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Table of Contents
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Voyager's homecoming officially lasted a full week. Once the ship made orbit around Earth, the celebration or, rather, celebrations began, starting at Starfleet Headquarters. They eventually moved to the Academy and hometowns, with families, friends, neighbors and more. Along with the celebrations came dinners, drinks, awards, honors, medals and much more. It was almost incomprehensible and generally overwhelming.
Then came the debriefings, after action reports, downloading data and logs, both official and personal. Afterwards, there were conversations with what seemed like every department in the Federation and Starfleet: the Diplomatic Corps, cartography, xenobiology, councilors, engineering and on and on.
After many weeks of this, Tom Paris felt drained, but he was also puzzled. Other than the initial welcome home by his father, there was little contact -- make that none. The admiral was conspicuously absent from view, no matter where Tom went. Of course, it was a two-way street, so to speak. Tom was so busy with all the meetings and his new daughter that there was little time for any socializing. Also, even though Admiral Paris seemed glad to see his son return, there was something not said in the initial welcome home moment. Tom wasn't exactly sure what it was, but there was definitely a problem.
At first Tom thought little of it; after all, his father knew, better than most actually, what the Voyager crew was being subjected to. He had initiated several of the meetings and had many reports to review as part of his normal duties associated with his status at command.
Tom finally decided it had something to do with his official status and the other crewmembers who had been members of the Maquis. Technically, Tom was still a parolee under Janeway's custody and supervision.
Also of interest was the status of Seven. Command paid special attention to her. After all, she was a true rarity, a 'converted Borg' or a 'reconverted human,' depending on your point of view. In any case, every engineer and doctor in Starfleet wanted to examine, question and test her. If Tom was overwhelmed, then Seven must have felt as if the entire planet was resting on her shoulders.
Fortunately, Janeway, now a newly-appointed admiral, became Seven's advocate and, with the new rank, was able to circumvent a large portion of the interviews and tests. Seven eventually adopted the use of her original family name and was welcomed by her aunt. The two became close very quickly and more than a few tears were shed by all who were present during their first meeting.
Undoubtedly, the happiest group of people to see Voyager's return, other than families and friends of the crew, were Starfleet's engineers. Between the modifications made to Voyager's systems using variously-acquired technologies, the Delta Flyer, data downloads on alien technologies, not to mention Seven, they would be kept busy for years to come. Most interesting for most, though, was the mobile emitter for the EMH; he was fast becoming a celebrity.
All these meetings and events occurred with many smiles, handshakes and pleasant conversations. However, it was finally interrupted with an announcement from the JAG Office. It was now the day or, more accurately, days of reconciliation. The fate of Tom and the others would be decided, one way or the other.
Assembled into one large room were all the Voyager crewmembers who had been working with the Maquis. Chakotay was elected to be the spokesperson, but Janeway was present from the first minute and throughout all the proceedings, presumably unofficially, but later as amicus curiae or friend of the court.
It was a strange setting as there were both civilian and Starfleet authorities present. Also, the former Maquis members were in civilian clothing and not the uniforms and rank they wore on Voyager. Another unusual aspect of the proceedings was the fact that Tom Paris was isolated from the Maquis group. Into this room, another group entered and was seated by themselves, the surviving members of the Equinox crew. All was strangely quiet and most of the faces were either hard to read or grim.
The arrangement was confusing, the result of conflicting interests of authorities as to who had jurisdiction over the various groups. Evidently while the debriefings and meetings were going on, the legal issues were being debated throughout Starfleet's JAG Office, Federation Legal Council, The Federation Penal Authority, Starfleet Command, Starfleet Personnel Office, various Terran law offices and many more agencies. It seems everybody wanted in on the legal aspect regarding the fate of Voyager's 'special' crewmembers.
Surprisingly, in short order, several motions were made by the various representatives of authorities, who seemed to number in the hundreds. The most important of these, though, were the ones from Janeway. She made a few suggestions, primarily to separate the three distinct groups as their situations were notably different.
Just after they were all seated, the gathered authorities made their decision. The first group would be the former Maquis members, group two would consist of the surviving Equinox crew and the last aspect would be Tom Paris.
Unbelievably, there were few objections, mostly due to the Vulcan advocate representing the diplomatic corps who called Janeway's suggestion flawlessly logical. Evidently, no one wanted to appear as illogical and the few objections, for whatever reason, were quickly dismissed.
Curiously, and much to Tom's relief, his case was actually to be presented first. It was probably a matter of taking the simplest and easiest case first, then work up to the more complicated, meaning more defendants, later. Meanwhile, the JAG office would be 'feeling out' proper protocol and procedure.
In any case, Lieutenant Tom Paris was glad to get it over, but felt sorry for B'Elanna. She would have to wait to find out what her future held. In the interim, Seven and her aunt would care for her infant, Miral, while attending Tom's hearing.
The moment of turning over care to Seven and Irene Hansen was quite amusing and heart- warming as Aunt Irene was an 'old hand,' as she put it, regarding child care. Seven, on the other hand seemed a bit uncomfortable but determined to help her friends B'Elanna and Tom. Aunt Irene assured Seven that she would do just fine and the exposure to the infant would encourage Seven to start a family of her own. The resulting look from Seven caused B'Elanna and Tom to laugh all the way to the hearing, their only amusement during this timeframe.
In just two days, Tom found himself in a mostly civilian court with Starfleet personnel in attendance in surprising abundance. He was greatly relieved to see Janeway present, but disappointed, to an equal measure, by the glaring absence of his father.
All eyes were on this, as Voyager's crewmembers were celebrities. Their treatment had to be fair, actually more than fair. However, Starfleet and Federation's penal system had standards to maintain and so rather than a trial, a tribunal was decided upon, to the mutual agreement of all parties concerned.
Three magistrates were chosen to represent the three major players: Federation Council was represented by the Chief Advocate, Tul; Starfleet by the Assistant JAG, Admiral Peterson; and the Assistant Chief of the Federation Penal Systems, Robert Markham covered the final aspect. Confusing, awkward and downright cumbersome, the newly-formed court began their work.
Opening statements were read by the tribunal's choice, the Assistant Chief of the Federation Penal System. He would explain Tom's unique situation and the unusual arrangements made with Starfleet in general and Janeway in particular.
Paris was struck by the detailed arrangement and the lengthy process Janeway took to obtain permission for his release. He had no idea how much trouble it had been or that Janeway had come under pressure from Starfleet Command for her choice to put a 'less than reliable' person aboard their newest ship. Some even questioned her posting as the captain.
As more and more details were revealed, Paris became uncomfortable. All of this was just preliminary and already a lot about him was being made public, including details that did not come out in the original hearing that landed him in the New Zealand penal colony.
At this point he remembered the incident with the Moneans and was reminded how doing things his own way had got him into trouble more than once. Janeway had bailed him out and given him another chance. His thanks to her was ignoring her orders and, just as before, repeating his mistakes. He was feeling very foolish indeed.
After a few more ambiguous statements by an even more ambiguous bureaucrat, Admiral Janeway stood to speak. She never looked at Tom Paris, focusing instead on the tribunal and went straight to the heart of the matter.
"It is way past time for the issue of Tom Paris' official status to be resolved in regards to his parole and as a Starfleet officer." She set a firm jaw and took the bold step of admonishing the tribunal. "This should have been resolved as soon as Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant. It should have also included the disposition of the former Maquis and Equinox crewpersons. I fail to see why a formal hearing is necessary when each of these individuals has proved themselves time and time again while serving aboard Voyager. I can cite numerous examples of how each and every one of these people helped to get Voyager home and how they performed their duties in the great tradition of Starfleet. However, since there doesn't seem to be any way to circumvent the current hearing process, let's focus on the subject today, Tom Paris."
She took a deep breath, then resumed in a less than accusatory and more methodical and factual manner. "It's true that I recruited him specifically for my mission to locate the Maquis group operating in the Badlands. Mr. Paris knew the Maquis and was instrumental in locating the group in question. More importantly, he was considered to be the best qualified. That was the opinion of the captain of the Exeter who previously commanded Lieutenant Paris. For me, Tom was the perfect choice, a combination of an ideal crewperson and a contact person to meet the Maquis."
There were a few audible objections and murmurs. Janeway held up her hand. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to minimize his inappropriate actions or guilt, but during his tenure aboard Voyager, he lived up to the terms of his parole. He was an exemplary pilot. In addition, he continually showed signs of leadership and problem solving, sometimes under major stress. In short, I would not be standing here today had Tom Paris not been part of my crew."
At this point, Janeway turned to Paris and smiled. Almost stunned, Paris managed to mouth a silent 'Thank you.'
One member of the tribunal was not impressed and challenged Janeway with an almost disrespectful tone. He represented the civilian penal system. "That's quite a bold and impressive statement, Captain. Oh, excuse me, Admiral. I was particularly touched by your show of concern regarding the delay in beginning these proceedings. As you know, there were many records, logs and data downloads to review, not to mention a lengthy process to study the interviews of various crewpersons from Voyager. I thought we did fairly well, considering the overwhelming amount of material that had to be studied in order to prepare for this hearing."
Just as Janeway was about to speak the magistrate continued, intentionally blocking her response. "It seems you left out a few details. We'll skip those points for now, but let's focus on your assessment regarding of how Mr. Paris lived up to the terms of his parole. I find that hard to believe, given his performance in one particular instance regarding your encounter with the Moneans."
Again, the man cut off an obvious attempt by Janeway to comment as he continued. "In direct violation of your orders, Mr. Paris stole a shuttle and deliberately sabotaged equipment which resulted in a diplomatic incident. This prompted you to put him in the brig! This clearly indicates that Mr. Paris was not the perfect crewperson you claim. By that single act, he violated the terms of his parole and thus, should not only be removed from Starfleet service but returned to the penal colony immediately."
Feeling self-important and, as if he just scored a blow against Janeway specifically and Starfleet in general, he sat back in his chair with a smirk that caused Starfleet personnel to react visibly.
Janeway was also affected but used her diplomatic charm, through clinched teeth, to finally get her chance to set the record straight. "I suppose I should commend your staff for the job they did reviewing all those records. I know a busy man like yourself didn't have time to look at everything. But had you done so, you would have noticed that Lt. Paris acknowledged his actions, spent time in solitary confinement in the ship's brig and was reduced in rank to ensign. I never said we saw eye to eye on every issue. We had our share of disagreements and, in this particular instance, I felt he was wrong and he paid for his mistake. What I am interested in is why you singled out Tom? After all, there are recorded instances of disagreements with many of my crewmembers. Anyone in Starfleet will tell you that all crew persons have opinions and ideas that are different. The very purpose of surrounding a captain with the best and brightest is to have alternative solutions. I may not agree with them but it is their duty to offer them. In this particular case we did not agree. Tom took upon himself to act independently and he paid the price."
The magistrate didn't look impressed but the Starfleet personnel in the room were. Before the magistrate could begin to counter Janeway, she cut him off. "If you look closely at the Federation agreement yourself, you'll find that I had total discretionary power over how Lieutenant Paris was to be handled and I had complete responsibility for his actions. While I was disappointed with this course of action regarding the Moneans, I understood his reasoning and under similar circumstances, others may have reacted in the same way. This does not excuse his behavior, but his punishment, coupled with my formal apology and offer to help, satisfied the Monean authorities so that a diplomatic incident was avoided and the good name of the Federation and Starfleet was maintained. In the end, Lieutenant Paris and I came to an agreement that prevented further problems and I let the matter rest with his punishment. In time, he proved himself and he had his rank restored. Also, he had my trust and complete confidence. He fulfilled the terms of the probation and therefore should not be returned to the penal system."
There was mild applause from a number of the attendees as the new admiral finally sat, confident and with a smirk of satisfaction of her own.
The magistrate hesitated as if he was gathering his thoughts then offered, rather unpleasantly, "We, the tribunal, shall decide that, Admiral Janeway."
The three magistrates spoke quietly for a few moments then announced there would be a recess to review certain records before making a decision.
Once the tribunal left, many in the room followed suit. Paris was in a state of mental exhaustion. All these people had gathered to make a decision about his future or to witness the outcome. He never imagined such an event.
While wrapped up in his thoughts, a figure appeared close by and he looked up to find Janeway, hovering. "A bit overwhelming, isn't it?"
As usual, she had read his thoughts. "Yes, Admiral. I'm sorry I put you through all this."
Smiling broadly, she explained, "Nonsense, Lieutenant. I was glad to be here. I heard that Magistrate Markham was a bit 'full of himself.' I just wanted to be sure that everyone understood your side of the situation." She paused and stared hard, "Of course, you didn't exactly make it easy for me." She finished on a slight smile.
Paris was now sullen. "No, I suppose not. I've always been prone to do things my way, sometimes without thinking it through completely. I guess that's what drove a wedge between me and my father. I was more of a disappointment than a source of pride."
"Don't bet on it. When I told him everything you did for Voyager, he lit up with pride."
"Really?" Paris wasn't convinced. "Then why wasn't he here today?"
Janeway took a seat next to him and explained quietly. "He's supporting you now, Tom. I would have shown up anyway, but he paid me a personal visit to be sure. Also, he's not here for a reason. He wanted your hearing to be completely above board, honest and without any chance of anyone saying later that he somehow influenced the decision. His presence here, as a senior officer in Starfleet Command, could have been perceived as an attempt to intimidate the tribunal."
Thomas Eugene Paris was stunned to silence.
Now Janeway broke into a broad smile. "Actually, he's waiting in the outer chamber. As soon as a decision is made, he'll be in here like a photon torpedo out of its launcher!"
Finally able to smile, Paris had one more question. "But why haven't I seen him since the initial welcome home ceremony?"
"Who do you think put all the logs and debriefs together for this hearing? He wanted to be sure they had all the information, warts and all, but also to be sure that none of the good things were overlooked. After all, you didn't defy orders every day and you did have your moments, mister!"
The two now shared a laugh and Tom Paris offered his hand to Janeway. She accepted it and gave it a firm shake.
"Admiral, there's a rumor going around that Command plans to 'kick you upstairs' and saddle you with a desk job. I hope that's not true because you need to be out there..." Paris nodded up "...exploring and not commanding a desk."
"Don't worry, I read a quote from Captain Kirk which advised other ship captains, to never accept an assignment where you can't make a difference or do what you do best. Voyager is mine again as soon as she is ready."
"Then I'd like to volunteer as your pilot; that is, depending on the outcome today."
She stared at him for a moment. "What about B'Elanna and the new baby?"
"Well, as long as you don't plan to take any more trips to the Delta Quadrant..."
"No promises, mister."
"Understood. Also, I promise to behave and keep my opinions to myself."
Janeway admonished him gently. "Weren't you paying attention to what I said earlier? I welcome alternative ideas and options. Just don't act on them without permission."
"It's a deal!" Paris now sounded like he did while on the Voyager, optimistic and positive.
It took over two hours before the tribunal resumed the proceedings. Once the magistrates re-entered the room, word spread quickly into the halls and all the interested parties, curiosity seekers and official observers, drifted back in.
Soon the oversized room, or Great Hall, as it was called, was electrified with small talk and speculation. The chief magistrate brought the room to order and a few statements were read into the official record which simply summarized what had taken place earlier. Then one of the members of the tribunal who had been quiet up to this point, rose to speak.
Paris tried to read her face but he vowed never to play cards with her. She had the perfect poker face and he could see no sign of her intentions.
Chief Advocate Tul spoke as if reading a dull book, emotionless and nearly disinterested. "Much has been said regarding Mr. Paris' situation as both a parolee and as a crewperson on Voyager. None of us on the tribunal are current or former Starfleet command officers and since the tribunal is assigned to determine the specific issue of parole, we will address only that issue. Insofar as the tribunal is concerned, there is much evidence to support Admiral Janeway's assessment that, indeed, the terms and conditions were met and satisfied. Also, it is not our place as civilian authorities, to pass judgement on Starfleet procedures, standards and regulations. If Admiral Janeway believes Mr. Paris acted in Starfleet's, Voyager's and her best interest, regardless of difficulties or actions to the contrary, we believe that the overall or general conditions seem to have been met. It is therefore the opinion of this tribunal, in a two to one split opinion, that since Mr. Paris has satisfied the conditions of the parole, he is no longer under the jurisdiction of the court."
There was an applause which was quickly brought into quiet by a very solemn looking magistrate, the same one who had tangled with Janeway.
When it became obvious Tul wasn't finished, the court became quiet again and the woman magistrate continued. "However, since Mr. Paris' actions occurred while serving Starfleet aboard Voyager, we believe his case should be reviewed by the Judge Advocate General's Office of Starfleet in a court martial or similar setting. This is our recommendation and this concludes our findings and closes the issues brought before this tribunal."
Paris was visibly disappointed. He would have to go through a similar process all over again. Looking back at the tribunal, he noticed Janeway's nemesis smiling. No doubt, he was the dissenting vote and probably insisted on the recommendation for Starfleet to continue the case in a court martial.
Now Paris shifted his focus and looked at Janeway. She shrugged and pointed to the nearby exit.
In a few minutes, Paris made his way through the small crowd, collecting several pats on the back, handshakes and more than a few comments for good luck with Starfleet.
Finally, in the main corridor of the Federation Supreme Court, Tom spotted Janeway talking with his father. It was an encouraging sign until he noticed their decidedly non-poker facial expressions, grim. He approached cautiously and subdued. "I take it the news isn't good."
"Tom, your father was tipped off by a friend in the JAG office. Rather than a court martial or anything so formal, Starfleet is going to convene a fitness hearing, to determine your future as a serving officer. That's better than a formal court martial but still not as satisfactory as a full pardon from the Penal Authority.
Admiral Paris sounded apologetic. "I'm glad you made it through the civilian court hearing. That will certainly go a long way to convince Starfleet you deserve to remain in active service. But since the tribunal made their recommendation official…"
"How so?" The younger Paris was naturally curious.
"They petitioned the JAG office for an official ruling on your status." Admiral Paris continued, "I think the idea is, if Starfleet rejects Admiral Janeway's assessment of your service record and you are not reinstated, then the Tribunal may just revisit your parole. It would not be unprecedented, but very unusual."
Throwing up his arms in exasperation, the younger Paris started to get angry. "Great, so I'm still not really past that? Just what are they looking for? What do they have against me?"
"You're a 'hot potato' Tom." Janeway was only half serious. "On one hand, you're a hero who has returned from the Delta Quadrant with Voyager. On the other hand, you're an embarrassment to the civilian legal and penal systems. They don't like the fact that their 'secret arrangement' with Starfleet and I became public in a very big way."
"There's an inference of collusion between Starfleet and the civilian authorities," Admiral Paris explained.
"Putting it another way, did Starfleet bully the penal system into letting you go?" Janeway finished with a grim look.
Tom lashed out, "But they didn't 'let me go,' I was paroled, officially, right?"
Admiral Paris tried to calm his son down. "Easy, Tom, a public display of a short temper won't help your situation any." He motioned to the people around them, some now studying the younger Paris.
"I suppose not, sir," he said quietly.
Janeway was sympathetic to his emotional and mental state, so she explained further. "Evidently some people still doubt you deserve to be let off and we're stuck with that, at least for now. However, being reinstated into Starfleet would help you tremendously. If a Starfleet hearing or board of review cleared you..." She left the statement unfinished.
Tom Paris brightened somewhat, "Then I'd be completely exonerated, right?"
"You'd certainly be more acceptable to everyone and the Federation Penal System would have to be content with the results. Any more attempts to pursue you would be perceived unfavorably by both Starfleet and the general public. You'd have a clean slate with Starfleet." Janeway studied him closely.
After a moment, Tom Paris sighed, "Well, I suppose that's what I need to do. When will Starfleet start the proceedings?"
After briefings, awards, speeches, ceremonies, celebrations and such, most of Voyager's crew went home. For some, it was a matter of only hours or even minutes. However, for others it would take days and even longer. Tuvok was one of those so affected. The trip home seemed to take forever, even with high-priority transportation courtesy of Starfleet.
Eventually, he did make it. Then he spent many hours with his family, then friends and finally with Vulcan dignitaries, officials and even the Vulcan Science Academy. While on Vulcan, he impressed everyone with his tales of different species, phenomenon and worlds that sometimes defied his attempt at description.
The Vulcan security specialist was glad to be home and made the most of his much-deserved leave, reconnecting with everyone -- but especially his wife T'Pel, four children and the grandchild he had not seen before, T'Meni.
However, as with any welcomed event, the inevitable occurred. All good things must come to an end.
After bidding family and friends a fond farewell, Tuvok reluctantly returned to Earth and Voyager.
Expecting to find a beehive of activity aboard the ship he called home for more than seven years, he only found a few work parties. There was a distinct absence of Voyager crew members. It was at this point he discovered that a number of crewpersons were to be put on trial or reviewed for a variety of reasons. First to be scrutinized would be Tom Paris.
After a quick computer search, he realized the crew and Tom could use his help. It was time to return to work.
So much for the vacation.
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© 2024 Brad McDonald / U.S.S. Kitty Hawk
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