Sword and Shield

Posted on Sun Jul 14th, 2019 @ 1:04am by Lieutenant Jack Carver & Commander Ichiko Gail

Mission: War and Peacekeeping
Location: Ichiko Gail's Office

Now that his department was settled - and in record time he might add - and he had gotten some well deserved rest, it was time to meet the rest of the important movers and shakers on the Astraea. As such Lieutenant Jack Carver addressed the computer.

"Computer, location of Commander Gail, please."

The computer dutifully replied back after the briefest of moments to compile the answer. "[Commander Gail is located in her office]" after which the computer informed Jack of the deck and room number thereof.

That should be easy enough to find, Jack mused to himself. Soon enough he reached the indicated door, straightened his uniform and rang the doorchime.

"Hai, hairu." Ichiko called out when she heard the chime. She was in the midst of decorating her office it would seem. A certificate of graduation from a college, then another one, then another one. Most were written in the same script, possibly the written language of her people, though there was one that was written in an entirely different, and equally alien, script. There were few pictures of her and her family, though the picture that took center stage as it were... was a crude hand drawing of a family of five seemingly done in crayon or some other parallel of colored wax.

Ichiko turned from her task as the door opened, and offered Jack a nod and a soft smile. "Welcome. How can I help, Lieutenant?" she started, "... and can I offer my guest some tea?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." Jack smiled as he offered a hand in greet, emboldened by Ichiko's casual demeanor. "Jack Carver, CAG. Just came onboard yesterday, figured I'd meet the important people."

She took his hand and gave it a shake in the universal sign of friendship. "Ichiko Gail, previous Operations officer, current ship's second." she gave a nod to cement the greeting before making her way to the wall replicator. Returning with two cups of tea, she offered him his while claiming her own. "I suppose I'm glad I made the list." she said with a soft smile. "Please, make yourself comfortable. You're a guest here." she motioned to the office around them.

"Thank you. Very kind of you." Jack smiled, sitting down on a chair and taking a ship of his tea. "I have to admit, I've never met a Ts'usugi before. I'm not even sure I'm pronouncing it right."

"Ts'usugi." She pronounced it. There was a pursing of the lips, and then the attempt to almost whistle while speaking, but all in all of all the letters that were in the word only about half of them seemed to be used. She had a soft smile on her features throughout, "It's easier when you're a native speaker. Took me weeks to figure out how to say 'Yacht'." she admitted. "Just odd how the mouth worked the word."

She relaxed a bit, and took a sip of tea, "Curiosity is a grand, motivating force. Feel free to ask any questions you have, of me or of my people. Some, I can't answer. Any others, I will." a pause, "And when you're ready, I actually have a bit of business to discuss with you."

"It concerns your department, hence my wanting to speak with you. I want your consideration for an addition."

Jack smiled. "I have but one question. How did you end up in Starfleet?" A sip of his tea. "I find that the answer to that question tends to say a lot about a person."

"I walked, until I couldn't walk anymore, then I flew." she answered, but shook her head quickly afterwards. "That's the philosophical answer. The truth is ... the truth is I was bored of the stars in our side of things." she almost sounded disappointed. "I'll never forget the look of any night sky, but after a while, the night sky looks the same. I had served previously aboard an Imperial Navy Dark Ship, so I enlisted there. Saw the universe, maybe even saw a thing or two I wasn't supposed to, but in the end, I wanted to see more."

"Our people and the Federation are in talks for a more permanent status, but at the moment we're an allied race. But... you have a different night sky than I've ever seen. Stars, nebulas, stellar events, everything is new." she gave a smirk, "And new is enticing to me." her smile faltered slightly, "... given my condition."

She held up a hand to stem the flow of questions or sympathies. "It's a neurological condition, it's not fatal by itself." a pause, "I ... I remember everything. Everything."

"That's - " he trailed off, considering for a moment. "Yeah, I can see how that's both a blessing and a curse." he mused, steepling his fingers. "Won't you eventually get bored of the stars over here? Yes we have all new night skies, but they don't change either."

"If that ever happens..." she focused more on the second half of his statement rather than the first. "... then either I'll find a new point of view and new stars, or I'll settle down. Raise a family, and see the universe through a new set of eyes."

"I just hope this..." she tapped her temple, "... doesn't become a family tradition."

A pause, "And yourself? What brought you to Starfleet?"

"Purpose." Jack answered readily. "Answering a call and giving in to a passion. I grew up a farm boy, with a desire for greater things. Could always be found racing. Racing something. Tractors, cars, shuttles, hoverboard, you name it. Always seeking something faster. More powerful."

Another sip of his tea. "Applying to Starfleet and majoring in helm, specializing in small craft was the best way to get what I wanted. To go fast in the most cutting edge machines we could come up with."

Ichiko gave a small smile as she listened to the passion in his tale. "You know, I may have something that might interest you." and with that, she slid a PaDD across her desk to his half of the table. On it, were displayed the schematics for an odd form of fighter craft. Aerospace superiority fighter frame, transition from atmosphere to vacuum effortlessly, fast and nimble and heavily armed for its frame. Energy weapons, rollaway mission-specific weapon loadout, the craft was sleek and impressive in design.

"The Icaruga Class Blink Fighter, short range superiority fighter." Ichiko explained as he looked over the specs. "When you're ready for the demo, tap the play button on the bottom to start the display."

Jack gave a low whistle when he saw the silhouette, and took a moment to just take in the details. Sleek, aerodynamic form. In-fuselage weapons. Sublight engines. Air intakes. Cooling vents. "Shes a beauty." he mused.

Then he tapped play. Seeing the ship in motion was even better than seeing the silhouette in a still photograph. He watched the Blink fighter go through maneuvers, rolls - aileron and barrel - pulling sharp turns, all very impressive. But the video ended with something that floored him.

The fighter just ... suddenly ... wasn't there anymore. A streak was left, fading in an instance, as the footage showed that the fighter was several miles away, in instant translation. Yet, he'd seen only sub-light drives, and the effect wasn't warp drive.

"Ok, that's - ... Yeah, the lady's a beauty, and she can dance, too." he shook his head, smiling. "I'd love to be able to get my hands on one some time. Is that one of your people's fighters?"

She gave a nod, pleased that he was impressed. Someone who could appreciate the display.

She'd treasure this memory.

"Yes. Though the Icaruga class is slightly outdated, it still is the dominant force in the Ts'usugi Naval Air strategy." she pointed out. "And now, for that subject I wanted to discuss." she paused, "There are two, with pilots, within about a week or so's travel. Both on cultural exchange. Where they're at now, I'd say, is wasted potential. If you think you have a spot for them in your manifest, I can put in the request. Turn the Astraea into a true cultural exchange."

"Two, you say? With pilots?" He steepled his fingers, furrowing his brows in thought. "I think there's enough space, if I move some of the - ... yeah, that would work. Fitting them into my wings as active element would be trickier, it would depend on relative performance, but .... Hmmmm. Yes, that could work."

He then looked at Ichiko with a shifty expression. "Would I be allowed stick time? I mean, fly one of them myself, to see what they can do?"

"By yourself, I'd recommend against it the first time. They might have a training seat. Though I'm certain if you ask them, they'll teach you how to properly handle one." She offered with a considering nod. "I'll put in the paperwork." she transitioned from a nod to a soft smile.

"I expect something impressive." she mentioned, though it was more of a friendly statement than an actual expectation.

"I'll be happy to take them on." Jack smiled. "I'm sure I can make use of their - unique capabilities. I'm already formulating combat strategies. Looking forward to seeing them in action in person."

Ichiko gave a nod, "I'll talk about this with the Captain. I don't think she'd object, especially considering the person who's department it will impact the most has already said yes, though the final decision is her's." a final sip of tea. "This has potentially turned into a rather fortunate meet and greet for you, Mister Carver." a smirk.

"Would there anything else?"

"Well, I'm only halfway done with my tea, and it would be impolite to throw the rest away or rush through it without appreciating it." Jack mused, taking another sip of his tea and closing his eyes for a moment, savouring the taste.

"Would you do me the honor of telling me a little bit about your home?" he then asked, opening his eyes again with a smile.

She gave him a soft smile, and closed her pale green eyes, "Tanchou prefecture. It's a small town. Everyone's friendly for the most part, because we all knew everyone. Three blocks from home, there's a bakery that makes fresh bread for the morning shifts. The smell of fresh bread can be smelled five blocks away on a calm day." she starts.

"Ts'usu, the world, crests over the horizon. In the sky with her, are the two sister moons. That is Ts'usu, that's our home. We live on the moons. Long ago in our history, we were ruled by warlords who sought to claim Ts'usu as their own. The First Emperor appeared, achieved peace in a day, and then decreed that we were ill worthy of Ts'usu and commanded us to meet him on the moons. He then left." she smirked, "Sounds silly, I know." she then continued. "The weather is usually calm, the moons don't have seasons really. Not like the homeworld does. Some places get snow, but not where I lived as a child. I remember the first time I saw snow. It was magical." a pause, "In the fields on the outskirts of town there was a park with two giant trees that had grown together into an arch. There was always a couple getting married there. They said it was good luck. The other kids and I just waited until they were done before getting back to playing. Weddings are nice, but we were pirates." she said with a smirk.

"Day and night were hard to gauge, because sometimes the homeworld would block the sun. Not that it was a surprise, we knew the positions of the homeworld and the sister moons months in advance." a pause, perhaps to recall memories to the front, "Every now and then we'd have a parade or an air show. Troops would show up and just generally greet us, letting us know they were there and keeping us safe from our enemies. There'd be a demonstration or a few Blink Pilot hotshots showing off. They can't use the Blink Drive in an atmosphere, but the stunts they pulled off were pretty impressive none the less." she gave a soft smile.

"Believe it or not, that photograph up there is how the park looks." at that, Ichiko motioned to the crudely drawn picture on her wall with an amused smirk. 'My sister drew that for me, before I left for a four year internship." The picture was of a family of five. A mother, a father, an older brother, and older sister, and the creator of such a work of art: the younger sister. All were captured expertly in a post-impressionist stick figure renaissance with a park in the background. In the sky were four colored circles: a larger ball of brown, two smaller balls of brown, and a ball of yellow that accurately captured the smile and general pleasant demeanor of any world's sun.

"Ts'usu isn't just a place, it's a feeling. We bring pieces of home with us, so that wherever we go... we're home. Should an enemy attack this ship, they're attacking my home. They're attacking Ts'usu. That, I cannot allow." she turned quite serious there at the end, but one sip of tea and her features softened again.

Jack smiled warmly as he listened. When she was done he remained silent for a moment before speaking. "I don't think I could do that answer honor with anything I say." he offered. "I hear you on that last bit, though. This - ... this ship is our home now. We're all in this together. And I'll defend it with my life, if necessary."

"Well, it's not the size of your answer that counts, it's how you mean it." she teased with a smirk, "Though, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you and your people aren't needlessly tossed into the proverbial shredder. You're people, not just resources. We'll all do our part to keep our home safe."

"That's a promise."

Jack smiled, taking another sip of his tea. "That's good to know." he said. "What can I expect from you, though? What's your style of command?"

"I was recently appointed as ship's second. Prior to this, I was only in command of departments. This will be something of a learning experience for me, but I won't make the same mistakes twice if they are to be made. Though, from the various ships I've been on both in Starfleet's Navy and the Empire's, I'd say that I'm more comfortable with an informal setting outside of the eyes of the crew, such as here..." she motioned, "... and a more formal line of communication in the field."

"So, that being said, it's just us. Call me Ichiko." a smirk, "I'll have a solid idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the crew in the coming week or so, and can help the Captain plan accordingly." a pause, "What you can expect from me, is that I'll fight in your corner and I'll cover your back. Just please, don't make me into a liar to do so."

"My first concern is with the ship, Ichiko." He got the name almost right. Almost. "And by extension the Federation. My second concern is with my crew. You stand by me, I stand with the ship and its will. Like I told Commander Laurens, I am the extension of her will, I am the ship's shield, the ship's sword."

"Mister Carver, I think you and I just became fast friends." she said with a nod. She didn't mind that he was off on his pronunciation. He'd have plenty of time to practice.

(tag / end?)