round 6 HOSHINO: In Memorium

[Kieran]

(( Lyshan VI - Stardate: 2390.10.23 ))

:: In the wooded hillside of the beautiful but slowly dwindling Lyshan VI wilderness, a sombre palette of mourners stood out amongst the browns and greens of the evergreen forest.

:: At the head of the crowd stood a white-haired man, back bent by work, carrying himself as though shouldering the galaxy's burdens all upon himself. ::

TADANOBU HOSHINO: Today we gather to remember the life... and death... of Ryoma Hoshino: son to my family, and to Lyshan VI as a whole.

---------------

(( Crew Quarters, USS Discovery-C - Current Day ))

:: Ryoma was awake. The chronometer told him that he had got into bed only some four hours before, but he was awake, and not feeling particularly rested. Four hours until his next shift... Barely even worth trying to sleep again.

:: On his feet, and to the bathroom. The face that stared back at him had eyes ringed with darkness. A walking corpse. ::

---------------

(( Lyshan VI - Stardate: 2390.10.23 ))

TADANOBU HOSHINO: Earlier this year, Ryoma, serving aboard the USS Discovery, was... :: voice wavering, the corner of his eyes glistening :: ... lost to the cold of space. While helping his crewmates to escape the stricken vessel, a Breen energy weapon cut through the hull of the Sovereign-class starship and Ryoma... :: A tear traced a moist track down his face :: ... my son, was dragged out into space.

---------------

(( Eagle's Nest, USS Discovery-C, Current Day ))

:: Rice, grilled salmon, miso soup and a glass of water. A great start to the day, but it was the coffee that Ryoma really needed. He ate slowly, chopsticks in hand, as he flicked through the day's intelligence reports on his PADD.

:: His gaze drifted over to one of the window seats. That was where he scored his date with Ensign Devon Romjin... He smiled in a wave of warm nostalgia. Hopefully, once Intel quietened down, they would get a chance to have a second date. ::

HOSHINO: oO If I'm still on my feet by then! Oo

---------------

(( Lyshan VI - Stardate: 2390.10.23 ))

TADANOBU HOSHINO: Ryoma gave his life so that other may live. As parents, we could not be prouder of his actions, but we wish he were... :: He choked on his words. :: ... home.

TADANOBU: In memory of his actions, his service to Lyshan VI and the Federation, we open the Ryoma Hoshino Natural Site, protecting our world as my son protected us.

---------------

(( Crew Quarters, USS Discovery-C - Current Day ))

:: Stomach full, Ryoma had nodded off on his bunk not long after returning to his quarters. While even enough caffeine to cheer up a Vulcan could keep him from his slumber, the chime of the computer woke him with painful ease. ::

COMPUTER: Message received from Meredith Aras.

:: Ryoma's eyes shot open at the sound of the name. His heart pumped with adrenaline (and caffeine) and he shot over to the terminal. ::

RYOMA HOSHINO: Computer, play message.

:: The screen blinked to the image of a man in his sixties. Silver hair brushed into a neat side parting, sitting in a rather non-descript office space with old-fashioned books lining the walls. ::

ARAS: Ryoma, I have some news for you...

---------------

(( Hoshino Residence, Lyshan VI - Stardate: 2390.10.23 ))

:: Tadanobu was alone, a picture of his son in his hand, tears streaking his face. The house was almost empty, a poor semblance of the home where Ryoma had taken his first steps.

:: In the bedroom, half of the room seemed undecorated, the grey patches of dust dulling the colours of the furniture beneath. The woman who stood at his side during the Park Opening was nowhere to be seen. ::

TADANOBU HOSHINO: [...] you, son. You threw your life away for Starfleet... their war with the Breen has killed many more than you could ever have saved. What was the point, Ryoma! My son is gone, not even a body to be found, and for what? Service to warmongers. :: He threw the display into a wall. For Tadanobu, there were some wounds that time would never heal... ::

---------------

(( Crew Quarters, USS Discovery-C - Current Day ))

:: Ryoma proof-read his message to the Captain. He didn't like subverting the chain-of-command, but Captain Waltas had personally asked him to look into the target of their mission, and this was the closest he had come to something resembling solid intelligence. ::

RYOMA: :: Reading aloud :: According to my source, the Cardassian government was working on a system-level space-time warp disruption device. Development on the weapon began during the Federation-Cardassian border war, and SFI reports suggest that at least one small-scale practical test of the weapon may have been conducted during the Klingon-Cardassian war.

RYOMA: ::continuing:: A weapon that affects the mobility of an opponent's fleet would allow the holder of said weapon to dictate and dominate invasion locations. This is a very likely cause of Starfleet Command's concerns. My source suggests that the weapon would be found somewhere in the southern hemisphere of Vador III in what would have been the Warp Drive Research Center.

:: Ryoma nodded to himself and submitted the message to the upper decks. Meredith had been his mentor. Starfleet Intelligence from the Academy to retirement, serving with distinction during the Dominion War, and the only support Ryoma received for his application to the Academy. A father in the only role where Ryoma's own wouldn't support him. ::

RYOMA: Thanks, Med.

:: His eyes turned back to the screen, a message awaited him from the Medical and Counseling departments, but that would have to wait: it was time to get back to work. ::

====================

Ensign Ryoma Hoshino
Intelligence Officer
USS Discovery-C