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Posted on Mon Aug 24th, 2026 @ 10:53am by Lieutenant JG T'Lar

906 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: Conference Room 201- DS9
Timeline: Current

Counselor T'Lar rearranged the chairs of the circle she'd set up as the previous group of Sunfire personnel, 10 in all, filed out quietly; some stopping by the refreshment table for a cup of coffee or a cookie or doughnut. It had been an emotional first session for the participants, many of whom had lost shipmates in what was being called the Battle of the Badlands.

They spoke of loss. They spoke of fear. But most of all they spoke of an overwhelming feeling of futility in the face of the many dangers that were attendant to their duties as Starfleet personnel- feeling helpless to the whims of whatever was happening on the bridge and whatever machinations were being leveled against the ship by often faceless enemies. Many spoke of being disillusioned, having joined Starfleet not looking for conflict but for the promise of discovery and exploration. All were suffering from various degrees of post traumatic stress disorder. T'Lar did her best to listen and validate their feelings while at the same time appealing to their sense of duty toward the greater good and reminding them that they did in fact matter greatly to the success of the mission, each and every one of them. She then led them in a guided meditation to help clear their minds and therapeutically face their trauma. She acknowledged that such steps were only a beginning and recommended that each of them continue participating in group sessions or individualized therapy sessions moving forward. In her experience she knew that only a third of them would, one third would resign, and one third would return to duty with the proverbial bandaid over the psychological sucking chest wound.

She herself had been there and done that, taking years to process the trauma of the Breen attack on Starfleet that had killed her fiance' and nearly killed her. She'd seen her share of combat duty since then but nothing compared to her service aboard the Sunfire thus far. Her own coping mechanisms were being taxed to the limit by the sheer enormity of the damage done to the ship and her crew. Fortunately, being Vulcan, she was not as easily overwhelmed by it all, but even she had had her moments, however fleeting, where despair threatened to overtake her. It was her attachment to Jacob Rosen that was responsible for that. She had finally begun to heal from the trauma of losing Brian, and found new love with a new man only to be faced with the possibility of losing him twice now to hostile fire. This is the life we have chosen. We knew the risks coming out here amongst the stars. Nothing is guaranteed. But with great risk comes great reward. We get to experience things and live a life that very few in all of the civilized worlds of the Federation ever get to experience. We are entrusted with starships and diplomacy and the expansion of scientific knowledge as well as the defense of our homeworlds and in exchange we get to travel the galaxy and visit countless alien worlds and civilizations and experience their rich diversity of cultures. With these rewards comes duty, however and with that duty comes danger. she thought, remembering the words she'd shared with the group.

T'Lar tidied up the refreshment table then sat down in her seat in the circle. Within minutes new attendees started to arrive until all seats were filled. T'Lar welcomed them and invited each to introduce themselves by name, rank, and position on the ship. This group had quite a few Lieutenants and above, and while the loss of shipmates were grieved as before, there was not quite the level of helpless despair voiced with this group as with the previous group. This group were seasoned veterans who knew their business and knew the life of a Starfleet officer. One did express a longing for "just one normal mission" with a slightly rueful laugh which brought a laugh from the rest of the group and a chorus of "amens". The level of PTSD was no different however, for most of them, each complaining in turn about difficulty sleeping due to nightmares, sensitivity to deck vibrations or loud noises, anxiety attacks, depression and difficulty concentrating on tasks. T'Lar once again gave them the space to voice their truth before once again giving her spiel about "the life we choose" and leading the group in a guided meditation before encouraging them to come again or seek individual counsel. Many of them stuck around afterward to speak with her individually for a time, thanking her for the group session or grazing from the refreshment table on their way out the door in ones and twos, caught up in conversation.

When they were gone, T'Lar stacked the chairs and placed them against the wall. She then deposited the leftover cookies, doughnuts and coffee into the wall reclamator and wiped down the table. She then dragged the table back to the center of the room where it had originally been and placed chairs around it as she had found it before turning out the light, exiting and securing the door. She then made her way through the station to the docking pylon attached to what was left of the Sunfire, making her way to her office where she spent the next hour transcribing her clinical notes while sipping on a pistachio cappuchino frappe'.

TBC

 

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