Reassurances And Captains

Posted on Thu Feb 19th, 2026 @ 6:42am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant Commander Nyxala Valentine

3,349 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: The Return
Location: Captains Ready Room
Timeline: March 1, 2397

Taiga turned off her computer console and sat back in her chair. She pondered for a few moments then reached up to her chest and tapped her comm badge. "Doctor Valentine, report to my ready room when you're able."

"I'm on my way, Captain." Nyx pushed herself up from her desk with a sigh. The work never ended, but being one of only a few doctors on board a ship the size of Tokyo meant that her workload would exceed that of most normal starships. She tugged her uniform down and took a look in the mirror next to the door to make sure that she was still looking as pristine as she liked to and was out the door a few moments later.

It was only a matter of a few minutes as the turbolift whisked her up to the bridge and her mental timer told her that it had been three minutes and forty-six seconds since the call had come in when she finally pressed the chime on the door and it slid open in front of her. The click of her two-inch heels on the ground as she walked in were distinctive and she gave the Captain a typically bright smile as she started towards her, "And what can I help you with today, ma'am?"

"I thought that we could have a little talk," Taiga smiled. "I've been looking over reports from the battle. I understand that a lot happened in sickbay. How are you holding up?" A genuine tome of concern and care echoed in ger voice as she spoke.

"I'm perfectly fine, Captain." Nyx said evenly, the concerned tone of voice from the Captain somewhat of a surprise, but good officers did check on the officers with a lot of pressure, "I do wish I could have saved more people, but... There's only so much that could be done in the moment. I made the best decisions I could and I stand by them." She sighed heavily as she took a seat, reciting the numbers in her head of the ones that had come through her sickbay, "It's what I was trained for, combat casualties, ma'am, at least I had proper facilities to work with."

Taiga nodded. "From what I've read, you saved a lot of lives. And in the middle of it also managed to deliver Amu's baby." Taiga stated. "Speaking of which, how are they? I was hoping to visit this afternoon."

"Both of them are doing excellent, no issues whatsoever." Nyx smiled fondly at the most recent checkup that she'd done that day. She was keeping a very close eye on the two of them as well as Talia and son, because it would determine how she'd also handle the Captain's baby when they finally came. Precedent. Still, there was something niggling at the back of her head as to this particular visit, "I'm still of the mind that I'd rather they be sent somewhere safer than Tokyo before we re-engage the Iconians, but I know we'll need the medical support."

"I can understand that," Taiga said. "I'm going to request more medical staff. I know we're a little short handed. How many people do you need? Or is there anyone you know of whose skill is needed here on the Tokyo?" She asked.

"At least two more fully-fledged doctors." Nyx said without hesitation, "One of them should be at least cross-trained as a pediatrician, because with Amu, Talia and you all either having given birth or soon to, we're going to want someone who specializes in it. I'm not bad in that regard, but aside from trauma medicine, I'm more of a generalist. I can do just about anything as needed, but specialists are going to be an improvement. I'd also like a few more experienced nurses if at all possible, maybe I can see if a couple people I've worked with would be willing to come aboard."

The Captain nodded. "I was thinking the same thing." She smiled. "Make a few calls and work with Commander Johnson to get who you need aboard. I can't see this being a quick war, and we're only going to suffer more injuries and casualties as it draws out."

She then pulled herself up out of her chair, stretching her back slightly she made her way around the desk. "While you're here. Do you mind checking up on my little one? I know that I missed our last appointment, you can blame the Heralds for that."

"I think I can do that." Nyx gave a smile as she, too, stood, reaching for her belt for the tricorder that went everywhere she went, along with belt-mounted emergency surgical kit and programmable hypospray. As she flicked it open and activated it, she hesitated briefly, but caught herself before she gave any of her thoughts away, "I'm assuming that you haven't had any abnormal aches or pains in the area, no blood when using the bathroom, nothing that hasn't felt normal for you in the last month or two?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Although he/she has been moving a lot more recently. He/she becomes very active in the evening, loves to kick me when I'm trying to sleep." Taiga explained. "I gather that's perfectly normal at this stage?"

"Absolutely normal and fetal activity is a very good sign." Nyx assured her as she continued to scan Taiga, "If they weren't active, I'd still not be too concerned, but I'd be looking even closer than I will be today. Trust me, you would know if there were something wrong, whether a sense of worry from you, or some other pain coming through. The female body has a way of knowing something's happening at times." She smiled softly, "About a hundred beats per minute, that's good, no other issues that I'm seeing at all. Lungs appear to be developing normally and should you go into labor any time, I don't foresee any complications at all."

"So all in all, no problems. That's a relief to hear." Taiga replied with a sigh of relief. "I was worried that with everything going on it was stressing on the baby." She moved back to her chair and lowered herself back down into her chair. "I do have one other order of business with you."

"I want to thank you for your help over the past few days. You've gone beyond what your duty requires and saved many lives. The reports show that you acted selflessly and pushed through seriously dark and dangerous times in order to save others. Even though you may claim that you were only doing your job as a doctor, you showed determination and pure empathy towards others on this ship." Taiga told her. She reached under her desk and opened a drawer.

"So, as a thank you and a reward for going beyond duty and saving so many lives in the chaos of battle. This, belongs to you." She placed a small navy blue velvet covered ring box on the desk surface and slid it across to her. Inside, waiting to be revealed was a single half pip.

Nyx's face grew stony as she saw the box on the desk sliding to a stop before it came to the edge. Since Taiga was already married, this was either a medal or a pip and her heart sank as her memory flickered through faces from the past weeks, her brain appending diagnoses, procedures and results of said treatments. Meanwhile, her hand automatically reached out and flipped the lid open and stared at the hollow pip that was contained within, but she made no move to remove it. "You're right, ma'am, I was just doing my duty and while yes, I did save lives, I lost more than..." She closed her eyes for a few seconds to collect herself again, "Ma'am, what would you do in my shoes? I don't think I've earned it and I don't think Lieutenant Amy Bledel, Lieutenant Mark Vestrin, Ensign Jacob Zellenger or a dozen and more others would feel good with me just putting it on as if nothing happened." She named three of the dead that she hadn't been able to save.

"And we would have lost even more if you hadn't of acted like you did." Taiga stated. "If anything, accept and wear it in their memory. Everyone on this ship knows the risks that come with this uniform. We all know how dangerous space is, especially now. But it takes a special person to put others first when their own survival is on the line." She told her softly. "You can't save everyone Nyx, as a doctor you know that. In situations like that, you save as many as you can, which is what you did. Plus, many more."

"I know I can't, ma'am, but I don't like to lose, at all." Nyx shook her head, "I've been in the field on the sharp end with no resources available and saved people. Someone thought one such opportunity was deserving of The Medal, but all I was doing was my job and I got Adam home from it. Now I'm here with all of the medical capability in the galaxy and I can't save people that I should be able to." She gave a wry smile, "It almost is enough to drive a woman to drink and it won't be the last time. I knew that when I signed on to be a Marine, doubled down on it when I became a medic and then a doctor."

Taiga nodded. "With the promotion comes with more power and access. As you know that means you'll be able to use that access to save more. Rank may not mean much these days, but it gives you more sway in the long run." She explained. "No one is questioning your ability, after all, we're only mortal. Have more faith in yourself and hold your head high knowing that you saved many lives, and remember those who you lost. So you know how to save more like them next time."

Nyx finally reached out to pluck the pip from the box and looked at it in her hand, “And yet it doesn’t mean making decisions any easier, does it, ma’am?” She gave a wry smile at that, reaching up to affix it to her collar, “The hard decisions, that is. May I ask you a personal question, Captain? As Nyx to Taiga, not as Officer to Officer?”

"Go ahead..." Taiga said.

“What made you and your husband choose to have a baby?” Nyx looked down, “Expectations of being married? Was it you who wanted to be a mother? Fortuitous timing?” A pause before the last, “Pure accident?”

Taiga took a deep breath. "We've been wanting a family since day one. Ryuuji never knew his father and I don't get on with mine. We both agreed that if we started our own family, any children we have would be raised differently to how we were." She ran a hand over her belly. "Plus, this is what I wanted. To become a mother, and to bring something precious into this universe. It took longer than I expected, especially after we lost our first. But, this is my happiness."

“Aside from my grandmother, I’m lucky enough to get along with my family, but I’m expected to provide an heir to my House, specifically a daughter.” Nyx shook her head, “I don’t know that I want to do that, though. It’s Tradition among the Valentines, going back to I don’t know when, back to the days of Rakzha. It’s skipped generations before, but I don’t know. It’s a decision I didn’t expect to have to make this soon.”

"You don't have to follow your traditions if you don't want to." Taiga stated. "You do you."

Outwardly, Nyx said nothing, showed nothing else, but inwardly she couldn’t do anything but squirm. She’d hoped that by asking the question she’d have some sort of answer. The question wasn’t if she’d follow tradition, only how much she, personally, was involved in it. But that would be difficult at best to explain, centuries of tradition was not easily dismissed. She couldn’t just come out and tell the Captain that hers was a more personal question than just Tradition, but a much more immediate choice in her future that she needed to decide very soon or she never would.

But that wasn’t the Captain’s decision, which she had just made clear without even knowing how it could affect something else. It took several seconds of silence before Nyx realized that she’d just been there, fighting a war with herself that was still very much in limbo. Perhaps she hadn’t understood what had been said; perhaps that was for the best. “Maybe I’ll let you try to explain that to my grandmother, ma’am.” She tried to smile in humor, but it collapsed on her face. She touched the tricorder to make sure it had seated firmly back into its holster.

"I would happily give her a piece of my mind if it helped you out." Taiga chuckled. "One thing you should have learnt by now is that I fight for my crew. After all, I see everyone on this ship as family. We are all out here together and literally in the same boat."

Taiga looked at her chief medical officer for a moment. "What's with all the questions about traditions and family? Has something happened? You know I'm not only just a Captain, but I also see myself as a leader of a community. What's got you asking all these questions?"

“Because, ma’am, it’s suddenly become a rather poignant thing on my mind.” Nyx swallowed hard, “I just found out this morning that I’m right about two months pregnant. It wasn’t in the plans, I don’t even know if I’m going to keep it.” Nyx blurted out, “I apparently forgot to take my contraceptive for about three months because I was too damned busy and apparently one of the guys I hooked up with hadn’t had his either.” Nyx’s legs began to betray her as she finally came out with it directly.

A moment of pause fell upon the room. "Sit." Taiga said simply pointing to the chair. "Talk me to me about this. Lets go through this together." she told her softly.

"Not really all that much to go through, ma'am, I fucked up and now I'm in this position and there's no worse person to be in this position than me." Nyx sat in the chair with less than good posture as she slouched, "I really don't know what else to say about it."

"I only have one question." Taiga asked her eyes locked onto her Chief Medical Officer. "Regardless of how it happened and the circumstances around us. What do you want? Do you want to bring a child into existence?"

"My grandmother is the matriarch of my family, which traces it's roots back to before the Unity of Betazed. We are the Sixth House of Betazed, I am the Wielder of the Bow of Raxzha Valentine herself." Nyx said with a shake of her head, "If I were to have a daughter, she would be the heir to the Bow herself when she reached seventeen, when Raxzha won her glory. I don't want to bring someone into this galaxy to be a pawn of my grandmother. So no, ma'am, the answer is no."

"And if it turns out to be a boy?" Taiga asked simply.

"A lesser pawn." Nyx stated sadly, "Raised to sire heirs, girl heirs specifically. That's happened in the past as well."

Taiga pondered for a brief moment. "Maybe on Betazed that may be the case." She said softly. "However, here on the Tokyo you will be under my protection and my responsibility." she told her with a reassuring smile. "After all, this is the twenty fourth century. Your grandmother has no control over you or your child. She may try to influence you, thats possible. But only if you let her do so." Taiga told her. "If you do or don't want this child. I will support any decision that you make. But you can be assured that as long as you wear that uniform then you can count of Starfleet and The Federation's protection. I will happily fight in your corner against the entire Betazed Council if needed. You control your own destiny Nyx."

She paused and moved forward in her chair leaning on the surface of her desk. "So, you need to find your own path. If you remain chained to your past, you never step forward and you never develop as a person. I know that from my past experiences. Luckily, I had Ryuuji to pull me out of that rut." she held out a hand. "I can do the same for you."

"You don't understand." Nyx shook her head, wanting to take the proffered hand, but couldn't bring herself to do it. "You joke when you say that you and Starfleet and the Federation would take on the entire Council, but the Houses have their ways and means. Their Traditions, with a capital T, are more important to them than the survival of any one person or more. I grew up with it all, I know. If they showed up with three or more Matriarchs, then they'd have the Federation Council on their side already. They hedge their bets so that they don't lose when they play their hand. There's a reason I enlisted in the Marines, why I jumped at the chance to join Special Operations. I didn't intend to live this long, to even consider this possibility. I took steps to prevent it."

"Oh I'm totally serious." Taiga replied. "As far as I am aware, your grandmother had no legal right to control you. And if she does, it only applies whilst you are on Betazed." Taiga told her softly. "As long as you wear that uniform then you are a free soul, to do as you please and make your own decisions."

"I'm not telling you what to do Nyx. I want you to know that if you do decided to fight to control your own life. You have an ally in me that will help you to the end. If you succeed or not, all you can do is try." Taiga said.

"The best option in this case is not to. Less heartbreak, less drama, less risk in all things." Nyx said in as firm a voice as she could manage and a nod to suit. "I'll schedule the procedure as soon as possible and everything can go right back to normal."

"Before you do that..." Taiga said. "Think about it more. This isn't a decision you should make lightly." her face was full of genuine concern and care. "You still have time I guess. So why not speak to one of the counselors as well? Make sure you're making the right decision for you."

"I think Talia is going to be a bit biased, being a new mother herself." Nyx gave a slight shrug, "But I'll take it under consideration at the least." She allowed. "I've got about a month or so, but if I decide not to keep it, it won't be that long." Nyx had already decided, but there was no harm in waiting a little bit, if only to make the others more comfortable with her decision.

Taiga nodded slowly. "Ok. Any decision that you make I will support. You don't need to worry about it." She assured her. "If you need anything, my door is always open Nyx."

"Thank you, ma'am, Taiga." Nyx said quietly, "I'll... Keep you apprised of my situation."

Posting by:

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo

Lieutenant Nyxala Valentine
Chief Medical Officer
USS Tokyo

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