Torilla Falls: Part of The Problem

Posted on Thu Mar 12th, 2020 @ 3:34am by 1st Lieutenant Selendis "Ratchet" Yamaguchi & 1st Lieutenant Atin Temetti

Mission: Mission 86: A Hero Falls
Location: Various Locations - USS Lancaster
Timeline: 2200Hrs - May 17th, 2392

First Lieutenant Selendis Yamaguchi had broken down earlier as she had received the news of Captain Torilla Yamaguchi's death in battle at the hands of the Klingons, she sighed softly as she sat up from where she had been lying down on her bed, she was still dressed and wearing her uniform. "What happened?" she asked herself. Then the memories of what happened earlier to prompt her breakdown returned with violent force.

"Oh." she sighed softly as she wiped at her face and eyes with her hands. "I can't believe it." as she slipped off her clothing, so she could change into something actually comfortable for her off-duty hours. Yamaguchi got up and recycled her uniform before she selected a pair of shorts and a tank top. Donning her new clothing, Yamaguchi then went into the main area of her quarters to find Atin sitting on the floor in silent meditation.

Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow as she noticed the three candles before him before it dawned on her that this was a man who was serious about his choices in life.

Atin Temetti was sitting cross-legged on her floor, his eyes were closed as he remained motionless. Yamaguchi came over and she waved her hand in front of his face and suddenly without warning, his grabbed her hand with his own. His eyes snapped open and for a moment there was an air of outright rage and fury about him before it faded, he breathed out. "Selendis." he addressed her before he took several cleansing breaths. "Don't do that. It's never wise to sneak up on me," he added quietly. "I'm processing the news.. As you were earlier."

"I'm sorry Atin. I didn't know." Yamaguchi paused.

"That's because you've never seen me meditate until now," he commented as he put out the candles with a gentle breathing, blowing them out, one at a time. "You were asleep for nearly five hours."

"I'm sorry I fell apart like that. I should have been more careful" Yamaguchi responded quietly.

"Selendis. She was the woman who would have been your mother in this reality." Temetti explained. "You owe no apology," he commented. "To deny yourself is to deny who you are and to deny your right to grieve," Temetti explained. "I did not know her at all yet even I feel the burden of her passing."

"The burden?" Yamaguchi clearly was unsure of what he was getting at.

"Torilla was a good person, she raised her children well, she was an animal lover and made efforts to get along with those under her command. She was highly regarded by those who knew her." Temetti explained as a sigh escaped his lips. "Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall." he then shrugged gently.

"I still don't get what you're getting at." Yamaguchi paused, she then let out a sigh a moment later.

"The burden, as I put it, is mine. I will never get to know her as you did." Temetti responded. "The Klingons must answer for this and the best way I can honor Captain Yamaguchi's memory is to be the best man I can, for myself and for you." He shifted his attention from his candles to her as he said the last four words, it was more a challenge to her than anything else. "If and when people ask me about her then I'll gladly sit upon the ground and tell sad tales... of the death of queens." before he sighed softly.

Yamaguchi regarded him in silence for a moment before Temetti added. "My father said something like that once to my mother, she thought it was one of the most romantic things he could have ever said to her."

Yamaguchi could see the appeal to her. "I had never figured you for a romantic Atin, considering you are helping to put together the first Federation tank designs."

"Yet I can't get careless about it, for security is mortal's chiefest enemy." he smiled at her. "Considering the tank designs you brought with you," he added with a smile.

"Well I'll admit that the ones from my home reality were more as terror weapons and unpractical by any sense of the word, they could at least help," Yamaguchi commented. "I mean who puts a giant speaker onto a tank?" she then regarded him.

"They can, yes." Temetti agreed with her statement regarding the tanks. "and the designs can be modified for my uses. The chassis is where I am starting. They need to be larger but they can work for what I have in mind." Temetti responded.

Yamaguchi paused before she nodded. "I always found the old designs unworkable at best and downright stupid at worst," she responded. "When do you think the memorial service will be held?"

"I have no idea," Temetti responded quietly as he rose to his feet from where he had been kneeling just moments earlier. "I wonder if one of your siblings will be handling the arrangements?."

"I highly suspect that it'll be likely." Yamaguchi paused. "Gabriel maybe, or Elizabeth. I could see either one of them handling things.." she explained. "Let's go for a walk. I need to get out." she paused before she looked down at her tank top and shorts.

"Alright. Besides I'm sure that people would like seeing you wearing next to nothing." he then grinned at her.

"Yes yes. I'll go change." and with that, she rose to her feet before she went into the bedroom. Temetti meanwhile was wearing a pair of track pants and a simple t-shirt but no footwear.

Selendis sighed softly as she peeled off her usual sleepwear before she donned her off-duty clothing. "I need a vacation," she muttered to herself before she stepped out of the bedroom, she tossed Temetti a pair of socks which he quickly donned on his feet before he pulled on a pair of sneakers before he tossed her shoes over to her. Yamaguchi snatched them out of midair without even making a serious attempt at catching them.

"Where should we go?" Yamaguchi inquired of her boyfriend.

"The Lounge. I doubt anyone will really care to be honest." Temetti responded, a smile playing on his face.

Yamaguchi walked out the door with her boyfriend following her in silence. "Let's hope we don't run into any serious opposition. No bar fights as that would ruin my night.. " he shifted his attention to her. "Yours too."

Yamaguchi regarded Temetti as a sudden dark grin. "That could be diverting," she commented before she sighed. "But not today," she added softly before the two of them walked into a turbolift, the doors opened before them. "Lounge," Temetti commented softly.

"Lounge," Yamaguchi added a moment later.

The turbolift started moving, moments later the doors opened and the two people inside stepped out before they entered the lounge a moment later. The two went over to the bar. "Barkeep?" Temetti inquired.

A young woman came over. "What can I get ya?" she inquired of the couple before her.

"One bottle of Bajoran spring wine, whatever you have in stock will be fine and two glasses." Yamaguchi placed their order, it was simple, direct and to the point.

"Gotcha." and with that, the young bartender turned and moved off, in search of the items requested of her. She returned a few minutes later. "All I could find was a bottle of the fifty-nine. I'm sorry but it's not the best."

"It'll do." Yamaguchi accepted the bottle as Temetti accepted the two glasses before the two of them went to select a table somewhere, considering how late at night this way, they had an easy time selecting a table. "Y'know. Let's go home and drink this. I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a bad night."

Temetti didn't argue. "Yeah. Let's go," he commented right before the starboard door opened and in came roughly a dozen marines. Temetti sighed. "Shit," he muttered.

Yamaguchi tried making her way toward the exit only she didn't quite get there before one large marine blocked her path. "You wanna come hang out with me?"

"No," Yamaguchi responded bluntly. "I'm up in the morning." this was a lie. "So I'm going home to turn in. Let me pass!" she demanded before he placed a massive hand on her shoulder. Yamaguchi effortlessly shrugged him off before she slipped past him before he got nasty. "Aww, the nice girl don't think we Marines are worth anything. She wishes we were all dead on the planet!".

Temetti followed Yamaguchi before the Klingon took one blow to the face from the massive Marine, the response was several of the Starfleet crew coming to the aid of the downed Klingon and a bar fight broke out. Yamaguchi helped Temetti to his feet.

"Security to the Lounge, bar brawl in progress." the female bartender shouted into the com system, the response was quick as Yamaguchi and Temetti slipped out the door and escaped the fight that neither wanted any part of.

"Yeah. I'm gonna feel that one later." Temetti sighed softly. "Fuck it. Save the bottle and let's not bother drinking."

Yamaguchi sighed. Her evening was now ruined because of some dumb Marine who wanted to bed her, she was not in the mood for it then or now. "Yeah. Let's go home and go back to bed."

"Yeah," Temetti responded as he followed his girlfriend down the hall in silence.