To: ascl@yahoogroups.com
Organization: Alt.StarTrek.Creative Virtual Staff Office
Message-ID: <bsj4c0p54dd04fqf81io9rv2bf21v51goa@4ax.com>
From: Stephen <stephenbratliffasc@earthlink.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com
Precedence: bulk
Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 18:56:12 -0400
Subject: [ASC] NEW:VOY "In Pursuit of Justice" 12/13 J [PG-13]
Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: 3 Jun 2004 13:37:20 -0700  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: roq@iname.com (Rocky) 
 

Title: In Pursuit Of Justice
Author: Rocky
Contact: roq@iname.com
Web page: http://www.angelfire.com/yt/rockyroad
Series: VOY
Part: 12/13
Codes: J
Rating: PG-13
Date first posted: 6/3/04
Archive: ASC yes, all others please ask

Summary & Disclaimer: see part 1

Mendez's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Captain Janeway," she said,
quickly recovering. "This is certainly fortuitous. I was just about to
contact Captain Gaines to set up a meeting, and here you are, with
your counsel in tow. Please be seated, both of you."

Gaines smiled politely as he took a chair on the other side of the
massive desk. Mendez's office, Janeway couldn't help noticing, was far
more opulent and lavishly furnished than Gaines's own.

"Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Mendez asked.

"I take it you were going to contact us to offer us a deal," Gaines
said.

"And you're here with a proposal of your own," Mendez said, nodding.
"I'm listening."

"My client is willing to plead guilty to the charges of reckless
endangerment and conduct unbecoming to an officer," Gaines said. "In
return, the charge of attempted murder is dropped."

Mendez considered him coolly for a moment and then focused her
attention on Janeway. "Assuming I decide to accept, you're not going
to get off with a mere slap on the wrist, Captain." Turning back to
Gaines, she added, "We're not just talking about an official
reprimand. Your client is going to have to serve some time in prison."

"Probation," Gaines said, leaning forward. "Or a suspended sentence."

"Three years," Mendez said. 

"Eighteen months," Gaines said, "with the possibility of parole after
two thirds of the sentence has been served."

"That's acceptable," Mendez said. "But she serves in a medium security
facility."

"And I don't want you going after any of my crew in connection with
the 'Equinox Incident'," Janeway, speaking for the first time. "I am
solely responsible for what happened to Noah Lessing. No one else on
Voyager should be held liable."

Mendez considered for a long moment. "Agreed."

Janeway did not allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief. "Now I'd
like to discuss what happens after I serve my sentence."

"Afterward?" Mendez said, blankly. "What do you mean?"

Gaines frowned. "If you're speaking about your career in Starfleet,
Kathryn, surely you realize that after a dishonorable discharge you
can hardly reapply for reinstatement—"

"I want an honorable discharge," Janeway interrupted.

Mendez laughed. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. "Your actions hardly
warrant any such consideration. I'm willing to drop the major charge,
but that does not in any way take away from the magnitude of your
crime."

"Alleged crime," Gaines said softly. "Come on, Sonia. You obviously
aren't as sure of winning this case as you appear to be, or you would
not have been working on a deal of your own. What we're offering is
better than you could have hoped for. Captain Janeway is admitting her
wrong-doing."

"Is she willing to do so at the court-martial, in a public statement
to the jury?" Mendez asked.

Janeway swallowed. "Yes, I am."

Mendez nodded slowly. "Then we have a deal." She rose to her feet.
"I'll inform Admiral U'Tzedek."

***

"I'm sure you'll be very glad to get the whole sordid business behind
you as quickly as possible," Owen Paris said.

Janeway shifted in her seat in the Admiral's well-appointed office at
Starfleet Headquarters. "Yes, I will be."

"Tell me, Kathryn, have you given any thought for your future?" 

"It's a bit premature to consider that, don't you think?" Janeway
said.

Owen inclined his head. "I know the court-martial isn't over yet.
After all, both sides have to present their closing arguments, but I'm
sure that once the verdict comes in—"

"It is over, Owen," Janeway said. She told him of her deal with
Mendez. "And so, sentencing is tomorrow."

The Admiral looked at her in disbelief. "But why? The whole tenor
changed the last few days. The defense made a very strong case,
punched holes in some of the main prosecution contentions. I don't
understand why Gaines decided to take a deal *now*."

"As opposed to earlier?" 

"You had such a good chance of winning, Kathryn!"

Janeway slowly rose to her feet. "The last time we spoke, you told me
to resign—was that only to avoid losing? Because you were afraid of my
giving the Fleet a black eye?"

"That's not the point, Kathryn," he said, waving her words away.

"I think it is. Your whole emphasis was on avoiding embarrassment for
Starfleet, that one of their esteemed captains--*your* protegee—could
be found guilty of such reprehensible behavior. That's all you ever
cared about. Not about justice, about right and wrong."

"I was also looking out for your best interests. As you are aware,
*Captain*, justice has different meanings under different
circumstances," Owen said angrily. "I fail to see what justice is
served by your going to prison—"

"I was wrong, Owen," she cut in sharply. "I deliberately put a man's
life in danger, and so help me, I would have killed him if it weren't
for the actions of my first officer."

His mouth tightened. "Kathryn, you don't deserve—"

"Yes, I do. I'm facing up to what I've done, the crimes—yes,
crimes—I'm guilty of. One of the first rules of command is the captain
must accept responsibility." She smiled, a bit sadly. "You taught me
that, you know, when I served under you on my first shipboard
assignment."

"I'm sorry." Owen rose as well. "There has to be something I can do.
Perhaps I can put in a good word for you—"

"No," Janeway said firmly. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but
it's over." She took a deep breath. "After all these years, it's
finally over."

End part 12

--
Forwarded to ASCL by:
Stephen Ratliff
ASC Stories Only Forwarding

In the Pattern Buffer at:
http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/

ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion.  Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. 

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 


From ???@??? Sat Jun 05 19:01:04 2004
X-Persona: <SBR MailingList>
Status:  U
Return-Path: <sentto-1977044-13672-1086476246-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com>
Received: from n41.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.67.16])
	by penguin (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bwK6q2r33NZFl40
	for <stephenbratliffasc@earthlink.net>; Sat, 5 Jun 2004 15:57:26 -0700 (PDT)
X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13672-1086476246-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com