Reconnection

Posted on Wednesday 11 July 2018 @ 22:06 by Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Lieutenant Colonel Kachiko Bayushi

Mission: Lost Souls
Location: Tillatix Quarters
Timeline: MD02 2231 Hours
2948 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

On:

Off duty and freshly showered, Kachiko paused at the hatch to Save'ena's quarters. Funny enough, the Mephetian Cadet... no, Lieutenant Commander ; had never seen her out of uniform before. This eve, she wore a sky-blue kimono, her usual phaser adhering to the white silk belt at her left hip. Her small feet were strangely bare.

Reaching up, she touched the computer interface that would activate the door chime inside and then waited.

Inside the quarters, Sav had changed out of her duty uniform and into the silk pajamas that Dr. O'Reilly had put out beside her when she was still recovering from Cyrostasis. She really loved how they moved over her fur and help to stimulate her fur and skin to keep getting rid of the Toluene within her. She felt a dark rage, and a lamenting sorrow, deep within at the whats and whys, but managed to keep them tamped down. She had been given a new chance at life, and she wanted to experience it, not drown in what happened in the past. That... that was what the counselors were for, to help out with that.

The door chime sounding out brought her out of her revelry, and gentle movements on the couch. Sav got up and walked to the door, her bare feet easily keeping a purchase across the floor. While there was short, silky fur across the tops and sides of her feet, there was no fur between her toes or along the bottoms of her feet. As a tree dwelling race, her feet would hold very well along limbs and rocks.

Sav opened the door with an expectation of a meditech or nurse coming by to check on her, but was very pleasantly surprised by finding somebody else there instead. She brightened as she exclaimed out, her voice lilting at the end, "Kachiko?!?"

"That would be me, last I checked," the spritely Commander replied with a grin.

As her mind took hold of what Kachiko was wearing, Sav surged forward and took the diminutive XO into a deep hug, churrs sounding out from her as she again said, "Kachiko.. Oh Kachiko.. so much has happened... it's so good to see you."

"I am happy to see you and that you're doing well, hon. But let's not dally out here or people are going to stop to stare," the tiny voice sounded from within the much taller woman's furred arms.

Sav blushed lightly and led the way into her quarters. Even though only 'Lt. Commander' quarters, it was still more elegant with an ante-room, main room/kitchenette, and then enclosed off Bedroom and bath. Sav churred as she led Kachiko to the couch and said, "I received this room after serving CAG and having had dip quarters before that. It is less than both of those, but more than a typical department head, so tis nice, tis nice. Please, have a seat. Can Ah get yah sometin' ta drink? Ah ama sippin Scotch meself. Ah also have spiced rum, sambuca, aged vanilla spiced bourbon, besides Syrah ana Mixed Red wines."

"Cranberry juice would be great, hon," Kachiko fell back on her traditional standby beverage of choice. She couldn't imbibe anything that could impair her judgment or ability.

Sav brought over the drinks and handed Kachiko hers. She sat down, sipping on her Scotch, enjoying its flavorful notes in the background. She grinned shyly to Kachiko. The Academy days were only two years ago in accordance to Sav's memories, even though almost three because of the Cyrostasis. Still, Sav had graduated in three years, and could have done it in two, except for loving the classes and taking everything they would let her. She managed to start, "So much has happened... so much... Umm, ana, from sounds of it, fer yah too." She blushed lightly, then asked, "How tah start? You... me... umm, uh.." Sav's blush grew deeper as she continued, "Have you seen mah medical records? They... explain a lot." She suddenly brightened, "Ana, the imprints are gone, Ah can finally talk about what happened, ifin that helps."

"Vice Admiral Chen will be happy to hear that you're able to discuss everything, now," Kachiko smiled. "We had suspicions about some kind of psychic block keeping you from talking."

Sav nodded while mouthing, 'Ayuh'

"As for me, well, it's an extremely long story, a lot of which is classified beyond your clearance," Kachiko sighed. "However, I have a daughter, Reiko. She's thirteen years old now and just waiting for word to come join me."

Sav visibly brightened at hearing this. She was always up for hearing about kitlings, and that Kuchiko had one, was even better.

"I married a delightful lady named Riosa, but she was murdered trying to save me from captivity and more," now the short little woman looked crestfallen. "My former captor vented reactor plasma into her underground colony to destroy it and keep us from taking it. It killed several thousand including my wife. The radiation is how my hair turned white."

Sav's head tilted a little bit as one ear flicked. She never understood how marriages between two women or two men worked, no kitlings to be had unless other arrangements could be made. For Mephetians, marriage was all about kitlings and raising them to be productive members of society. She started to wonder if Reiko was was of Kachiko's birth or Riosa's birth, but this thought was swept aside by the thoughts of Riosa's murder and Kachiko's captivity. Sadness fell across Sav's countenance as her tail moved to lay up against Kachiko's side. She said in a quiet voice, "Ah feel fer yah."

"Boy, is Reiko going to get a kick out of you!" Kachiko suddenly changed the subject, not really wanting to dwell on the death of her wife and psychically feeling the terror of the thousands of colonists as they slowly burned to death.

Sav was thrust out of her need to be there for Kachiko at this moment by Kachiko's outburst. She giggled lightly as she churred out, "Ah really hope so. Ah would love to get tah know her, ah would." She leaned over to snuffle with her muzzle in Kachiko's hair above her ear, then said, "Ifin yah need an ear, ah am here fer yah, Kachiko, ah am here fer yah."

Kachiko smiled again at the relatively intimate gesture from Sav, "Savvy doll, I just need my baby girl back with me and I should be fine. To answer your earlier thought, hon, well... that's a complicated answer. You see, I wasn't born to a woman like everyone else. A very special woman was kidnapped and from whom a number of her eggs were taken and engineered. I am the second of several dozen and the first to survive to maturity."

Sav felt her heart go out to Kachiko. While she wasn't a clone, she was still bio-engineered with a sperm doner and lab to get specific results, and probably all who managed to be born looked alike, like identical twins, except multiple of them. Raised in a lab environment for a specific outcome, Sav knew it was now in the past, but she still felt her heart squish inside for what Kachiko had went through.

"The sixth of the line was a Tactical Officer and died on assignment. She somehow had a baby girl, named Reiko. I helped my sister when her telepathic talent suddenly bloomed and she willed it that I take custody of Reiko should she pass," Kachiko further explained. "I looked exactly as Reiko's mother did, so ReiRei thought I was her mom at first. I chose not to hurt her at such a tender age, so she believed that I was her mother."

Sav churred gently, intuitively understanding the dynamics of how that would work, and how on a young mind, to let them grow to understanding when they were ready.

"She discovered the truth on her own a few years ago and has come to terms with it. She thinks me her mother and I think her my daughter," Kachiko concluded. "That said, how have you been, my feisty friend?"

Sav took a sip of her scotch, then flicked her ears towards Kachiko. "I am doing okay, actually better than I have for a long time. Good news first. Ah am all put back together. My feminine bits are working like they should anda Ah am having mah first period ina six years.... yay. The docs at the Starbase replaced my left kidney, left ovary, and reconstructed my external intimate area so Ah am presentable again fer me future male. Ah gather Ah was not that good a lookin there.. not aftah what that bastard had done tah me." Sav paused, closed her eyes, and practiced breathing to calm down.

Kachiko sighed and chose to remain silent, not wanting to recount what her captor had done to her while she had been literally enslaved.

Sav opened her eyes and continued, "Anyways, the starbase docs removed the cadaver mesh inside of me. The docs at that Starfleet Strom Thurman Medical Research Institute had put a Cadaver mesh in, one with nylon, tied off to cause max damage, ana doped with Toluene glue. Ah wasa at 18% functioning when SB docs got to me, ana Ah was going to be dead at 15%... even though, ah was supposed to be dead at that damn institute after they put it in me. Ana, Ah had five imprints, FIVE, that were supposed tah erase mah memories of being in that orion sex slave trainin dungeon for four months, and being bought fer me virginity, life and pelt to be taken by a Fed Councilman, ripped to bits, mah precious gift fer mah future male gone, and to ultimately become a bedspread for him... a BEDSPREAD... calm Sav.. Calm Sav.."

Now Kachiko was incensed, yet entirely calm, not even her breathing changed. She gently stroked the soft fur on the back of one of the Mephetian's hands to help aid the woman's calming down.

Sav did not notice the stroking, yet, somewhere inside, she did. That stroking helped become a focal point, of a caring person nearby, to help her get back to the now from the 'then' in that insidious chamber where Diostros had his way with her.

Sav, now having got herself under control, continued. "Anyways, five imprints. One fer erasin dungeon memories, one fer erasin Councilman taking ofa me, one for false memories in Thompson's employ, one for coverin up what happened in courts, and one fer makin sure to keep that damnable mesh inside. Ana then, there was that FAKE biobed chip that hid the nylon, hid the Toluene poisoning, and elevated my decreasing body readin's."

Sav now giggled a little, "There was even ah transporter beacon ina me long term memories ina mah head... waiting fer something tah be transported in tah take them out, ora me out, or tah find me later. The institute docs didna know about me tail.. it kept me safe froma that, it kept me safe... ana me bein a psionic race, helped me keep the imprints in check, almost lost it all at the end, though... but... "

Sav seemed to calm know as she looked down at Kachiko with a blush, "But, Ah ama fully me again, to live again..." She shook herself, then finished with, "Sorry fer gettin emotional, Kachiko, only been two months fer me since mesh ana beacon removed, new organs and reconstruction surgery, ana imprints drivin me insane removed... still kind of fresh, tis all." She sighed, her blush getting deeper, as she asked, "Can you ana Admiral Chen forgive me for not being able to say fer why before? Ah tried... Ah tried.."

"I never faulted you," Kachiko smiled."The Vice Admiral was fairly certain that you had something like that going on, but Federation laws prevented her from further examination, which would have required a Mind Meld."

"She's retired now and last I heard, enroute to a new colony out in the outer Perseus Arm, in Dark Space," Kachiko shrugged. "I think that she was pining for the quiet life. My half-sister, whom is half-Orion, is out on a ship out there. Karsel'lyn's daughter, Cai, is in her final year of the Academy and hoping for a Cadet Cruise. You would probably like her, too."

Sav smiled a supporting smile. She replied, "Admiral Chen deserves it, as do you, you know, a quiet life after what you have been through." She moved in to give Kachiko a quick hug, then added, "Half-sister, family, coolio, and Ah would love to meet both, Karsel'lyn and Cai." She winked, and slightly joked, "Ana, Mephetians are probably one ofa the easiest races tah get to know and be friends, so, yeah, more than likely."

"I sure know that Reiko will think you're the cutest thing she's ever seen," Kachiko laughed lightly. "She loves fuzzy animals and you look like a particularly cute albeit odorous animal from Earth. She would love M'Katerina if Kitty-Kat were here. She's always enjoyed the company of Caitians."

Sav giggle churred, a very erotic and exotic sound, and one reason she was targeted by those on Apollonia, her rareness, exoticness, and sounds she would make. "Except, I don't have any of that odoriferous scent, fortunately." She signed gently and added, "On Rina, Ah would love ifin she transferred tah Merlin. We parted on amicable terms... but Ah don't t'ink she unnerstood meah culture fully as I could not marry her. I wonder if she has thought on it.. ana would come?"

"I could discuss it with the Captain, see about requesting her aboard," Kachiko shrugged. "I couldn't promise anything."

Sav nodded and said, "I would like that. Let's see if we can find her to get her on board. It would help in mah recovery also, ifin she wanted tah be roomies again." Sav sighed as she realized some of her speaking patterns. She snorted out in light humor, "My speech... it goes between dialect and Fed standard from scope used to take out beacon having pressed against mah speech center. I am getting better, but, even when Ah try to stay fully Fed Standard, t'e dialect, ita comes through. Ah must be hard for you to understand, sometimes, right now... sorry about that."

"Darling, we're connected telepathically," Kachiko chuckled. "I can understand you regardless."

Sav asked in her typical flurry of random thoughts, "Kachiko, when is ReiRei coming? Will she be at the starbase? Did you want to go out shopping with me? Do you think Dr. O'Reilly would like that too? Did you want someone to sleep with tonight... Ah would like that, ta be with someone."

"I already sent a message to her. She should be en-route already, from Earth," Kachiko couldn't wait to have her girl back with her. "I left my runabout with her and she's more than capable of piloting it. Besides, I got extended leave for Staff Sergeant Hernandez whom is ensuring Reiko's safety. The Staff Sergeant will be joining us aboard along with ReiRei."

Sav really perked up at this news. She grinned widely while churring in pleasure. She said, "That is AWESOME!! Kachiko." She bounced a little in her seat, chanting lightly under her breath, "Kitling, kitling, kitling, kitling.." She paused a moment, then asked, "Umm, would she want to be next to me? Maybe snuggle? Maybe protected by my tail once? I... I saved Sierra, Ah would love to hug ReiRei in the Mephetian way, Ah would."

"I can guarantee you that she will want to snuggle with you at least once," Kachiko laughed lightly. "She loves fuzzy things, especially Caitians and it's pretty much guaranteed that she'll squeal with glee when she first sees you."

Sav finished her shot of Scotch and the bottle came over to her so she could pour another. She looked at Kachiko's glass and asked, "Another Cranberry for the pretty lady?"

Kachiko shook her head, "My metabolism isn't what it once was, though still enhanced beyond the average human. Besides, I would just have to get up and pee half the damned night."

Sav shifted over to snuggle against Kachiko, and felt... safe, relieved, protected, while being protective of Kachiko. She knew it was from their discussion that night, and her need to feel protective over Kachiko for what happened, and an also instinctive need of someone to be with to keep memories at bay of what was dredged up in getting rid of the imprints. She took a half shot sip of her Scotch, welcoming the warming sensation spreading into her body from her mouth. She spoke out, "Thanks, Kachiko, fer bein' here. Ah could use a friend tah help with keeping Diostros at bay.. an Ah wanna be here, fer you... fer you..."

"I know, doll," Kachiko smiled as the taller and larger woman seemed to almost envelop the sub-five foot officer. "I haven't slept next to anyone but Reiko since I last left my wife on the London all that time ago."

Sav drifted into restful sleep, welcoming it for being with a friend, away from protecting Sierra, and away from poking and prodding medical personal.

Sleep was not so easy for Kachiko, even as comforting as Save'ena was for the petite woman. Years as a Special Operations Infiltrator and a terror/filled year as a rape slave had irrevocably changed her. Which was why she was almost always exhausted. She would fall asleep, eventually.

OFF:

Commander Bayushi Kachiko
Executive Officer
USS Merlin

Lt. Commander Save'ena Amilia Tillatix
Chief Flight Control Officer
Bridge Command Specialist
USS Merlin