Title: Precedent
Author: Dave Rogers
Email Address: daverogers@geocities.com
Series: VOY
Rating: PG
Codes: P, J
Part: 1/1
Date Posted:

Summary: Missing scene from "Thirty Days". Was there more to Tom 
disobeying orders than met the eye?

Disclaimer: "Paramount's not going to be able to save the day this
time, are they?" "What about Dave Rogers?"

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Jenn for beta reading, and to Jim 
Wright's "Delta Blues" website for background information.



Precedent



It was Lieutenant Paris, not Captain Proton, who sat on the bridge of 
the rocket ship. Lieutenant Paris, not Captain Proton, who poured out 
his longing and bared his soul. And Lieutenant Paris, not Captain 
Proton, who suddenly saw the way through.

Tom left the holodeck, his last few words with B'Elanna still turning 
over in his mind.

B'Elanna had offered her support. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm 
proud of you."

"Thanks. But Captain Proton's not going to be able to save the day 
this time, is he?"

"What about Tom Paris?"

But Captain Proton was there too. Maybe Tom and the Captain could do 
this together, he thought. Or Tom and the other Captain? Why not?



"You wanted to see me, Mr. Paris." Janeway's voice was still harsh, 
still disapproving, but calming slightly since she'd dressed him down 
in the briefing room. Maybe there was a chance to get through to her. 
Tom walked slowly, stiffly, across the floor of the ready room, and 
stood ramrod straight, hands clasped nervously behind his back.

The words had to be right. "Captain, the Prime Directive forbids the 
USS Voyager from influencing the Moneans. I understand that, and I 
understand why." He kept his tone short, clipped and formal, trying 
to project the image of the loyal officer.

"Is there a point to this, Tom?"

He took a deep breath. She'd called him Tom. Maybe she would listen. 
"The Federation can't be held responsible for any attempt to 
interfere. But if someone from Voyager just cut loose and tried to 
blow up the extraction plants..."

Janeway's eyes narrowed. "I'd make them wish they'd never been born."

"But it still would have happened. And it might make the Moneans sit 
up and take notice."

"I see." Janeway stood up and walked over to the viewport. She stood 
silently with her back to Tom for a few seconds, looking out at the 
ocean below them. Then, without turning, she said, "So you're asking 
me to collude in a direct violation of the Prime Directive, then pass 
on all the blame to you?"

"I'm not asking for you to do anything you wouldn't do anyway, 
except..." Tom's voice dropped almost to a whisper. "Don't shoot to 
kill. After that, I'll take what's coming to me."

"Would it surprise you to hear that I'd already considered that 
possibility?" She turned now, her face unexpectedly calm, the hint of 
a smile on her lips. "I can't do that to you, Tom. I can't let you do 
it to yourself."

She walked over to the replicator. "Two coffees." She placed a coffee 
on either side of the table, and both sat and sipped quietly. Then she 
started speaking in a offhand tone of voice. "You know, your father 
used to tell me a good officer should know everything about Starfleet. 
You'd be amazed at some of the pieces of trivia I picked up."

Tom tried not to look to surprised at the sudden change of subject. 
"Such as?"

"Oh, all sorts. Obsolete ship specs, minor historical figures," 
Janeway looked up from her coffee and looked Tom full in the face, 
"old legal precedents," she looked back at her cup, "that sort of 
thing." 

There was a cue there. Tom sat back and tried to look relaxed, to hide 
the glimmering of hope. "Old legal precedents. Sounds dull."

"Not always. You'd be amazed at some of the things you learn from old 
files." Janeway looked down into her coffee cup. Tom couldn't see her 
eyes. "There's one case I remember, the Williams court-martial from 
2247 - way, way back, but the precedent's still part of case law. You 
should look at that sort of thing, you might find it interesting."

Tom gave her a quizzical look. "Doesn't sound like my kind of thing. 
Can you give me the executive summary?"

Janeway looked up again, and smiled. "Lieutenant Amara Williams. 
Resigned his commission in 2243. He was taken on as a civilian advisor 
by Captain Louis Peters, USS Jamestown, when they were clearing up the 
mess after the Tarsus IV incident. Peters gave him a brevet rank for 
the duration of the emergency. He was ordered," Janeway waved an 
I-can't-remember-the-details hand, "to fire on rioting civilians, or 
something like that. He refused to obey the order, and was demoted to 
Lieutenant, J. G."

"I've heard of that sort of thing," said Tom, trying not to sound too 
disgusted. Then a worrying thought struck him. "I hope you don't think 
I'm trying to compare myself..."

"Hear me out, Tom. When the Jamestown got back from Tarsus, Williams 
applied for a new posting, and Starfleet refused - they said his rank 
was only temporary. Some smart attorney called Cogley took his case."
Janeway's voice deepened, taking on a dark intensity. "It turned out 
that there was a case to argue. Captain Peters hadn't specified 
Williams's brevet status when he demoted him. Cogley won the case, and 
Starfleet had to reinstate his commission." She waved a hand again. 
"As a Lieutenant, J. G., of course."

Tom nodded slowly, trying to take in what Janeway was saying. "I think 
I see." The gambler in him could see the alternatives; gamble on being 
accepted in Starfleet if - when - they got home, or go for a sure 
thing. 

"And, Mr. Paris," Janeway was back to the full command voice now, "If 
any of my officers take the Monean matter into their own hands, I will 
deal with them as firmly as Captain Peters dealt with Lieutenant 
Williams."

Their eyes met in silent understanding. Without a word or a gesture, a 
contract was proposed, accepted and agreed.

Tom left quietly, deep in thought. Janeway would have to do more than 
simply demote him, for sure; maybe confinement to quarters, loss of 
privileges, even time in the brig. He could live with that. He'd still 
be an officer, and this time he'd be staying that way.

The thought of profiting personally from the situation had nearly 
persuaded him against it; he wasn't in this out of self-interest. But 
then, of course, there was the ocean. He believed in the ocean. He'd 
have tried to save that, whatever it did to his career. This twist 
just made it easier on Janeway. It was the only way she'd allow him to 
do the right thing.

He'd just have to hope he could stay convinced of that.


THE END