Solemn Duty

Posted on Wed Feb 12th, 2014 @ 11:30pm by Captain Tim Williams

Episode: Trauma
Location: Cestus III
Timeline: October 21st, 2390 | 2230hrs

As Captain Alan MonRoe stepped out of the hovercar that had brought him to the suburban street from Starfleet Headquarters, he looked up into the night, and the rain that was coming down steadily, already covering his raincoat and making it reflect the streetlights around him. He could feel the rain starting to flatten his hair against his head, but he didn't make any effort to shield himself from it. The duty that he had to perform now seemed to fit the weather, as did the quiet of the street, and the darkness of this late hour.

He, along with Lieutenant Knowles, made their way up the pathway towards the front door of a house identical to all of the other houses along this street; each of them build by Starfleet's engineers to house the families of those officers who were on assignment and based out of the Cestus system. This particular house had been vacant only months ago, and Alan had the feeling that it would once again be vacant very shortly after his duty here was done.

The captain stepped up to the front door and, rather than use the digital chime - such a sound would seem at complete odds with the news he was here to impart - he knocked soundly three times against the solid, wood-effect door, before stepping back and clasping his hands in front of him as he waited for the answer. All of a sudden, it felt strange to have the Lieutenant - man who MonRoe hadn't met before today, but who had accompanied him from Command - standing with him, as though the other man was out of place, or unwanted here. He understood the necessity of having someone impartial present, should questions be asked that MonRoe could not or was incapable of answering, but it still felt wrong to some extent.

When Sarah Byrne answered the door and saw her husband's old mentor's expression, some base-level instinct told her exactly what he was here to say before the words left his mouth. She already had her hand to her own as she choked back tears when Alan started to speak.

"Sarah," Alan started, as softly as he could. "There's been an... incident." He couldn't help but remember the last time he had seen her, during the assignment of the Antarctic and the Endeavour to the station now known as Deep Space 19. He had had dinner with her and her husband in their quarters aboard the ship that had been her home. "I'm afraid-" He choked on the words, and had to start again. "Nineteen hours ago, a Starfleet vessel recovered the survivors of the Endeavour. Benjamin wasn't among them. He's been listed as killed in action." MonRoe had written countless letters to family members over the years of officers who had been killed in the line of duty. But saying it face-to-face, and to the wife of the man he had known as a friend for so many years was so much more difficult.

"No..." Sarah knew in her gut that what Alan was telling her was true, but somehow she it was almost as though she could will it not to be so. "No, that can't be..."

"Sarah... I'm sorry." As she staggered back into the hallway, Alan turned and glanced at the lieutenant, before stepping inside and grasping her elbow lightly, leading her towards the couch where she could digest the horrible news.