Simon stepped out of the turbolift with wide eyes. He had never been on the bridge before, and he was in awe. He walked over to the door of Captain Picard's ready room and pressed the chime. From the other side of the door, Picard's voice rang out, "Come!"
Simon walked in and said, "Crewman Tarses reporting as ordered, Sir!"
Picard said warmly, "At ease, Crewman. Please have a seat."
Simon sat down nervously. Picard walked over to the replicator and said, "Can I get you anything?"
"I'm fine, Sir. Thank you."
Picard turned to the replicator and said, "Tea, Earl Grey, hot." The tea materialized, and Picard walked over to his desk and sat down.
"Mr. Tarses, first, I want to offer my deepest apologies. Your treatment over the last few days was inexcusable, and I regret that you had to go through that witch hunt."
"Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your standing up for me in the council room."
"I was just contacted by Starfleet Command. They will not be pressing charges against you for lying to Admiral Satie's tribunal, because the tribunal was conducted in violation of your rights. Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you. You are being recalled to Earth to face a court martial on the charge of making a false statement on your Starfleet entrance application."
Simon's voice wavered as he said, "I understand, Sir."
"We are rendezvousing with the USS Excalibur in two days. They will take you to Earth, where you will meet with Commander T'Lara, your attorney. She is an excellent lawyer. You're in good hands. She defended me when I was court-martialed following the Stargazer incident. I recommend that you avoid discussing anything about this case until you meet with her."
Simon didn't trust his ability to speak at the moment, so he merely nodded.
Picard continued, "One more thing. I am required to relieve you of duty at this time. I'm sorry."
Simon returned to his quarters and slumped into a chair. It had started. It was the beginning of the end. For the next two days, he didn't leave his quarters. He simply didn't have it in him to face anyone.
About two hours before the Enterprise was scheduled to rendezvous with the Excalibur, Simon began to pack. He wasn't one to gather a lot of clutter, so his personal belongings fit into two small bags. As he finished, his door chimed. He said, "Come in."
Dr. Crusher entered, carrying a small box. She cleared her throat to try to get rid of the lump that was forming. Simon was only a few years older than Wesley, so she had felt slightly maternal toward him ever since she met him. She said, "I want you to know that I have been honored to serve with you. When this is all over, I would be delighted to have you back on my staff."
She handed Simon the box, and he opened it. Inside was a small pewter coin with an engraving of a man wearing an ancient style robe. Simon looked confused for a moment, but quickly remembered his manners and said, "Thank you."
Dr. Crusher said, "It's a Saint Raymond medal. It's for good luck during your court-martial."
Simon said, "I appreciate the support you've given me. I couldn't have asked for a better commanding officer. I will keep in touch with you."
With that, Dr. Crusher departed, and Simon waited. A few moments later, Worf arrived to escort him to the transporter room. Simon wished that his security escort could have been anyone else. Worf's hatred for Romulans was legendary. They walked in silence, and it felt like an eternity.
They arrived in the transporter room, where Captain Picard, Dr. Crusher, Dr. Hill, Dr. Selar, Nurse Ogawa, and Guinan were there to see him off. They each took a moment to wish him well.
Simon addressed all of them and said, "I appreciate your support. A few days ago, I wasn't sure if I had any friends left in the universe. I'm pleased to know that I do. Thank you for standing by me."
Picard turned to the transporter chief and said, "Mr. O'Brien, energize."
Simon felt a warm feeling as he beamed over to the Excalibur. That feeling was immediately replaced by a harsh coldness as soon as he materialized and saw armed guards to greet him. A short, stout Tellarite with two pips on his shoulder gruffly said, "Come with me, Crewman. I will escort you to your quarters, where you will be confined for the duration of our journey to Earth."
Simon entered his quarters and began to unpack. He was finished after about ten minutes, and then he collapsed into a chair. He wasn't physically tired, but the Tellarite security officer's attitude made him emotionally tired. He thought about the medal Dr. Crusher had given him, and he was curious as to its meaning. He said, "Computer, search Federation databases for references to Saint Raymond."
After a pause, the computer said, "Saint Raymond Nonnatus is a human who was born in Spain in the Eleventh Century. He is considered to be the patron saint of the unjustly accused."
Author's Note: I was impressed with Admiral T'Lara when she presided over Worf's extradition hearing in the Deep Space Nine episode "Rules of Engagement". I decided to explore her career as an attorney before her appointment to the bench.