Bringing Up Memory's
Posted on 2025, Wed Aug 20th, @ 1:07am by Captain Kate Reacher & Commander Cormac Situs
2,285 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1A "Shadows of the Empire"
Location: SB 113 - Spare Office - Medical Divison
Timeline: Before halo Leaves For Sb 113
Commander Kate Reacher shifted slightly in her chair, trying to find a comfortable position—something that was becoming increasingly difficult as the months progressed. She rested a hand on her midsection, feeling the gentle pressure of her growing child beneath the fabric of her uniform. The soft hum of the ship's systems filled the quiet office, punctuated only by the occasional flicker of her LCARS display as she reviewed personnel files.
A cup of lukewarm raktajino sat nearby, untouched. Ever since the pregnancy, she found herself wavering between craving it and being completely put off by it. With a sigh, she pushed it aside and glanced at the chronometer. Her next appointment was due any minute.
Leaning back slightly, she absentmindedly smoothed a hand over her belly, a small, reassuring habit she had picked up over the past few weeks. The subtle ache in her lower back was a constant reminder of how much things were changing, but she pushed the discomfort aside. Right now, her focus was on the officer she was about to meet.
The chime at the door finally rang. Straightening in her seat, Kate took a deep breath and called out, “Come in.”
Whatever the meeting held, she was ready. Or, at the very least, she’d handle it as best she could.
The door slid open. Cormac Situs took a full second before stepping in, his hands clasped behind his back. He was holding on to them out of fear they might start shaking again.
''Commander Cormac Situs, reporting as ordered."
"Greetings, and thank you for joining me. I was informed that you were part of the Resolute crew when it was lost—am I right?" Kate inquired, her voice calm yet compassionate, as she looked at the officer before her. "I understand that this must still be difficult for you, but talking about what happened might help you process some of it. I’m here to listen, whenever you're ready."
There it was, more empty words from another talking head from the fleet. But Situs understood there was no way out of this. And he was not about to explode in front of a pregnant woman. He forced a smile as he took his seat.
"That is correct," he stopped to make sure he was not seeing things as he counted her pips, "Commander". "I served on the Resolute as Chief Science Officer. Very few of my crewmates made it out, and my commanding officer is still missing." That did not feel good to say at all; a lifetime's worth of work was on that ship. And without the competent subordinates under him, his usefulness was fleeting. "I assume we're not here just for pleasantries, correct?"
Commander Reacher leaned back in her chair, her expression shifting from formal to concerned.
"Situs," she began, her tone steady and empathetic, "I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to revisit those memories. The loss you’ve endured is profound, and, understandably, you'd feel the weight of it."
She paused, maintaining eye contact to emphasize her sincerity. "We're not just here for pleasantries. We're facing some serious challenges ahead, and your experience on the Resolute makes you a crucial part of what comes next. The fleet needs officers like you—those who have seen the worst and can guide us through it."
Commander Reacher leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a more confidential tone. "I need you to know that your insights and expertise will be vital in our upcoming missions. You’re not just a relic of the past; you are part of our future. Together, we will find your commanding officer and honor the legacy of those we've lost."
He moved around, trying to find a more comfortable way to sit. "With all due respect, Commander, I’m not sure what you expect from me. The Resolute is gone. My team is gone. And my Captain is-" he gritted his teeth. "I failed them, there's no other way to put it." He had to stop himself before he revealed something he would regret. For this was not the first time he had failed someone.
Kate took a deep breath, her expression softening as she watched the man struggle with his emotions. She had seen the toll this mission had taken on everyone, but she could see the weight he carried, burdened by guilt.
"Look," she began, her voice calm but firm, "failure is a part of this job. We’ve all been there at some point. The important thing is how you move forward from it. You’re not alone in this. You’re part of this crew, and while we’ve all lost people, it doesn’t mean we’re any less capable of continuing the mission."
She stood up and walked over to where he was sitting, placing a hand on his shoulder in a rare gesture of solidarity. "You didn’t fail them. Sometimes, circumstances are beyond our control. What matters now is how we carry their memory and fight on for them. You still have a crew, and we still have a mission to complete. We do it together, as a team."
Kate let the silence sit for a moment, her eyes steady on his. "We all make mistakes, but the best we can do is learn from them and keep going. That's how we honor the ones we’ve lost."
''Thank you for your consideration, but who is this 'we' exactly, commander? Because I don't see the admiralty sweat over the loss of the ship or the diplomatic debacle on the Gorn homeworld."
The kind words were not lost on Situs, but he was not in the mood for empty platitudes.
"It just seems like I'm the only one who cares sometimes."
Reacher took a deep breath, steadying herself before responding. She knew Situs had every right to be frustrated, but she wasn’t about to let him believe he was the only one carrying the weight of their mission.
“The ‘we’ I’m talking about, Captain, are the officers and crew who have been working non-stop to salvage what we can from this disaster. The ones who lost friends, who put their reputations and careers on the line, and who still report for duty despite knowing they’ll get no recognition for the hell they’ve been through.”
Her gaze held firm, unwavering. “I don’t see the admiralty sweating over it either. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t. And I sure as hell won’t let you stand here and act like you’re the only one who cares.”
She let the words hang in the air for a moment, then softened, just slightly. “I get it. The losses, the politics, all of it—it’s exhausting. But you’re not alone in this, no matter how much it feels like you are.”
Captain?
He laughed, involuntarily. It has been a while since he was able to. A mistake on her part. But welcome nonetheless.
"Well, thank you for the 'promotion'.'' He gave himself a few breaths. "I'll assume I've hit a nerve and that you know something I don't, for now."
Commander Cormac Situs sat across from Commander Kate Reacher, the Chief Counselor, her voice calm and soothing as she regarded him.
“Commander, I must apologize for the oversight earlier. It was never my intention to imply anything beyond your current role. But it’s clear you’re under a great deal of stress, and it’s not uncommon to slip up under such pressure.”
Her gaze softened as she noticed the subtle hand resting on her abdomen, a quiet acknowledgment of the significant news she was still processing.
“I’m also aware that there are things you’ve been carrying, things that have yet to be shared with the crew—my pregnancy, for instance.” She paused, her tone gentle but firm. “I trust this won’t become an additional source of pressure for you, Commander. However, I do encourage you to lean on your support network during this time. You don’t have to carry everything alone.”
Commander Reacher offered him a reassuring smile.
“We’ll navigate this together, Commander Situs. I believe in your strength, but please, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance managing these new challenges.”
He hated pep talks. It always sounded empty to him. But he had no choice but to acknowledge the sincerity behind her words.
He took some time and lowered his voice. "Maybe I have been a bit more prideful than I should have. And I shouldn't have implied that you or the admiralty have been slacking." It stings to say that.
"Oh, and congratulations by the way"
"Thanks, and if I'm gonna be honest? Only people who haven't been slacking in the Commander In Chief and Jack, who, by the way, just took another position, besides the Halo CO and Flag Officer," Kate told Cormac. No one knew about the new assignment, and he would be the 2nd to know.
His curiosity got the better of him. "It's not every day that reassignments like that happen". He paused. "The incident must have had a larger effect than I thought."
"I believe Jack is doing everything he can under the circumstances," Kate said thoughtfully. "However, Command and even the Federation have become quite threadbare since Frontier Day. That was a difficult time for everyone, and now with the recent incident involving the Gorn, things seem even more precarious." She sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Starfleet just isn't what it used to be; the sense of unity and strength feels like it's fading."
Cormac’s gaze dropped momentarily, wrestling internally with the realization of how strained things truly were across the fleet. "I can see how that would be the case," He adjusted himself back to his seat. "I think we should get back on topic."
"Now, let's hear something about you, more personal life," Kate stated.
He rubbed his eyes. "Personal life?" He did not put much thought into personal matters. He was mourning the loss not only of his colleagues but also of his work. "Wonderful really," He lied through his teeth.
"You just lied to both me and yourself," Kate said firmly, fixing her gaze on Cormac. "If anyone has to proclaim that their personal life is 'Wonderful' in front of a counselor, they’re not being honest. No one can feel that way all the time. I need you to be truthful with me. What’s going on?"
Her tone was a mix of concern and frustration, as she hoped he would open up instead of hiding behind a façade.
''I've been too busy mourning the loss of the Resolute. That and the loss of several science projects aboard. I not only lost friends on that ship but also the future of my career. Does that answer your question, counselor?"
"Why not start them here?" Kate asked.
"Impossible, the work that was lost is as irreplaceable as the people lost with it. At best, I can only hope for a quiet reassignment and then a discharge within 3 years. That's what the fleet does to people like me."
"It's not. Earlier today, before meeting with you, I read your record, and saw the project losts, I reached out to Commodore La Forge, who's in charge of the retrieval of the Resolutes remains....And they weren't lost; the Cenataur class had a black box similar to what airplanes in the 21st century have. And they have them," Kate told him.
"Excuse me?" He stopped himself before he said something he could not take back. "Who exactly are you? Really?"
No counselor he knew had access to information like that.
"Jack has Level 6 Clearance, and helps me get information when I want it. So, you want that black box?" Kate asked.
He grimaced at the thought. The Resolute was currently the greatest diplomatic scandal between the Federation and the Gorn. Her offering him the black box would be the equivalent of being offered Saddam Hussein's hard drive in the early 20th-century Earth.
He made a dismissive gesture; he had to take the situation as a joke. He was on thin ice as it was.
"I am more interested right now in your evaluation, assuming I am still part of the fleet after this session. I can wait the 20 years it takes for the files of the Resolute to be declassified." He couldn't, but touching them right now would be suicide on several levels.
"I say you're dealing with certain losses that are taking a toll, but may I ask what type of work you were doing?" Kate asked.
He rubbed his eyes at her changing the subject.
"I won't bore you with details. The short version is that we were carrying on several experiments meant for a deep space environment. Most are in their final stages of testing. Tests like that take years, and a lot of those experiments were grandfathered in from previous commands."
The type of work that would not give someone a Nobel but would surely advance one's career. And that's what he was after.
"Would you want them now? Or give them to a college at Starbase 113 or even Starbase Sentinel for bigger spaces to operate and test? Or do you want them here on the Halo?....." Kate asked. Then a message popped up on her screen. "Never mind, it will be on the Halo waiting for me have go, Katie seems to have done something she wasn't supposed to do while at school."
With that, Kate walked out at a fast but ok pace for the baby.