Homeward Bound

Posted on Sat Oct 31st, 2026 @ 12:31am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Captain Elizabeth F. "Liz" Beurling & Keisuke Takahashi 'K.T.' & Kyoko Takahashi & Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott M.D.

1,653 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Futou Fukutsu
Location: Algonquin Station
Timeline: March 27, 2397 - After "Just A Sign of the Times"

"This is the final boarding call for transport 8573, with non-stop service to Sector 001. All passengers please report to the gate at this time..."

"Alright; have we got everything?" Maho asked, hoisting Kyoko up. "I don't want to have to come back out here for something stupid."

"I think we do..." Keisuke replied, ruffling through the contents of the diaper bag. "We can replicate whatever we're missing once we're back home."

"Good, then let's go ahead and get on the transport." Maho said. "Make sure you have your ID and boarding pass handy."

It was a necessary precaution; given that it was a non-stop service to Earth being operated, security was on hand to screen travelers and ensure everyone boarding was supposed to be on the transport. But that didn't mean it wasn't hassle-free.

Bree made her way to the boarding line, bag in hand as well as ID and boarding pass. She was committed to heading to earth now, but some part of her was still conflicted, not because she didn't want or need the break, but because a part of her felt she was leaving professional duties unfinished.

For so long during each battle, all she could really do was put band-aids on emotional and physical wounds while the risk that more could still be inflicted was still very real. Now the immediate danger was past, Scott knew it was the time she needed to be prepared to act, not just because she wanted to, but because this was the time when the the full impact of what they'd been through was likely to hit, no matter how compartmentalized everyone had been to this point.

Of course, Bree also recognized the irrationality of her thoughts as she thought them which made the feelings that came from them all the more annoying if understandable. Facing the trauma was going to be a long-term undertaking and there was absolutely no reason she had to be the one to oversee it for her people every minute. In fact, it was probably better she wasn't the only one overseeing it all and instead allowed people to seek their own support from activities or other more neutral parties.

In the end, it was her desire to practice what she preached that brought her to the line she stood in now, with no idea where she was going beyond the next transport.

Spotting a small child just ahead of her in line being hoisted up by the child's mother, it was only a moment later she realized it was Kyoko and Maho, with Keisuke close by.

Smiling ruefully, she thought perhaps the universe had decided to compromise with her after all. Not about to yell in line like a lunatic, Bree settled for smiling and waving at Kyoko, awash in the memory of being present for her birth.

Kyoko's fascination with someone behind her was not lost on Maho, who noticed her daughter attempting to wave back at someone behind them.

"Who are you looking at?" She asked.

Looking turning in the direction Kyoko's little arm was extended, Maho could make out someone from her crew in line behind her.

"Yes, it seems Commander Scott's also getting on the transport with us..." Maho remarked as she handed over her boarding pass to the gate agent.

Content for now her gesture had been noticed by the little girl she had affection for, Bree focused on the necessary, but pleasurably mundane process of boarding. After everything they had been through, Scott would take standing in line and having to deal with red tape all day long.

She boarded the transport, once again, pulling out her boarding pass to see where her seat was.

Unfortunately, the private cabins in first class had all been booked up. Maho had been lucky enough to snag one of the last available cabins, but that meant that Bree would have to endure the trip in economy.

But, she wouldn't be alone; as someone behind her had also been booked on an Economy ticket. The familiar, yet unpleasant smell of burnt tobacco met Bree's nostrils before she heard a familiar thick Canadian accent speaking to nobody in particular:

"Seat 47F... I hope you don't decide to pop out early because you're unhappy with that arrangement, Timmy..."

Any passenger observing Scott would probably find it strange to see her wrinkle her nose in disgust for a moment to let the scent of the cigar pass even as she turned behind her and offered a genuinely surprised and delighted smile to the woman behind her. “Liz! I didn’t know you were going to be on this transport.“

"Yeah," Liz replied. "Since the Myogi's out of action for the foreseeable future, and temporary reassignment really isn't an option in my condition, I'm heading back to Canada. Been a while since I was last there."

"Home," Bree surmised aloud. The news left Bree with lots of questions but realizing where she was, she decided she would only earn the ire of the other passengers if she continued to have this conversation in the aisle. She looked down at her pass and found her seat, noting the empty seat beside her, but failing to recall Liz's actual seat number.

As it turned out, however, Liz continued to stand in the aisle right by Bree's row. She was looking at the row number: Row 47, and the seats of that row; 47 E and 47F, then back down at Bree. Something was telling Liz that this was going to be a long journey for both of them.

"Well, this is awkward:" She surmised. "Mind letting me in, Counselor?"

"Sure," Bree replied, standing and moving out of Liz's way, not quite sure where Liz was going or why it might be awkward. Scott hadn't really looked at the number of empty seats around her and just assumed Liz needed to get by her to move much further down the row.

"Thank you, Counselor." Liz remarked as she settled into the seat next to Bree. "Apologies in advance if I'm a terrible seat mate; I'll probably need to get up to pee a few hundred times.”

When Liz sat down right next to her, Bree was genuinely surprised. Then, Scott remembered her comment about the situation being awkward, and she wondered if sitting next to Bree was not something she welcomed. Scott knew that feeling could be true and have nothing to do with her per se, but nevertheless, it reminded Bree not to hover and to keep a firm separation between work and vacation, no matter how much she wanted to continue caring for everyone just as if they were on duty. “No worries,” Scott replied sincerely. “Without actually being pregnant myself, I suppose I’m more familiar with the experience than most.“ It was a rather indirect reference to the fact Bree had conducted some of Liz’s prenatal exams, and even offered some child preparation instruction.

Scott would be lying if she said she wasn’t still concerned about Liz, physically and emotionally given her anxieties about birth and impending motherhood, alongside a lot of guilt and limited support, but she recognized she couldn’t let her desire to help undermine Liz‘s autonomy.

Still, Scott gave herself permission to be pleased they were sitting together, if only because it allowed Bree to see how Liz was doing.

While Bree and Liz settled into economy, up in the forward cabins of first class, Maho, Keisuke, and Kyoko were settling in for the long journey to Earth. Maho was preparing Kyoko for a nap in the provided crib that had been requested.

"It'll be good for her to breathe some non-recycled air for once." Keisuke remarked. "We wouldn't want her immune system to under-develop."

"It'll definitely be good for her immune system." Maho agreed. "But it'll also be nice for us to be back in Japan. I can't wait to see Gunma again."

"So... You wanna see my folks first, then?" Keisuke asked.

"Of course, babe." Maho replied. "It's like I've told you a hundred times before. Gunma is my home as much as it is yours."

"So, we're not going to..." Keisuke tried to address the topic more cryptically, but couldn't find the words to. "Kumamoto, then?'

"Why would we?" Maho asked seriously. "There's nothing for me in Kumamoto anymore. My mom hates me, because she never approved of us, and while she deserved to know that I was pregnant, and probably knows I've given birth by now, I have no interest in letting her near my daughter."

"I see." Keisuke nodded. "Well, that's no skin off my back. I always did like your father better."

Keisuke of course, was referring to the difference in asking Tsuneo for blessing to marry Maho as opposed to asking Shiho. After things had gone over poorly with the latter, Keisuke had a private discussion with the former, and received the blessing he had been looking for. No doubt Shiho still held this private betrayal of her word against her husband.

"And we can't expect Tsuneo to simply abandon the Alita to join us." Maho said. "The program's been his baby for many years, and getting to obtain live field data from the prototype is too lucrative an opportunity to pass on."

"Well, maybe next time we'll get him to join us..." Keisuke sighed as he looked out the window.

The transport was already leaving Algonquin Station behind. Somewhere in the yard beyond the station. the Myogi sat in dry dock, battered and broken, but undefeated. And Maho had full confidence that when they returned, she would be like a whole new ship.

A Mission Post by

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer
USS Myogi

Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott
Chief Counselor
USS Myogi

Captain Elizabeth F. "Liz" Beurling
Marine Commander
USS Myogi

Keisuke Takahashi
Starfleet Reservist

Kyoko Takahashi
Civilian Child

 

RSS Feed