one of them is to take responsibility for her own actions---or lack of
action." Assured of their continued silence, she said more gently,
"Malista, you're tired and it's been a long, emotionally trying day. I
think you should get some rest and tomorrow---at your earliest
convenience---you may give Lt. Tuvok a written report on the
incidences of harassment. The report will, of course, name those
responsible and give as much detail as you feel is necessary to convey
the nature and severity of the abuse."
"Yes, ma'am," the younger woman whispered, then repeated the
acknowledgment more firmly, her green eyes full of dread.
Janeway stretched out an arm and placed a reassuring hand on the
taller woman's shoulder. "Try not to worry. We will handle this. There
will not be a repeat of those incidents. The guilty parties will be
punished."
At the captain's nod of dismissal, Harry Kim escorted Malista from the
room, holding her so closely to his side it was hard to tell where one
began and the other ended. 'Those two are good for each other,'
Janeway thought as she watched them with satisfaction.
"Captain," Tom said in a slow, contemplative drawl. "Have you given
any thought to the nature of the punishment for these pigs?"
Kathryn's eyes met B'Elanna's. She closed one gray eye in a deliberate
wink before rolling her eyes as she turned toward the pilot. "No, Mr.
Paris. But I have the impression that you have given it some thought."
"Yes, ma'am," Tom said with what Torres felt to be an ominously
dispassionate air. Paris was never more dangerous than when it seemed
he wasn't up to anything.
"Do I want to know what you've been considering, Mr. Paris?" Janeway
asked with excessive politeness.
Tom's blue eyes widened in transparent innocence. "Oh, yes, ma'am. But
I think it can wait till tomorrow. I'd like to sleep on my ideas---and
run them past the Delaney twins for their---input. Megan and Jenny are
sure to have a---unique perspective on dealing with the issue." Those
bright white teeth flashed in a smile that reminded those present of a
Sagdarian Sand Shark.
At the mention of the Delaneys, Torres suppressed a shudder. If Tom
was going to turn those two loose---! They all needed their rest. She
tugged his arm, pulling him off the biobed. "Come on, Helmboy. Time
for you to go beddy-bye. It's been a long day."
Allowing himself to be towed toward the exit, Tom asked, "Why, B'Ella,
is that an invitation?"
The doors to Sickbay slid closed before those inside could hear the
answer, but they did hear Tom's voice utter a loud, whiny
"Owwwwwwww!".
******************
Tomorrow came a little sooner than Malista had been prepared for. She
awoke starving, sore, and scared, not necessarily in that order of
importance. A quick trip to the replicator solved the first problem, a
hot shower took care of the second, but the third...
She didn't know where to begin. The captain had ordered her to file a
report. She knew how to do that. She just didn't know if she had the
nerve to actually put into words what had happened and how it had made
her feel. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't want to
even attempt it on her own. She needed help.
Asking Harry or Tom was out of the question. While it was comforting
to know they wouldn't blame her for being the victim, she'd find
herself constantly censoring her words in order to avoid upsetting
them. Well, upsetting them more than they were already. If they heard
the details, especially knowing that the harassment had NOT stopped at
words and looks....If they knew it had gotten very close to
assault....
Malista shuddered, staring once more at the blank datapadd. She didn't
want either of them to lose his temper and get in trouble because of
her. So who could she ask for help?
B'Elanna.
'Of course. B'Elanna is my friend,' Malista told herself. 'And
B'Elanna won't lose her temper as easily as Tom or Harry under these
circumstances. She's a beautiful woman. She's probably dealt with this
kind of thing before. She won't take my being attacked as personally
as the guys would. Will she? No, of course not. '
So Malista called B'Elanna and asked for her help in preparing a
report for Tuvok. Lieutenant Torres, sounding not at all surprised at
the request, invited Malista to come to her quarters where they could
work undisturbed.
******************
Crewman Shadow rapidly discovered that she had seriously
underestimated Lt. Torres' reaction to the news that one of 'her'
engineering staff had been the victim of harassment, not only during
her personal time, but also while she was on duty---under Torres'
supervision.
They were both handling the subject matter fairly well while Malista
was describing the minor events. It was a different matter entirely
when she described the incident in the Biology Lab. The first burst of
Klingon temper almost sent Shadow fleeing from the room. Torres was
so furious that merely trying to form words to express her fury almost
choked her.
Malista waited until B'Elanna had regained some control---or at least
had stopped cursing fluently in Klingon. When she continued, out of
habit, Shadow tried to minimize what had happened and its effect on
her.
Quickly realizing what was going on, Torres refused to let her.
"Malista, I want you to put down every leer, every sneer, every
insulting remark. Just this once and then you'll never have to deal
with it again."
"But why are you so angry?"
The meek tone of voice caught at Torres and brought her eyes back to
the taller woman. B'Elanna knew she had to make it clear that it was
not Malista that had just become an endangered species. "Because I
should have known. I should have seen something was wrong. Especially
when it began to interfere with you doing your job! No, I *did* know
something was wrong and I didn't do anything about it."
"B'Elanna, it wasn't your fault. I didn't tell you anything," Malista
protested. "Tom says it's not my fault either. It theirs. The ones who
did this. He says the only thing I did wrong was not making it clear
to them that I wasn't interested. I didn't say 'No' with conviction
and make it stick. So you shouldn't feel guilty. Don't take blame that
isn't yours."
Torres laughed reluctantly. "Helmboy sure has been spreading that
little proverb around, hasn't he? Okay. We'll make a deal. You put
down every grimy detail. I'll get as ticked off as I want, but I'll
take it out on the furniture. Call it my way of venting. But you don't
let it intimidate you or make you change what you need to say. Deal?"
"Deal." Malista grinned at the shorter woman. Maybe Torres had a point
about venting her wrath on inanimate objects. Maybe she would try it
herself. Later.
Three hours later, the report was finished.
Malista Shadow was drying her eyes.
Very few breaka
ble objects remained unbroken in B'Elanna's quarters.
Smashed pieces of pottery, plastic, and glass littered the floor like
leaves fallen from a tree.
"Ready to go to the Security Office?" Torres inquired, casually wiping
a bit of blood off one scraped knuckle with a clean cloth.
Shadow spared a glance for the debris around them.
"Don't worry about it. I'll clean it up later," B'Elanna remarked.
"We'll clean it up," Malista corrected. They exchanged grins of
mutual understanding, a moment of rare rapport between two women with
very different backgrounds and personalities.
******************
The Security Office was not meant to hold quite so many people. It was
filled to capacity, except for the brig, when Torres and Shadow
arrived. Lt. Tuvok and Ensign Mikel Hudson were the only ones who were
actually supposed to be there.
When Malista hesitated in the doorway, B'Elanna nudged her forward as
she sent a brown-eyed glare around the room at Tom Paris, Harry Kim,
Ethan Simms, the Delaney twins, and Ensign George Natwick. Shadow
advanced toward the desk, padd in hand, trying to pretend the others
smiling encouragement at her were invisible.
Lt. Tuvok stood to accept the report. "Thank you, Crewman Shadow. Do
you have anything you wish to add verbally to your written report?"
"No, sir. I think---uh, I think it's all in there," she mumbled,
blushing from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.
"Okay. What's going on?" Torres demanded.
The occupants of the room turned their eyes toward Tom Paris. He
lifted his hands in helpless innocence. "Nothing, B'Elanna. We were
just---discussing possible sentences for those found guilty of sexual
harassment. Just an objective, hypothetical discussion, you know?"
"Uh-huh. Sure. And what conclusions have you reached?" Torres matched
his innocuous tone perfectly, though her expression of impassivity
could have used some work to make it more convincing.
For some reason no one in the room, including Harry Kim, wanted to
meet Malista's apprehensive green eyes. She looked to Lt. Tuvok who
was busily reading her report. He glanced up. "Under the
circumstances, I believe the captain will assign the guilty parties to
work additional shifts performing the more unpleasant duties necessary
to ensure the smooth functioning of the ship. At her discretion she
may also reduce privileges and restrict them to their quarters for a
specified period of time."
"But, we ask ourselves," Tom began philosophically. "Is that enough? "
"And you answer yourselves?" Torres asked, beginning to be amused.
"No!!" The word was spoken in unison by everyone present except Tuvok
and Shadow.
"Does anyone really believe those options are enough to impress upon
the minds of these dishonorable, despicable dastards that their
behavior is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated?" Paris was
on a roll now. The words flowed from his lips like those of an expert
orator. "Will restriction of privileges, loss of replicator rations,
and doing disgusting duties, sufficiently make the point that we are
absolutely furious that they would take advantage of the gentle nature
of my sister and certain other women aboard this ship whom we consider
as family members or treasured friends? That we are disgusted and
repelled by their behavior?" He looked around as if gathering support.
It was a futile gesture. He was preaching to the choir here. No one
needed to be persuaded to agree with his point of view.
The only possible dissenter was Lt. Tuvok, who was listening intently
out of fascinated intellectual curiosity concerning Mr. Paris'
rationale and methodology for his proposed course of action.
The victim herself was staring at Paris with dawning dismay. "Oh,
Zeus, Tom! *What* are you planning to do?"
"He's just being dramatic, Malista. Tuvok isn't going to let him kill
anyone. Or even inflict permanent damage," Torres said. Her words
might have been more comforting if they hadn't sounded tinged with
regret.
"Sis, we talked about this before. *You* have to confront these guys.
If anyone else does it for you, it won't stick. Well, maybe it would
if we pounded them, which I personally find an appealing option,"
Paris admitted, "but it would still mean you weren't ready to defend
yourself so this kind of thing could happen to you again." After a
momentary pause, Tom said quietly. "You told me you didn't want to
find yourself caged again, having to be escorted everywhere to feel
safe. You have to tell them no and make them believe you mean it."
Harry Kim came forward and put his arms around Shadow. "No one is
going to get hurt, Malista. We just want to teach them a lesson. One
they won't forget. The captain has even approved this scheme of Tom's.
In fact, she said she wants a front row seat."
She rested her head on Kim's shoulder and sighed her relief. Too soon.
Tom and the Delaneys began to explain their plan to her.
The only words Shadow spoke for the next hour were, "Oh, no. I can't
do this." They began as a moan, crescendoed into a shout at one point,
and slowly morphed into a mortified murmur repeated at intervals
whenever a new idea was proposed or explained in more detail.
It took a combination of charm, persuasion, and emotional blackmail by
all of the schemers to get Malista Shadow to even agree to attempt to
implement their plot. But she did agree. Eventually.
Then the conspirators split into three different groups to carry out
their assignments to make the plan come together. The Delaneys and
Natwick escorted Malista to her quarters. Harry Kim, B'Elanna Torres,
and Tom Paris went to the holodeck to make some program adjustments.
Ensigns Simms and Hudson began their surveillance and monitoring of
the whereabouts and activities of Lt. Laro Longoria and Crewman Paul
Castelle until their presence was required on the holodeck, at which
time the two Security men would ensure their attendance.
***********
"This is taking forever," Paris complained. "Where is she?"
B'Elanna sent him a sour look and pushed him back onto the bleacher.
"Sit down and be quiet. The Delaneys called in a few minutes ago. If
you knew how much work it took to get her to plan what she was going
to say and then all the fuss about wearing the costume, you wouldn't
be complaining."
"Hey, I did my part!" Tom protested.
"Are you sure no one can see us?" Harry Kim asked anxiously. "You
checked out the holo-image from the other side, right?"
Torres let out a hiss of exasperation. "Of course, I checked it.
Anyone on the holodeck isn't going to see anything but a curtain
hanging over this part of the bleachers. There's no way they'll even
know we're here---if you two can keep quiet! Captain, can't you keep
them under control?"
Kathryn Janeway, seated at Tom's left side on the front row of the
hidden bleacher section, shook her head. "Oh, no, Lieutenant.
Officially, I'm not here." Her gray eyes twinkled first at
Torres,
then at Chakotay, seated on her right.
The first officer laid a finger vertically over his lips. "I'm not
here either," he whispered.
Lt. Tuvok, seated on the other side of the commander, raised one
eyebrow. "Those are illogical statements. Unless you are speaking
metaphysically---"
Janeway leaned forward to look across Chakotay at her Head of
Security. "Tuvok, officially we aren't here at all. Unofficially, I
want to see if Malista can handle this. You know we have no objective
evidence of the sexual harassment charges that can be substantiated.
They made sure there were never any witnesses when they accosted her
and the computer messages are so well buried and rerouted throughout
the comm system, they're next to impossible to trace. If we held a
formal hearing, it would come down to Malista's word as opposed to
their account of the events. So if we can persuade them to incriminate
themselves---"
"Evidence elicited through entrapment---" Tuvok began.
"It's not entrapment," Chakotay announced flatly. "They know that the
holodecks are a public forum unless specifically reserved for private
use. To use the proper legal jargon, they should have no reasonable
expectation of privacy which precludes any objection to there being
witnesses to this encounter with or without their consent. Besides,
they'll be in full view of the security team the whole time. If
Trials 04 Shadow's Trial Page 49