Disclaimer: The usual disclaimers apply here: I don't own Star Trek: Voyager, or any of its main characters. I do own this story, however, and all original characters.
Pairs: W/Greskrendtregk
Rating: G
Author's Note #1: This is the first story of many that I'm working on for Samantha Wildman ... and it's the starting point for being an A/U to the series. What can I say? I wanted certain things to end up differently than how they actually turned out, and this was one of the easiest ways to do it. It'll also help me set up a few other stories that I've wanted to write for awhile now... so I hope you'll enjoy the series.
Author's Note #2: If you do not like the pairings of: J/C, P/T, K/7, Kes/Neelix, Neelix/Dexa, and Tuvok mating with someone on Voyager, then you might as well stop reading the series. Those are my long-term goals for the pairings.
Author's Note: #3: Sorry about the minor changes of this story, if there are any; I'd accidentally replaced this story on and I had to resort to and old file I had of the story, which still had several errors in it.
Author's Note: #4: Takes place shortly after 'Caretaker'.
Summary: Samantha Wildman is confronted by the Captain about her ties to the Maquis.
A Matter of Trust by peacejaw
Ensign Samantha Wildman entered the turbolift with her shoulders squared back in a firm posture. "Bridge," she said to the computer steadily, all the while hoping that her voice held no trace of the nervousness that she was feeling inside.
As she waited for the turbolift to complete its journey, she ran a trembling hand over her hair to smooth her already immaculate hair. And then she checked the front of her uniform; she knew that it wouldn't be a good thing to face Captain Janeway with the dried remains of her lunch adorning the front of her uniform.
When the turbolift doors opened a moment later, she exited onto the bridge and hesitated, unsure of what she should do next. Looking around her, the faces of her peers were bent over their consoles, doing what they did best while on duty: work. But the Captain was not on the bridge itself; there was only Tuvok, who was stoically sitting in one of the command chairs that decorated the center of the bridge.
Deciding to try the Captain's ready-room, she started towards it. Unfortunately, for her, she tripped over her own feet as stepped down off the steps leading from the turbolift. The abrupt clatter of feet hitting the floor made everyone look up from their work and at her.
Samantha's face flushed as she struggled to keep her composure. Looking straight ahead as she strode over to Janeway's ready-room, and Samantha reluctantly pressed the admittance chime. When the door slid open, she entered quietly, but formally and found the Captain sitting behind her desk and looking at her expectantly.
"Ensign Wildman," Janeway said calmly, albeit somewhat coolly. "Thank you for coming so quickly."
She nodded once as she assumed the formal stance with her hands clasped behind her back and her legs positioned slightly apart. And then she waited as the Captain continued to stare her down.
Ever since she'd heard about Tuvok's role as a Maquis spy, and of Chakotay joining forces with Janeway, she had been nervously waiting for this particular summon. So she'd waited to be summoned here, and then had made her way to the bridge the moment she'd been summoned.
And now that she was standing in front of Captain Janeway, she was beginning to realize that she wasn't looking forward to finding out what the Captain intended to do with her. She didn't have to wait long for Janeway's blatant disapproval of her actions to surface.
"I want you to give me one good reason as to why I should trust you."
As she stood before the Captain, she tried to figure out a way to smooth things over with the woman who would, in essence, be her commanding officer for the rest of her life. No matter how she viewed the situation, however, there was no desirable way of doing so, and that left her only one choice in the matter; it was time to tell the truth about her ties to the Maquis. Samantha didn't know if she could go through with the confession, however.
After all, it meant that she would have to betray her husband, and that was something she didn't want to do. Still, she didn't see any other alternative.
With great difficulty, she said, "Because you need me, Captain. Too many people on Voyager have died since our arrival in the Delta Quadrant, and there's no one more qualified to do my job."
"That may be true, Ensign, but I still want to know why I should trust you."
She nodded once. "I understand that, Captain. But to be honest, I can't give you a good reason. You know as well as I do that both my husband and I sympathized with the Maquis, and we probably always will. We accepted the consequences, whatever they may be, when we made our choice."
Looking the Captain in the eyes, she added, "If you have to relieve me of my duties because of that simple fact, then so be it. But I do hope you realize that it won't change a thing; what's done is done."
Janeway simply looked at her for a long moment, and then she waved at a chair in front of her desk. "Sit down, Ensign." When she was seated, Janeway asked, "Would you please tell me why you got involved with the Maquis in the first place?"
"I wouldn't know where to start."
"Try starting at the very beginning."
"I'll try, but it won't be easy for me." Staring off into the distance, she sighed. "To begin with, my husband is from the Ktarian home-world, and many of his people either sympathize with the Maquis or are actually apart of the Maquis organization. Greskrendtregk, my husband of four years, had chosen to stay away from the Maquis; at least, he had until two of my brother-in-laws were killed in the attack on Dorvan V earlier this year."
Looking Janeway in the eyes again, Samantha felt her voice wavering as she spoke again. "We were the ones who went to Dorvan V to find out what had happened to my brother-in-laws. We were the ones who had to witness the destruction on Dorvan V first hand; not many people in Starfleet can actually say the same. We were the ones who had to deal with transporting my brother-in-laws back to Earth for burial; my two sisters were too strung out to deal with the details, and the rest of the family was busy trying to deal with the funeral arrangements on Earth. And we were the ones who had to face some pretty heavy demons after my brother-in-laws deaths; not that I'm not minimizing my sister's losses, but what we went through on Dorvan V is something that neither one of us will wish on to anyone, not even our worst enemies."
Refusing to let the tears fall, Samantha did her best to maintain the mask that she'd walked in with, despite the fact that some of the bitter emotions would undoubtedly be betrayed once she spoke. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she said, "That's why we decided to work with the Maquis, and we've never regretted the decision to do so."
"Very well," Janeway said indifferently. "You and your husband sympathized with the Maquis for very personal reasons. But now I am forced to deal with your decisions to sympathize with the Maquis. And just so you know, you haven't made my job any easier..."
"Captain," Sam interrupted, "if I may ask, why are you just now getting around to dealing with me? From what I've learned from Chakotay, you knew about my ties with the Maquis before we left DS9..."
"To some extent, I did know of your involvement. However, I was waiting for Lieutenant Tuvok to report in with some hard evidence against you, evidence that would be used to convict you of any and all charges against you. Unfortunately, he was never able to report on what he had until after we were all in the Delta Quadrant. And because of that fact, it forced me to postpone any decision making until now."
"Oh." She looked away from the Captain then, understanding more than what she really wanted to. "Do what you must, Captain; I may not agree with whatever you see fit, but I do understand why you're taking action against me."
"Good. Then I hereby order you to work with the EMH and Lieutenant Paris to become a field medic three days a week on top of your other duties as the head of your department; after all, Sickbay can use all the help it can get. On top of this, you will train several Maquis to work under you in your department, since I know that your department is in some need of some additional personal."
She looked at the Captain in surprise. "You're letting me keep my job as the head of Xenobiology?"
"I am."
Attempting a smile, she said, "Well, I must say that I hadn't expected this, Captain."
Janeway nodded once. "I know. But I'm also not quite finished."
"Oh?"
"You will also take in a roommate of my choosing, since we have to make some room for the Maquis, who are joining this crew. You will have to earn my trust again, just as the other Maquis will have to earn my complete trust; and know that trusting someone doesn't come easily for me."
She nodded in understanding. "That sounds reasonable. When can I expect the new roommate?"
"Crewman Mariah Henley will report to your quarters by the end of the Alpha shift. I hope that you will make her feel welcome?" At her nod, Janeway continued, her command mask never wavering. "Also know that I am placing a note in your permanent file about your ties to the Maquis, and of this conversation." Janeway glanced at her terminal's clock and then added, "Is there anything else that we need to discuss?"
"Not that I'm aware of, Captain."
Janeway merely nodded once. "Then you're dismissed Ensign. Commander Chakotay will keep you apprised of your schedule."
"Aye, Captain." And without another word, Samantha stood and left the Captain's ready-room so that she could track down the Commander. What she wanted to do, was return to her quarters and cry, but since she needed to know what her schedule entailed for the next while, she couldn't afford the time to run and hide in her quarters. Not that making that pit stop would have done her any good, not with a new roommate that was due to move into her quarters at any moment.
Having things to do, however, required her to set her priorities according to their importance and her instincts was telling her that she needed to find out what her schedule was first. From there, Samantha knew that she would have to organize her day according to that pre-set schedule.
As she stepped into the turbolift, Samantha made the decision to work as hard as she could to earn regain Janeway's trust, since it was the only way she could learn how to trust Starfleet once again. And trusting Janeway, and her position as the only Starfleet Captain in the Delta Quadrant, would, in the end, probably safe her life many times over.
-Finished