Title: Precedent
Author: Dave Rogers
Email Address: daverogers@geocities.com
Series: VOY
Rating: PG
Codes: P, J
Part: 1/1
Date Posted:
Summary: Missing scene from "Thirty Days". Was there more to Tom
disobeying orders than met the eye?
Disclaimer: "Paramount's not going to be able to save the day this
time, are they?" "What about Dave Rogers?"
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Jenn for beta reading, and to Jim
Wright's "Delta Blues" website for background information.
Precedent
It was Lieutenant Paris, not Captain Proton, who sat on the bridge of
the rocket ship. Lieutenant Paris, not Captain Proton, who poured out
his longing and bared his soul. And Lieutenant Paris, not Captain
Proton, who suddenly saw the way through.
Tom left the holodeck, his last few words with B'Elanna still turning
over in his mind.
B'Elanna had offered her support. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm
proud of you."
"Thanks. But Captain Proton's not going to be able to save the day
this time, is he?"
"What about Tom Paris?"
But Captain Proton was there too. Maybe Tom and the Captain could do
this together, he thought. Or Tom and the other Captain? Why not?
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Paris." Janeway's voice was still harsh,
still disapproving, but calming slightly since she'd dressed him down
in the briefing room. Maybe there was a chance to get through to her.
Tom walked slowly, stiffly, across the floor of the ready room, and
stood ramrod straight, hands clasped nervously behind his back.
The words had to be right. "Captain, the Prime Directive forbids the
USS Voyager from influencing the Moneans. I understand that, and I
understand why." He kept his tone short, clipped and formal, trying
to project the image of the loyal officer.
"Is there a point to this, Tom?"
He took a deep breath. She'd called him Tom. Maybe she would listen.
"The Federation can't be held responsible for any attempt to
interfere. But if someone from Voyager just cut loose and tried to
blow up the extraction plants..."
Janeway's eyes narrowed. "I'd make them wish they'd never been born."
"But it still would have happened. And it might make the Moneans sit
up and take notice."
"I see." Janeway stood up and walked over to the viewport. She stood
silently with her back to Tom for a few seconds, looking out at the
ocean below them. Then, without turning, she said, "So you're asking
me to collude in a direct violation of the Prime Directive, then pass
on all the blame to you?"
"I'm not asking for you to do anything you wouldn't do anyway,
except..." Tom's voice dropped almost to a whisper. "Don't shoot to
kill. After that, I'll take what's coming to me."
"Would it surprise you to hear that I'd already considered that
possibility?" She turned now, her face unexpectedly calm, the hint of
a smile on her lips. "I can't do that to you, Tom. I can't let you do
it to yourself."
She walked over to the replicator. "Two coffees." She placed a coffee
on either side of the table, and both sat and sipped quietly. Then she
started speaking in a offhand tone of voice. "You know, your father
used to tell me a good officer should know everything about Starfleet.
You'd be amazed at some of the pieces of trivia I picked up."
Tom tried not to look to surprised at the sudden change of subject.
"Such as?"
"Oh, all sorts. Obsolete ship specs, minor historical figures,"
Janeway looked up from her coffee and looked Tom full in the face,
"old legal precedents," she looked back at her cup, "that sort of
thing."
There was a cue there. Tom sat back and tried to look relaxed, to hide
the glimmering of hope. "Old legal precedents. Sounds dull."
"Not always. You'd be amazed at some of the things you learn from old
files." Janeway looked down into her coffee cup. Tom couldn't see her
eyes. "There's one case I remember, the Williams court-martial from
2247 - way, way back, but the precedent's still part of case law. You
should look at that sort of thing, you might find it interesting."
Tom gave her a quizzical look. "Doesn't sound like my kind of thing.
Can you give me the executive summary?"
Janeway looked up again, and smiled. "Lieutenant Amara Williams.
Resigned his commission in 2243. He was taken on as a civilian advisor
by Captain Louis Peters, USS Jamestown, when they were clearing up the
mess after the Tarsus IV incident. Peters gave him a brevet rank for
the duration of the emergency. He was ordered," Janeway waved an
I-can't-remember-the-details hand, "to fire on rioting civilians, or
something like that. He refused to obey the order, and was demoted to
Lieutenant, J. G."
"I've heard of that sort of thing," said Tom, trying not to sound too
disgusted. Then a worrying thought struck him. "I hope you don't think
I'm trying to compare myself..."
"Hear me out, Tom. When the Jamestown got back from Tarsus, Williams
applied for a new posting, and Starfleet refused - they said his rank
was only temporary. Some smart attorney called Cogley took his case."
Janeway's voice deepened, taking on a dark intensity. "It turned out
that there was a case to argue. Captain Peters hadn't specified
Williams's brevet status when he demoted him. Cogley won the case, and
Starfleet had to reinstate his commission." She waved a hand again.
"As a Lieutenant, J. G., of course."
Tom nodded slowly, trying to take in what Janeway was saying. "I think
I see." The gambler in him could see the alternatives; gamble on being
accepted in Starfleet if - when - they got home, or go for a sure
thing.
"And, Mr. Paris," Janeway was back to the full command voice now, "If
any of my officers take the Monean matter into their own hands, I will
deal with them as firmly as Captain Peters dealt with Lieutenant
Williams."
Their eyes met in silent understanding. Without a word or a gesture, a
contract was proposed, accepted and agreed.
Tom left quietly, deep in thought. Janeway would have to do more than
simply demote him, for sure; maybe confinement to quarters, loss of
privileges, even time in the brig. He could live with that. He'd still
be an officer, and this time he'd be staying that way.
The thought of profiting personally from the situation had nearly
persuaded him against it; he wasn't in this out of self-interest. But
then, of course, there was the ocean. He believed in the ocean. He'd
have tried to save that, whatever it did to his career. This twist
just made it easier on Janeway. It was the only way she'd allow him to
do the right thing.
He'd just have to hope he could stay convinced of that.
THE END
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