Family Matters

Posted on Mon Jul 21st, 2025 @ 4:42pm by Lieutenant Commander Rafael Montoya
Edited on on Tue Jul 22nd, 2025 @ 4:14am

2,520 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Mini Mission-Adjustments [USS Orcrist]
Timeline: Current

Raf was relaxing in the Shenandoah’s main lounge enjoying a drink and the company when the ship dropped from warp. Through the window the windows he watched as they passed Neptune. The Shenandoah was headed to Jupiter station but a shuttle was waiting with his name on it to take him to Earth.

Looking across the table Laura’s earlier smile had faded as she new that their inevitable good-bye was drawing closer and closer. Raf opened hid mouth to speak but was cut off as he was hailed over the ships comms, tapping his communicator he responded. “Montoya here.”

“Commander we will be arriving at Jupiter station shortly.”

“Acknowledged, Montoya out.”

Reaching across the table he took her hand and they both stood. “I gotta go.”

“Yeah” Pulling him in for one last kiss she looked up at him as they separated. “Well, you better get going.”

Giving her another quick kiss he said his goodbyes and headed off to his quarter to get his things and then to cargo bay 3 for the rest of his things, since he would be beaming directly to the stations shuttle bay.

It wasn’t long after all that that he was loaded up and on his way to Earth, and since he had about 36 hours before he had to report he decided to drop in and surprise his folks. A few hours later he flying over the Andalucía to the family ranch off of Lake San Rafael. Passing over the lake it had often surprised him how few time he had actually been tease about that while growing up. But then again history and tradition was still very strong in the area and many many people still knew that Raphael was an archangel associated with healing. Perhaps he was destined to be a doctor.

Landing the shuttle he powered down and opened the hatch. He saw his mother stepping off the porch and her questioning expression shift to joy as see saw who it was. “RAFI!”

“Hola Mamá.”

She wrapped him up, squeezing him fiercely kissing him on both checks, then taking his face in her hands. “Déjame mirarte. Tan guapo, pero aún soltero.” (Let me look at you. So handsome, but still single.)

Looking down at his mother. “Mamáaa…”

“Oh, deja al chico en paz.” (Oh leave the boy alone.)

Looking towards the sound he saw his father had come up from the stables. They shook hands but his father pulled him into a hug, then stepped back holding his son’s shoulders. “Director médico de una nave espacial… Cuando nos enteramos, estábamos muy orgullosos de ti.” (Chief Medical Officer of a starship…When we heard we were so proud of you.)

Raf looked at the puzzled, but he had his suspicions, “Cómo te enteraste?” (How did you find out?)

“Tu hermano….” (Your brother…”)

“Ahhhh…Él siempre arruina mis sorpresas.” (Ahhhh…He always spoils my surprises.)

His father looked at him, “Ahora no te enojes con tu hermano, él simplemente estaba orgulloso de su hermano menor.” (Now don’t be mad at your brother, he was just proud of his younger brother.) Karmen estará aquí pronto. Todas podemos llevar algunos caballos a pasear antes del almuerzo.” (Karmen will be here soon. We can all take some horses out for a ride before lunch.)

Walking into the house it was like stepping back into his childhood…nothing had changed. The smells of spice, leather and wood filled the house that had been in his family for ages. Smiling as he opened the door, his old room was just as he left it before going to the academy. Tossing his day bag on the bed he changed out of his uniform and into lighter clothes and headed back out help his father saddle the horses.

Before he got half way to the stable a ground car pulled up and his sister jumped out. Her raven black hair spilled over her shoulders as she stared in surprise at him, “Raf??” Bolting around from behind the door she ran up to him jumping at him.

He caught her spinning her around as they hugged one another.

After being set down she held his hands, “What are you doing here?”

“I got to Earth early and took some time to stop in. Besides mama would have been furious if I had made it to the Earth and not stopped by.”

“How long do you have?”

“I have to report by tomorrow afternoon, but I don’t know when my ship will be departing. If there’s time maybe I can stop by or you all can visit the Orcrist. I bet the boys would love a tour. How old are they now?”

“Ten and thirteen and they would absolutely love that! Rico promised then a tour of his ship, but he still hasn’t been able to arrange getting back Earth to do it.” Putting her arm in his they headed towards the stables. “David will be here later tonight with the boys so don’t expect a moment of peace when they get.jere. They will want to hear all about what you’ve done and seen out there.”

Raf laughed at that. “I’ll make sure to have a few stories ready for them when they get here.”

Together the three of them saddled the horses and spent several hours riding. As they returned to the hacienda two boys ran out to greet them. Dismounting, his nephews tackled him to the ground and the three wrestled around until he pinned them both while they all laughed. “You are going have to do better than that if…”

He was interrupted by his mother calling out that lunch was ready. Getting up he dusted himself off and the questioning began in rapid fire fashion. Laughing Karmen took the reins of his horse. “I warned you. I’ll take the horses, you take the those two and get cleaned up.”

Lunch was delicious and the rest of the day was one question after another. His nephews wanted to know about everything he had seen and done and they listed to his tales about the ships he’d been on, the away teams, the different races he had seen, the places he’d been. When he offer to try and get them a tour of his new ship their excitement was uncontainable.

Thankfully his father rescued him from the unending barrage of questions, “Ok now. Time to give your uncle a break. Go help your grandmother pick what she needs for dinner and you can ask your uncle Rafael more questions later.”

They replied with a chorus of disappointed ahhh’s but Raf sealed the deal. “Go on, and maybe I will give everyone a ride in my shuttle after dinner.”

The pair bolted to their feet and headed out to the to find their grandmother as the argued about who was going to sit upfront first.

With the youngers off the remaining adults moved to the courtyard of the hacienda to enjoy the scented shade and a cool drink where they talked about the ranch, local events in Cordoba, David an Karmen’s work at the bottom of the Atlantic. It was good to be home and as the conversation waned, Karmen took David and they went to help get dinner ready.

Raf stood leaning against a post as his father approached and handed him his glass, “Let’ take a walk.” The pair walk through the central courtyard and down the colonnade. “Something’s bothering you isn’t.”

Raf looked to his father, he could always tell when something was off, no matter how well he or his brother and tried to hide their troubles…somehow he always knew. Nodding his head, “I thought mom was the empathic one. But yeah. I guess I’m feeling a bit envious.”

Lean back on a pillar he let his son voice asked the question in order to get his son to voice what was troubling him. “Envious? Of what?”

“Ricardo…Karmen. Here they’re both married. Karmen as two kids and it probably won’t be long before Rico and Heather have a child themselves.”

“Ahhhh….Had enough of the revolving relationships huh?”

Givi n g his father a side eyed glance. “Reallyy…”

“What? Neither you or your brother had ever had a problem getting into a relationship with your mother being Deltan. We had both worried whether or not either of you would be able to find someone that was with you for you and not the pheromones. But both your brother and sister have managed. So will you.” Pausing slightly, “Just don’t force it. If it’s meant to be…it’ll happen.”


They both returned to the main house and after dinner, as promised, he took his nephews for a ride in his shuttle. Taking them a bit further than he probably should have he took them out of Earth atmosphere and towards the spacedock. The boys stared at the massive station as they drew closer and closer. They entered through the massive space doors and he flew them past all the various ship docked there. Moving around the central spire he pointed, “There she is.”

Samuel, the youngest, was up on his knees in the chair next to him. “Wow!

Xavier, 13, stood next to his brother, “That’s and Akira class starship, 18 decks, 2 shuttle bays, can carry 32 fighters, various shuttles and runabouts, 3 phaser arrays, 15 torpedo launchers, and capable of warp 9.8.”

Turning the shuttle away as the continued the circle of the massive bay. “Exactly right.”

“I know all the specifications of the major starship classes.” He said proudly.

“Which one’s your favorite?”

“I like the Vesta and Odyssey classes best. They have the new quantum slipstream drives.”

Raf nodded. “That they do. Those are two of the most advanced ships in the fleet.”

His nephew standing tall, “I’m going to command one one day.”

“Well be sure to keep your grades up and be sure to be involved in other activities as well and I will help you find an officer to sponsor your application when the time cones. But you’ll have be ready to earn it. It won’t be easy.”

“I know, mom already got me the academy requirements.”

“Really, well you both keep your uncle Rico and me informed of how you are doing, if you have any questions and we will help you where we can.”

The rest of the trip back home the two boys sat on the floor looking at a padd planning on how they were going to get to the academy and what ship they wanted to be a captain of. When they set down Sam ran to Karmen as she waited and as she knelt down to her little Sam who was still full of excitement. “Uncle Raf is going to get us into the Academy!”

“He is!? Well you better finish grade school first huh?

“Yes ma’am”

“Go on and get your things picked up and get ready for bed. You have to help Grandpa with the animals in the morning.”

“Ahhhh…”

Raf looked down to his nephew, “Is that how a future cadet reacts to an order?”

“No sir.”

“Okay then, what should you have done then?”

Looking down and then back to his mother. “Yes, ma’am.”

Karmen looked back to Raf as the boys headed inside. “Where did you take them?

“Oh just up to the spacedock and through the main bay.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Their gonna be talking about nothing but starships for weeks.”

He chuckled as the went inside and listened as his father played his guitar.


The next morning he awoke early and made some coffee. Taking a cup out on the porch he watched the sun rising over the mountains. Taking a sip he savored the flavor, the warmth, and the stimulating effects of the caffeine had on his body.

Settling the cup on the table next to him he picked up his padd and reread his orders. He was going from being the Chief Medical Officer of a starbase with over 100,000 souls, multiple medical bays, and significant resources to a starship with less than 600 on board. It was a new ship so all of his facilities would be state of the art and no doubt most of his staff was most likely dependent on that technology.

Well he was going to change that. With a grin he drew up several plans to access each member of his staff and see what he he had to work with.

A little bit later his mother came out taking a seat on the other side of the table with her own cup of coffee and a plate of bizocho and apple empanadas.

Reaching out he bit into one of the empanadas and dropped his head back. “MMMmmmm…dewishous.”

“A Lieutenant Commander and still taking with your mouth full. I hope you have beeter manners with your new Captain.”

Washing down the last of the empanada he looked to his mother. “Hey I’m technically on leave so I can down grade the manners a bit…especially here.”

Taking a sip from her coffee, “So what are you working on?”

“I was planning on few surprises to evaluate my medical staff to see how well they operate when things are at there worst.”

“Really? You don’t think that they haven’t earn their postings already?”

“Not at all, of course they have. But what did grandma Montoya do when you and father first met her and then moved here?” Raising his eyebrow.

Nodding, “She made sure that I knew how to cook your father’s favorites…from scratch.”

“Exactly.”

“So you want to make sure your staff can do there jobs without relying on technology.”

“Bingo.” Setting the padd aside he picked up his coffee and the plate of his mother’s pastry. He moved around to where his mother was sitting. Placed the plate in her lap and sat on the porch next to her leg as he used to when he was younger.

Her eyes watered as her son leaned against her. When her boys were young they would sit at her feet when she would peel fruit or share cakes. The three of them would sit here taking turns eating whatever they had to share. Handing him another empanada she sat quietly just enjoying the moment and his gesture.


After lunch he changed back into his uniform and packed a few mementos and head out to say his goodbyes.

Everyone had gathered outside by the shuttle. One by one he said farewells before sealing the shuttle and lifting off. Circling back he rocked the shuttle as his family waved goodbye. As he gained altitude the blue gave way to star speckled blackness of space and he turned towards the spacedock and joined what he hoped would become his new family.



Lt. Cmdr Rafael Montoya
Soon to be CMO of the USS Orcrist

 

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