The Price We Pay

Posted on Tuesday 30 October 2018 @ 06:21 by Lieutenant Colonel Kachiko Bayushi

Mission: The New Collective
Location: Executive Officer's Quarters
Timeline: Enroute to Starbase
400 words - 0.8 OF Standard Post Measure

"Wher... what's going on, Mom?" Kachiko heard as she finally had an opportunity to test return to her quarters. She hadn't been able to do much more than briefly check in on the young tween since the encounter with the Borg.

Now she was finally getting a chance to lay down and sleep.

"Reiko-chan, I don't know what I can tell you right now," Kachiko sighed. The Merlin was enroute to the Starbase once again, to drop off the surviving colonists, refresh the magazine and then it was back out after the Borg.

"We may need to drop you and other family members off at the Starbase until we're done," Kachiko sighed as the girl came over to Kachiko's bedside to lay next to the petite Executive Officer. Reiko nuzzled against her mother, "Do you ever get tired of always being in danger, Mom?"

"Someone has to do it, baby girl. There's too much and too many people at risk to not have people doing this," Kachiko explained quietly as she wrapped an arm around her daughter.

"I know, Mom. But you have been through enough already. Have you thought about retiring?" Reiko asked, dark brown eyes turning up to her mother's pensive face.

"I thought about it a lot after Rio died, sweetie," Kachiko was surprised that this discussion hadn't happened far sooner.

"What stopped you?"

"I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't have my duty, ReiRei," Kachiko finally admitted. "I was literally made for this kind of work."

"Aren't you worried about dying?" Reiko asked in a tiny voice. "I don't want to lose you like Rio and be all alone!"

Kachiko's arm tightened around Reiko's shoulders, "Don't worry, sweetie. I am working with some of the best people in the Fleet and I'm certain that we'll be okay. If not, you'll not be alone. Auntie Karsel'lyn will be happy to take you in."

"What about CaiCai?" Reiko finally asked, her voice still a little shaky.

"Cai is an officer aboard, albeit not yet commissioned," Kachiko thought a second."Though she's non-essential, especially considering where we're going. I will discuss with the Captain about leaving non-essential personnel on the base."

After another ten minutes of this, Kachiko managed to steer the discussion towards much lighter topics until the girl fell asleep. Kachiko pulled Reiko under the covers and moved towards sleep herself.

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