Just Another Day

Posted on 20 Mar 2016 @ 10:56pm by Captain Korra Wen

868 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: M13-C: Shattered Time
Location: Korra's Quarters
Timeline: Current

[ON]
After a long day of drills, Korra was fried. She pulled off her boots and surrendered herself to the soothing bliss of a long, luxurious stretch. The tension drained from her back and shoulders. As wore out as she was, Korra couldn't complain. Her Marines were outperforming their contemporaries, despite a few rough weeks where they fell behind in urban combat drills and a Zero-G battle simulator. Despite all the work, Korra took a lot of pride that her Fire Lance Raiders were back on top.

The captain changed out of her uniform in to a sports bra and capri pants, and padded over to the kitchen module she had Engineering install. It was complete with a small cooktop, oven, and blender. Her mother would be bringing the twins home soon, and she wanted to have dinner ready for them. Replicators were more convenient, but Yarra was adamant that a proper mother actually prepared meals for her children. Korra often wondered the point of cooking with replicated ingredients instead of simply replicating the meal itself, to no avail. To Yarra, it was just the way things were supposed to be and Korra opted to humor the old spearmaid. She had come from a sea-faring, tribal culture that resided on the small Federation planet Eskarine: they had no shortage of traditions and superstitions.

Korra had just finished a crude vegetable and rice dish when she heard a high pitched chattering outside her door. It was the piercing sound of young voices that had not yet developed volume controls; she knew it all too well. The door slid open to reveal a short, stout woman with a child clasping each hand. Somehow, the trials of motherhood had failed to rob her waist-length hair of its jet-black sheen, though it had chisled a few crow's feet and laugh lines into her face. Yarra herded the two kids through the door as Korra set a large bowl of vegetable rice on the table. She turned to embrace the twins as they immediately bolted towards her, squealing with excitement at seeing their mother.

"Hello my little sweethearts! Did you have fun with Nana?"

"Yeah!" they answered together.

"Good!" Korra stood up. "Dinner is ready. Go get washed up."

They hurried off as Korra handed her mother a glass of cherry juice. Yarra sat down and took a long drink. "Those two are a handful, take it from me."

"Don't I know it." Korra replied, sitting at the table. She wasn't sure what she'd do if her parent's weren't around to babysit.

"Tough day?"

"Tough but good." Well, as good as a day could be given recent events. "My Marines did really well today."

"They have a good leader."

Korra wasn't so sure. Her "good leadership" consisted of being told what field officers wanted done, giving her Marines guidelines on how to do it, giving them the tools they needed, and getting out of their way. Though she was a skilled tactician, she had to give credit to her NCOs for making sure her ideas actually worked. Was that leadership or was she simply blessed with competent personnel? "If you say so."

A moment of silence passed between them. It was the end of a long day, and Korra didn't feel like making much conversation. Her kids taught her to cherish every second of quiet time she got. Yarra insisted on filling every silence with small talk.

"I do. How is Jason's chisel coming?"

"I haven't started it yet." One of Yarra's friends sculpted in his spare time. Over the years, his chisel had grown dull and he tried sharpening it. Unfortunately, he overheated the tool while sharpening it and it lost its temper. It would never hold an edge now, and was of no use to the artisan. Yarra was kind enough to volunteer Korra to forge a new, custom made chisel rather than letting Jason replicate one. Why the old woman had to cling to outdated methods instead of embracing technology's possibilities was beyond the Marine captain. Korra only humored her because no therapy ever devised by Starfleet Medical could compete with Pounding on steel as hard as possible when it came to relieving stress.

"Don't put it off too late." Yarra took another sip of juice. "He's in the middle of a sculpture right now."

"Of course, Nana." Korra had toyed with putting it off indefinitely. With all she had going on now, the last thing on her mind was a sliver of metal that anyone on the ship could replace in seconds.

Yarra narrowed her eyes at Korra. "Our family always comes through on its promises. You get that chisel done tonight and that will be the end of it. I won't have any daughter of mine shirking her duties!"

Korra made a sour face, then conceded. "Fine. After I put the kids to bed, I'll throw one together."

Rikku and Sikka came trotting into the dining area dressed in their pajamas. Korra smiled at seeing the kids in such good spirits. "C'mon little ones! Come gets some dinner and tell Mommy how your day went."

[OFF]

Capt. Korra Wen
"Fire Lance Raiders" Company Commanding Officer, SFMC
USS Achilles

 

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