Disclaimer: See chapter one.
War Casualties
Attention:
We interrupt normal transmission services for an important announcement. Do not adjust your communications equipment.
Attention.
All communications screens throughout the known worlds jumped to a new view, that of the FNN Bosses offices with Robin Hood and Zach in the main picture. The pair had been surprised to be called to FNN's main office to see the company boss, a man they knew their Gaffer had no liking for, but a summons was a summons so here they were, awaiting to be admitted into the boss's inner sanctum.
His secretary looked pained; she'd worked for many bosses in her time at FNN, but the current one left a lot to be desired, as she never knew from one minute to the next what was on his agenda, thus after trying to get a response to her query about the pair, she told them to go straight in even though she knew someone else was already there and causing a right rumpus; as was very evident as soon as they opened the door.
"... You're the Boss, you tell him," the man's voice angry.
"In this instance, I'm inclined to agree with him," the second male said from his seat behind his large heavy polished wood desk. The coppery headed man growled and scowled as he paced the floor in front of that desk. The boss looked up and noted the two newcomers with a puzzled frown.
"Yes, gentlemen?" he questioned alerting Copper to their presence, thus he stopped pacing and glared at the pair.
"You asked for us, Sir," Robin said quietly.
"And you are?" All three newsmen were astounded by that remark.
"The bane of my life of late!" S. Copper snapped.
"Cameraman Zach and reporter Robin Hood, Sir," the elder man said calmly, ignoring his fellow newsman's comment if not the man himself.
"Ah yes. I remember. Thank you for coming, but there's no need for you now," the Boss said in such an off-hand manner that even Copper was startled. No wonder his secretary was flustered by this man, Robin thought to himself remembering the woman's expression.
"No need?!" he stuttered, beating Zach to responding to this untimely revelation. "There is every need," he growled, getting his thoughts back on track to his story. "That Maquis is responsible for untold deaths and mayhem within the Federation worlds and colonies; including the Breen attack on Earth."
"That is not true and you know it, Copper," Robin snapped, before Zach could stop him.
"Of course it's true," he said, although he looked unsure as the Boss stayed silent. "If it hadn't been for the Maquis, the Breen wouldn't have attacked Earth," his voice rising again in anger. This time Zach did manage to caution the younger man from responding to that outburst.
"You make it sound as though Earth is sacred ground," the older male said quietly. "What makes you so sure of that?" he asked calmly, his voice a steadying influence on the heated atmosphere.
"Starfleet said so," as if that answered all his concerns. "They said if their resources hadn't been tied up with the Maquis problem, the Breen wouldn't have got through," his voice a little lame on the last part.
"Hmm. You know this for a certainty?" Copper nodded mutely. The others just watched, unaware that they were being watched.
"Copper we're all aware that your wife and family were killed in that attack, and so it is understandable that you'd be grieving and thus wanting to apportion blame on someone. That is a natural human response," he paused realising this was one exposed enemy of Voyager's XO, that was finally emerging from this complex woodwork surrounding Voyager's unexpected return to the Federation fold. "The Breen are a powerful force and they caught Starfleet unawares and the so-called safe areas turned out not to be," pausing again to take in his audience of three. "History can teach us many things and what war does is one such thing. In war there is always blame and counter blame as each side tries to demoralise the other and win support to their side of the cause, often there is so much false propaganda flying around that each side often forgets what started the war or disagreement off in the first place. Let me finish," halting Copper's response, even the Boss nodded wanting to hear what this elder male had to say. "Question. Do you know the first casualty in war?"
At first no-one spoke as it had caught them off-guard.
"The innocent?" asked one uncertainly. Zach said nothing.
"Civilians?" questioned the only seated person. Silence.
"The Truth," said Robin Hood confidently, realising that it had been alluded to in the speech that Chakotay had read out during the Janeway open communications. Zach paused for a moment and then smiled.
"Yes The Truth, is always the first casualty in any war. Because it's not tangible most people aren't aware of its demise or even of its existence. You are also right about the innocent and civilians because they are tangible evidence, but not the first. Truth is the very first casualty, often before any weapon is fired, or even before hostilities are declared."
"Starfleet's First Duty, something that is drummed into every cadet and serving officer is to the Truth," Robin noted quietly, his words dropping into the silence like stones into a pond sending out disturbing ripples across the still mirrored surface.
"In war even Starfleet ignores that First Duty to everyone, including themselves," Zach added, sending out more ripples on that pond. "No-one is infallible, and that includes all those who have to make the hard decisions as to where and when resources often dwindling resources will or won't be used in the defence of its people."
=/\=
The President breathed deeply as Zach's words hit home, knowing he'd made some questionable decisions during the Dominion War; decisions he now wondered were worth what they had cost him and the Federation. They had seemed right at the time, with dwindling resources and Allies in short supply to fulfil their needs to keep fighting the Founders from the Gamma Quadrant, throwing everything they had at the enemy in a war they hadn't really won in the long run. His advisers stood silently around his office as they too contemplated these latest revelations via a second open communications outage.
=/\=
Paris, Janeway and Nechayev silently took in these new Truths - for want of a better description - whilst Seven and Icheb tried to discover the source of the communications outage.
"Seven. Stop, please," Janeway said using her voice to physically halt the younger woman from her endeavours. "The computer system is only following the directive it was instructed to do," she added softly. Both former Borg stopped playing with the console and turned to look at her sadly.
"That is something that will have to be addressed in up-grading our security systems," Alynna added.
"On Starships too," Janeway sighed. "I think I lost count of the number of times in the Delta Quadrant our security was breached by formally unknown species." Both Admirals nodded understanding where she was coming from. Elliot and Lt. R. Rivera - who was currently on temporary assignment to Paris - shared a quiet look between them, realising they'd been forgotten as was usual for their positions.
=/\=
The silence in the Paris household was deafening all the more so as Miral had woken up from her nap early with lusty cries and was now nestled in her Grandma's arms, as they watched and listened to the broadcast from FNN. Several members of the 'Family' were also present as they were assisting Paris and Torres with the Family gathering arrangements.
"That's unmasked one of Cap's enemies," noted Ayala softly, not wanting to really intrude on the stunned silence.
"I wouldn't have thought of Truth as being a War casualty," said Lessa Campbell quietly.
"Starfleet Academy do drum First Duty into you," Tom Paris said. "Even Dad did at home too," both his wife and mother silently nodded at his comments, giving him cause to smile to himself, as one was for the Academy the other for home life, tying them to him and each other more profoundly than before.
"I wonder where Chakotay is right now?"
=/\=
The Gaffer wondered if anything more would come from that meeting, as he was also a product of Starfleet Academy, although on-going medical issues had forced him to resign his commission as a fully fledged Starfleet graduate, he had not left that First Duty ethos behind. Right now he sat taking in what Zach had said and even what he had not said.
"You know I sometimes wonder if Zach is really human or just pretending to be one," said one of his techs.
"A shape-shifter?"
"No of course not; I mean one of those long-lived species like that Bartender on the Enterprise."
"El-Aurians."
"Gaffer?"
"You're thinking of Guinan an El-Aurian," he said quietly. "Some have wondered the same about Boothby too," he added softly as if he was far removed from his current location. His techs just glanced at each other, whilst the broadcast still played out before them.
=/\=
Copper sat in the only other chair in the room, all anger drained out of him as he'd thought he'd discovered the truth about the Breen attack, but it appeared not. Zach's words had an even greater impact on the Boss, as he lent forward putting his elbows on the wide desk and bowed his head into his hands.
"So changing that interview with the command team of Voyager…." he left the thought hanging.
"One thing I can tell you," Robin began gently, "From my interviews with the crew of Voyager is that Commander Chakotay always upheld that Starfleet ethos of First duty; he just didn't let it show, especially when operating in the Maquis," he paused, Zach gave him an encouraging nod. "You blame the Maquis in the DMZ, for the destruction of much of the DMZ, even for the attack on Earth; but there were other parties involved and not all of them had good motives. Cmdr. Chakotay never knowingly attacked a Federation facility, be that ship, station or colony. If a Starfleet vessel fired on his ship, then they would defend themselves and effect an escape, without destroying the Starfleet vessel. Disabling it perhaps, but not destroying it ever. Even out in the Delta Quadrant it was said that of the Command Team, he seemed the more Starfleet," he grinned, but didn't name anyone, recalling who of the crew had said that. "Voyager's command team gained the respect of all her crew, whichever side they'd originally started their journey on."
"I get the impression it was only because of that command team they survived their first week out in that far flung area of unexplored space. Let alone seven years," noted Zach amused. Robin grinned, whilst Copper and Boss sat silent contemplating.
=/\=
Attention:
All transmission services have been restored to their proper function.
All navigation beacons are operating at maximum levels.
Attention!
NB: This chapter came a little easier than the last. Please review, it is always encouraging ones efforts are read.
