Chakotay stared out the window at the Golden Gate Bridge and wondered how many men and women over the years had viewed it as their first sight of homecoming.  He had never considered Earth home, yet he still felt some tie to that old symbol.  Maybe it was all the stories he had heard about that bridge and the ships passing under its spans, generations of travelers and sailors on naval vessels being greeted by those arches across the bay.  He smiled as he remembered the stories of Kirk and the whales landing in the bay with an inglorious splash.  He could almost see the whales dancing now in the distance.  He had never really expected to see it again.  How many years had it been now since he resigned his commission?  He shook his head and sighed.  Too many years, too many miles -- he laughed – miles?  Talk about understatement, he had traveled more miles than he could imagine.  Was it only seven years that they had struggled to get back to Earth?  Only a few days ago he would have said it seemed like a lifetime; today it seemed to have taken no time at all.  He tried to remember why he had wanted to get home.  He couldn’t remember anymore.  Home?  Maybe that was the problem – he wasn’t sure where home was.  He had walked his own path alone for so long that he had lost ‘home.’  For a brief respite, home had been Voyager and he had been content.  He shook his head again; that respite was over.

Chakotay turned his attention to the building that he currently called ‘home.’  Hopefully that label would be short term and he would soon be walking his own path again.  He glanced around the recreation room that served the top three floors.  After seven years with only 150 or so people, it seemed too crowded in this facility that housed nearly 500 individuals.  About half of Voyager’s crew, including all his former crew and the few surviving members of the Equinox crew, was currently housed on the upper residential floors in this building. The rest were in the buildings nearby.  He glanced around the room wondering what to do next.  For as long as he could remember he had been on a ship dealing with people, setting priorities, reading reports, writing reports, making repairs, attending meetings . . . the list continued.  A line officer used to being in space did not have much to do unless there was a ship to run.  Absently he watched the people cross the open area between the buildings.  Most were in pairs talking animatedly and waving their hands to emphasize their points.  A few scurried quickly between buildings.  He smiled when he realized that the scurriers were all ensigns and lieutenants, most likely on an urgent errand for a superior – like fresh donuts.

Chakotay glanced at the chronometer on the far wall.  It didn’t seem possible that only two days ago they were still in the Delta Quadrant preparing for yet another encounter with the Borg.  Most people counted themselves lucky to walk away from one encounter, yet there was Voyager seeking them out time and again in an effort to get home.  He remembered a phrase that had made its rounds while he was still in Starfleet – Fate protects little children, fools and ships named Enterprise – and wondered under which category Voyager fell.  That last encounter landed them, in astronomical terms, on the Federation’s front porch.  The short journey to Earth had been almost anticlimactic after their journey.  They had approached the planet, were welcomed by Earth central, received permission to enter orbit, then received orders from Starfleet to pull Voyager into space dock where she was docked away from the main traffic patterns.  The captain had seemed surprised at what happened next, but Chakotay in all honesty could not say he thought it was unexpected.  Starfleet Security had taken the Equinox crew and the Maquis into custody and brought them to this building where they were told they were confined until they received further instructions.  One member of the security team was evidently thinking as well as obeying orders, for about ten minutes after they arrived a medical team arrived to check on B'Elanna and Miral.  The hardest part of that entire process for Chakotay was when a young ensign went down the line of Maquis collecting their rank insignia.  For seven years these men and women had worn the uniform with pride, every last one of them had earned the rank they displayed.  Now it was being taken away with no explanation. He glanced up as someone entered the room.

“Tom!  What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking for my family.  Where are they?”

“They’re fine.  Someone from Starfleet medical is just checking them over now.  How did you get past the guards?”

“The guards aren’t there to stop everyone from coming here.  They only stop people who aren’t cleared to see Voyager’s crew and they stop all of you from leaving.  They must have told us more than they did you.  At least for today, we are all confined to the grounds and are allowed no contact with anyone outside.  Everyone with charges pending from the past is confined to this building until their cases can be heard.  The Commander in Chief has clamped a lid on everything Voyager until they can figure out what to do, what to say and who should say it.  They knew we were coming home but not quite so soon.”

“What did the captain have to say about all this?”  Chakotay wondered whether she had been surprised at not being given the opportunity to turn her prisoners over to Security or whether she had not expected Security at all.

“Well, she was slowly working her way up the chain of command when my dad came on board.  He walked up to her on the bridge and said something that sounded like ‘you have more important things to worry about right now, Kathryn’ or at least that’s what I thought it sounded like.  They were still talking in her ready room when I left to come here.”  Tom stopped and stared at the older man for a minute.  “Tell me again, Chakotay, why exactly was it we wanted to come back to the Alpha Quadrant?”

“I don’t know, Tom.”  Chakotay had once said he needed to live in the present, not a future that might never come.  Well, that future was now his present and it was time to live it.  “It isn’t important anymore, Tom.  We’re back so tonight we should celebrate that success.  Tomorrow is time enough to sort out the problems that returned with us to the Alpha Quadrant.  Let’s go find B'Elanna and get some dinner.”

For the next few days, the little band in the “Voyager Building” made the adjustment back to life in the Federation.  Fresh foods they had only dreamed about for seven years, like oranges and bananas and kiwi, unlimited use of the replicator and no reports to read or write.  After the first day, they slowly started gathering together in the recreation area for meals, just as they had on Voyager.  On the second day, other members of the crew were making their way across the compound to join them and by the third day the recreation room looked like Voyager’s mess hall with sunlight at the windows instead of starlight.  Tom had just moved into B'Elanna’s assigned quarters without asking, abandoning the quarters he had been assigned.  Once they realized that Security was not going to interfere, the other half of the couples that had existed on Voyager made similar moves.  For reasons only they knew, most of the people continued to wear their Starfleet uniforms.

The only things missing from their time on Voyager were the other members of the senior staff.  On the fourth day, Harry showed up and explained their absence.  He walked into the recreation room after dinner, spotted Tom and Chakotay, pulled up a chair and made himself comfortable.

“Wow!  Am I glad to see you guys!  How have you been?”

Tom looked at Harry out of the side of his eyes.  “Nice of you to join us, Harry.  Have a seat.”

“What’s wrong?  What did I do?”

“Nothing except you couldn’t be bothered to come visit us sooner.”

“Who said I couldn’t be bothered?  I haven’t been out of my quarters since we got back unless it was with some lieutenant in charge of debriefing me.  They finally said the preliminary stuff was over and I didn't have any more meetings for a few days.  I came straight here.  I couldn’t believe they just let me walk in without some kind of clearance.”

“Are you serious, Harry?  Did they really put you through that already?”

“Yes.  I wasn't the only one.  I know they've started questioning the captain.  They probably started with a few others that I haven't heard about yet.  Got any leftovers?”  Chakotay smiled at Harry’s last comment and told him to go help himself at the food line.  When Harry returned Chakotay eyed his plate in amazement.

“Haven't they fed you since we got back?”

“Yes, but all I had was access to the replicator.  They closed all our accounts after we disappeared and they still haven’t gotten them opened yet so I couldn’t even go get a cup of coffee in the cafeteria.  Is it ok if I eat here with the rest of you for a while?”

"Sure.  Just let security know when you leave so they can add you to the list of people eating here.”

“You know, it surprises me, Chakotay.”

“What does?”

“That I could just walk in to see all of you without some kind of clearance.  I expected at least locked doors and a few more unfriendly guards.”

“As it was explained to me, we caught Starfleet and the civilian authorities off balance.  They didn’t have any time to rearrange their secured facilities so there was room for all of us.  This was a stopgap measure that was supposed to end within 24 hours.  The civilian prosecutors are still pushing to move all the former Maquis to a civilian facility, but the presiding judge is going along with this for the time being.  Someone in Starfleet trusts us enough to be working on our behalf, but we haven’t been told who that person is.  At any rate, for now we are all confined to the grounds.  The one thing that I am sure about is that one wrong step by anyone and we all end up in secured facilities, which would not please Starfleet because the civilian authorities would be doing the ‘I told you so’ routine for the next decade.  Excuse me.”  Chakotay rose from the table and walked across the room to where the security guard was signaling him.  The guard introduced him to another man and the three went out to the main foyer.  Harry turned his attention to his food and his friend.

“One wrong step?  Tom, you better not try out any of your great ideas.”

“Me?  I’m not even restricted to this building so I can’t get them all in trouble.”

“Oh. They really are approving everyone.  Where’s B'Elanna?”

“She went to feed Miral.  They should be back in about ten minutes.  You won’t believe how much she’s grown!”  Tom launched enthusiastically into Miral’s latest accomplishment.  Harry was spared listening to more than three of Tom’s stories by B'Elanna’s return with the sleeping prodigy.  The three were still catching up on the last few days when Chakotay returned.

“Tom, would you go and make sure everyone is out of their rooms and down here.  Get a couple of the others to help you check the other two floors.  We need to have a meeting.”

Chakotay watched while the last of the stragglers found chairs and the group quieted down enough to hear what he said.

“OK, people, I’ve been asked to pass on some information to you all.  Some of it you already know, some of it you probably could figure out for yourselves, and the rest is information you are going to need in the coming weeks.  All of this will be forwarded to your personal terminals, but the person coordinating all the investigations wanted it presented to us as a group.  Now, the part that is new to you is new to me as well, and I don’t know any more than what I’m going to tell you.

“First of all, some of us are here because of warrants issued while we were in the Maquis.  Those warrants were issued by the Federation and will be handled by civilian officials.  Because of the length of time since the original warrants were issued and the change in diplomatic relations with Cardassia, those officials have been ordered by the presiding judge to review all the information and to refile all charges based on the currently available information.  Because of the overlap in the actions leading to the charges, they are doing all the review work for everyone before filing on any individual.  This means that it will be about eight weeks before we know what charges will actually be pursued in court.”  This statement set off a series of moans in the room.

“I know that sounds like a long time but remember that civilian courts usually take at least a year for most trials from start to finish.  This slow start is probably going to get us all out of here more quickly in the long run.  Once actual charges have been established, they expect to have preliminary hearings immediately afterward.  Apparently they are hoping the preliminary hearings will allow many of you to avoid a formal trial.  Now they haven’t said this in so many words, but they have scheduled the preliminary hearings over a three-week period and the actual hearings over a two-week period.  The week following the last of the hearings is when all decisions and sentences will be handed down.  That’s less than four months total for all of you who were Maquis.  I’d say that's pretty good, all things considered.

“That’s it for the civilian charges.  Starfleet is currently going through all our records while we were on Voyager.  I don’t mean just those of us here in this building, I mean all of us on Voyager.  We were gone a long time and we had a lot of very difficult situations to resolve.  They will be looking for violations of all Starfleet standing orders and regulations as well as violations of the laws of the peoples we met.  A few of you already know that there may be questions from Starfleet about your actions, especially if you have any disciplinary actions in your file.  Now this review could lead to any number of things, including official reprimands, to actual charges, or even official commendations.  My understanding is that all disciplinary actions will be confirmed, reversed or perhaps revised.

“So far, the only people in our group at this facility who can expect charges like these are those from the Equinox.  This list is expected to grow slightly.  Starfleet has divided the crew into three groups.  The first group is the crew of the Equinox.  Because the files available on them are considerably shorter than for the rest of the crew, their reviews are expected to take only about five weeks.  Formal charges will be filed the fifth and sixth weeks with preliminary hearings the next three weeks.  The formal hearings are the following week and the final disposition of those charges will be announced the week after.

“The second group is everyone else who was part of Voyager’s crew.  Although this is primarily a formality, Starfleet is taking it seriously and I suspect they will find a few things to change just to prove this was no cursory review.  This process does not have a time frame set up but will be following the same general pattern of review, determining charges, hearings and disposition as for the group from the Equinox.

“To summarize what will be happening, first there will be a review which may lead to actual charges being filed against someone.  In rare instances, there may be a hearing before charges are filed.  This would happen if there were a reasonable expectation that information from you would result in the charges being dropped without a formal hearing.  Generally, there will be preliminary hearings.  Again, there is the possibility that charges would be dropped or reduced at this point.  The formal hearings follow this.  If you are acquitted, you may know at the end of your formal hearing, but otherwise final disposition of each case will follow the hearing.  As far as timing, those people from the Equinox can expect to be finished first or in about three months.  The Maquis can expect to be finished within four months.  The others, I am guessing, would be finished somewhere between the other two groups but we will know more about that as Starfleet’s review progresses.  Any questions so far.”  Chakotay took a deep breath; the worst of it was over.  Only one hand went up.  “Yes?”

“Who is in the third group you mentioned in connection with Starfleet and what is the time frame for them?”

“There are only two people in that group and one of them isn’t here with us so I didn’t include them.  I am one of those people; the other is the captain.”

Chakotay had hoped to avoid this discussion and was not disappointed in the reactions to his statement that the Captain was being subjected to the same review as the rest of them. He waited for most of the outbursts and comments to fade before speaking.

“I know how you all feel.  None of us wants the captain charged with anything, but try to look at it from Starfleet’s perspective.  Seven years without personal contact with Starfleet Command or a superior officer is a long time for anyone.  We all know what happened out there and you have to admit that some of her decisions and some of my decisions might be questioned by people who were not there to personally experience events.  My personal opinion is that they are doing this by the book so that once they close the book there will be no reason for anyone to reopen it later.  Nothing is changed as far as procedure but the time frame is stretched out to between sixteen and eighteen weeks.  Any other questions?

“Good!  Now for the things you already know – first, until the disposition of any and all charges against you, each of you is restricted to this facility.  There is still no mention of how you get permission to leave the building.  For now, let’s just say it’s not possible.

“Next, there is a press blackout on Voyager.  Until you are told otherwise, you talk to no one about Voyager or the Delta Quadrant except the designated people from Starfleet.  For those of you who will be dealing with the civilian authorities, this restriction applies to them as well.  Nothing they are addressing deals with your actions in the Delta Quadrant.  If you are asked about events in the Delta Quadrant, refer them to Starfleet.  In other words, let the brass deal with the civilians on this issue.  It goes without saying that this means the press and general public, but I’ll remind you that it also includes your families and friends.  To refresh your memories, I’ll reiterate the topics that you should avoid.  Don’t talk about technology we acquired in the Delta Quadrant; don’t talk about species we met in the Delta Quadrant; don’t talk about the ways we shortened our journey; and don’t talk about your actions or the actions of others.  When you’re talking to anyone, limit your comments to your current health and have them tell you what’s been going on in the Alpha Quadrant. The people to whom you have been talking are already on your approved contact list.  Others can be added but I strongly urge you not to get carried away.  Try to let one or two people be relays for the rest of your friends and family.  Good news, on this summary it states that within reason, the individuals on your approved contact list will be allowed to visit you.  Remember, within reason.  I’ll ask Security if they can arrange for us to have access to a couple of other rooms where we can entertain visitors.  Once that is arranged, we will be able to accommodate everyone’s visitors.

“One final point for everyone – we all have to be debriefed by Starfleet for the last seven years.  They have started with some of the crew and the captain already and will be moving to the rest of us as they can.  This entire process will take as much time as Command says it will take.  The only thing they have told us is that they will be working around the legal schedule so that is not delayed.  Don’t be surprised if you are involved in the debriefing process longer than the legal issues.”

“Now, unless there are major objections from all of you, I propose we post a schedule of hearing dates, times and places so we all know each others' schedules.  If a few of you do not want your schedule posted, just let me know later and I’ll leave you off.  Objections?  No?  Good.

“Anyone want some good news?”  Chakotay smiled at the chuckle that went around the room which was overwhelmed by sighs of dismay at the prospect of still more information.

“I personally think they are including this now just to encourage us, which it should.  This whole thing has so many conditions that it barely says anything, but the bottom line is, provided they don’t find anything new in the review process that adversely impacts this decision, Starfleet has indicated that they will be confirming all field commissions made by Captain Janeway.  Tom, I am interpreting this to include demotions and promotions.”  Chakotay paused until the chuckling died down.  “This may not sound very good, but it means that as a recognized member of Voyager’s crew each of you are entitled to the salary and benefits that accompany your rank and duty assignments.  That means back pay, folks, seven years of back pay.  It also means that as soon as it is confirmed, your immediate families qualify for all the benefits of dependents of Starfleet officers effective the date your commission is effective.  This decision on the confirmations has been made and is independent of the civilian proceedings, but the effective date of each of your commissions could be affected by those hearings.  What that means, I don’t know, but I’m taking it as a positive development.  I have another piece of news that you may consider good news.  Pending confirmation of your field commissions, Starfleet will determine on a case-by-case basis whether to extend your enlistment with Starfleet.  The last item I have from Starfleet, again pending confirmation of your field commission, regardless of the outcome of your civilian hearing, everyone will be given thirty days paid leave before being discharged or being given new assignments.”  Chakotay paused and looked at the group.  They watched him as if expecting him to have one more thing.

“Questions?”  The sigh in the room was audible and prompted a smile from Chakotay.  “If you have any after you’ve read through the information yourself, please, bring them to me.  We can collect the questions and forward them to Starfleet for further explanation.  No point in ten of us asking the same thing.  That’s all I have.  Dismissed.”  Most of the audience broke into small discussion groups.  Chakotay returned to Tom, Harry and B'Elanna.  Chakotay kept his voice low to avoid waking a sleeping Miral.

“Tom, there was one other item that will be on your copy of the summary.  You have a hearing scheduled for Monday morning.  It is apparently about your sentence and the agreement you made with the captain before Voyager left Earth.  I didn’t get any specifics on the purpose, but you should get more information than they gave me.  They asked me to let you know so you would be sure to read your entire packet and not just B'Elanna’s.  If you don’t want that hearing on the schedule, let me know.

As promised, people began having interviews with various Starfleet officials, mostly debriefing from their seven years in the Delta Quadrant.  A few mentioned that they had been asked questions that might possibly have some relationship to investigations into possible charges, but very few of those questions involved any of the former Maquis.  At first this surprised Chakotay, but after he thought further, it made sense.  The Maquis were not being investigated for actions in the Delta Quadrant.  At first the calendar was nearly empty, but then it started to fill up.  People didn't use it to keep track of their own schedules, but they did use it to find others if they were looking for them.

Tom sat upright and motionless in the area outside the hearing room.  His calm exterior belied the inner turmoil.  He had no idea what to expect.  With his luck, he half expected to be told that they had declared him to have broken his agreement by going to the Delta Quadrant and they were not only going to force him to serve his entire sentence but were adding a few years for breaking his agreement.

Finally, after an eternity, which was in fact only a few minutes, an ensign told Tom he could enter the hearing room.  Tom did not recognize either of the people present.  The room was not particularly large containing a table that could seat eight people comfortably but was set up for six.  One of the occupants was a full commander in red with command insignia.  The other was a lieutenant commander, also in red, but wearing the insignia of the JAG department.  The commander broke the silence.

“Sit down, Lieutenant.  Would you like something to drink?”

“Just water, Sir.”  Tom stood beside his chair unable to relax.

“Lieutenant, I believe the commander instructed you to sit down.  Disobeying a direct order is not a good way to start our meeting.”  The laughing tone of the lt. commander’s voice belied the threat of her words.  Tom relaxed a bit and almost managed a smile.  The woman continued, “I’m Lt. Commander Khera and this is Commander Ewing.  Now, please sit down so we can proceed.”

“Thank you, Commander.  It’s good to meet you both.”

Commander Ewing placed a glass of water near Tom and cups of tea on the table for himself and Lt. Commander Khera.  After taking his seat and shuffling through his papers a moment, he spoke.

“I know you’re wondering what this meeting is supposed to accomplish, Lieutenant.  Originally, it was scheduled for one reason, but Commander Khera was asked to add a second item to our agenda.  Susan, would you please share that information with the lieutenant?”

“Certainly, Jeff.  Lieutenant, I believe you were told a few days ago that Starfleet was reviewing all the personnel records and would be investigating matters more thoroughly that they deemed to warrant review.  I’m certain it will come as no surprise that the incident on the water world inhabited by the Moneans has come to our attention.”

“No, ma’am, I’m not surprised that it has come to the attention of Starfleet, but I served my sentence for that incident.  I’m not sure I understand what further can happen.”

“Possibly nothing, Lieutenant, but a violation of the Prime Directive has to be reviewed.  They may refile the charges or file new charges.  They could increase the penalty or simply confirm Captain Janeway’s decision.  Whatever the ultimate outcome, effective at 1200 today, you are under the same restrictions as B'Elanna and the others.  You are also no longer an approved escort.  The official charges are on this file.”  Khera handed Tom a data chip.  “If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s the bad news, Lieutenant.”  Commander Ewing picked up the conversation.  “The good news is that Starfleet has finalized all matters relating to your previous conviction and the agreement you worked out with Captain Janeway.”

“Although things did not work out quite the way Starfleet envisioned they would, there is no dispute that you held up your end of the agreement.  You said you would help Captain Janeway find Chakotay’s ship and you did.  There was no way for you to know that you would find it 70,000 light years from Federation space.  Your agreement was slightly open-ended, and Starfleet has decided that you should serve one additional year on your original five-year sentence.  For reasons known only to Starfleet, they have decided that that year will be considered served during the time you were an ensign on Voyager.  For that year you will receive no pay and earn no time in rank.  Parole has been waived.  They have approved your field commission effective the date entered in Voyager’s logs.  That was a tough one for some of the admiralty, Lieutenant.  You had been discharged from Starfleet because of these charges and a few were reluctant to allow you to rejoin on a permanent basis again.  I believe that it was your record on Voyager that finally convinced them.  Congratulations, Lieutenant.”

“That’s it?”

“Officially?  Yes, that is everything we have.  Do you have any questions?”

“No, sir.”

“Here are copies of the official documents for your records, Lieutenant.”  Commander Ewing passed Tom another data chip then Lt. Commander Khera spoke again.

“If I might make a suggestion, Lieutenant.  Many of the JAG department are enjoying the stories of the betting pools on Voyager, but you might want to keep in mind that such activities are frowned upon and while they might be overlooked in circumstances similar to those Voyager encountered, they would not be overlooked, say, on the grounds of Starfleet Command.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Tom spoke deliberately so Lt. Commander Khera knew he understood her warning quite clearly.  Khera smiled at his tone, and Tom returned the smile.  “Thank you, ma’am.  I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ewing rose from his chair, followed by Khera and Tom who both snapped to attention.  Ewing ended the meeting.

“Dismissed, Lieutenant.”

“Aye, Sir.  Ma’am.”  Tom turned smartly and left the room. Ewing turned to Khera as they were leaving.

“That boy has certainly changed, if the stories I’d heard about him were even close to the truth, Sue.”

“I think he has.  The Delta Quadrant may have been the best thing to happen to him.  Hey, you’re the personnel person here, you’re supposed to be telling me things like that.”

“I know, but I wanted to see if the JAG people are as open minded about Voyager’s people as we are in personnel.  Are you picking up the kids tonight or am I?”

“You are.  Remember, I’m reviewing records to see who needs to be added to the list of people facing hearings like this one?  Besides, the kids love having you to themselves in the evening.”

“I know.  Have time for lunch?”

“As long as you don’t tell my boss.”  Laughing, the couple left the room.

The biggest surprise for Chakotay in the early weeks was the two days he ended up reporting on events related to the Equinox, repeating them for half a dozen officers, explaining and expanding on his logs as best he could. Recalling the incident was nearly as unsettling as experiencing it, so he was glad when that entire process ended.

About two weeks after the sessions focusing on the Equinox incident, charges were filed against Tassoni, Sofin, Morrow, Lessing and Gilmore.  While they did not discuss the specifics with the rest of the group, it was clear that those charges carried very severe penalties.  Chakotay never learned the details, but with the preliminary hearings spread over three weeks, he knew they must be serious.  After the charges had been filed, none of the Equinox crew spoke to him other than in response to direct questions.  That bothered him somewhat.  He had tried to make them part of Voyager's crew after the Equinox was destroyed and thought he had succeeded.  Now he knew he had not.

As the investigations continued, most of the former Maquis welcomed the debriefing sessions with Starfleet.  They provided something to do during the day and something to complain about in the evenings.  Discussing events also brought back many memories and the talk in the evenings generally turned to 'do you remember' sessions.  Most of those memories were good ones; many were humorous – frequently at Tom's expense.  Tom took it in stride and retaliated with tales about others.  Chakotay looked around at his former command and knew he had commanded a unique group of people.  They had done everything he had asked of them and more, even to serving in Starfleet when that had been, if not their enemy, then at least an antagonist.  Still they followed him.  They sat here night after night and not one had even hinted that he was responsible for their current situation.

As more weeks passed, the question and answer sessions about events in the Delta Quadrant slowly shifted their focus.  Chakotay doubted that he was the only one to notice the shift, but he also had no doubt that he was the only one who realized the significance.  The questions were not worded to draw attention to the true objective, but Chakotay recognized that the focus was on command decisions he and the captain had made over the years.  He thought that they had completed the investigations into the actions of most of the crew by this time.  His suspicions were proved correct as formal charges slowly started appearing against the former Maquis but those charged were still called for meetings.  Many of them came back saying they had not discussed anything related to their actions as Maquis, but rather had answered more questions about the Delta Quadrant.

About the time the charges started being filed against the Maquis, a representative from JAG scheduled an evening meeting with the group.  Basically, JAG offered to provide legal representation for any of the Maquis who did not have access to civilian counsel.  The only concern Chakotay had with accepting JAG's assistance is that the same people would also be assigned to work on the other issues related to Voyager and not have time to focus on defending the Maquis.  Assured that, although most of the lawyers assigned to assist the Maquis would be fairly young, they would not be working on other matters.  Most would be assigned several Maquis cases.  Once Chakotay heard that, he quietly asked the senior JAG officer to give them some time to talk privately.  Once alone, the Maquis voiced many concerns.  Chakotay had heard enough to believe that it was a good idea provided the people assigned to the Maquis did not have other assignments taking their time so he let the others talk.  Eventually, most agreed that any representation was better than no representation.  One or two had family who were able to afford civilian lawyers.  By the time the JAG officers returned, most of the former Maquis were willing to talk to someone from JAG about representing them in the civilian proceedings.  Arrangements were made for meetings in smaller groups for those who still had questions, and those who were certain they wanted the assistance of JAG were told that they would be contacted in a day or two with the name of their representative.

Before the JAG representative left, B'Elanna approached her to discuss something in private.  Chakotay found out later that she had requested she be allowed to pick her representative.  Tom was quite impressed with the way things had been handled so far.  B'Elanna wanted a JAG representative provided she had the same Tom had.  B'Elanna told Chakotay later that no promises had been made, but she believed that if it were possible, they would accommodate her request.  It was two weeks before she found out, but B'Elanna's request was ultimately granted.

Harry wriggled uncomfortably in his chair.  He had been called to meet with Admiral Ukmata.  He had no idea why she wanted to see him, but any meeting these days with JAG was not good.  The no-action notices being delivered to Voyager's crew had slowly grown until more than half of the original Starfleet crew had received one.  The remaining people were beginning to grow concerned.  The longer they went without a no-action letter, the more likely it was that they would have charges filed, or so they thought.  The truth was, JAG had assigned more than twenty people to each reviewer and the delays were simply a result of not being able to do everything at once.  Harry didn't know that, but he did know that he was the first to be called to a private meeting with someone from JAG.  He wriggled in his chair again, trying to get comfortable and still look professional.

After what seemed several hours, but were in fact only a few minutes, Harry was summoned into Admiral Ukmata's office.  Harry had grown comfortable over the years interacting with superior officers.  It was part of being a senior officer, but they had been familiar.  If pushed, he would have said he considered them his friends.  But this was an admiral, a very senior admiral.  She was not familiar except by reputation, and that reputation did little to put Harry at ease.

"I said at ease, Ensign.  Sit down."

"I'm sorry, Admiral.  Thank you."  Harry remained standing.

"Am I going to have to repeat everything I say today, Ensign?"

"No, Sir!"  Quickly Harry sat down in the nearest chair – by the door.  He realized immediately what he had done and moved to a chair near her desk before she reprimanded him yet again.  Teresa Ukmata kept her expression stern but was amused by Harry's actions.  She remembered others having similar reactions, including herself as a young officer starting off in JAG.  It served her purpose to have him a bit nervous.  He was more likely to remember what she was going to say to him.

"Ensign, I have the pleasure of confirming all the no-action letters once they have been recommended by the people reviewing Voyager's files.  Until yours, I had approved them all with very few questions and no changes.  Yours is the first to break that pattern.

"Specifically, your behavior while Voyager was dealing with the Varro.  Not only did you become physically involved with a member of a new species, you managed to pick a woman who was involved in a conspiracy that could not only have destroyed their ship but Voyager as well.  Captain Janeway took the action that was most appropriate for Voyager's situation, but I wanted to address a few points that she may not have mentioned.

"Why do we have regulations involving contact with new species, Ensign?"

"To protect us and the other species from possible harmful interactions, injury and disease."

"That's how we explain it, yes.  But to put a more pragmatic slant on it from Starfleet's perspective, it's to protect our investment – in each and every person who joins Starfleet.  We spend considerable time and money training officers and enlisted personnel, then years to give them enough experience to be truly valuable.  You put all that at risk and more.

"I was willing to take that risk and so was Tal."

"I know you were.  Did it ever occur to you that the olan'vora could have been deadly and contagious, which means you put all of Voyager's crew at risk?  The point here, Ensign, is that you didn't know what was at risk.  Yes, every member of Starfleet knows there will be risks with many of their assignments, but they are not supposed to be at risk because you chose to pursue a personal goal.  You were the only who could have benefited from your choice, but the entire crew could have paid the penalty for your personal gain."

"I guess I never considered that perspective before, Admiral."

"Captain Janeway explained it from the 'following the rules and protecting yourself' perspective, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wanted you to understand that there are reasons for the regulations beyond the obvious and most cited.  You have the makings of a fine officer, Ensign.  We'd like you to live long enough to teach others what you've learned since the Academy.  Here's your no-action letter.  Dismissed."

"Thank you, Admiral."

Harry finally followed an order the first time and as the door closed, Teresa Ukmata allowed herself to smile.  Seven years in the Delta Quadrant had given him more experiences than most Starfleet officers had in their entire careers, but because his experiences were limited to one ship and a single group of officers, he had not had the variety of experiences that others with seven years in Starfleet had.  She shook her head and smiled; in some ways Ensign Kim was still nearly as green as a cadet fresh from the Academy.

Tom paced the hallway.  When his Bynar counselors chattered at him, he sat down.  Three minutes later he was pacing again.  He had been working with 1110 and 1111 for nearly six weeks and had never questioned their abilities or legal advice.  For his own peace of mind and ease of communication, he referred to them as Fourteen and Fifteen, which was a close approximation of their names.  It had taken him nearly three weeks to learn to tell them apart.  He had found it rather comforting to have a Bynar pair representing him.  He was certain they would overlook nothing and keep nearly perfect records of everything the three of them discussed.  Now, just before his hearing, he was questioning their judgment and his sanity in accepting them as his counsel.

"You should…"

"…sit down."

Tom had finally gotten used to the way they spoke as one person and usually didn't notice the break in sentences, but today it was getting on his nerves.  Today he especially noticed the difference in the pitch of their voices.  Fourteen's voice was much higher than Fifteen's.

If they noticed Tom's obvious effort to suppress a comment, they hid that observation well.

"When we go…"

"in, let them talk.  We will…"

"…ask questions if they…"

…are necessary."

Tom sincerely hoped questions wouldn't be necessary, but he knew that was unlikely.  He was completing yet another lap of the hallway when the door opened and they were asked to enter the hearing room.  Inside were Lt. Commander Khera, a JAG officer now well known to Tom, and Admiral Teresa Ukmata, also of JAG but known to Tom only by reputation.  A lieutenant sat at another table recording the proceedings.

"Admiral, I don't believe you've met before.  This is Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris."

"Lieutenant."  Ukmata barely acknowledged his presence.  Tom grew more nervous.

"Admiral."

"Please sit down, Lieutenant."  Commander Khera was evidently going to handle the initial proceedings.

"I have one question for you today, Tom.  How you answer it will have a significant impact on what happens next.  Please be honest with us and yourself when you answer."

"Yes, ma'am."  Tom was concerned.  The idea of the answer to a single question being that important to his future was unnerving to say the least.  The idea that he might not be honest with himself in answering it was even more unsettling.

"Tom, if a situation similar to the one you discovered with the Monean Maritime Sovereignty arose again, would you take similar actions?"

Tom nearly forgot to breath.  Talk about a loaded question.  No wonder Khera had warned him to be honest with them and himself.  He had never even considered that he could find himself in that type of situation again.  He started to speak then stopped himself.  Finally he took a deep breath and began again.

"I never thought about this before, but I will try to answer it honestly.  First of all, I don't think I will confront such a situation again.  For that reason alone, it is difficult to know that I am being completely honest with you and myself.  I believe that, if I do face such a choice as an officer of Starfleet, I will not act contrary to my orders and Starfleet regulations.  That does not mean, however, that I would not try to remedy the situation while staying within regulations."

Tom hesitated before he continued.  Stopping now left him with a solid, respectable answer.  It was also incomplete and possibly misleading.  The safe and smart thing to do would be stop, but Tom had never been one to play it safe and he was not going to lie now.  The rest of his answer might cost him his career.  If Starfleet was going to judge him for what he might do one day, then he didn't want to be part of the organization.

"All of what I've said is what I believe I would do.  But I also know that if I ever am confronted with that type of decision, I have other choices that were not available to me on the Monean water world.  I know Chakotay's decision to leave Starfleet and join the Maquis is not a shining example of a Starfleet officer, but it is a shining example of acting on the principles and values you hold highest.  I would most likely resign my commission, as Chakotay did, and act as a civilian to correct or improve the situation.  I don't believe I would hurt anyone or destroy property.  I believe I would act within the laws of the Federation.  But I also know I am capable of breaking those laws, destroying property, and injuring perhaps even killing others in some circumstances.  I know it's not what Starfleet officers should say, but it is the truth."

Tom finished and looked at Khera and Ukmata.  When they were certain he was finished, Ukmata turned to Khera.

"I think I've heard enough to know you can proceed as planned, Commander.  Please stop in my office when you've finished here."

"Yes, Admiral."

Ukmata was gone before Tom realized she was leaving.  He glanced at Fourteen and Fifteen who didn't even chatter between themselves.  Tom thought sarcastically that this was a great time for them to stop talking.  He could have used some soothing words at that point.  On the other hand, the Bynars were not known for soothing words.  Khera shifted a few padds around before activating the one she wanted.

"Lieutenant, I believe we can stop the official record at this point.  You can take what you have and prepare it for the admiral's signature.  I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Yes, Commander."  Quickly and quietly the lieutenant exited the room.  Tom sat wondering what exactly the commander had left to say to him.  There were three days set aside for his trial starting tomorrow.  He couldn't imagine what she had to say now that couldn't be said then.

"If you don't mind, I'll call you Tom since we're off the record."

"That's fine, Commander."

"Tom, we've reviewed the incident involving the Monean Maritime Sovereignty.  You did not try to deny the charges when Captain Janeway held your hearing on Voyager, and you have filed no papers to that effect since you returned.  Starting with the stipulation that you did in fact take the actions that were in violation of the Prime Directive and direct orders from your commanding officer, the only thing left for us to decide was whether the punishment exacted by Captain Janeway was appropriate.  The conclusion was that the punishment was appropriate from the alternatives available to your captain.  However, everyone agreed that it would most likely have been more severe had you been in the Alpha Quadrant.

"The next thing we had to decide was whether additional sanctions should be imposed at this time.  Since one of the purposes of sanctions is to avoid future repetitions of the action, we looked at your record on Voyager since you completed your thirty days.  Captain Janeway's opinion was clear, since she later promoted you back to the rank of lieutenant.  Chakotay expressed his opinion quite eloquently.  I must say, Tom, for having started out as poorly as you did with Chakotay and for all the mischief you caused on Voyager, you still impressed him.  The possibility remained that you had not actually learned anything other than how to avoid getting caught.  So we decided to ask you if you would do it again, which we did a few minutes ago.  Your answer was the deciding factor in whether we impose additional sanctions."

Tom sat still and his expression was as immobile as any Tuvok could maintain.  Internally he was in turmoil.  They had wanted to know what he had learned and whether he had indeed changed his attitude toward authority and he had boldly gone where only fools would tread and told them he would do the same thing again, only as a civilian not as a Starfleet officer.

"The answer we were hoping to hear was one that was honest and realistic.  You told us how you would react as an officer.  You also told us that, in your opinion, you believed that similar circumstances could force you to leave Starfleet and take actions on your own.  You were honest.  You could have stopped with the first part of your answer, yet you expanded on it, knowing that what you were saying might not be well received by Starfleet.  You told us what we needed to hear, Tom.  When the admiral left, she was letting me know that she was satisfied that you had sorted your priorities and understood what the uniform you wear means.  She will be signing the additional documents that close this file with no further action deemed necessary.  You can expect personnel to be contacting you in the next few days about your next assignment.  Do you have any questions?"

Tom sat there stunned.  The Bynars were not stunned however.

"We have no…"

"…questions.  Thank you…

"… Commander."  Their words prompted Tom to speak.

"Wait!  That's it?  No further action?  All this time and effort and then nothing changes?"

"This was about you, Tom, more than your actions a few years ago.  I can always request the admiral recommend we impose additional sanctions, say more time in the brig, if you wish."  Khera was more than willing to tease Tom, but she also wanted him to realize that JAG had been seriously considering those additional sanctions.

"No, ma'am.  Thank you all the same, Commander, but the sanctions from the captain were more than enough for me."  Tom rose to his feet.  "Permission to be dismissed, Commander?"

"Permission granted."  Khera rose and held her hand out to Tom.  "Good luck, Tom, and congratulations on that baby girl."

"Thank you, Commander."  Tom barely got out his farewells to the Bynars in the hall before he was running across the compound to tell B'Elanna the good news.  Until he had heard the final decision of JAG, he had not realized how concerned he was about the review.  Now he was ready to celebrate.  As he disappeared out the door, the Bynars exchanged words to the effect that he acted as if he were 100 instead of closer to 100100 then scurried out the door to return to their office.

Chakotay sat in the main recreation area pretending to read a journal article on the Mound Builders of the Ohio Valley.  He really wanted to read the article but was having no success in staying focused, but was distracted by others clustered in small groups chatting, or playing cards or chess.  There was even a game of kal-toh in progress across the room.  The tension in the room was nearly thick enough to see.  He could feel it emanating from every person present.  Chakotay sincerely hoped that, as a group, they would relax during the hearings.  He chuckled.  Hearings?  Well, that is what JAG was calling them anyway, but when you were appearing before a civilian court on felony charges it felt like a trial.  What he had seen of the press reports always called them trials.  He almost envied Ayala.  At least he would know his immediate future by the end of the day.  The disadvantage and advantage of being near the beginning of the alphabet had resulted in Ayala's 'hearing' being held first.  Chakotay also knew that although each person's trial was independent of the others, Ayala's decision would be a very good indicator for the rest of the group.  He was struggling with a section on the Serpent Mound when a hush settled over the room.  He looked up to see Ayala standing near the door.

Ayala waited with a carefully controlled expression.  A few stood and approached him, but no one asked the question on all their minds.  Finally Ayala broke the silence.

"It's over and no jail time!"  His friends all started talking at once as they rushed to congratulate him.

Chakotay considered joining the throng but decided to wait.  Ayala would seek him out when the excitement died down.  He was correct; about twenty minutes later Ayala sat down at his table.

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks.  I wanted to thank you for something else, too."

"Thank me?  Why?"

"You never gave up on me, on us.  You made me think I could succeed and wouldn't let me fail.  Because of that, my field commission was confirmed and Starfleet has even offered to let me stay in the 'fleet with a promotion."

"Will you accept that offer?"

"I don't know yet.  I was Starfleet for nearly seven years so it's comfortable, but I was Maquis, too.  I'm going to take a few days to decide who I am now."

"Good idea.  You have time.  What exactly was the verdict?"

"Well, I was found guilty of most of the minor charges but not the really serious ones.  They could place me at the scene of just about every incident, but there were no witnesses to tie me to specific actions.  They sentenced me to two years."

"I thought you said no prison time?"

"I did.  I served those two years on Voyager working with no pay and no credit for time in rank.  I hate having the conviction on my record, but the fact that Starfleet still wants me almost makes up for it.  I feel good about my time on Voyager, and it's good to have a choice about my future. That's a feeling that I haven't had for nearly a decade."

"I hadn't thought about it like that, but you're right.  I didn't think about a future in the Maquis either and we knew the future while we were in the Delta Quadrant.  Keep in touch whatever you decide."

"I will.  Thanks again for everything."

Chakotay turned back to his journal article but thought over what Ayala had told him.  The lack of witnesses after all this time boded well for his former crew.  He had not quite believed Starfleet's commitment to extend offers to his group to stay in Starfleet, but if they had asked Ayala, he thought they might ask more.  Briefly his thoughts turned to his own situation.  His trial date was set but he had not yet posted it.  It was scheduled nearly two weeks later than the rest.  He didn't think the captain of a Maquis ship was going to have the same results as his crew.

The next few weeks saw similar decisions for the rest of the Maquis.  Most days had at least two and frequently three trials conclude, all with decisions consistent with Ayala's.  A few had shorter sentences, several had longer ones, but they were all considered served while in the Delta Quadrant.  Nearly everyone had been given the option to remain in Starfleet and the few that had not, did not seem to care.  At first, those who were free to get on with their lives stayed with the group, but gradually they started moving on.  Chakotay enjoyed the reactions of many to the back pay; the years in the Maquis had been lean and the years in the Delta Quadrant no better.  Being able to afford a few luxuries was a nearly forgotten treat.  A few others thanked him as Ayala had done and all promised to keep in touch, but Chakotay knew as they left that there were a few he would never see again.  Only one major concern remained.  B'Elanna's trial was scheduled last.  He knew it was because she had been in the Maquis so long.  While he had not seen the complete list of her charges, from comments she and Tom had made over the weeks, he suspected it was considerably longer than the rest.  He felt slightly guilty about being more concerned about B'Elanna than the others, but he realized that B'Elanna was more than just a member of his crew; she was his friend and he was worried about her.

"Would you like more tea?"

"No, thanks all the same."  Chakotay shook his head to emphasize his words.  He had been talking with Morgan Jones about representing him in the Federation courts.  He was impressed with her style and attitude.  She seemed to know her way around the courts and to be familiar with many of those who were involved with the Maquis trials.  His only question was why she had sought him out as a client, and there was only one way he would get the answer.

"I do have a question, though.  Why did you volunteer to represent me?  Your firm normally commands hefty fees for criminal litigation yet you are doing this pro bono."

Morgan smiled.  She knew she looked about twenty but was in fact more than a decade older.  That worked in her clients' favor in court because the opposition tended to underestimate her, but it worked against her with new clients.  Questions about her age and ability were what she expected from new clients.  Being asked about her motivation was a nice change of pace.

"Well, it's a long story and a short one.  I am very close to my grandfather, and I've always admired him and his work.  He's an officer in JAG here in San Francisco.  He was telling me a few weeks ago that most of the Voyager crew facing charges as civilians were being assigned JAG attorneys.  He mentioned you, the Maquis captain, in specific as being one who possibly would have more need of a skilled attorney than some of the others.  I think he was setting me up.  He told me just enough to get me asking questions.  The next thing I knew, I was talking to the senior partner in my firm and telling him I was going to offer to represent you.  I think my grandfather would have liked to represent you in the civilian courts but there was someone in the 'fleet facing quite serious charges, possibly a court martial, that needed him more.  I sent you a message with my offer, you accepted, so here we are.  You can change your mind at any time, Chakotay."

"No, I won't change my mind.  I just like to understand the people I'm around.  I did a little checking of the public records for your background and experience.  I also went through some news databases to see if you were mentioned.  You weren't mentioned very often, but what was there indicated you were good at your job even if the press didn't like the results."

Morgan chuckled at her memories of some of the clippings.  She had never thought of them as recommendations of her abilities.

"Well, our first meeting with the Prosecutor is tomorrow morning.  They probably won't tell us anything particularly important but I will get a feel for how they are approaching this.  I've watched tapes of most of the trials for the other former Maquis so I have some impressions that I'm hoping to confirm."

"What's your opinion based on what you've seen and heard so far?"

"I was hoping you would save that question until after tomorrow's hearing.  I think one of the reasons there are so few convictions on the more serious charges is what they've been saying – no witnesses can tie individuals to specific actions.  Before the war with the Dominion, people -- meaning judges and juries -- were more willing to spread the responsibility to whomever was present; they didn't care who actually performed an act.  Today they are more willing to follow the minutiae of the law and insist on proof of specific acts before they convict.  It's very much a result of a change in public opinion about the Cardassians; most people now believe the Cardassians were wrong. The fact that so many were killed in that massacre in the Badlands contributes to this perspective. This has worked to the advantage of most of the former Maquis. Unfortunately, you were the captain of a Maquis ship and part of the decision making group.  It's more than possible that the Prosecutor will use this as a reason for dealing more harshly with you. You were present; as captain of the ship you had direct control over all actions of your crew, so you can be held accountable even if you can't be tied to specific acts.  In short, you might be the scapegoat for all the Maquis."

"That doesn't really surprise me, Morgan.  I guess I was hoping you would have a different interpretation, but I've wondered if this might not be the case since Ayala's trial.  It's part of the responsibility that goes with command whether civilian or 'fleet."

"I need to ask you this now even though we're just starting our discussions with the Prosecutor.  Do you want me to try to arrange a plea bargain?"

"No."

"You're that certain without thinking about it?"

"I'm that certain after thinking about it for the last month.  I had forgotten a lot of the reasons behind my decision to leave Starfleet and join the Maquis but in the last month I've made myself go back and examine those reasons and my decision.  Would I make the same choices today?  No, but I've changed and circumstances have changed.  If they were the same now, then I would make the same decisions now.  I, as a Maquis, was at war with Cardassia when I committed the acts listed on my indictment.  I didn't consider them crimes then, and I don't consider them crimes now.  I did nothing that Starfleet and the Federation didn't do a few years later when they finally acknowledged what was happening.  I would even challenge the Federation's authority to hear my case because none of my acts took place in Federation territory, but the only other jurisdiction is Cardassia and I'm not such a fool as to ask for them to try my case.  So, no, I don't want a plea bargain."

"OK.  I had to ask.  I don't think the Prosecutor would be interested even if you were.  There are a lot of political implications in your trial, much more so than with the trials of the other Maquis.  Captain Janeway's case is the other one with political implications and Starfleet is calling the shots on that one, so the politicians are all trying to figure out how to make the most of your case."

"That's wonderful.  It means the press will be all over the place.  Can you keep them away from me?"

"Not completely, but I can try to keep it to a minimum.  About the hearing tomorrow, what arrangements have been made for your transport to the Prosecutor's offices?"

"No one has mentioned that to me and until you asked I hadn't thought about it.  The others always went with their JAG representatives.  Can you meet me here and we can go over together?  Wait, that only works if you are approved to take me off the Federation grounds.  I'll ask security and let you know what I work out."

"No, I have a simpler idea.  I'll contact my grandfather and he'll know whom to call to set things up.  I'm sure he can arrange for me to be added to the approved list before tomorrow.  If not, he'll send someone with me who is approved."

The next evening Chakotay sat thinking about his future, instead of someone else's.  The meeting had gone pretty much as Morgan had expected.  The Prosecutor was serious and nervous, as if someone were looking over his shoulder.  Chakotay found out later that the woman at the far end of the table who had not spoken was Carolyn Demur, the assistant to Rissa Lkido, President of the Federation, so the Prosecutor did indeed have someone looking over his shoulder.  He had delivered to Morgan the final list of charges being taken to trial.  She had not bothered to read the final charges; instead she had focused on the Prosecutor and several of the others in the room, particularly Carolyn Demur.  She asked a few questions, more for appearance than because she didn't know the answers, if Chakotay were any judge.  He had to admit she knew what she was doing.

Morgan had met him accompanied by her grandfather, a Starfleet captain with JAG insignia.  Chakotay had liked McKenzie Jones immediately.  The three easily fell into casual conversation on their journey to the courthouse.  Once there, Mac, as he insisted on being called, had left them saying that Morgan was already on the approved list and he had come only to meet Chakotay.  With that, Mac turned and left.  Morgan had laughed at his expression and then explained briefly what would be happening.  After the meeting they had stopped for coffee and tea, and she outlined what she expected would be the schedule for the coming weeks.  She explained that most of the proceedings at this point were technical requirements that had to be completed before the trial could begin.  Since Chakotay was not interested in a plea bargain, there would be no time wasted pursuing that option.  In a few days, a handful of men and women Chakotay did not know would decide his future.

His future?  Chakotay did not remember when he last worried about his future.  He had lived in and for the present for too many years.  The last time he had tried to plan on a future, that future was denied him.  He sighed and settled down to read the charges that had been filed against him.  Maybe he could actually remember what exactly he had done to earn each one.

Kathryn sat in the reception area of JAG waiting to be summoned to what was officially a preliminary hearing for possible charges against her stemming from various incidents in the Delta Quadrant.  A long list of charges had been officially filed two weeks earlier, but they didn't seem too significant – more like a list of major encounters with other species than actual charges.  She glanced at the chronometer; they were late.  Kathryn still had not gotten used to following any timetable but her own.  Seven years as the one calling all the shots had allowed her to forget some of the disadvantages of being in a highly structured society.  She leaned back, closed her eyes, and tried to recall the patience she had struggled to learn while an ensign.  Finally, she was asked to enter the conference room.

Kathryn entered to find only two people present, both wearing JAG insignia.  The lieutenant commander stood as she entered.

"Captain, thank you for coming.  I'm Lt. Commander Khera.  This is Captain McKenzie Jones."

"Captain."  Captain Jones obviously knew his commission predated Kathryn's because he made no move to rise.

"Captain, Commander, it's nice to meet you."

"Please have a seat, Captain.  I'll try to keep this as brief as possible."

Kathryn was somewhat surprised that the junior of the two JAG officers was obviously going to run the meeting, but she had had very few dealings with JAG over the years.  It was possible this was how they trained the more junior officers, though she would have thought a lieutenant commander would already have at least that much experience.

Commander Khera talked for the better part of an hour explaining that the charges that had been filed so far were just preliminary.  JAG was still working on the complete list, but all would relate to those incidents that had been listed.

Kathryn listened, thinking it sounded like a lot of people going to a lot of trouble for a review.  Khera also explained that Kathryn could expect to be involved in numerous meetings with various members of JAG in the next two weeks answering questions about her decisions in the Delta Quadrant.  Kathryn was not thrilled about that.  She much preferred the work involving all the new technologies they brought with them from the Delta Quadrant.  The last item on the upcoming calendar was that the final hearings, or trial if it came to that, would begin in one month's time.  That one word finally got Kathryn's attention -- trial.  Trial?  Kathryn had not taken this review seriously until now.  She had been involved with debriefing and explaining the changes they had made on Voyager over the years.  She had thought all JAG's questions had been a routine review exaggerated by their long absence in the Delta Quadrant.  She had never considered that they might actually be contemplating charges against her.  Her attention was brought back to the present as Khera handed her a PADD with a message from one of JAG's admirals.

Khera waited while Kathryn scanned the message quickly, and then reread it with greater attention.  It was from Admiral Teresa Ukmata and was a personal letter rather than an official one even thought it dealt with the JAG proceedings.  Ukmata was blunt yet understanding, but if Kathryn had had to summarize it, she would have said that Starfleet was concerned that too many years without direct contact with Command had allowed Kathryn to develop some habits that might not be tolerated closer to home.  At least part of this review process was to identify incidents that, while understandable in the Delta Quadrant, would not be put up with in the Alpha Quadrant. In particular her isolation during the time Voyager was in the 'void' and the incident with the Equinox had drawn Starfleet's attention.  They were concerned about her.  Ukmata was careful to make it clear that they were not on a witch-hunt but did want to isolate habits and attitudes that needed to remain in the Delta Quadrant.  Even if the word 'trial' had not gotten Kathryn's attention, the message on the PADD would have.

"Do you have any questions, Captain?"  Khera appeared to be finished.

"Not at the moment.  Can I call you later if I think of anything?"

"Of course.  I am assisting with a few hearings later this week and possibly next, but if I am in my office, I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have.  I'll be sending you a schedule for meetings as soon as it is completed.  We're having a bit of a problem scheduling around Starfleet engineering's priorities right now, but that should be sorted out by tomorrow.  That's everything I have."

Kathryn jumped when a third voice spoke to Khera.  She had almost forgotten McKenzie Jones was in the room.

"Commander?  Will you be in your office for the next hour or so?"

"I don't have anything scheduled until 1530.  If I'm not in my office, just ask Lieutenant Jackson where I went, or call me and I'll come to your office."

"Good enough, Commander.  May Captain Janeway and I have the use of this room for a few more minutes?"

"Certainly, Captain.  Sirs!"  With that, Khera left.

Kathryn was curious why Jones would want to talk with her when he had remained silent during the entire meeting, but if he wanted to talk, she would let him talk.

"I wanted to properly introduce myself, Captain.  I am McKenzie Jones and I've been assigned by JAG to represent you until you obtain independent counsel."

"I don't need or want independent or dependent counsel, Captain.  I don't for one minute believe this will actually go beyond a formal review with a lot of questions.  Once they've spoken with me, any details that are unclear in the logs will be clarified and the issues will be dropped.  The most they will do is tell me to be careful in the future because I'm back in the Alpha Quadrant again."

"Please, call me Mac.  I am not one to stand on formality with my clients."

"I'm not your client, Captain."

"All right.  Then I will consider you my friend.  As my friend, I have a favor to ask since you don't need my services as a lawyer."

Kathryn stopped just short of her famous glare, but kept her eyes firmly focused on Jones's.

"I'll be retiring early next year, Captain, and this assignment can carry me through at least several months.  If I am not required to do all that JAG anticipated, that gives me a little more free time to clean up files and sort out things that have collected over half a century in JAG.  This review will last long enough to mean I won't have time to do any other major projects before I retire.  Just to keep things on the up and up, I could also keep a calendar updated for you so you know when you have meetings with others here at JAG.  You can't avoid those, you know.  So what do you say, Captain?  You let me pretend to work on your behalf and I won't bother you with a lot of legal jargon?  If something comes up you need me to explain, I'll be available.  Deal?"

Kathryn did not want to admit that she might need his help if the review developed into something more serious than she thought it would.  She considered what little she knew of Jones and decided that he was persistent if nothing else.

"Well, as long as you don't try to advise me when I don't need it, I'll go along with your plan.  Besides, if you are listed as my counsel, they won't try to assign someone else to me.  Agreed?"

"Agreed, Captain.  I'll leave you now.  I have a question for Commander Khera – unrelated to this matter."  With that Jones left Kathryn alone in the conference room to think about what had just transpired.

Mac stuck his head around the open door of Susan Khera's office.

"Have time to have lunch with an old man?"

"Mac, you are terrible.  Sorry, but I promised Jeff I'd eat with him if I had time, which I do."

"Ahhhh, Commander, you are breaking my heart."

Khera was used to Mac's shenanigans and ignored his comment.  "How did your talk with Captain Janeway go?

"Pretty much what I expected.  She resisted but I used my not inconsiderable charm to convince her that she needs me."

"Right!  You used that old retiring story again?"

"You wound me, my dear, especially since you're right."

"Mac, I hate to rush off, but I did promise Jeff I'd meet him.  We haven't had lunch together for weeks."

"Another time then.  Tell him I said he's a lucky man."

B'Elanna could kick herself.  Whatever had made her think she could put up with Bynars regardless of their expertise!  Although they were doing an excellent job in her dealings with the Prosecutor's office, they were driving her nuts.  She had gotten into the habit of taking Tom with her to all their private meetings and as many of the official ones as the Prosecutor would permit.  When she reached the end of her patience, which sometimes wasn't far, she would withdraw and let Tom deal with them.  So far it had worked.  She paced the lady's room hoping to delay the inevitable conversation with them.  At least it would be short; her trial was due to start in fifteen minutes.  Finally, she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm her expression and then she returned to where Fourteen, Fifteen and Tom were waiting.

"I was getting worried."  Tom spoke first knowing full well why B'Elanna had been gone so long.

"I'm fine.  Sorry to keep you waiting.  I'm just really nervous."

"It is not…"

"…a problem."

"Let's just get going.  I'd rather sit and wait than stand here in the hall."  Tom was hoping to get B'Elanna into the courtroom without a lengthy conversation with the Bynars.  He knew that once the trial began, she would stop focusing on them and focus on the proceedings.  He wished he could sit with her but knew he was lucky being allowed to attend the private hearing.  The Bynars had practically nagged the Prosecutor to death to get permission for Tom to listen.  Bynars, when they had decided on a course of action, seldom let anything or anyone stop them.  The Prosecutor had yielded after only two weeks of constant requests.  Once in the courtroom, Tom spoke quietly with B'Elanna for a few minutes before giving her a kiss and taking a seat behind her but off to the side.  He made sure that she could see him out of the corner of her eye if she looked toward the Bynars.

The Bynars were calm.  They understood what B'Elanna did not.  B'Elanna knew that the list of charges against her was significantly longer than any other she had seen.  She knew she had been in the Maquis longer than most of the crew from Chakotay's ship.  She also knew that she had done a lot more things to warrant conviction simply because of her length of time among the Maquis.  She had been kept until last and had the longest list of charges.  By her calculations, that meant a greater likelihood of conviction.

The Bynars understood that by being last, the Judge could schedule her trial to suit the needs of the mother of a newborn; it also gave the infant a few more weeks so that extended separations did not cause as much stress on mother or child.  The Bynars were well aware of the effect of stress on their client and had made sure to emphasize the benefits of a delayed schedule.  By their calculations, B'Elanna was at no greater legal risk than any other former member of the Maquis.

At the end of the second day, B'Elanna finally understood what the Bynars had all along.  Her sentence was slightly longer than most of the others but well within the seven years she had spent on Voyager, so she had no additional time to serve.  But the final chapter of her life before she met Tom was finally written.  She could look forward and plan for their future.

"Did I remember to thank Fourteen and Fifteen this afternoon?"

"Just barely, but I said the long version for you. They understood. They may think and talk like computers but they understand feelings."

"Good. They drove me nuts, but I do appreciate all they did for us." B'Elanna sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about Miral.  She is going to grow up knowing both her parents are convicted criminals."

"That may be true, but she will also grow up knowing something that's much more important."

"What's that?"

"She will grow up knowing that her parents love her and each other very much."

Chakotay sat waiting nervously at the defense table with Morgan.  His trial had dragged on more than a week while the Federation prosecutors presented their evidence and witnesses.  Then he had waited three days while the Judge considered the charges and evidence.  Despite Morgan's recommendation that he request a jury trial, Chakotay had opted to trust one man who had sworn to uphold the law rather than hope that a group of strangers would not be swayed by the emotional arguments the prosecution was sure to use.  Now he wasn’t so sure about that choice.

Chakotay knew Morgan had done as much as any person could have.  A great deal of the evidence against him had been received from the Cardassians.  Morgan had caught three groups of Maquis attacks that had been attributed to Chakotay's ship but which he could not have done.  Someone had erred in converting dates from the Cardassian system to Stardates.  The backup documents had been provided and had the correct dates in them but the Prosecutor had not bothered to check the conversion.  Morgan had bothered and waited until the Prosecutor had finished presenting all the evidence from each of those attacks before pointing out the error.  The impact of the error was made extremely clear when she had Commander Jeff Ewing testify that on the correct date of those attacks, Chakotay had still been a lieutenant commander in Starfleet on a ship returning to Earth from the Romulan Neutral Zone.  Morgan had made a great show of emphasizing the sloppy conversion effort and managed to make it sound like the Cardassians were fabricating all their evidence in an effort to frame the sole surviving Maquis captain.

Chakotay's thoughts returned to the present when a court clerk entered the room and delivered a PADD to each of Morgan, the Prosecutor and the Court Reporter.  He thought Morgan seemed a bit surprised at receiving it but she didn't say anything as she started reading the padd.

"What is it?"

"Just another list of the charges broken down by classification and numbered."

"Classification?"

"Severity.  I supposed this is to help us follow something Judge Hagan is going to say."

"Tell me, Morgan.  You haven't kept anything from me so far."

"Well, I think it could be to help us calculate your total time to be served for the charges.  But I'm probably wrong.  The related charges should be together.  Ahhhhh!"  Morgan had continued to scan the PADD and had reached another section.  "More like this."  She showed Chakotay where the charges relating to each attack were grouped in a column.  They were checking the listed groups with his actual charges when the Judge finally entered the courtroom.

After the legal niceties for beginning a trial session had been completed, the Judge briefly summarized the current status of the trial. Then he had Chakotay stand while he pronounced his decision.

"The list of charges against you is a long one.  Do you desire to hear them each read at this point?"

"No, sir."

"Very well.  Then for expediency's sake, I am going to group the charges.  Your counsel and the Prosecutor have been provided with a list of those groups.  As to the three groups of charges with the miscalculated dates, those are summarily dismissed.  You have established your presence far from those events at the time of their occurrence.

"Most of the charges against you are the result of the position you held within the Maquis as a captain of a ship.  As such you did have more responsibility for planning activities and carrying out raids.  I agree with the Prosecutor that you are held to a higher standard than those serving under you.  However, I do not believe that the law holds a lower standard for the evidence that must be presented in order to establish that you were involved in the activities of your crew.  While your presence at many of the events has been established, the Prosecutor has not established that all the actions taken during a raid or attack were planned in advance or that you were part of the planning process."

Chakotay did not notice the Prosecutor turn the color of a Borg drone's skin or he would have realized the significance of those words.  Morgan's slight intake of breath alerted him to their importance but told him nothing else, so the Judge's next words were a complete surprise.

"As to all the charges related to conspiracy or extensions of conspiracy, I find you not guilty.  As to all other charges, I find you guilty.  Unless you prefer to delay your sentencing, I am prepared to finish this now."  The judge looked at Morgan and Chakotay.

"No objections, Your Honor."  Morgan spoke before Chakotay realized the comment required a response.  He glanced at Morgan but learned nothing; she was carefully keeping all emotion from her expression.  Again, Chakotay would have learned more if he had looked at the Prosecutor.

"I have listed all the groups of charges which carry prison time at the end of that file.  If you will open an additional file on the PADD, you will see the total time to be served for each is listed."

Morgan did as instructed making sure Chakotay could see the list.  While each group had a short total time, there were more than a dozen groups bringing the total to more years than Chakotay wanted to consider.  After giving Chakotay a minute to review the numbers, Judge Hagan continued.

"I see no reason to reduce the maximum sentence for each charge, Chakotay.  It is my judgment that you serve the maximum time for each charge of which you have been convicted.  It is also my order that the sentences for all charges be served concurrently.  It is my further order that Voyager, as a vessel under the direct control of the Federation Council through Starfleet, is deemed a facility approved for you to serve the imposed penalties.  Therefore the time you served as First Officer of Voyager is applied to reduce the time to be served for each charge.  Court dismissed."

Judge Hagan was out of the room before Chakotay quite realized it was over.  He understood part of what had been said, but had many questions.  He turned to Morgan who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"What?"

"We won!"

"I was convicted and sentenced to I don't know how many years in prison.  How is that winning?"

"The convictions were all for the minor charges and the sentences are concurrent, not consecutive.  Your total sentence is a little over five years and you were on Voyager nearly seven.  You're not going to jail. It's over!"

Morgan grabbed Chakotay in a hug he barely noticed while her words played through his mind.  It was over.  All that he had done while a member of the Maquis was behind him.  He drew his attention back to Morgan.

"You need to go celebrate with your friends tonight, Chakotay.  I still can't believe it!"  Morgan continued talking all the way back to his quarters, making suggestions on where he and his friends could go to enjoy themselves later in the evening.  They parted at the building entrance at his insistence.

Chakotay knew Morgan was anxious to get home to her family.  She had had very little spare time during the past two weeks and he knew she would want to spend time with them.  He hoped she would not realize that he could not leave the building on his own.  He was sure that in the excitement she had forgotten he was still up for review and possible charges by Starfleet.

Chakotay slowly walked into the main recreation room.  It was empty.  Most of the group that had filled it a few months earlier were gone.  The few who were still living here had taken off to go skiing somewhere in South America for the weekend.  He walked over to the window and stared at the now familiar Golden Gate Bridge.  He was glad the trial was over and that he was no longer wanted by Federation authorities.  He smiled – no, he might not be a wanted man, but he was now a convicted criminal.  He had gone from being a romantic hero of the people to a mundane troublemaker in a matter of minutes.  He was still standing at the window an hour later when the lone security guard on duty wandered into the room.

"Chakotay, you wouldn't want to split a pizza would you?  My treat."

"Sure, Chris.  That sounds fine.  Thanks."

"Mushroom, onions and peppers ok?"

"Sounds great."

"Want a beer with it?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I'll go order it and be right back.  Want to play some backgammon while we wait for it?"

"I'll get the board out.  We'll have ourselves a little party tonight."

Well, it wasn't quite the celebration Morgan had envisioned, but at least he wasn't celebrating alone.

Two days later Chakotay and Morgan were finishing lunch and discussing his upcoming meeting with JAG officials about his actions as First Officer of Voyager.  JAG had only told him about the meeting late the day before, so he had not had time to arrange for a JAG lawyer.  When Morgan volunteered to meet him for lunch before the meeting and outline the kinds of questions he should ask, he gratefully accepted.  She outlined the things he should be concerned about and the kinds of questions he should not answer or at least be very careful how he answered.  Chakotay glanced at the chronometer and realized that he had to get going or risk being late.

"Thanks, Morgan.  I can't imagine how I would have managed without your help the last few weeks.  I really appreciate you coming to meet me today.  I hope I can remember what you've told me."

"You'll do fine.  This is just a meeting.  If they anticipated anything significant happening, they would have made sure you had a JAG representative.  Now, relax, and make sure you let me know how it goes.  When this is all sorted out and the dust settles, you owe me lunch."

"I owe you a lot more than lunch, but that's a good start.  Thanks again, Morgan."  Chakotay kissed her on the cheek and left for his meeting.  Morgan had met him at his building and they had decided to eat lunch in the building where the meeting was scheduled.  Chakotay figured he could get to the meeting without his escort, and would let JAG worry about getting him back to his quarters after the meeting.

When Chakotay arrived at the designated room, he found that it was the private office of Admiral Teresa Ukmata.  He had heard a great deal about her from Tom and Harry, and he had wondered how much was true and how much was a result of their nerves.  Now he would find out personally.

Admiral Ukmata was waiting for Chakotay when he entered.  She looked as if she had been waiting for a long time, which did nothing to calm Chakotay's nerves.  He knew he had the reputation of being calm and controlled but knew that when it came to personal matters like this, it was not earned.

"Admiral.  I hope I'm not late."

"No, you're not, Chakotay.  Please sit down."  Admiral Ukmata waited while Chakotay sat down, and then asked him if he would like something to drink.  She noticed his surprised expression when she got up and obtained their beverages from the replicator herself.

"I have more important things for people to do than give the replicator instructions.  That tea should be your favorite if Voyager's records are accurate."

Chakotay tasted the tea; she was right, it was his favorite blend sweetened just the way he liked it.  He smiled.

"You're right, it is my favorite.  You went to a lot of work to get that program, Admiral.  I appreciate it.  I still haven't gotten the replicator in my quarters to make it properly yet."

"I'll send you the program for it, along with the rest of your replicator programs.  Someone should have thought to send them to all of you sooner.  I'm sorry I didn't think of it three months ago."

"It's probably better that we didn't have the programs, Admiral.  Quite a few of us filled some empty hours trying to recreate our favorites."

"I'm sure you are wondering why I asked to see you, Chakotay.  It's pretty simple.  I just wanted to talk to you about the Delta Quadrant.  We reviewed your files and went over your decisions – meticulously.  JAG will be filing a no-action memo in your permanent record.  If you want a copy, let Lt. Commander Khera know and she will send you one.  What I am going to say now is unofficial in the sense that it is not going to be reflected in your record.  A good deal of what I will say is also my personal opinion."

"I understand, Admiral."

"Basically, Chakotay, we could find nothing you did that warranted further action.  On the few occasions you made a decision that might be questionable, you were following Janeway's orders.  There were several times when you did not follow her orders and probably should have, but those orders were sufficiently risky to warrant questioning them.  The two of you worked well together when you weren't fighting each other.  It must have been a very interesting seven years for the two of you."

"There was one incident that I wanted to address specifically -- your encounter with Captain Ransom and the Equinox.  That was a complicated situation made more difficult by your common goals to return to Federation space and personal issues.  At one point, you interfered with Janeway and her efforts to get information from Noah Lessing.  I'll tell you honestly that her log entry that day was quite critical of your behavior.  It was offset a few days later, but it drew our attention to that incident.  In my opinion, you should have stepped in sooner.  In fact, if the situation is anything like the logs reported, you had grounds to relieve her of command.  I'm not saying you should have done that, but I hope you at least considered it."  Chakotay started to respond.  "I don't want to know.  I'm just telling you what I think.

"Now, if you don't mind humoring me, I have questions about several of your… adventures, shall we say?  Tell me about the Voth."

Chakotay spoke hesitantly at first, wondering if she had an ulterior motive behind her questions, but her interest seemed sincere and her questions thoughtful.  They talked for more than an hour before he noticed the time and stopped in the middle of a sentence.  That drew the Ukmata's attention to the hour as well.

"I'm so sorry. I've kept you far longer than I had intended.  Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, Admiral.  I enjoyed our conversation.  There are very few people who are allowed to discuss these topics with me."

"Personnel should be contacting you in a day or two.  Good luck."

"Thank you, Admiral.  It's been a pleasure."

Chakotay came out of Admiral Ukmata's office.  It was over.  He just stood for a minute realizing that for the first time in nearly a decade he could walk on the streets of any city in the Federation and not be looking over his shoulder for security or police.  He wondered what to do next.  Those of his former crew who had accepted Starfleet’s offer for extended enlistments had already started their thirty-day leave.  Those who had chosen to return to civilian status had taken their pay and either gone home or on vacation.  He finally decided that a cup of tea would give him a chance to think about what he would do next.  He tried to remember the location of the nearest cafeteria.  Hoping it was still there, he made his way through the building.

Chakotay had slowed as he approached the serving line and had nearly stopped when two lieutenants brushed by him to get their trays for a late lunch.  Chakotay quickly apologized and moved on to the beverage area.  It was not until he reached the end of the line that he realized that he had no ID or voucher to pay for his tea.  Just as he was getting ready to explain the circumstances, a voice behind him spoke up.

“Allow me, Commander.  Put both of these on my account, please.”  The male voice belonged to a commander.  “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Oh, no, of course not.  Thank you.  Should I know you?”  Chakotay was not sure what to make of his benefactor.  He was also sure he was in no mood for company, but the man had paid for his tea so giving the man a few minutes of his time was the least he could do.  He followed the commander to a window in a quiet area of the room.

“I’m Commander Jeff Ewing, Commander.”

“I’m Chakotay, but I’m not a commander in Starfleet at the moment.  But I have the feeling you already know all about me and my history with Starfleet.”

“You’re right.  I’m in the personnel department.  And I need to correct your statement and give you something.  First, as soon as your hearing was over, you were indeed a full commander in Starfleet.  I believe you should put these on before some admiral gets on you for being out of uniform.”  Jeff Ewing handed Chakotay three gold pips, then grinned when Chakotay fumbled putting them on.

“I had intended to be waiting for you in the hall when your meeting with Admiral Ukmata ended but one of my kids skinned his knee and had to call and tell me all about it.  I’ll be glad when their mother’s current assignment is over.  She only has one more hearing to finish from Voyager.”

“Hearing?  Your wife is Lt. Commander Khera?”

“Yes, that’s how I knew when you should be finished.  You were just going around a corner when I arrived.  I thought you might be headed here and I was right.  It’s not often that my wife and I work with the same people at the same time.  It’s been nice for both of us because this entire process has been classified for the most part.  Since we are both working on it, we can at least discuss some aspects of our work with each other.  I’ve really enjoyed hearing her talk about the Voyager people.  That’s enough about my family.  I really do have business to discuss with you.  Would you prefer to go to my office or is talking here all right?”

“This is fine, Commander.”

“Please, call me Jeff.”

“All right, Jeff.  I’m Chakotay.”

“Let’s get to business then, Chakotay.  Bluntly, Starfleet wants you to stay.  We need qualified officers at every level but we are stretched too thinly at your level.  The War with the Dominion cost too many lives.  We lost a lot of fine officers and ships.  We can promote the younger people but we can’t give them years of experience.  You have that experience and we need it.  I’ve been talking with Voyager’s crew and most of you have expressed a desire to remain in one place at least for a time.  Although that is not where Starfleet would like to assign any of you, I understand that desire and Starfleet is willing to accept whatever experienced officers like you are willing to offer.

“Starfleet would like you to extend your enlistment and accept an assignment at the Academy teaching part time this next term and full time after that.  Pay for the first term would be for full time work because you will also be developing courses for the Academy during that term. Pay, housing and benefits would be commensurate with your rank and you will have thirty days leave before you start your duties.  We would like you to teach two sessions of an introduction to the Delta Quadrant, one for seniors and one for the rest of the cadets.  That would be the first term.  We would like you to develop an Advanced Tactics class geared toward command path cadets and pilots beyond the basic tactics taught by the Academy, based on your experiences in the Maquis and in the Delta Quadrant.  Long term, we would like that introduction to the Delta Quadrant developed into several courses that cover cultures, technology, geology, and cartography.  Let me get you some more tea while you think that over, Commander.”

Chakotay didn’t know what to think about the offer.  The assignment was everything he wanted.  He would be teaching and developing his own courses, not following someone else’s ideas of what was important.  The more he tried to convince himself that it was perfect, the more he knew he couldn't accept it.  Idly he reached to touch the unfamiliar pips on his collar.  That was what was wrong.  He had left Starfleet on principal more than a decade ago, and that principal was unchanged.  The reason he now wore the uniform ended with his hearing.  The uniform belonged in his past and he needed to move one.  He looked up at Jeff Ewing as he set down a fresh cup of tea.

“Do you have any questions about the offer, Chakotay?”

“Jeff, I don’t know if I can explain this properly.  The assignment is everything I could ask and more, but for me, staying in Starfleet is impossible.  I left the ‘fleet years ago.  I put the uniform back on for one reason – to get my crew and Captain Janeway’s crew home, and that objective has been accomplished.  My reason for leaving ‘fleet still exists so to stay would be going against what I valued then and still value today.  I can’t stay in Starfleet.”

“Do your feelings about ‘fleet mean you can’t work with us?”

“No, nothing like that.  I just can’t be part of Starfleet.  It’s long and complicated and I’m not sure I could explain it so that it made sense even to me.”

Jeff Ewing nodded and shuffled through the data chips he carried.  He popped one in his PADD and scanned it briefly as if refreshing his memory before he removed it and looked back at Chakotay.

“Ok.  About half of my department is going to tell me ‘I told you so’ when I get back.  I really thought you would be willing to stay in Starfleet if you were at the Academy.  Oh, well, they love being right at the boss’s expense.  Well, the boss may be wrong, but he is also always prepared.  Chakotay, how would you like the same position at the Academy – as a civilian instructor?”  Jeff popped another data chip in his PADD and called up a chart with some figures on it.  “Pay, housing and benefits at the standard for civilians with your experience and background.  The chart just compares it to what you would get if you were a full commander in Starfleet with the same responsibilities.”  He passed Chakotay the padd and waited while he studied the figures.

“This is considerably better financially.  Why?”

“When Starfleet wants or needs a civilian instructor, we have to compete with the largest businesses for the best people.  Our pay scale for civilians reflects that competition.”

“I’m not sure . . .”

“Ok, the best I can do is 10% more on the pay and another two weeks vacation after the first year.  More than that and I have to go to the Commandant of the Academy personally.”

“That is not what I was going to say.  I was about to say I wasn’t sure I wanted to live on the Academy grounds.  What other benefits are there for civilians?”

“Your benefits include transporter access to and from the Academy as needed.  For practical purposes, most people find it more convenient to live within one or two time zones of the Academy, otherwise the classroom hours and the sun don’t match up too well.”  Jeff waited and watched Chakotay’s face.  He knew this was the real test.  Most of his department believed that if Chakotay left Starfleet, he would also leave Earth.  He didn’t want to push him so that he turned it down, but he did want Chakotay to understand that they truly needed him at the Academy.  “Look, I need to check in with the skinned knee.  Think about it a few minutes while I make the call.”

Jeff went off to the public communications area ignoring his combadge.  He called and checked on the dry-cleaning before calling his wife and suggesting Chinese for dinner.  She agreed with the suggestion and volunteered him to pick it up on his way home.  When she asked about Chakotay's answer, he put her off saying he would tell her all about it at home.  He also filled her in on the skinned knee incident.  Checking his watch, he decided to check with his office for messages while he was making calls.

Chakotay glanced up as Jeff returned to their table.  He smiled when Jeff grimaced at the taste of his cold coffee.

“I’m sorry I drove you away from your hot coffee.”

“It’s ok.  I’m used to it.  Any questions about the offer?”

“One year contract, renewable at my option?  I’ll finish working out the Delta Quadrant courses on a separate contract if I decide not to renew.”

“Agreed.”

Chakotay thought a moment more, and then slowly nodded his head.

“Ok, you have a deal, Commander.  I accept the civilian position at the Academy pending my detachment from Starfleet.”

“We can take care of that right now.  Might I suggest that your thirty days leave be taken as a civilian?”

“Why?”

“Higher pay.”

“All right.”

“Let’s see.  If we end your enlistment two weeks from Friday, then you take your thirty days vacation . . . yes, that gets you back about a month before the next term so you have time to get settled in at the Academy.  That all right with you, Commander?”

Chakotay studied the dates Jeff Ewing has quickly jotted down on his PADD.  The plan was reasonable.

“Looks fine to me.”

“Ok, I’ll send the formal papers to you later this afternoon along with your back pay.  Do you need help finding housing?”

“No, but can you arrange for me to stay where I am until I get something lined up?  It might be a week or two.”

“No problem, unless another long lost ship comes home abruptly.  If that happens, you can sleep on our couch.”  Both men smiled at the joke as they rose to leave.

“Chakotay, I hope you have a long and rewarding tenure at the Academy.  Our cadets need more people like you living the values that make Starfleet what it is.  If they ask you, tell them why you left Starfleet and why you teach at the Academy.  If you can make them understand why there is no contradiction in those choices, you will have taught them a great deal.  In case no one has said it before, welcome home.”

With that, Jeff Ewing turned and left.  Chakotay stared after him for a few minutes before heading back to his quarters.  His demeanor was somber at first but as he realized that lieutenants and especially ensigns were dodging around him, his mood lightened and by the time he left the building to cross the grounds, he was smiling.  It was thirty years since he had left the Academy; he wondered how things had changed and how much was still the same.  It would be fun finding out.

Kathryn sat in the waiting area outside the smaller of the JAG’s hearing rooms.  She and Mac had been asked to attend yet another hearing about her actions in the Delta Quadrant.  She didn’t understand what this one was supposed to accomplish. She had already spent the better part of two weeks answering questions about those events and explaining her reasons for the decisions she had made.  Only the night before she had received a list of the actual charges being pursued, but she had merely skimmed them.  For each incident there seemed to be four or five charges, virtually identical except for phrasing.  She would let Mac explain it to her.  She glanced at the chronometer on the wall and wondered what was delaying him.

Kathryn thought back to her first meeting with McKenzie Jones.  Kathryn had since learned that the little man was wily as a fox and as devious as anyone she had met.  She had learned why he was also one of the most respected lawyers in Starfleet and that he had asked for this assignment.  During recent weeks, Kathryn had come to appreciate her self-appointed advocate and friend.  She had not really considered the possibility that Starfleet would pursue charges against her but when she had learned that Harry’s indiscretion was being reviewed formally, she knew that Starfleet was not holding back.  Since then, Mac had more than earned his pay and Kathryn’s respect.  Mac hadn't tried to change her mind when they first met; he still didn't try to change her mind.  He just spoke his mind and waited for her to agree with him.  If she didn't, he followed her wishes.

“Sorry, I’m late, Captain.”  Mac refused to call her Kathryn despite numerous requests and, perversely, insisted that she call him ‘Mac’.  She had given up arguing with him weeks ago.  “I was up late reading the complete list of charges and trying to make heads or tails of them.”

“Hi, Mac.  Sit down.  We still have about fifteen minutes before we are scheduled to start.  What is it we're supposed to accomplish today?  The formal hearings aren’t scheduled to start until tomorrow, are they?”

“I’m not sure why we’re here.  It’s quite unusual to meet right before formal hearings begin.  Do you understand what all the charges mean?”

“No.  I read through the first couple of groups and they seem to repeat the same thing four or five times using different phrases.  I skimmed the rest and it seems every incident discussed during our meetings a few weeks ago has been included.  I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I wasn’t either, but for a different reason.  They have charged you with just about everything they could.  They have thrown the proverbial book at you, Captain, and I don’t know why.”

Kathryn was silent.  She had kept track of her crew, original Starfleet and Maquis alike, and knew that there had been very few sentences exacted and those had been considered served during their time in the Delta Quadrant.  The exception was the group from the Equinox.  It looked like she was going to be the exception, too.  Mac gave her time to let the implications of his words register.  Finally, Kathryn spoke.

“This isn’t some Review Board matter, is it?  You’re telling me that tomorrow is going to be a full blown Court Martial.”

“That’s my guess and it also explains the reason for this meeting today.  They probably want to make sure we both understand exactly what is happening tomorrow.  Do I need to tell you worst case possibilities?”

“No.  I don’t suppose there is a best case for something like this?”

“Short of having all charges dropped, I have no idea what a best case scenario would be.  Let me answer that after our meeting, Captain.”

“Mac?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“I guess now is a good time to say thank you.  I didn’t think I would need your help.  I know I didn’t want it, but I’m glad now that you wouldn’t let me send you away.  Thank you.”

“Just doing my job, Captain.”

“You’ve done more than just your job and we both know it, Mac.  Thank you.”

“My privilege, Captain.”

They made small talk for a few minutes while Kathryn continued to absorb the ramifications of what Mac had told her.  Finally, just when Kathryn’s nerves were beginning to bother her, a lieutenant came out of the hearing room and asked them to enter.  Mac and Kathryn stood, looked at each other and entered the room.

Kathryn recognized everyone in the room from the interminable hearings a few weeks earlier.  Sitting at the table with a cup of coffee was Admiral Andrew Karnehm.  Across the room from the door stood Admiral Teresa Ukmata one of Starfleet’s best know lawyers.  She was talking animatedly with Lt. Commander Khera.  Kathryn knew little about Karnehm except that his name was usually spoken in connection with the C in C’s office.  She knew Ukmata by reputation and had come to respect Khera during the lengthy meetings they both attended.  Admiral Ukmata looked up as they entered and dismissed the lieutenant.

“Captain Janeway.  Mac.  Come in.  Help yourself to coffee or tea.  This is an official hearing but I have no patience with formality and the delays it can bring.  I know Mac is comfortable with this; I hope you are too, Captain.”

“Of course, Admiral.”

“Admiral Ukmata, I should have known you’d be here.  Let me guess, you're the one who scheduled this meeting – that’s the reason Captain Janeway and I have no idea why we’re here today.”

“Mac, you old fraud.  You’ve been around long enough to know I never try to keep anything from you.  For the record, I did not schedule this meeting, although I do know why we are having it.”

“Then would you be so good as to enlighten the Captain and me?”

“In due course, Mac, in due course.  Get some tea for yourself and something for the Captain so we can begin.”

“Yes, Admiral.”  Mac followed the Admiral’s advice and poured himself some tea and Kathryn a mug of coffee before taking a seat across the table from Admiral Karnehm who had remained silent.  Once Admiral Ukmata and Lt. Commander Khera had taken their seats he looked up and began the meeting.

“I believe you have all been introduced, albeit informally.  Admiral Ukmata was correct; this is a official hearing but we shall proceed informally unless some need for formality arises, if that is acceptable to everyone.”  He barely paused for anyone to speak before continuing.  “Captain Janeway, the proposal you are about to hear is being made at the request of the C in C.  There are those at various levels who oppose the offer for a variety of reasons, but the offer is being made and will be honored if you accept it.  On that point, you have the word of the C in C.  Commander, would you be so good as to explain the offer?”

“Of course, Admiral.”  Lt. Commander Khera seemed a bit uncomfortable with the offer.  “I apologize if I seem a bit off balance. Normally Mac would present this sort of offer to JAG on your behalf, Captain; however, this is not a typical situation.  I’m sure that you’ve read the list of formal charges pending against you, Captain.  Simply put, representatives of the C in C and members of JAG department have selected two incidents as representative of the entire list.  One incident is a violation of the Prime Directive; the other is the charge of attempted murder with respect to Noah Lessing.  The incident chosen as representative of all those which could be interpreted as violations of the Prime Directive is your decision to help the entity or entities on the Y-class planet you encountered a little over three years after you were stranded in the Delta Quadrant.”

“The Demon Planet?”  Kathryn was truly puzzled.  The Prime Directive usually involved existing civilizations and technology those civilizations had not yet developed on their own.  She had never considered the Prime Directive in connection with that planet.

Seeing her puzzled expression, Khera explained.

“We spoke with many of the crew and read all the reports dealing with that planet.  It is clear that the replicas had the same knowledge as the original crew, all of their knowledge.  It is also clear that you considered the ‘silver blood’ alive and sentient even if it were not conscious before you arrived. When you left the DNA samples to create people, you also left all the warp technology of Voyager – with a species that had not yet developed that technology on its own.  Those are the two incidents in a nutshell.”

Khera paused to rearrange a few data chips and give Kathryn and Mac a chance to think about the two incidents under discussion before she continued.

“Now, what we propose is that all charges be dropped except for those relating to these two incidents.  I have about ten pages of typed arguments, both pro and con, dealing with the ultimate disposition of these charges.  The proposed ultimate disposition of both cases is a formal reprimand for each incident in your permanent file.”  Khera glanced at the chronometer and saw that it was not quite 1100; it was early for lunch, but not so early that a long lunch break could not be taken.  “Here are complete copies of all the arguments; I think you will find them quite thorough.  If there are any points that are omitted, please tell me so I can make appropriate revisions.  I suggest that we break now for lunch and reconvene at 1400.  That will give you time to read the arguments and talk over this offer.  I’m afraid that we will need an answer from you this afternoon, Captain.”

Mac looked at Khera to be sure she had finished before he turned to Kathryn.  Shock was the word he would have used to describe her expression at that moment.  She would get over it once they left the room and had a chance to talk.  He expected her to get angry once she had a chance to think and he would greatly prefer that anger not be displayed to the others in the room.

“That sounds fine, Commander.  We’ll meet you back here at 1400.  Captain, I believe we have a few things to discuss.”

“Of course, Mac.”  Kathryn was more than willing to follow Mac’s lead for the moment.  She rose and together they left the room.  Once in the corridor, Kathryn was surprised when Mac led the way to an exit.  “Where are we going?”

“I think a little fresh air and a lot more privacy are what we need at the moment, Captain.  I know a nice secluded spot just down this path that should do nicely.”  During the walk, Kathryn went through a range of emotions starting with shock and passing through anger and outrage, then disbelief.

“I don’t understand, Mac.  I don’t understand how they can do this to me.  Am I right in thinking that if I don’t accept this offer they fully expect me to be convicted on most, if not all, of those charges?”

“I think there is more to it than what we’ve been told.  They’ve been fairly easy on your entire crew.  If you look at the results, it could be argued that the crew was not held accountable at least in part because you were there and knew, or should have known, what was going on.  Most of those instances have at least one charge against you.  You heard about the disposition of Chakotay’s case didn’t you?  Well, what you may not have heard was that the minute he walked out the door, personnel had their top man offering him a position.  If the rumors are true, they all but begged him to accept.  With the exception of the Equinox crew and a few others, everyone on Voyager was offered extensions of their enlistment.

“Captain, Voyager is a conundrum for the Federation.  You’ve come back from what should have been an impossible distance.  Starfleet is rebuilding after a disastrous war with the Dominion.  You have brought much needed new technology from the Delta Quadrant.  You and your crew are the perfect heroes, but you also broke more rules and regulations than any crew since Jim Kirk took the Enterprise off to see who else was in our neighborhood.  Well, even Jim Kirk eventually stood in front of the Federation council and had to face his mistakes.  The Federation let him off quite easily and Starfleet, JAG in particular, has been listening to criticism about it ever since, never mind that the Federation Council made the decision.  They aren’t in a position to ignore the records, Captain, but I think they are doing everything they can to acknowledge the circumstances you and your crew were forced to endure.”

“Are you saying this is all political maneuvering, and my career is on the line to make life easier for a few of the brass?”

“No, not exactly.  There is a political element to the decisions in my opinion.  I also believe there is an even stronger objective though – to protect you and your career.”

“What!  How can you say that?”

“I know it sounds impossible, but think about it.  They have thrown everything they could into that list of charges.  Everything.  Then, out of nowhere, they offer you what amounts to an opportunity to accept a slap on the wrist.  There must be twenty charges on that list that would earn you prison time and at least as many more that would end your career.  The rest would all warrant at least an official reprimand.  They don’t have to get a conviction on everything, all they need is one or two and your career is over.  I don’t think they want to lose you.  They are offering you the minimum on two charges and agreeing not to pursue the others.”

“So I’ll become another Jim Kirk – a pain in Starfleet’s side?”

“No.  The Federation Council summarily dismissed Kirk’s charges.  Your charges would be settled if you accept the offer.  No one can say you received any special treatment.  I think the C in C and the Federation President spent hours working this out, and I would not want to be the C in C if he has to tell her that you turned this offer down.”

“You really think this is that big of an issue?”

“I do.  It is the only explanation that makes sense.  I can’t think of any other reason for the JAG people to file all those charges and then offer a settlement that is so minimal.  Admiral Karnehm does not just happen to be included in preliminary meetings; he does not waste his time on trivial meetings.  He was probably ordered to be there to make sure the settlement was presented and accepted.  Did you see the expression on Admiral Ukmata’s face?  She was concerned, but not about the charges.  She was worried about your reaction to the settlement offer.  I know Teresa, and she is very nervous about something.  She picks and chooses where she shows up.  The only reason she isn’t the head of Starfleet JAG is that she didn’t want the paperwork.  Scuttlebutt says she is more influential than the head of JAG and I believe it.  Here, read the settlement offer.  Pay particular attention to the information that is not really relevant to the specific charges.  That will tell you more than the rest of it.”

Kathryn started to read through the more than twenty pages of text.  Once Mac had pointed out what to focus on, she could see that there was a lot of information that was not really relevant to a settlement or even the charges being specifically discussed.  She was beginning to believe what he had said might possibly be accurate.  As she was finishing, they heard someone approaching.

“Excuse me.  I won’t stay, but I did want to say something to you, Captain, off the record.  Please, seriously consider the offer.  If you force a Court Martial, there are many who will not be pleased.  I also know that your logs alone are more than enough to convict you on at least half a dozen of the charges, so please consider it.  Now, if you’ll excuse me.  I’ve already said more than I should.”

Khera was gone before Mac or Kathryn could even acknowledge her presence.

“What was that all about, Mac?”

“Whatever it was, it reinforces my belief that there is more going on here than we know about.  Did you see the references I meant in the offer?”

“Yes, I did.  If you hadn’t pointed them out, I would have ignored them.  How did you read them so quickly?”

“Necessary ability for a trial lawyer.  The opposition never gives you as much time as you need so reading quickly and closely is a necessary skill.  Ready for lunch now?”

“Yes.  Let me think while we eat, and then I'll be ready to discuss my answer.  Is that all right?”

“A wonderful idea.  Let’s see what they have on the menu today.  If I may, Captain?”  Mac stood and gallantly offered Kathryn his arm and led her back up the path towards the nearest cafeteria.

Kathryn refused to think about the charges and the hearing while she ate lunch.  Instead she regaled Mac with tales of Tom’s plots and pranks during their journey through the Delta Quadrant, and for a few minutes Mac called her Kathryn but she never noticed.  Looking at the pair, one would have been surprised to learn they were anything other than old friends enjoying a leisurely lunch.  Once coffee was served, Kathryn regretfully returned to the business they faced.

“It’s 1330, Mac.  I guess we have to discuss this, don’t we?”

“We don’t have to discuss it, Captain, not unless that’s what you want.”

“Well, rationally, there is nothing to discuss.  The choice between being convicted on multiple charges, the end of my career and possibly the rest of my life in prison, or a slap on my wrist for poor judgment is pretty easy.  But I don’t know if I can admit what I did was wrong.  When I made those decisions, they were the right decisions.”

“Kathryn, Starfleet knows they were the right decisions or they wouldn’t be offering this settlement, but they were still violations of 'fleet regulations and Starfleet has to act officially.  They can’t acknowledge that they understand your choices officially.  This is as close as they can come.”

“You’ll fight these charges for me if I ask, won’t you, Mac?”

“Yes, and the first thing I’ll do when we finish today is file for an extension of time to prepare defense arguments given the late date we received all the charges.”

“Thank you, Mac.  I needed to know that.  I needed to know you were willing to fight just because it was what I wanted to do.  There’s a part of me that just wants this over and welcomes this offer.  Yet there’s a part of me that wants to fight to the bitter end to make it clear that there are circumstances that just can not be anticipated when a captain has to make decisions that are right for the ship and the crew even if they break regulations.  Heaven knows I gave up my personal life for seven years because of those damned regulations.  But I won’t fight this, Mac.  The Delta Quadrant has cost me too much already.  I need to at least have a shot at keeping my career and the settlement offer is the only way that can happen, isn’t it.”

“In my opinion, yes, Captain.  I understand why you want to fight.  It’s part of the reason I asked for this assignment.  I believe fights like that should be fought – when the time is right.  But this isn’t the right time.  There are too many other issues involved now.”

“Will you do the talking for me?  Will you make sure they understand how I feel about this whole thing?”

”They already understand that, Captain.  That’s why we had three hours to talk about their offer.  I know Teresa Ukmata had quite a few years of field experience before she transferred to JAG. They know; that’s why they’re so concerned you will turn down the offer.  They know your record and your principals and that you lived through seven years of isolation in the Delta Quadrant.  They would want to fight these types of charges and know that you are no different.  They are afraid you might be willing to give up your career on a principal.”

“I nearly am, Mac, but after seven years in the Delta Quadrant, I’m too tired to fight it.  I just want this over with – now.  I want to come home.”

“Let’s go then.  I’ll do the talking.  All you’ll have to do is sign the offer when the official procedures have been completed.  Don’t be surprised if this is presented as an offer I made on your behalf and which they have agreed to accept.  That is how this should have been handled so they may set up the final documents with that format.”

“Whatever you say, Mac.”

Kathryn and Mac entered the hearing room to find it empty.  The side table had been cleared of beverages and there was no smiling lieutenant to greet them.

“This is going to be very formal, Captain, so don’t be surprised if they seem unfriendly.  This session is probably being recorded.  Just follow my lead if you are uncertain of anything.  If they toss in something new you don’t understand, just ask to speak to me privately.  They will give us a few minutes, but that is all.  Understand?”

“Yes.”

The door opened and in filed Admiral Ukmata followed by Karnehm and Khera.  Mac and Kathryn both rose at the entry of superior officers and waited for permission to be seated.  Ukmata opened the proceedings.  Mac had been correct – everything was phrased as if he had presented the offer on behalf of Kathryn and the long recess had been to give the JAG group time to consider it.  The offer was officially accepted and the final draft handed to Mac to read.  He glanced at Ukmata, who nodded her head ever so slightly.  Kathryn took that to be a question of consistency with the earlier version and an answer of confirmation.  Mac glanced over the beginning paragraphs then quickly flipped to the last few pages. He read them more carefully then passed those pages to Kathryn to read.  Kathryn did so and was surprised to see that apart from the official reprimands no other consequences were cited.  She paused after she finished reading.  She still wanted to fight.  Mac waited for her to look at him.  Kathryn finally looked up and nodded slightly confirming her agreement to the settlement.  She let out a long quiet sigh.  From her perspective it was over, the rest was legal minutiae that meant nothing to her.  She allowed her thoughts to drift, and was only drawn back to the present when Mac asked her to sign the agreement.  The meeting officially ended a few minutes later.  Admiral Ukmata made the closing statements for the official record and it was over.

The entire room relaxed.  Admiral Ukmata signaled the lieutenant to take the official papers wherever they needed to go.  She stood and spoke to the room.

“I know it may not seem much of a victory, but it is a victory for all of us.  Mac, Captain Janeway, please join us for a few minutes.”  Kathryn was surprised that they would ask her to stay and celebrate what had just happened, but Mac was already speaking their acceptance for just a few minutes.  He evidently thought this was important, so she did not object.  She was surprised when Khera approached her and spoke softly to her.

“If you need to leave for a few minutes, just let me know and I’ll get us both out of here.  I also want to let you know that this agreement is only in your official file, not in the copy maintained in personnel.  No one except the few involved today and a handful in the C in C’s office have access to the settlement agreement.  Don’t be concerned if Commander Ewing seems to know, he is the only one from Personnel who has any idea what is happening and that is only because he has been involved since the beginning.”

“Could we just go walk outside for a few minutes without offending the admirals?”

“Sure.  Let me tell Teresa and then we can go.”

Kathryn was surprised to find herself talking with a person who, only an hour earlier, had represented the low point of her career.  When they returned to the hearing room half an hour later, they were laughing about the latest antics of Khera’s children.  Mac and Ukmata had almost given up hope that Kathryn would return but were pleased their fears were unfounded.  The two women approached Ukmata and Mac, looking around for Karnehm.

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t think he noticed you two even left.  He swallowed a glass of wine like it was water and made his excuses.  His priority was giving the C in C his report.”

“It was pretty much what I thought, Kathryn, or close enough.  Terry here has been most willing to fill me in on a few things that they couldn’t tell me until now, none of which I can share with you.  I hope you understand.”

“I do, Mac.  It’s ok.  Any wine left for lowly captains and lieutenant commanders?”

“Yes, indeed, ladies.  Allow me.”  The friendly chat continued for half an hour before Kathryn and Mac departed allowing the others to return to their duties.  When they parted at the entrance of the building, Mac shook Kathryn’s hand.

“Congratulations, Kathryn.  You took on Starfleet and won.  It might not feel like it tonight before you go to sleep, but they acknowledged as best they could that you did what you had to do and it was acceptable.  Accept that settlement for what it is – a victory.”

“Thank you, Mac.  Please, keep in touch after you retire.  I don’t have a lot of friends here anymore and I’d like you to be my first new one.”

“It would be my pleasure, Kathryn.  You know where my office is now, and I’ll be sure to let you know how to reach me after my retirement party.  Don’t be surprised if you get an invitation to that, too.  Take care, young lady.”

"I'll come to your retirement party, Mac, in about ten years."