Kathryn Janeway had heard many requests in her life. Far too many to remember, even fewer that she cared to talk about.
She thought she’d heard them all.
“What do you make of this?” she extended a padd to her first officer, who raised an eyebrow as he read. She exchanged a glance with Tuvok, who already knew the contents – he had been the one to give it to her.
“Sara’s asking permission to see Suder.” he had to admit that even he had heard numerous requests – he had held the position of First Officer before, after all.
“Would you please tell me why someone – anyone, and especially her, would choose to associate with Mr. Suder after what he’s done?”
“She was always friends with him, to a point.” Chakotay shrugged, handing the padd back, as though it was nothing for a 15 year old girl to ask for visitation rights with a convicted, albeit confessed, murderer. “Sara was the one person who could bring out something almost personable about Suder. He did the same for her. Sometimes he and Dalby were the only ones that could get her to say more than 5 words a day. I kept an eye on her when they were together, as much as I could at any rate.”
“This request is still ridiculous.”
“On the contrary,” Tuvok broke in. “It has been filled out according to proper protocols. Procedure is being observed, and followed to the letter.”
Janeway gazed at the padd again. She hated to admit it – he had a point. “What’s your opinion about this? Surely it raises security issues in your mind.”
“I will be continuing my…instruction…with him,” Tuvok was, as usual, impassive about the job he was undertaking. “He has been moved into secured quarters, and there are guards outside of the level 10 forcefield at all times of the day and night. He is under constant observation, and has access to a comm link for medical emergencies.”
“I wouldn’t want her alone with him,” Chakotay voiced his concern, “but even people in the brig are allowed visitors.”
“Unless sentenced to absolute segregation, solitary confinement.” Janeway argued back.
“To be honest with you Captain, I don’t see the harm in it. As long as she’s not alone with him, she’ll be fine. Even if she was alone with him, she’d be fine. Part of the job in the Maquis was protecting children, not hurting them. Even Suder couldn’t snap enough to do that. More so where she’s involved. I’m not saying I trust the man, or excuse what he did – there is no excuse. But he is allowed some rights.”
“All right, all right. But how are we going to work this? We can’t just let her knock on the door and say hello every time she feels like it.”
“Indeed.” Tuvok agreed. “However, a reasonable compromise can be reached.”
“Explain.”
“I will be visiting with Mr. Suder twice per week. I would have no objections to the Acting Ensign accompanying me on one of those visits.”
Janeway considered. “Once a week, for no more than an hour each time, dependant entirely on Mr. Suder’s behavior being reasonable. Always in your presence, that of Commander Chakotay, or both. And I want whoever is in there to be fully armed at all times. Are we in agreement?”
Chakotay nodded. He didn’t intend to ever see Suder again, but if Sara wanted to, he wasn’t going to try and stop her.
“Shall I inform her as to your restrictions?” Tuvok inquired.
“Yes.” Janeway thumbprinted the padd and noted the requirements on it. “In two weeks’ time, if Mr. Suder behaves himself, the visits can begin. You can let him know as well that any attempt at subterfuge on his part will result in immediate cancellation.”
“Aye, Captain.” Tuvok took the padd, going to inform Sara that her request, surprisingly enough, had been granted.
