X.
"Dr. Crusher informed me this morning that Lieutenant Latham has awoken from his coma," Picard said to Janeway as they sat in his ready room, sharing yet another cup of their favorite beverages. Over the past week, it had become a twice-daily routine for them, and both captains were grateful for the other's company. "He's still weak, but he will be able to testify against Garrett."
"Good," Janeway replied. "Tuvok says Zupanich will be ready."
"What about you, Kathryn? Are you ready?"
"Oh, I'm ready. Ready to put that bastard in prison where he belongs."
"Data to Picard," the voice came over the comm.
"Go ahead, Commander."
"Captain, we are approaching Earth. Admiral Hayes is hailing you."
"Put him through to my ready room."
"Yes, sir."
Picard tilted his monitor so that Janeway could see it as the call came through.
"Captain Picard, Captain Janeway, welcome home."
"Thank you, sir," Picard said. "Am I to understand from your call that you have news for us?"
Hayes nodded. "Captain Janeway, I've relayed your reports to the rest of the admiralty. Everyone is extremely disturbed by the behavior of Admiral Garrett. We've decided not to reprimand you or your crew for disobeying orders and trying to rescue Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine. It appears that there were extenuating and mitigating circumstances. We all need to focus on convicting the actual villains here, not on punishing our own officers for trying to right a wrong."
"Thank you, Admiral," Janeway said. "That is good to hear."
"However," Hayes continued, "anyone with any knowledge of Admiral Garrett's activities must be kept under quarantine until after the trial has ended. The crew of the Enterprise will be quarantined aboard the Enterprise. All communications in and out of the ship will be monitored. We will be providing secure quarters here at Starfleet Command for you, Captain Janeway, along with Commander Chakotay, Commander Tuvok, Lieutenants Torres and Paris, Ensign Kim and Seven of Nine. All of your communications will be screened. We don't want any of this information getting out to the public or the media."
Janeway's expression darkened. "You want to keep people from knowing the truth?"
"We want to mitigate the damage to Starfleet's reputation as much as possible. Ever since the Dominion War, there have been questions about Starfleet's competence. The last thing we need is an uproar about how the admiralty is incompetent."
Janeway opened her mouth to say something, but a warning glance from Picard stopped her.
"Understood, Admiral," said Picard.
"I'll have my aide coordinate your disembarkment personally to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible."
"Thank you," said Janeway, finding her voice again.
"I'll see you both at the trial. Hayes out."
Hayes' face was replaced by the Starfleet emblem and Janeway and Picard shared a long glance. "Thanks, Jean-Luc," said Janeway. "You probably stopped me from saying something I would regret later."
"Politics is my least favorite part of being a captain," he replied, "but it is a necessary one."
"Fortunately, that's one thing I haven't had to deal with over the last seven years."
"I think that time is over, Kathryn."
"Bridge to Picard." It was Riker's voice.
"Picard here."
"We've dropped into orbit around Earth, sir. Starfleet is signaling that they're ready for Captain Janeway and her crew to disembark."
"Coordinate with them, Number One, and inform the crew that they're going to be placed under quarantine until Admiral Garrett's trial is over."
"Understood, sir," Riker replied.
Janeway stood. "I'm going to inform my crew of the situation." She paused before exiting the ready room. "In case I haven't told you, Jean-Luc, thank you, for everything." Picard nodded with a small smile, and Janeway headed for sickbay first.
Both Dr. Crusher and the EMH greeted her when she entered. "I hear our patient is feeling better."
Crusher nodded to the bed where Lieutenant Latham was sitting up, reading a PADD. "You may speak to him, Captain."
Janeway approached the biobed. "Lieutenant Latham? I'm Captain Janeway."
"Hello," the young man said, his eyes darting around sickbay nervously.
"There's no need to be afraid," she assured him, offering a comforting smile. "Do you remember me? I was in Admiral Garrett's collective with you."
Latham squinted, trying to access his memories. "I'm sorry, Ma'am," he said, "everything's a little bit fuzzy right now."
"I understand from Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher that you're willing to testify against Admiral Garrett."
Latham nodded. "At first I was just following orders, but then, what they did to me… Now, when I think about it, it's like I'm remembering a dream, or seeing a projection of someone else." He paused, squinting again. "I remember shooting at people, in a cargo bay on the station. Shooting at other Starfleet officers."
"That's right," said Janeway.
"I'm so sorry, Captain. So sorry for everything I did."
Janeway put her hand on the young man's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Lieutenant. You were being controlled and manipulated by Admiral Garrett, and we are going to see that he goes away for a very long time."
Latham nodded. "Thank you, Captain."
Janeway squeezed Latham's shoulder and walked away from his biobed to talk to the Doctor. In hushed tones, she informed him of the quarantine and then asked him about Latham's psychological state. "Is he strong enough, emotionally, to testify?"
"He's still recovering, Captain," the Doctor explained, "but he's already made a great deal of progress since yesterday. I think in a couple of days, he'll be strong enough."
"Thank you, Doctor. I'm going to inform the rest of the crew of the situation. I'll see you on Earth." Janeway made her way to crew quarters, where she informed Tuvok, Paris and Torres of the situation. Tuvok was predictably stoic, B'Elanna predictably incensed over the quarantine.
As she stood outside Chakotay's temporary quarters, her hand hesitated above the door chime. She had stopped in to see Chakotay a few times since his release from sickbay to find out how he was doing. Twice, their visit had been interrupted by Seven's arrival, and Janeway had made a hasty excuse to leave. The other time, they had not been interrupted, but had kept the conversation to safe topics: how Chakotay was feeling, Janeway's latest comm meeting with the admiralty, the picture of Miral that Admiral Paris had sent to Tom that day. Kathryn longed to ask Chakotay what he remembered from their link, whether he remembered any of the intense memories they had shared, but it never seemed like the right time to bring it up, so she remained silent, allowing him to drive the conversation, or bringing up topics that were easy to discuss. With a sigh, she rang the door chime.
"Come in," she heard. She entered Chakotay's quarters to find him seated on the sofa, holding Seven's hand.
"Captain," Seven greeted her. "Please come in." Seven gestured to the quarters as though they were hers. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you," Kathryn replied politely. "I can't stay long."
"Please, Kathryn, sit down," said Chakotay, gesturing to the empty chair across from him and Seven.
Trying not to appear reluctant, Janeway sat down. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Much better," Chakotay replied, "thanks to you."
"And the Doctor, and Seven," Janeway added.
"Yes," Seven agreed, "but you were the one who truly saved Chakotay's life. Now, he's getting stronger every day." Seven's free hand moved to Chakotay's thigh.
"I'm glad to hear that," Janeway replied, carefully schooling her emotions.
"Has the admiralty made a decision yet about whether or not you'll be reprimanded for your actions?" Chakotay asked, bringing up a topic from one of their previous conversations.
"I just spoke to Admiral Hayes. They've decided not to reprimand me or anyone else who came after you and Seven. They want to focus on dealing with Garrett and Zupanich."
Chakotay grinned. "For once, the admiralty is focusing on the right thing."
"Actually, that's what I came here to talk to you about, my conversation with Admiral Hayes. Starfleet has decided that until Garrett's trial is over, we're all to be quarantined at Starfleet Headquarters. All our communications will be monitored."
Chakotay's grin disappeared. "Starfleet doesn't want any bad publicity."
"Exactly," Janeway replied. Her eyes flicked to Seven's hand, still resting on Chakotay's thigh, and she stood. "Commander Riker is coordinating our disembarkment. You can speak to him about your temporary quarters at HQ. I'll see you both on Earth."
"Thank you, Captain," said Seven.
"If you need anything, just let me know," Janeway replied. After a brief nod to both of them, she exited Chakotay's quarters and made her way back to her own, putting the image of Seven and Chakotay together out of her mind. She needed to focus on the challenge ahead, the trial of Admiral Vince Garrett.
Admiral Garrett's court martial took place in a closed court room. Only witnesses, the prosecution, the defense and high ranking members of Starfleet were aware of the proceedings, along with Starfleet's Judge Advocate General, Phillipa Louvois, and a panel of five admirals who would make the final verdict. Garrett had elected to defend himself, although he had a member of Starfleet legal counsel at his side, per Starfleet regulations. As a higher ranking officer than Garrett, Admiral Owen Paris would head the prosecution.
Paris sat at one table in front of the court room, and Garrett and his legal advisor sat at another. Facing them sat Judge Advocate General Phillipa Louvois, who called the court to order. She sat in the center of a long table flanked by the five admirals on the panel that would decide Garrett's fate.
"The charges against you are severe, Admiral Garrett," Louvois said sternly. "They include assault in the first degree, murder in the first degree, and even extend to high treason against the United Federation of Planets. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," Garrett replied.
Owen Paris watched Garrett. The expression on his face was smug, as if he was certain he would not be convicted. From what Owen knew about the case, Garrett's confidence seemed misplaced.
The first day of the trial consisted of a long line of witnesses, including personnel from the space station, medical experts who explained the nature of Borg nanoprobes and what they could do, and Starfleet admirals who testified that they had never heard of Garrett's space station and had not authorized his plan.
On the second day of the trial, Tuvok, Paris, Torres and Kim all testified to what they had seen and experienced — the moment they discovered that Chakotay and Seven had disappeared, the efforts spent searching for their whereabouts, and then, finally, all that had transpired aboard the space station. They described the presence of the Romulan warbird protecting the station, and how they had been surprised to find a Romulan in command aboard the station. Most of the Enterprise senior staff was also called to testify about the battle between the Starfleet ships, the space station, and the Romulan ships.
On the third day, the first witness to be called before the court was Seven of Nine. She recounted with admirable precision exactly what she had experienced starting from the moment she and Chakotay had been attacked in her apartment. She described, in detail, awakening on the unfamiliar space station and having her nanoprobes forcibly removed and modified. At Paris' request, she explained that she had been instructed how to modify the nanoprobes and inject them into Chakotay and then Janeway.
"Who was it who instructed you to modify the nanoprobes, Seven?" Garrett asked, leaning forward in his chair.
"It was Dr. Zupanich," Seven replied.
Garrett smiled; it was an ugly sight. "No further questions," he said, and leaned back.
The EMH and Dr. Crusher testified and presented extensive evidence on how Seven's nanoprobes were used to modify the drones' neural pathways, how they had been specifically engineered to erase a person's individuality. The EMH pointed out that the plans for these modifications would have taken years to develop; the project had been premeditated.
"Who gave you these schematics?" Garrett asked.
"Dr. Zupanich," the Doctor was forced to reply.
Garrett sat back in his chair and smiled.
Several crewmen from the space station testified about their activities since being assigned there. Most of them knew little about the station's mission. "Do you know who signed the order requesting your reassignment to the station?" Paris asked one young ensign.
"No, Sir."
Paris presented a PADD to Louvois. "I have the order here," he said. "It was Admiral Vince Garrett." Paris also provided the order that had tipped Janeway off after Chakotay and Seven's disappearance, their "reassignment" by Admiral Garrett. "Torstin Zupanich is not even a Starfleet officer," Paris pointed out. "He had no authority on that station or anywhere else for that matter."
"Dr. Zupanich manipulated me!" Garrett protested. "He used me. I am innocent."
"Admiral Garrett," said Paris, "you can hardly play the victim here…"
"Order!" interjected Louvois.
"I am not playing!" Garrett replied, ignoring her. "If Janeway and her pitiful crew hadn't…"
"Order! Order!" Louvois interrupted them as the rest of the occupants of the room began to murmur and react. "Both parties will refrain from making personal remarks and insults in this court room. Admiral Garrett, you will have ample opportunity to call witnesses and to testify on your own behalf. I'm instructing the panel to disregard these outbursts." The observers quieted, and Louvois had control of the room once again. "The prosecution may now call its next witness."
Paris stood. "I call Dr. Torstin Zupanich." As he spoke, he allowed his eyes to dart to Garrett. From the expression on Garrett's face, he could tell that Garrett didn't believe Zupanich would testify. When Zupanich did enter the room, escorted by Tuvok, Garrett's face dropped, and for the first time that day, his expression showed a hint of fear.
Zupanich approached the witness stand slowly, but Paris could see the resolve in his eyes. Zupanich reached the witness stand and took the necessary oaths. Then, he sat down, his hands folded in his lap, his dark eyes clear and focused. He was purposefully not looking at Garrett.
"Dr. Zupanich," Paris said, "we have heard testimony from Admiral Garrett that the modification of human Starfleet officers into unthinking drones was your idea, that you gave all the orders and that the project was masterminded by you. Doctor, is this true?"
"No, Admiral."
"Please tell the court what did happen, and how you came to be involved with this project of converting Starfleet officers into drones."
In an almost emotionless monotone, Zupanich recounted the story of how he had come to live on a Federation border colony, of his son's death, and of the devastation he had experienced after that event. "After Kyosti's death, I was aimless. My wife was killed by the Cardassians shortly thereafter, and I was left alone. I couldn't bear to remain on Juhraya any longer. I managed to book passage on a shuttle, and then I just drifted from outpost to outpost. One night, I was in a bar, trying to forget my troubles, and there was a bar fight. One of the patrons was severely wounded. Without thinking, I jumped in and somehow, I managed to save his life. Admiral Garrett happened to be in that bar that night." For the first time since he had taken the stand, Zupanich's eyes flicked to Garrett. "After the incident was over and the man had been taken to the local hospital, Garrett pulled me aside. He bought me a drink. He found out who I was and what my training was, and why I had abandoned medicine. He asked me to meet him the next day."
"Did you?" Paris asked.
Zupanich nodded. "I met him the next day, and the next day, and the day after that. Slowly, Garrett learned everything about me, and he started to reveal himself to me, too. I learned that he was a Starfleet admiral on a covert assignment. He told me that his mission was to improve the efficiency of Starfleet. He said he had a brilliant plan but that he needed a doctor of my expertise to be able to execute it."
"Did he tell you what his plan was?"
"Not right away. But gradually he began to ask me if I believed that people should be able to make their own choices, or if young people's lives would be better if their choices were controlled by someone who knew better than they did, someone with more knowledge, more experience. I couldn't help thinking about Kyosti, how his life could have been saved if I could have prevented his choice. Garrett told me that there were other young men like Kyosti out there, young men who needed my help and my protection. He asked me if I would help them." Zupanich paused. "I agreed."
"Tell us what happened next, Doctor."
Zupanich continued his account of his relationship with Garrett. He told the judge how Garrett had tested his medical skills by asking him to perform various tasks, and then how Garrett had finally taken him to a cloaked space station and offered him a position there for a hefty salary. "Garrett had been inspired by the Borg," Zupanich explained. "He thought that the Collective had something that Starfleet lacked." Zupanich described the years of dedication and effort that it had taken him to figure out how to use Borg nanoprobes to rewrite human neural pathways. He described failed tests on human subjects, subjects that he had found in destitute border colonies, who were willing to risk their lives on the chance that the research was successful and that they would be well paid.
"We did some research using nanoprobes from dead drones, when we could, and otherwise, we used holodeck simulations." Zupanich described Garrett's discovery that Voyager had returned home with a living Borg drone aboard. "He came to me one day, very excited," Zupanich said. "'This is our chance!' he told me, 'Our chance to act now. We'll have access to all technology we need as long as we can get our hands on Seven of Nine.'" Zupanich paused. "Those were his exact words." Paris asked Zupanich to describe the events that had occurred once Chakotay and Seven of Nine were aboard the station. His account matched Seven's almost verbatim and filled in many of the details that she could not.
"Finally, Doctor," Paris said, "what made you decide to testify here today?"
Zupanich's eyes went to the floor before returning back to Paris. "Admiral, I realized that I made a grave error. I should never have agreed to help Admiral Garrett in the first place. No matter how much I may disagree with another man's choice, it's wrong for me to rob him of his right to choose. Yes, Kyosti might have been alive had I been able to make his choices for him, but he also would not have been the young man I loved so much had he not been able to choose for himself, and to choose what he chose." Zupanich swallowed hard. "I came here to set the record straight and to atone for the mistakes I made."
Louvois nodded her understanding and asked Paris if he had any further questions for the witness. Paris declined, his eyes shifting to Garrett. Garrett's eyes narrowed and his gaze shifted to Zupanich in a deadly glare. Paris felt certain, in that moment, that Zupanich's life, and maybe their entire case, was in danger.
"Doctor, did I ever program a nanoprobe in your lab?" Garrett asked, his tone even.
"No, Admiral."
"Do you think I have the medical expertise to program a nanoprobe?"
"No, Admiral."
"Did you, in fact, manipulate me to serve your own ends?"
"No, I did not."
"Were you not, in fact, so broken up by Kyosti's death that you had decided no one should be able to make their own choices, not even me?"
"No!" Zupanich cried. "That's not true."
"Did you not use me, manipulate me, to serve your agenda?"
"Objection!" Paris stated. "Asked and answered."
Louvois nodded. "Sustained. Admiral Garrett, do you have any new questions for the witness?"
With a grimace, Garrett shook his head and sat down.
"Redirect, Your Honor," said Paris.
Louvois agreed, and Paris approached Zupanich once again. "Dr. Zupanich," he said, "if your goal was not to create an army of drones, then why did you continue to work with Admiral Garrett on the project?"
"That was my mistake," Zupanich admitted. "At first I thought I was doing the right thing. 'How can we make human lives better?' is what Admiral Garrett always asked me. I kept thinking of Kyosti, how I wished there was some power by which I could have stopped him from choosing a path that led to his own destruction. I thought that if I could create a way to stop young men like him from making bad choices, I could make a better world. But when I saw the results of my own experiments, I was horrified. I didn't understand that by taking away a man's ability to make a bad choice, I was taking away his ability to make any choice at all. Once Garrett had the drones under his control, I was too afraid of him to step away. He had other human beings under his absolute control. He could have had them kill me or torture me at any moment. I was terrified for my life. I had to continue working for him. I may have had a miserable life and done some terrible things, but I'm not ready to die, Admiral Paris."
"Thank you, Doctor," said Paris. He turned to Luvois. "No further questions."
Luvois dismissed Zupanich, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped down from the stand, but Paris knew that the doctor's fight was far from over. The look in Garrett's eyes as he watched Zupanich leave the court room was almost predatory.
Admiral Paris called Lieutenant Latham as the next witness. He was still weak from his injuries and had to use a hoverchair to enter the courtroom. Paris took advantage of the time it took Latham to reach the stand and get settled to gesture to one of his aides who was standing off to the side of the room. "Contact Admiral Henry," he whispered to the ensign. "Have him arrange a protection detail for Dr. Zupanich."
"Yes, sir," said the ensign, hurrying out of the room.
Lieutenant Latham was settled on the stand, and Admiral Paris asked him about his assimilation. "It all seems like a bad dream," Latham said of being part of Garrett's collective. "I had no choices, no ability to decide for myself what was right or wrong. Now, when I look back, those weeks are a blur. I can barely even remember what I did. The only thing I can remember is Admiral Garrett's voice in my mind, and feeling compelled to obey him."
"Are you certain of whose voice you heard in your mind?" Paris asked.
Latham nodded. "It was Admiral Garrett's."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Paris said.
Garrett stood. "Lieutenant Latham, can you please tell the court how you came to be on my station?"
Latham cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I, uh, volunteered, sir."
"Why did you volunteer for the assignment? Was it because you wanted to do harm your fellow Starfleet officers?"
"No, sir," Latham replied adamantly. "I volunteered for the assignment because I understood that there was experimental training on the station, training to help improve Starfleet as a whole."
"I see. So you volunteered for this assignment for the betterment of Starfleet. And who are you to say that your actions will not, in the long run, help the betterment of Starfleet?"
"Objection," Paris said, standing. "Speculative."
"That question is not relevant to the proceedings, Admiral," said Luvois sternly. "We are here to hear the lieutenant's version of events, not question his ability to comment on them."
Garrett smiled. "It's all right, Admiral Luvois. The question was rhetorical."
Paris studied Garrett for a moment. He was starting to get a glimpse of the other admiral's new strategy. He might not be able to prove that Zupanich was responsible for the assimilations instead of him, but he was still going to try to get away with what he had done by claiming that he had been acting in Starfleet's best interest. "Redirect, your honor," Paris said. Luvois nodded.
"Lieutenant Latham, if you'd had full knowledge of what the assignment entailed, would you still have volunteered?"
"No, sir," Latham replied.
"No further questions," Paris said, and sat down.
Latham was dismissed, and Chakotay was called to the stand. He recounted what had happened to him, the details of his story aligning perfectly with what the court had already heard from Seven and Dr. Zupanich. He spoke about his experience in the link, echoing Latham's sentiments that the experience had been nightmarish. "When I look back now," he said, "I wasn't myself anymore. I looked like me, and sounded like me, but everything that makes me 'me' was taken from me."
"Commander, you now appear before this court whole and healed, so it may be hard for Admiral Luvois to imagine the nature of your injuries. Voyager's EMH and Dr. Crusher have already presented evidence on the severity of your condition, but will you please tell the court what your state was only a few weeks ago?"
"When Captain Janeway rescued me from Admiral Garrett's station, I had no memory of who I was. I was incapable of any action, thought or speech other than following orders. I had completely lost all my faculties. That I am sitting here before you and able to speak to you today is only due to the medical genius of the EMH, and the intervention of Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway."
Garrett remained silent through Chakotay's testimony. Paris asked Chakotay the same question he had asked Latham — "Whose voice did you hear giving you orders through the link?"
Chakotay's answer had been the same as Latham's. "Admiral Garrett." Chakotay stepped down from the stand without a single question from Garrett.
Next, Paris called Kathryn Janeway to the stand. Janeway entered the court room, as witnesses were only allowed to remain in the room and observe after they had given their testimony. She took the appropriate oaths and sat down.
Paris stood and approached. "Captain, please tell the court how you came to know Admiral Vince Garrett."
Janeway described how Garrett had come aboard Voyager with orders to dismantle the ship, how he had been less than forthcoming about his intentions, and how she had snuck aboard the ship late one night to try and learn his intentions.
"Weren't you worried about the consequences to your career?" Paris asked. "Or about disobeying a direct order not to board Voyager?"
"I expressed my concerns to the admiralty," Janeway said, "as you well know, sir. However, it seemed that Admiral Garrett was somehow protected by Starfleet, and my concerns seemed to go unheard. I know that what I did was wrong, but I was more concerned about the safety of the Federation than I was about my own career."
"And what did you learn?"
"I learned that Admiral Garrett was planning to create a collective of drones."
"How did you learn this information?"
"I overheard a conversation between Admiral Garrett and Commander Teral."
"Objection!" Garrett said. "Hearsay!"
"Admiral Paris?" Louvois asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We have proof of this conversation, Your Honor." Paris handed a small device to Admiral Luvois. "I'd like to introduce exhibit forty-one. Admiral, this data chip contains a conversation between Admiral Garrett and a woman, whom voice printing has confirmed to be the Romulan commander, Teral. The data chip is a copy that Captain Janeway made of the original recording she made aboard Voyager. We request permission to play a part of the recording for the court."
"So ordered," said Luvois.
Paris activated the small device, and Garrett's voice emerged: "Commander, our drones are going to be superior to even anything the Borg could create." The atmosphere in the court room thickened. Hearing Garrett's voice speak about the drones gave everyone in the room pause.
"Captain, if you had this evidence against Admiral Garrett, why did you not go directly to the rest of the admiralty with it?" Paris asked, wanting to get the question out into the open before Garrett did.
"Admiral Garrett threatened to have members of my crew extradited to Cardassia and imprisoned there," Janeway replied, tight-lipped. Across the courtroom, she saw Chakotay's reaction; he had not known this.
"Did you have reason to believe that the admiral would make good on this threat?" Paris asked.
"It seemed that Admiral Garrett had connections in high places. I wasn't sure what he was capable of, and it wasn't a risk I was prepared to take."
Paris continued to ask Janeway about what had happened, how she had discovered that Chakotay and Seven were missing, her decision to go after them in spite of what Starfleet might think, his own suggestion that she take a leave of absence. She described how they had discovered Garrett's cloaked station, and then how she had narrowly escaped becoming a drone herself thanks to Seven's ingenuity. She described to the court the link she had experienced and how she had heard Garrett's orders in her mind. She described the state they had found Chakotay in and the long and arduous process of bringing him back to his true self. Finally, Paris sat down, with no further questions for her.
Garrett stood. "You knew about my project before you left Earth, didn't you?"
"I had suspicions, but I had no real proof, only the recording of the conversation that I overheard between you and Commander Teral."
"Why didn't you go to the admiralty with the copy of the recording you made? Why wait until now to reveal that you had it?"
Janeway's eyes narrowed. "You threatened my crew with imprisonment, maybe even death."
"Even if that's true," Garrett said casually, "surely the fate of one or two crewmen isn't as important as exposing me would be, if I am indeed as dangerous as you say."
"I needed proof of what you were doing. I couldn't risk the lives of my crew without hard evidence."
"Perhaps."
"What are you implying, Admiral Garrett?" Paris asked.
"I'm only suggesting that Captain Janeway could have come forward with this so-called evidence before now, yet she didn't. Why didn't you, Captain? What's the real reason? Was it because you secretly approved of my project?"
"Objection!" Paris exclaimed. "Asked and answered."
Janeway held up a hand and exchanged a glance with Paris. "It's all right," she said. "I want to answer." She glanced at Luvois for permission, and the admiral nodded. Janeway looked him straight in the eye. "At the time, I didn't know the full scope of your project. I had no idea that you would kidnap two of my crew or that you were subjecting Starfleet officers to experiments. All I knew was that you had plans to create Borg drones, and that you had threatened the lives of those I held most dear. I still had hope that there would be another way to stop you, perhaps through official channels. It was only after you kidnapped Chakotay and Seven of Nine that I realized their lives were in danger, anyway. When Starfleet wouldn't answer any of my questions, I knew I had to take action on my own. This trial is the first opportunity since then that I've had to bring this evidence to light. Believe me, if I had known what you were doing, I would have brought this recording straight to the top."
"A likely story, Janeway," said Garrett. "I know your kind. You…"
"Objection!" said Paris.
"Sustained," Luvois said. "Admiral Garrett, this is not the first time I've asked you to refrain from insults in the court room. If you have no further questions for this witness, the witness may step down."
Garrett glared, but said nothing, and Luvois dismissed Janeway from the witness stand. Luvois chose that moment to call a 15-minute recess. Janeway approached Admiral Paris. "How's it going?" she asked.
Quietly, Paris filled her in on Zupanich's testimony. "Everything that Zupanich said lined up perfectly with testimony from Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine. That helps our case a lot."
"What's your estimation of Garrett?" Janeway asked. "He's not acting like a man who's losing."
"No, he's not. Garrett's not defeated yet. He still thinks he can win. And the way he looked at Zupanich when he came off the stand was scary. I've had Admiral Henry give Zupanich a protection detail." Paris caught the glance of another admiral beckoning him over. "Excuse me, Kathryn," he said.
Janeway nodded. She wanted to leave the court room for a few minutes, anyway. As she made her way through the room, she found Chakotay waiting for her at the door. "Want to get some air?" he asked.
"Yes." He fell into step beside her, and they exited the building together. She drew strength from his steady steps beside hers, from his presence at her side where he had been for so many years.
"You were great up there, Kathryn," he said softly once they were outside on Starfleet grounds. The day was warm and sunny, and they blended in easily with the myriad of other Starfleet officers walking through the courtyard.
She glanced up at him. "Do you really think so?"
"I know so. Garrett never stood a chance against Kathryn Janeway. Admiral Paris will win the case for sure."
The pride in Chakotay's voice was unmistakable, and Kathryn felt a blush rising in her cheeks. "I'm not so sure, Chakotay," she admitted. "I spoke to Owen, and he agrees that Garrett seems a little too cocky." She lowered her voice even more. "Admiral Paris asked for a protection detail for Dr. Zupanich."
"You think he's in danger?"
"I think we all are."
"Garrett is under 24-hour surveillance. He can't go anywhere, do or say anything without Starfleet knowing about it."
Janeway bit her lower lip. "I know, I know. But there's still something about the whole thing that doesn't make sense to me. Garrett's too confident. He has something up his sleeve; I'm just not sure what it is."
"Well, if anyone can figure it out, it's you and Admiral Paris."
She allowed herself a small smile. "Thank you for that. I hope you're right." She paused for a moment before changing the subject. "What about you, Chakotay? How are you feeling about your testimony?"
"It felt good to talk about what happened to me."
"I'm glad to hear it." She paused. "Well, we should probably be getting back."
"Yes." They headed back towards the court room. "Kathryn, when this is all over, I'd like to spend some time together. Not in a court room I mean."
Kathryn bit back the response that was on the tip of her tongue, But what about Seven? And instead replied, "Yes, we'll see if we can make the time."
Chakotay looked at her and furrowed his brow. It was not the enthusiastic response he had been hoping for, but now was not the time to press the issue. Before he had time to think about it any more, they were back in the court room and Garrett's trial continued.
"Now," Luvois said when everyone had returned to the court room, "it is unusual in these proceedings for the defendant to be representing himself. Generally, we recommend legal counsel. Admiral Garrett, since you have refused to have Starfleet legal counsel represent you, how would you like to proceed?"
Garrett called several character witnesses, people who claimed to know him and defended his motives, his loyalty to Starfleet and his sense of honor and duty. Janeway found it odd that none of them were of the admiralty although there were a few Starfleet officers on the list. Then, Garrett called himself to testify.
"Admirals," he said, addressing Luvois and the panel directly, "the court has heard that I plotted and planned to hurt Starfleet officers by taking away their individuality. I have even been charged with the murder of a man under my command as well as treason against the Federation. But think about what I did. I recruited Dr. Torstin Zupanich, a brilliant physician, to work for Starfleet. The work we have done together has hundreds of medical applications that could make life better for so many. Think about using nanoprobes to repair brain damage or cure previously incurable diseases. All of Dr. Zupanich's work can be applied in those circumstances. He never would have been able to do his research if not for me.
"I created a group of Starfleet officers that functioned seamlessly, more efficiently than any Starfleet crew on record. I have documented evidence from holodeck battle simulations and repair crews on board the station. Every test we ran showed that the drones performed more quickly and efficiently than an unaltered Starfleet crew would have. My work has the potential to increase Starfleet's productivity and efficiency by over fifty percent. "Admiral Paris argues that a man's individuality was taken away, but isn't that a small price to pay for the betterment of the entire Federation? Think how many more civilizations around the galaxy we could help if we could increase efficiency and productivity that much? Think what a positive impact we could make. The admiral wants to brand me as a murderer, but I am doing what is best for the entire Federation. Surely the individuality of a few people is worth the sacrifice to make the entire galaxy a better place. Admiral Paris argues that I am evil for initiating this project, when in fact, Captain Janeway is the one who is in the wrong. She was selfishly willing to put the lives of her friends above the good of the entire Federation. It is Captain Janeway who is selfish, concerned about only a few individuals, while I, I am working for the good of the whole."
As she sat in the court room listening to Garrett, Janeway felt a chill go down her spine as his true strategy came to light. He wasn't going to try and convince the court that he hadn't created an army of drones. The evidence against him was too overwhelming. No, he was going to try and convince the court that he had been right to do what he had done, while she was the one whose motives were questionable.
"Admiral Garrett," said Paris, "you claim that Zupanich's research was medically motivated. Have you or Dr. Zupanich applied any of his research to a medical situation, other than creating the drones on the station?"
"No, but that doesn't mean the research couldn't be applied that way."
"Did Lieutenant Michael Hoffman work under your command at the space station?"
"Yes."
"Are you aware that Lieutenant Hoffman died because of the procedure you had performed on him, the procedure that turned him into a drone?"
"It's my understanding that Lieutenant Hoffman died as a result of the fact that you severed him from my collective."
"If he had never been in your collective, it wouldn't have been an issue in the first place. Hoffman was damaged by your procedure. Trying to heal a wound and failing is not the same as causing the wound in the first place."
Garrett did not respond, staring at Paris defiantly.
"The court has heard part of a tape in which you discuss your plans to create drones with a Romulan commander, Teral. Just what was your relationship with Commander Teral, Admiral?" Paris asked.
"Commander Teral and I embarked on a joint venture to benefit both the Romulans and the Federation."
"Don't you mean you set out to create a dictatorship in which you would have ruled the Federation and the Romulan Empire with your drone army?" Paris asked.
"No, Admiral, I don't."
"How did you meet Commander Teral?"
"She contacted me, covertly, about a year ago. She asked to meet and told me she had something of value to me."
"How was she able to contact you?"
"She contacted me under an assumed identity through my position as head of the Advanced Technologies Division. She did not reveal to me that she was a Romulan, but told me she had valuable technology that she wanted to share with me."
"And when you met her and discovered she was a Romulan?"
"Naturally, I was suspicious, as any Starfleet admiral would be," Garrett replied with an air of bravado. He changed his tone to a conspiratorial whisper. "But when we met, Commander Teral revealed to me that she intended to defect from the Empire."
"And you believed her?"
"She had left the Empire and was prepared to offer me secret technology. I had no reason not to believe her claims, and the technology she offered was indispensable to my project."
"You also had no way of knowing she was not a spy, did you?"
"I was presented with information. I had to make a choice how to use it," said Garrett.
"That's ironic, considering that your entire project was designed to take away other people's abilities to make choices."
"Objection!" cried Garrett. "Relevance!"
"Admiral Paris, please restrict yourself to direct questions for the witness," Luvois reprimanded him.
Paris collected his thoughts and started again. "What was the technology that Commander Teral offered you?"
"The shielding and cloaking technology for the space station," Garrett admitted.
"Technology that is illegal in the Federation," Paris pointed out. "How do you explain your use of illegal cloaking technology?"
"Our work had to be protected. Romulans, Cardassians, the Breen, the Borg… any of them might have wanted to steal our research before it was completed. We had to be protected. The work had to be protected."
"That does not change the fact that you took illegal actions," Paris replied pointedly.
"But I did it for the good of the Federation. For the good of Starfleet."
Janeway watched Garrett from the second row of the court room. Garrett's tone was pleading; he knew that his defense was weakening.
"Do you deny that you engaged in treason against the Federation by conspiring with an agent of the Romulan Empire?" Admiral Paris asked.
"Commander Teral was a defector, not an agent of the Romulan Empire!" Garrett said loudly and stridently. "The fact that the Empire has taken no interest in her whereabouts and did not want her extradited with the other Romulans serves as proof of this."
"If Commander Teral was in fact a defector, then what were two Romulan warbirds doing at the station and why did they fire on Starfleet vessels?"
"I have no idea," Garrett replied, his voice becoming even more strained. "I didn't even know there were Romulan warbirds near the station. As far as I knew, Commander Teral was the only Romulan there. I was shocked when the warbirds decloaked."
"Do you expect this court to believe that you were working with Commander Teral but didn't know that she had ordered two Romulan warbirds to protect your station?"
"I didn't know about the warbirds!" Garrett shouted.
"Then how do you explain their presence?"
"I can't explain it, Admiral," replied Garrett, beginning to regain control of his emotions. "All I can think is that Commander Teral planned to betray me, that she ordered the warbirds to come to the station to attack, but that they never got the chance because the Enterprise arrived."
"Do you have any proof of that, Admiral?" Paris asked.
"Since I didn't know anything about it, I don't know how I could have any proof." Garrett's eyes darted from Paris to Luvois to Janeway. "Why don't you want to ask me about our efficiency tests?" Garrett asked. "About how productive our drones were? About all the good I was going to do for Starfleet? You just want to ignore the evidence!"
"I'm not ignoring the evidence," said Paris. "But it's not relevant to this proceeding. The question is whether or not you violated Federation law, whether or not your actions led to the murder of Lieutenant Michael Hoffman, and whether or not you betrayed the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet."
"I did not betray Starfleet," Garrett said, his voice rising to a fever pitch. "I have acted for the good of Starfleet. It is Captain Janeway whose actions were against the good of Starfleet! She is the one who is selfish, who is ignoring the needs of everyone."
"Admiral Garrett…"
Admiral Louvois banged her gavel on the table. "Gentlemen," she said, interrupting the argument, "there is no question on the table for this witness. Admiral Paris, do you have any further questions for this witness?"
"No further questions."
"Admiral Garrett, you may step down."
"But I…"
"Admiral Garrett!" Luvois said sharply. "Step down from the witness stand." After leveling a glare at Luvois, Garrett obeyed. "Now, if there are no additional witnesses…"
Paris stood suddenly. "I'd like to recall Captain Janeway."
"Very well," said Luvois.
"Objection!" Garrett exclaimed.
"Admiral Garrett, you opened the door for this one. You hardly have grounds to object."
Janeway took the witness stand for the second time that day. She was seething after listening to what Garrett had said about her. "Captain," Paris began, "Admiral Garrett has claimed that his actions are justifiable because they were performed for the good of Starfleet, whereas your actions were not motivated by the good of Starfleet. Could you please clarify your motivation?"
"Of course, Admiral," Janeway said, fighting to keep her voice calm. "I acted in the interest of the basic principles of Starfleet and the Federation. That is the principle of individual rights. Admiral Garrett claims he acted for the good. But what is the good? Who determines what is good, and how?" She paused. "You see, that is the value of individuality. I am able to make my own decisions about what is the right course of action for my life. As long as those decisions don't infringe upon your right to do the same, I can do what I decide is right for me. But how can I know the right course of action for Lieutenant Paris, or Commander Chakotay? I am not them. I do not share their needs or their desires. I may or may not share their view of what is 'good.' 'Good' can only be determined in one way, by a thinking mind. Only an individual can think; a drone can't do that."
"Thank you, Captain," Paris said, sitting down.
Garrett stood. "Captain, do you honestly think you can trust people to know what is good for themselves? Most people are too stupid to know what to do. They make bad decisions. They question orders. They don't obey. This is what's wrong with Starfleet."
"No. It's what's right with Starfleet. I value the opinions of my crew, even when they differ from mine. That's how we grow as human beings, Admiral, by looking at a problem or a situation from someone else's point of view, by trying to understand what they see or how they see it. Part of what makes Starfleet so strong is that it encompasses many races, many individuals, with many points of view. You say that most people are too stupid to make their own decisions." Her gaze shifted to Luvois and each of the admirals on the panel. "Are you really suggesting that individuals who have studied at Starfleet Academy, been on assignments, been promoted through the ranks, are not capable of making their own decisions? Who is to decide for them, Admiral Garrett? You?"
"Yes, me." Garrett's voice rose, and he was beginning to lose his composure. "I know. I know what is best for them. I know what is best for everyone. I know what would make the world a better place! If everyone would just shut up and obey!" Garrett was shouting, now, starting to rise out of his chair, and he seemed to realize he'd made a tactical error. He smoothed his uniform and sat down.
"The admirals on this panel?" Janeway asked. "You think they should just shut up and obey, too?"
"I…" Garrett paused, shrinking into his chair, suddenly unable to answer the question.
Admiral Paris stood, smiling. "That's all right, Admiral Garrett," he said. "I think you've already made your answer quite clear." Paris turned his attention to Luvois. "I have no further questions for Captain Janeway." He glanced at Garrett. "And I don't think Admiral Garrett does either."
Luvois dismissed Janeway from the witness stand, who returned to the benches in the court room. She sat down next to Chakotay and felt him reach over to give her hand a brief squeeze.
"If there are no further witnesses from either party," said Luvois, "the panel will retire to consider our verdict."
"No further witnesses, Admiral," said Paris. "The prosecution rests."
Garrett sat at his table, stunned. His legal advisor, who hadn't spoken throughout the proceedings, looked around the court room awkwardly. "The defense rests," he finally said, in a shaky voice.
Janeway watched Luvois and the other judges leave the room, and then waited as Garrett's legal advisor helped him out of his chair and out of the court room. Only then did she stand and turn to face the people behind her. Picard's senior staff was there, and her own crew. One by one, they all stood, and began to applaud. "Here's to Captain Janeway!" said Tom Paris. "And to my dad!"
Owen Paris grinned, and Janeway blushed and lowered her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you all, but it's not over yet." She looked back in the direction where the judges had gone.
"It will be, Captain!" said Tom, grinning. He winked at the captain one more time before approaching his father to congratulate him on a job well done.
Everyone began to mill about the court room, chattering excitedly, and Chakotay enfolded Janeway in a warm embrace. "You were wonderful, Kathryn!"
She hugged him tightly. "Thanks." Then she saw Seven standing behind him and quickly released the hug, stepping away from him to give him and Seven their space.
"Captain," said Seven, "it was, in fact, the value of individuality that was on trial today, was it not?"
"Yes, Seven."
"Your defense was a strong one, and Admiral Paris did an excellent job of presenting the case. I believe that the judges will convict Garrett."
"I hope so."
The judges did not take long to return to the room. Luvois stood. "After reviewing all the evidence, and listening to all the testimony given in this courtroom, this panel finds Admiral Vince Garrett guilty of all charges. Admiral, we sentence you to life in prison, to be served in the maximum security section of the New Zealand Penal Colony, effective immediately."
Exclamations and cheers were heard throughout the room. "I knew it!" Janeway heard Harry say to Tom. Behind her, she knew that people were hugging and laughing. She looked across the room and locked eyes with Garrett. Instead of seeing defeat in his gaze, she saw something else. His glance seemed to be filled with mocking laughter.