STARDATE 55059.01: Two Months Before the Trial

Anzhelika Ponomarev graduated third in her class. She held degrees in law and history. She surged to the rank of Commander early and held it, refusing captaincy or higher and the judicial positions those ranks offered. Early in her career, she selected the defense chair. Her superiors complimented her decision as her medals showed. When Voyager returned, and the announcement was made of the eugenic's trial, she condemned the actions of Starfleet and called for the immediate dismissal of Keegan. Admiral Chauhan approached her personally for the defense. To convince her, he provided records of her husband. He, and by extension her son, were descended from a eugenic. According to Keegan's information, he was a fifth batch named Borritz. She shouted, she screamed, she pulled away from her husband's touch. Her husband took one of her medals from its display and threw it to her. Excellence in the Service of Truth. She took the job.

She entered his cell and shook his hand briefly. "Lieutenant Keegan, my name is Commander Anzhelika Ponomarev. I will be your defense attorney."

"Commander, it will be pleasure working with you, but I prefer to defend myself. I will need your help as co-counsel, though."

She raised her eyebrows. "You speak Russian, and very well."

"I speak seventeen languages, average by the standards of my family," he continued in Russian. "The Universal Translator is wonderful, but I miss the variety of voice."

"I admit," she said. "It's nice to use the native tongue once in a while. I don't recommend defending yourself, though."

"You can't know my case as well as I do."

"I know Federation law."

"So do I," he said. "I learn quickly. Seven years was more than enough."

"Well, I can't stop you." She removed several PADDs from a briefcase. She tossed them to him across the length of the cell, describing each in turn. "Here is a list of your charges with all pertinent references. Here is a list of possible witnesses. This is a complete account of the statutes you've described along with a list of cases involving each. Some of the cases are more recent than Voyager's memory."

"Starfleet transmitted a lot of this information in a large block," he said. "I'm sure this is complete. I will go over it later. I need to talk to you now."

"About what?"

"For one thing, you're cowering from me. You can step closer. I won't hurt you."

"It takes a little getting used to," she said.

"If you are afraid to sit next to me, it will weaken my case."

She stepped closer and sat down on the cot. "I am a Starfleet officer. I will do my duty."

"Thank you."

"As your co-counsel, I recommend you take a deal. I've seen their offer. It's very generous."

"No. I will not be moved from this."

"Philip," she said, forcing his name. "It is not in your best interest. They will imprison you. You have admitted to your crimes."

"I have been reprimanded for some of them already."

"They have taken that into account. But, this isn't your century. Double Jeopardy doesn't work the same way. We don't reward deceiving the court. They won't include those charges, but they will consider your actions when determining your sentence."

"I know this."

"Mister Keegan—"

"Lieutenant."

"What?"

"Always call me 'Lieutenant Keegan'," he told her. "I want them to remember I am an officer."

"Of course," she said. "You need to know; the tribunal will consist of admirals currently serving on the Federation Council."

He whistled. "They want this done right. I didn't realize I warranted that amount of attention."

"I'll assume you want the prosecution to proceed first."

"No. I'll go first."

She shook her head. "Even in your day, they recognized the benefit of presenting second."

"That's not the case here. I know what the prosecution will do. I know what parts of my past they will discuss. I need to prove my humanity to the tribunal before the prosecution can show me as a devil. If I don't cushion the blow, I'm lost."

"Your past is that bad?" she said. "Of course your past is that bad. What have you done?"

"Much of it falls under the protection of war. I was responding to attacks from others. My batch did as little as possible to help the other eugenics. I also need to show the contributions we made."

She winced. "A lot of people are upset by what you've revealed."

"It doesn't matter what the general population thinks. The tribunal will view it correctly."

"Your unpublished papers have been pulled out of archive."

"Good," he said.

"Some of the ideas were published by others."

"Those scientists are innocent. It's a case of simultaneous discovery."

"Good. I'll make that information public." She took a slow breath. "I am required to inform you that you are not allowed to mention Section Thirty-One."

"I understand."

"They also guarantee Section Thirty-One cannot approach you."

"Or abduct me."

"Yes. And, they recommend that you continue to use your telepathic shield." She picked up a PADD. "Now that we have that out of the way, what do you need me to do?"

"I have a list of witnesses."

"I'll get them. A third of Voyager's crew has offered to testify."

"I know," he said.

"Admiral Janeway's testimony will carry particular weight."

"Admiral? From captain? That's impressive."

"Starfleet promoted about half the crew," Ponomarev said. "Most of the Maquis had their honorary rank made official."

"That's good to know."

"I need to know this," she said. "How much like Khan are you?"

"That is a very good question," he said. "I am more like him than I want. I have spent the last seven years trying to change that. But we were raised the same way. That can be difficult to overcome."

"The prosecution will use that."

"So will I," he said. "Please be ready for it."

She lowered the PADD. "It would be best if I knew more."

"Not in this case."

"Very well, but don't lie to me. Ever. I will quit if you do."

"I can accept that," he replied.

She searched through the PADDs, finally finding the one she needed. "Are these all the contributions of the other eugenics?"

"No," he said. "Some of them will be more difficult to take. I want to reveal those during the trial."

"The prosecution will contest admissibility without some prior disclosure."

"It's not the prosecution that worries me," he told her. "Some people will try to suppress the information or hide the evidence. I can't allow that."

"Why would they do that?"

"I've received more than a hundred letters demanding I recant my authorship of the Unclaimed Thesis. One of them was signed by two-thirds of the Daystrom Institute's Physics Department. Some of the other information has a greater following."

"Like what?"

"My sister's novels, for one," he said. "She wrote two-hundred and twenty-six of them."

"Wow. That's the same as— No!"

"Her daughter."

"That can't be. She was born in twenty-thirty-four."

"She was the daughter of two batch ten eugenics," Phil said. "She had a three-hundred-year lifespan. She published the novels under her mother's name. In her original 'life' she worked as a literary historian. She also published her father's symphonies, claiming—"

"They belonged to her brother." Anzhelika lowered her head to her hand. "God. No wonder her books were so dark. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Don't worry." He let the information sink into her before continuing. "The event in Diary of a Child's Moment was real."

"What?" Her voice wavered.

"It all happened, just as she described it."

All she could say was, "Oh."

Simone Brown graduated near the middle of her class, but she rose in rank faster than the valedictorian or any of the others. She took the most difficult cases she could get, pursuing the truth and the safety of the people of the Federation as passionately as any deep space explorer. Many years earlier, she prosecuted Tom Paris. His father wanted it done right, without a hint of bias. A way of teaching his son. She begged for the opportunity to prosecute Philip Keegan. She found many of his comments disturbing. Reviewing her own life, third generation Starfleet with enough officers in her family for a tactical fleet, she realized she had never dated outside of Starfleet. Her studies prevented dating before Academy acceptance. Afterward, she found only other officers could keep up with her mentally or physically. Then there was the revelation about that book.

"When I was twelve, I wanted to marry you," Commander Brown said.

"That's a tough book to read at twelve," Phil replied.

"It took several tries. I strongly considered science because of 'Kieron McCray'."

"I'm sure you chose the right path," he said.

"In light of this evidence, I'm willing to improve your deal. The tribunal has agreed."

"I believe you."

The commander closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can see why you frustrate Admiral Janeway so much."

"Commander, I want to remain in Starfleet for more reasons than those described by my sister. I will not leave unless forced out."

"I believe you," she replied. "I understand why you hate Khan so much, but you don't need to pay for his crimes."

"First, you don't know why I hate Khan. Kashmira left out the worst part of that event, and she didn't have the chance to include some later details. Second, it's more than just Khan's crimes."

"There's ... worse?" she asked.

"You have no idea."

"Very well," she said. "Mister Keegan—"

"Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant Keegan, are you certain that what you are doing is in the best interest of the Federation?"

"No, I believe what I am doing is necessary."

"As you wish. You understand, my sympathy for you will not interfere with my responsibilities."

"I understand, Commander," he said. "I expect nothing else."

"Understand this as well, a painful past does not make you a good officer. Starfleet considers revenge a poor motivation," she told him in a steady voice.

"It's not revenge, Commander," he replied. "To be honest, I don't want the job if I don't deserve it."

Her head tilted to one side. "You don't actually know, do you?"

"A Federation trial is about finding the truth."

"I look forward to it, Lieutenant."