131. In The Beginning…
"Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris. You are guilty of insubordination, unauthorized use of a spacecraft, reckless endangerment and conduct unbecoming an officer. Do you have anything to say?"
"Riga needed my help."
"In doing so, you disobeyed my direct orders."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You violated the protocols that govern this crew."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You nearly caused an armed conflict with the Moneans. And frankly, you're lucky to be standing here right now. I would have destroyed your shuttle if necessary."
"Yes, ma'am. Permission to speak freely?"
Janeway nodded curtly.
"Riga's people weren't going to listen. They were going to ignore our warnings."
"You don't know that."
"Riga knew, and I was the only one who could help them."
"I understand your passion, but passion alone doesn't give you the right to take matters into your own hands. Four years ago, I released you from prison and gave you a fresh start. Until now, you've been a fine officer. Your service on this ship has been exemplary. I really believed you were past this kind of conduct."
"I've never been very good at playing by the rules. That doesn't mean that serving under your command hasn't changed me, for the better. At least this time, I broke the rules for a reason. For something I believed in."
"I admire your principles, Tom, but I can't ignore what you've done. I hereby reduce you to the rank of Ensign, and I sentence you to thirty days solitary confinement. Take Ensign Paris to the brig."
"I know the way."
"Rise and shine, Ensign," Tuvok said, "Your thirty days have been served. Report for duty. You may want to shave first."
"Yes, sir."
Thomas Eugene Paris stopped just outside of the brig he had inhabited for the past thirty days and took a quick breath of freedom. Well not freedom per se, but at least not the inside of the brig.
He immediately headed to his quarters and took his shower, shaved as Tuvok had recommended, and put on a new uniform. His shift started in a few minutes and he would not have time to eat.
"Great," he thought, "Thirty days in the brig, only basic nutritional supplements, water and now he'd have to go on duty on an empty stomach."
He sat down on his couch and tossed the towel into the bathroom in slight anger and frustration, "To Hell with her," he thought, "Making me suffer more apparently. Like the last thirty days wasn't enough."
"Torres to Paris."
His face scrunched up in annoyance, "Paris here."
"Rumor has it that you're free for dinner…"
"No, thanks B'Elanna," he cut her off, "Maybe another time. Paris out."
He tapped his combadge closing the communication. He did not want to be around people right now and would have to explain it to her some other time.
He stood up and walked out of his quarters towards the nearest turbolift and to his first shift after his incarceration.
"We're at warp 6 with a course of 176 mark 41," Tom said to his relief, "There's a class 3 ion storm about three lightyears off our port bow. We should pass by it before it crosses our path, but you may want to keep an eye on it."
"Yes, Ensign," Culhane replied.
Tom headed to the starboard aft turbolift heading to a hot shower and a long sleep. He ignored the gaze of his commanding officer as she sat in her chair watching him leave the bridge.
"Lord, he looks awful," she thought as she saw him walk past. She stood and looked at Chakotay, "You have the bridge, Commander. I'll be in my ready room."
"Uh, Captain," he said quickly, "Permission to speak to you in private for a moment?"
She curtly nodded her head at his request and turned to Tactical, "Tuvok, you have the bridge for now."
They entered her ready room and she went behind her desk and sat down. Chakotay, following her, stopped and stood in front of her. His facial expression gave her the impression that he wasn't here for a social conversation.
"What's on your mind Commander?" she asked suddenly on guard.
"It's about Mr. Paris," he replied and shifted in his place noticing the flash of emotion in her eyes.
"Oh?" she replied as neutrally as she could, "What about Mr. Paris? Is he causing problems?"
Chakotay shook his head, "Quite on the contrary. He's early for his shifts on the bridge and in sickbay. The Doctor even reports that he's significantly improved in his duties in sickbay. Additionally, he hasn't made one mistake in any of his helm reports or departmental logs. His work is exemplementry."
"Okay," she replied not sure of where this was headed, "Sounds like he's doing what he should be doing. Then what's the problem?"
"He's listless, unenthusiastic, antisocial and seems to be…" he paused looking for the right word, "… broken."
Janeway gave him a look of confusion and doubt.
Chakotay seeing her expression allowed some of his frustration and anger at her, "You don't see it do you?"
"See what?" she replied, "His 'brokenness'?"
Chakotay's face became hard with her, "Yes. Since he returned from his punishment, he's not the same man he was before he was locked up."
"It sounds like he changed his attitude and is doing what he should be," she reiterated, trying not to sound defensive, "which is a good thing for a junior officer."
He sighed in frustration and anger and gripped the back of the chair hard, "That's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" she asked, hoping he would just get to the point.
"He's a broken man, Kathryn!" he said. He stood straight and began pacing in front of her, "Two months! Two months after he's out and you haven't acknowledged the fact that your helmsman, the man you were helping be a better man is broken and," he paused as if considering his finish, "and I believe you broke him!"
Janeway leaned forward in her chair, clasped her hands on her desk and lowered her voice to a more menacing tone, "I did nothing to break him," she replied, "He took those actions and he suffered the consequences of them. How he responds to it is none of my concern."
"Yes, he did take those actions because he felt it was his duty and responsibility," he retorted, "But you helped cultivate that in him."
"He always had that Commander," she replied, not changing her tone, "It's not my fault that he is like this."
"I believe it is," he replied back to her with a bit of an edge, "You helped build that up in him and in one move you tore him back down to nothing. Since that time you haven't lifted a finger to help him and you certainly should be concerned as he is a member of this crew. Your crew."
She stood quickly, "Commander, I'm only going to say this once. Ensign Paris' problems are his and his alone. He caused them and he has reaped the consequences. Now if you feel that you want to blame them on me fine. Go ahead. This wouldn't be the first time you've taken me to task about him and his punishment, but this time you are… way… off... base," she replied emphasizing the last words.
"Fine," he stood straight hearing the implied ending of the meeting, "Then I hope you're comfortable with your decision to abandon him and can live with having a man in your crew who is lost."
"Crew discipline and morale are your responsibility, Commander," she retorted, "I would suggest then that you do your job and help him yourself."
"Crew discipline is my job," he said with an icy tone to his voice, "But the morale part is on you and has been for hundreds of years. Since this has nothing to do with discipline, then that leaves morale… which is your problem whether it's one person or the whole crew."
He turned and left the bridge before she could reply or see her shocked face.
Janeway sat back in her chair shocked at the tone and attitude Chakotay had taken with her. He She felt he was wrong of course, but… was he completely wrong?
Not surprisingly Chakotay had passionately come to Tom's defense when she threw him in the brig. Demotion or solitary punishment not both, was his argument and cited several regulations to back him up. He said she'd crossed the line with Tom. Way over the line. He went so far as filing a formal complaint in the ship's daily log and Tom's permanent record against her punishment.
They had argued bitterly for an hour over Tom. He cited several occasions where officers and crew of Voyager broke the rules far worse than Tom, including himself, but she gave them free passes, but only Tom seemed to warrant and felt the full brute force of her wrath. The argument eventually ended with his announcement of the formal complaint and slamming his padd on her desk and storming out. At the time the argument only made Janeway less inclined towards Tom and almost denied Neelix's request for a padd so Tom could write a letter to his father. Chakotay's hard glare and objections were the only reason she granted that request and eventually Harry's request to see him for a few minutes.
The remainder of the senior staff had also voiced their objections, but Janeway dismissed them all. Tom did it to himself and in her mind that was that.
So why did she suddenly feel like she was being punished?
Comments: I think this is an excellent start, but I also feel that it's missing something. You jump right in to the punishment, not explaining what Tom has done, nor why Janeway is reacting this way. If you don't want to add more detail to what he has done, I recommend starting at "I understand your passion, but passion alone….", just to give it more of a 'beginning' feel, rather than feeling like we've missed a chunk of the storyline.
An hour later her ready room door chimed.
"Come in," she called out only half aware that it did chime.
The door opened and Tuvok entered. He crossed over to her desk and placed a padd down in front of her.
"My weekly security report," he said.
She picked it up and scanned it briefly, "Nothing unusual it seems."
He nodded, "It has been an uneventful week."
She smiled and put the padd down, "Thank you Tuvok."
He turned to leave and stopped when she called out.
"Tuvok? Do you have a moment"
He turned to her and nodded, "Of course."
She got up from her desk and moved around to the replicator, "Can I get you anything?"
"No thank you."
She stopped in front of it, "Coffee… black."
She grabbed the materialized cup and after taking a sip indicated to the couch in front of the window. They sat down and after a few moments of thought, Janeway spoke.
"What do you think of Mr. Paris since his return to duty?"
Tuvok raised an eyebrow at the question and the unexpectedness of the topic. Never-the-less, after a few moments of careful thought, he answered.
"He is a very capable officer and performs his duties very efficiently," he paused, "For a human of course."
Janeway took a sip of her coffee, "Not quite what I meant," she said, "Have you noticed anything peculiar about him since his return? Attitude? Interactions with the crew?"
He paused for a moment, "I have noticed a certain lack of enthusiasm in his personal interactions with the crew. Additionally, I have noticed that he does not tend to be in public as much as he did before."
She nodded her head at his comments. She took another sip and was processing this information.
"May I ask why you are inquiring, Captain?"
"Commander Chakotay spoke to me an hour ago about Mr. Paris," she said, "He said that Tom was 'broken' and lacked any enthusiasm."
"That would be a fair assessment," Tuvok confirmed, "I would assume then you are seeking more information to better help Mr. Paris become 'fixed'?"
She shook her head, "No. That's Chakotay's problem. Not mine."
Tuvok gave her a concerned look, "Begging the Captain's pardon, but Commander Chakotay would not be the appropriate choice to help Mr. Paris. You would be that logical choice."
She rolled her eyes, "Ugh, not you too," she moaned, "Chakotay read me the riot act about this as well."
"And he would be correct to do so," Tuvok replied agreeing with Chakotay, "Crew morale is one of the first duties and concerns of a starship captain."
Janeway realized she had to come to grips on this, "Fine," she said resignedly, "I look into it. Thank you Tuvok"
Tuvok nodded and walked to the bridge, but stopped just before the doors and turned to her, "I would also add Captain, that since you are the person he looks up to the most, known him the longest and you were the one to see past his past, you would by far be the best choice to help him."
He entered the bridge and left Janeway in deep thought as to how or if she really wanted to help Tom. Tuvok and Chakotay were right of course. As captain and the person who knew Tom the best, she should be the one to talk with him and help him in any way she could. Shrugged sighed and looked out at the passing stars and wondered where to even start.