The Court Martial of Simon Tarses

by TheVulcanPrincess

The writers never followed up on what happened to Simon Tarses, the one quarter Romulan medical technician, after the episode The Drumhead. This is his story.

6. Chapter 6

The next morning, the court was called to order. Shriall said, "Hear ye, hear ye. The Supreme Court of the United Federation of Planets has reached a decision in the case of the United Federation of Planets vs. Simon Tarses."

Courts are known for their adherence to antiquated tradition, and the Federation Supreme Court is no exception. Shriall picked up a scroll that looked like it belonged 2,000 years in the past. He unrolled it and began to read.

"Simon Tarses falsified his application to enter Starfleet. That fact is not in dispute. The issue before this court is what to do about that falsification. To paraphrase an activist of yore, regardless of the motive, love or patriotism or a fear of prejudice, the person who prevaricates is responsible. But, thrice responsible is the society which drove him to the desperation which impelled him to the falsehood."

"Simon Tarses has been a victim of prejudice, and even though many Federation citizens distrust him merely because of his ancestry, he still signed up to join Starfleet, risking his safety to defend their way of life. While we do not condone his falsehood, we recognize that we should not pull a mote out of our brother's eye while neglecting the beam that is in our own. Therefore, it is the unanimous decision of the court that for the charge of perjury, Simon Tarses is not guilty."

Simon breathed a sigh of relief. Shriall continued, "Furthermore, it is hereby ordered that effective immediately, Starfleet may no longer ask for an individual's species on the entrance application. Any current applicant or member of Starfleet who made a false statement regarding species will no longer be able to be prosecuted for that statement. Anyone who has been convicted for making such a false statement will have the conviction overturned."

"This does not prohibit Starfleet from keeping this information in medical records, or any other place where it would be relevant. Let us begin a new dawn today where an individual is judged by his or her own merits, and not by the genes of which he or she is composed."

As Shriall read the last portion of the decision, the courtroom was abuzz with activity. This was one of the biggest decisions to come out of the court in nearly 70 years. After court was dismissed, Simon's parents took him out to lunch to celebrate.