was called the USS Rising Sun. The same Rising Sun that went on to serve with distinction in both the Cardassian and Dominion Wars. And right now, we're walking along those exact same deck plates. Can you say the same about the Tokyo being a veteran of not one, but two major conflicts in recent history?"

"You know fully that the Tokyo is not as old as the Myogi," Taiga replied simply. "She's not seen any wars of major conflicts, but she has had her own fair share of skirmishes over the years."

"Yeah, you don't have to remind me that just because you sit in the center seat of the latest, greatest carrier, you believe that anything over 10 years old is ripe for scrapping." Maho grumbled as they arrived at the turbolift. "Deck 8." She called out as the three of them entered the turbolift.

As the turbolift began its descent, Maho continued the conversation:

"I've found in my time that Captains of newer models of starships tend to be more arrogant and condescending towards their peers who don't have it quite as good as they do, and perhaps out of sheer hubris, they might not comprehend what those older ships had to sacrifice to get to where we are today. It just breaks my heart to see captains my age willing and eager to shit on the Myogi and her contemporaries just because they're not the latest and the greatest." She said. "Everyone respects the hell out of veteran Starfleet officers, so why should veteran Starfleet starships receive a different treatment?"

Taiga held her head high. "Times move on." She said to her. "After all, thats why older starships get mothballed."

"You know, your comment only proves my point:" Maho responded. "Pretentious jerks like you wouldn't know how to handle the limitations of older starships because you're so used to the pinnacles of Starfleet technology being dropped into your lap on a silver platter."

Taiga let out a sigh. "You do know that I've served on older ships than the Myogi. Don't feel like just because the New Orleans design is old it isn't capable. It's not what class you gave that matters, its how you use it."

"I didn't know you had a respectful bone in your body, Captain." Maho said as the turbolift doors opened, indicating they had arrived on deck 8. "The way you've conducted yourself on board my ship thus far, I would have thought you'd be dying to get off those scrap piles."

Taiga ignored her comment. Kurumi on the other hand gave Maho a rather disappointing look.

"You know, 16 years ago, you almost had your wish:" Maho explained. "The Rising Sun had been sentenced to meet an unceremonious end at the cutter's torch. However, she was saved from that fate by a man with a vision to keep older starships competitive with contemporary designs. That vision became Project Jomo, and it helped give the Rising Sun and an increasing number of her fleet mates a renewed lease on life."

At this point, they had reached the first stop on their tour: The Myogi's brig; 'Starfleet's Alcatraz:'

"And here is where a spoiled brat spat in that man's face." Maho said as they entered the brig. "And in the face of his first officer for following orders as a Starfleet Officer should."

Taiga narrowed her eyes. "Captain Takahashi." She said rather formally. "If you are going to behave like this all the way to Beta Antares, I will just ask Starfleet Command to find me a new ship to take me there. They will also have to launch a full investigation on why you can't complete a simply transport mission. That puts your ability to command at risk." Taiga told her. "I am the most senior Captain out of both of us here. So why not let by gones by by gones and let's just continue the tour, without the passive aggressive remarks?"

"Then you know what has to be said first:" Maho said. "Captain Aisaka, I hope recent events have given you a taste of the collateral damage your trial has done to not only me and this ship, but the Federation at large. Now, I can't speak for what Miyahara has done and continues to do to stir the boiling pot, but there was one man who was undeserving of the fate he was given: His name is Takeshi Nakazato, and the nightmarish existence he has been given since being forced to resign from Starfleet just for acting on his gut instincts should make any normal Starfleet Officer's stomach turn. If you truly are a normal Starfleet Officer, I want you to promise me that you will apologize to Nakazato and mean it. "

"No." Taiga said simply and sharply.

"Then I was right: You aren't a normal Starfleet officer, and thus, you don't deserve to be treated like one!" Maho responded. "I guess death threats being sent to your former crewmembers that were forced out of Starfleet doesn't even faze you, you piece of shit! You don't deserve to wear those four rank pips, you belong on the other side of that brig forcefield in transit to a penal colony!"

Taiga turned to Kurumi completely blanking Maho's little outburst. "Commander. Please show me your nearest subspace communication panel. I need to inform Starfleet Command that the Myogi had failed this mission. And a full investigation will need to be started on Captain Takahashi's ability to command."

Kurumi wasn't sure what to do, she was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Unless of course, Captain Takahashi here can stop with the passive aggressive remarks and snide comments," Taiga sighed. She turned to Maho and looked her dead in the eyes. "You should act more mature Captain. Right now I'd say you could be considered 'emotionally compromised'. May I remind you, if that's the case, just from the sheer presence of myself being aboard, your Executive Officer will have to relieve you of command."

"The balls in your courts Takahashi... make your choice." Taiga said her glare still deadlocked on her.

Almost a minute of tense silence passed before Maho finally spoke:

"Fine, we'll do it your way, Captain:" She said, turning to Kurumi. "Commander, we will be skipping the rest of the security complex, as I believe this entire area will be nothing but a hot button topic."

Kurumi let out a sigh of relief. 'Thank god thats over!' she thought as she began to relax. She thought she would actually have to jump in and pull the two captains apart just now. But thankfully it didn't come to it.

Posting by

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer
USS Myogi

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo

Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa
Chief of Security
USS Myogi

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