Okay, Here's the Deal: (Part 3)

Posted on Sat Jan 6th, 2024 @ 2:55am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Keisuke Takahashi 'K.T.' & Commander Elisabeth Churchill & Commander Ichika Misono & Commander Victor Delling MD & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott M.D. & Lieutenant Ami Rori & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Lieutenant JG Connor Talmage mr
Edited on on Sat Jan 6th, 2024 @ 2:55am

1,773 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Operation Tokyo Return
Location: Conference Room, Deck 1
Timeline: After 'Okay, Here's the Deal: (Part 2)'

Previously, on Star Trek: Myogi:

Maho sighed. "Compound the insults with the ruined wedding, followed shortly thereafter by a temporary demotion and investigation into my role in the trial, with one of the charges being filed on behalf of an "unknown female" who no doubt was Daxer, with the only real net positive during this time being my receiving command of the Myogi... Safe to say, the whole shit show hit me harder than I can put into words, and to transport Captain Aisaka back to Beta Antares only serves as a final spit in my eyes. Perhaps I'll never be able to get any of you to see my pain, but maybe laying out my perspective on those events will illustrate that every story has two sides, even if I may have found myself on the wrong one..."

She didn't get the chance to finish before she felt a hand resting gently on her own; looking up, she found Ichika smiling back at her.

"Maho," she began, ditching formalities for just a second to stress that she meant what she was about to say as a friend. "I want you to know that you don't need to keep these hurtful feelings bottled up any longer. We're here for you; all of us are. We're willing to help you get past this, but there are times where you're going to have to swallow your pride and listen to what your crew- no, your friends have to say."

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed softly, his internal thoughts spinning, but uncertain if he wanted to voice them or not.

And now, the continuation:

"Perhaps, in my haste to blame all my misfortunes since the trial on Aisaka, I have unfairly taken my rage out on my own crew." Maho admitted. "And in so doing, I have come dangerously close to losing the only positive I have gained in this time: The Myogi itself. Starfleet took one hell of a risk in giving the Myogi to me when they could have very easily brought someone else in to replace Miyahara following his ousting, and I'm sure recent events have them second-guessing their decision, much like how Miyahara second-guessed his own judgement in me."

Maho sighed once again.

"While I may never be able to forgive Aisaka, or forget what has happened, I believe I owe it to everyone sitting in this room to make an effort to be better than this." She declared. "It won't be a process that happens overnight, and I will be bound to suffer relapses, especially while Aisaka remains on board, but I hope you will all walk out of her with my assurances that I will be making the effort to be the captain you all want me to be..."

“Captain,” Jane said, more tentatively than she usually was, “I don’t want to point to the elephant in the room, and I and I imagine everyone here believes in your sincerity in this matter, but…what happens if you relapse in a critical moment?”

"With my hormones as imbalanced as they are, it might be hard to predict when and if relapses may happen." Maho said. "As much as I hate to suggest it, this matter might have to be something we play by ear, and if I relapse during a critical moment, it'll just have to be a bridge we cross when we come to it."

Maho then proceeded to click a button on the table, and the main viewscreen switched to a navigation chart.

"Now that that matter's settled, there is one more thing we all need to be alerted to:" She said, clicking another button to begin a simulation of future events. "In two days' time, we'll need to make an adjustment to our heading to divert around a subspace tear believed to have been caused by frequent warp travel."

Maho zoomed in on the map as the simulation of the three New Orleans class Starships made their diversion around the tear:

"It's during this diversion that Starfleet believes we'll be at our most vulnerable to attack:" She continued. "Many of the militia groups that attacked Starfleet Headquarters remain at large, and while it's a uncomfortable thought; we must prepare for the possibility of coming under attack by Federation citizens, of affiliation with these groups."

"Do we know if there's any alternative routes we may be able to take, Captain?" Ichika suggested as she studied the navigational charts. "Granted, it may put another day or two on our journey, but if we're expecting to be ambushed along this leg of the route, then the obvious solution would be to find some way to circumnavigate that, yes?"

"The obvious solution? Perhaps..." Maho agreed. "But is it the right solution? I don't know about any of you, but I'm tired of letting terrorists decide our every move; and I think it's time that we show them, and anyone who dares to walk the same path, what Starfleet is made of: Send a message to these bastards that we are not cowards, and that we will never back down or compromise with their evil!"

“Yes, it is the right solution.” Ami stated calmly but firmly, sitting straight up for the first time this meeting, “Only a fool or a bodyguard steps in the path of a bullet, we are neither. By all means, if they attack us, kick their asses all the way back to where they came from, but despite the Project Jomo upgrades, we are not warships. It is prudence, not cowardice, to avoid an attack that may be coming. Cowardice is being too scared of being seen to be a coward, then walking into the fight best avoided. Cowardice is what caused many massacres in the annals of history. Japanese Banzai charges in World War 2? That wasn’t bravery, that was cowardice, the fear of being seen as ‘less than’ by someone else who doesn’t even matter. History is replete with examples, so that future generations, like us, can learn from it.” Ami looked around, fire in her eyes, because this was something she believed in, “We don’t compromise with evil, but common sense tells us not to stand right in front of a gun when someone is pulling the trigger.”

"Perhaps, if we were by ourselves, common sense would win out here." Maho responded. "However, we are not alone: Accompanying us are the Haruna and the Akina. One New Orleans class starship would consider rerouting, but three? I think the terrorists will have their work cut out for them if they want to take us all out before we take their asses down first. Plus, think of the morale boost fleetwide if we were to take on these traitors and win!"

"That's presuming we go in knowing what exactly we're up against- which we don't," Karen was quick to point out.

"No disrespect, Captain, but Lieutenant Kujo makes a valid point," Ichika added. "True, we may have the firepower, but there's only so far it'll get us; with no way of determining just how many ships they've got out there, three ships may not be enough."

"Does anyone have any other suggestions besides diverting?" Maho asked the table. "Because our best alternative route takes us through a spaceborne wildlife protection area with a strictly enforced warp 3 speed limit, and without Lieutenant Reno to obtain us a permit to operate at a higher speed in record time, I don't need to remind everyone on how things could turn into a bloodbath with such a delay."

Ichika smiled. "You could say I have some contacts who have a bone to pick with Miyahara," she explained. "Should we find ourselves in a pinch, I can always call upon them to lend assistance."

"Will it be enough, Commander?" Maho asked

"Oh, there'll be enough," Ichika insisted. "Once they find out they're in cahoots with Miyahara, they'll be on them like white on rye."

"Very well," Maho said. "I'd suggest you speak to any of those contacts of yours who might be in the area at the time." She turned to the rest of the table. "Does everyone understand our plan moving forward?"

“No, not really.” Ami blurted out, “I mean, we’re just going to fly into their trap? I’m not a tactician, but one of my previous Hosts was and she’s telling me right now to…” She’d turned her gaze inwards a bit, not hesitating, “To shut up.” That threw her for a moment, but cringed as apparently someone was talking to her, “Well, no… Yes.. Yes.. No, but- … Yes.. Umm, no, but Ta-… No, they aren’t.” She flushed a deep red, “No… No, BUT!-…” Suddenly her eyes refocused as she realized she was still in the middle of the meeting, “Look, we can talk about this later…” She growled to herself, then put on a small embarrassed smile, “Sorry, I umm.. Never mind me.”

"Is she okay?" Karen asked with a look of concern.

“I’ve got her,” Jane reassured Karen.

"It is safer to fly into a trap that you know is a trap, than one that is not. " Victor said softly, with a glance at Ami. She'd mentioned that, such a thing happened but if that was what she meant...then he'd definitely have to look into it.

"And knowing where the trap is—that's the first step in evading it," added Jane, quoting from her favourite old science fiction book.

Ami nodded, "I'll do what I can to get the ship to weather any first volley." She stated, "I'll get with Haruna and Akina's engineers, too, see if there's a trick we can use.. I've got an idea in mind if we can fly in close enough formation to reinforce shields enough."

"I'll be in touch with Captain Zh'gero and Commander Wilcke to coordinate a response to any threat we might encounter." Maho explained. "Until then, I think we can call this meeting adjourned."

A mission post by

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer

Commander Ichika Misono
Executive Officer

Commander Keisuke Takahashi
Second Officer

Commander Elisabeth Churchill
Chief Diplomatic Officer

Commander Victor Delling
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott
Chief Counselor

Lieutenant Ami Rori
Chief Engineer

Lieutenant Karen Kujo
Squadron Leader

Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer

Lieutenant JG Connor Talmage
Chief Science Officer

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