Hi! I’m planning to end this fanfic in the episode five, this is the second to last episode of this story, I will apreciate all kind of comments, yes, also critics if you feel I handle poorly something.

For more visually confort; you can find this episode in Wattpad, Ad Astra and also AO3 when the page goes on again.

— WARNING: SEXUAL ABUSE TOPICS BELOW — Viewer discretion is advised.

Captain’s Log: The USS Mar del Plata received coordinates transmitted by a Constitution-class vessel. We were informed that a shuttle had been lost in an anomaly two months earlier. After studying the coordinates, we discovered that they could be located on a pre-warp planet near our current position.

The rescue was flawless. Both the shuttle and its occupants, a human named Thelma and a Vulcan named Harok, both Starfleet officers, had been recovered safe and sound. Only one thing aboard the shuttle was still functioning, fortunately, it was a working replicator, so they had only needed to wait.

But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear.

The captain, the commander, and the chief of security went to welcome them in the transporter room.

“Welcome aboard the USS Mar del Plata,” the commander said. “My name is Antos. It was quite difficult to locate you, but I see you managed to meet your needs thanks to the replicator. You were fortunate.”

The Vulcan stepped forward, standing tall and displaying confidence.

The human, however, was quite the opposite. She kept glancing at him from the corner of her eye. At first, she had materialized with a smile, but it was clearly forced. She couldn’t bear being near him, constantly looking at him sideways with an expression of utter discomfort.

The chief of security noticed this, but tried not to say anything about it.

“Commander Antos? Bareil Antos? I’ve heard stories about Deep Space Nine.”

“You’re mistaken. That’s another Bajoran. Antos is a very common name.”

“You can make yourselves comfortable after visiting Sickbay. I realize it’s probably not the first place you’d like to go, but it’s necessary for security reasons.” David explained.

“The experience was, indeed, quite lengthy. When I became stranded, I had been planning to travel to Vulcan with my wife after so many years of service. I would appreciate being taken there immediately.”

“No…” the human said. “You tried to force Pon Farr on me! Tell them!”

Hecate, the Bolian working in the transporter room, flinched upon hearing this.

“Excuse me?” the commander asked.

“Yes…” the woman said, trembling with fear. “This disgusting pervert tried to assault me, claiming he couldn’t stand being away from his wife. I’ve had to endure his presence all these days, constantly afraid he would do something to me again. He needs to be put behind bars!”

Without hesitation, the commander issued his order.

“David, detain him. You know the procedure.”

The chief of security stepped behind the Vulcan.

“This is a mistake! I cannot wait another minute! Take me to my planet and my wife!”

“Oh, so you were just going to pretend none of this ever happened? Were you going to tell her what you tried to do? Or do Vulcan women simply not care about such things?” Thelma said.

“You cannot do this to me!” Harok raised his voice.

“Please, remain calm and follow our orders. We would like to hear both sides of the story.” the captain replied.

The commander and the chief of security began escorting him towards the brig.

However, halfway there, in one of the corridors, Harok suddenly clutched his head and shoved them both aside with both hands, sending them crashing to the floor with all the strength one would expect from a Vulcan.

“Chief of Security here. Lieutenant Harok is attempting to escape towards the shuttle bay!” David reported over his communicator.

The pursuit continued through several corridors. David followed close behind while Commander Antos made sure Harok didn’t stray from their path, alerting the rest of the crew as he went.

Harok reached the hangar and began activating the shuttle and the hangar bay doors from a control panel.

“What do you think you’re doing? Do you really think the tractor beam won’t catch you before you can go to warp?” David asked.

“If I hurry, yes! Then I’ll turn myself in, but not now! Not now!”

David attempted to use his phaser, but Harok was faster. He drew his own phaser and fired at the chief of security’s weapon, disabling it.

Commander Antos arrived shortly afterward and attempted to do the same, but the Vulcan had the eyes of a hawk and shot him in the hand.

However, Harok’s phaser was damaged, so they only felt a jolt or an electric shock in their hands before their own phasers stopped working.

Harok began walking slowly towards the shuttle, but Antos grabbed his forearms and forced them against his waist while David began punching him in the face.

As expected, the Vulcan was strong. He broke free from their grip and began throwing punches and kicks, trying to get both of them off him.

Antos leaned back to avoid a punch, while David ducked just before a kick could connect with his head.

It was strange to see a Vulcan so savage and terrified. This also made him predictable. They dodged his attacks while counterattacking.

The fight lasted long enough to prevent him from boarding the shuttle. The security team finally arrived.

Realizing he was outnumbered, he surrendered. He could have kept fighting, but he soon regained his composure and rationality.

Meanwhile, Narad was inspecting the shuttle alongside another human engineer. Since they were in a different shuttle bay, they were completely unaware of what was happening on the other side.

The shuttle was covered in mud and vines from the planet, which had become lodged in its hull upon impact. They were far too large for the biofilters to remove.

“There are handprints on the shuttle’s hull. It looks like the mud and possibly the vines were deliberately placed there by both crew members, as some kind of camouflage or something like that.” Narad said.

“Did you find anything else?” a human engineer asked.

“The ship is pretty much empty. It seems that over these past two months, the only thing they cared about was keeping it clean.”

“I thought someone who was stranded wouldn’t be busy with things like that. By the way, I’ve always wanted to talk to you. You caught my attention. What’s your name?”

“In what way did I catch your attention? My name is Narad. I don’t know why you’re asking.”

“Oh, nothing. Narad is a lovely name, by the way.”

“A lovely name?! It’s far too common! It’s like humans named Maria. There’s nothing special about it…” Narad turned away from the engineering panel, but then her eyes widened. After thinking about it for a few seconds, she began speaking in a softer voice, no longer sounding angry. “Do you really think it’s a lovely name?”

“Of course! There’s nothing wrong with being common.”

“Well, I…” She began laughing nervously, showing her little sharp teeth. “I’ve never thought someone would say that to me. Would you like to go to the bar after we finish inspecting the shuttle?”

“I have to work on the Jefferies tubes. Maybe tomorrow? Would that be alright?”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” she said, almost jumping with excitement. “I’d love to!”

Once the vulcan Harok had been placed in his cell, the captain set course for a starbase to pick up a passenger: a female Betazoid counselor.

“Most Argentum-class ships don’t have counselors aboard, but we’ve gone to the trouble of bringing you one of your own gender.” Commander Antos said.

“Thank you very much, I appreciate it” Thelma replied.

“Normally, the procedure is for the counselor to provide us with the necessary information. However, you specifically requested to speak with someone in command of the ship. Although the medical examinations have detected an emotional disturbance, I believe you can give your statement to the counselor with me present. But if you’ve changed your mind, I can leave and let the two of you speak in private, if you prefer.” Antos explained.

“There’s no need for you to leave. I need you to know what that pervert tried to do to me.”

“That’s true, Commander,” the Betazoid counselor said. “I sense a great deal of anger, but at the same time, it’s overshadowed and restrained by a feeling of demanding ‘justice’, as humans would describe it.”

“Then let’s proceed. What happened on that planet?”

“The first month was quite peaceful, even boring, if you will. Since it was a pre-warp planet, we had to remain inside the shuttle and make sure nobody spotted it. So we covered it with leaves and spent several weeks confined inside.”

“I see you did a good job concealing the shuttle in that swamp. What happened next?” Commander Antos asked.

“A few days ago… I don’t know if it was five or eight days ago. I woke up and he was on top of me. He told me he hadn’t seen his wife and that he… needed to, in his own words, relieve some stress somehow. I was asleep and didn’t understand what was happening. He hurt my wrists as he forced me up, pinned me against the wall, and started choking me while telling me that ‘if I let him, we’d both enjoy it’.”

The counselor noticed that Thelma was visibly disgusted. She gently placed her hands near hers and leaned forward slightly to establish a sense of trust.

“Take a deep breath. Don’t rush yourself or feel pressured to speak.” the counselor said.

“I crawled across the floor of the shuttle while he seemed distracted, and I shot him with my phaser on stun. At that point, I lost consciousness. When I woke up some time later, he didn’t say a word to me. He replicated new clothes and tore up my old ones so I wouldn’t see that they had been ripped during the struggle. Then he tried to perform a mind meld, but he couldn’t.”

“Do you think he did that to get rid of the evidence?” the commander asked.

“Absolutely. But here’s the thing: while treating the injuries he had caused me, he told me he wouldn’t do it again, that he had regained his senses. He explained that Vulcans went through Pon Farr, but I screamed at him that I didn’t want to hear any of it.”

“Was there anything else he did?” the counselor asked.

“Shortly before we were rescued, he used a phaser to try to repair some of the shuttle’s systems. He told me he was hurt that I had to stun him, as if he were the victim! He promised he wouldn’t do it again, but I have every reason to believe he wanted to dismantle the phaser so I couldn’t defend myself. Fortunately, I had another one, and he kept the one he had damaged.”

“Considering that leaving the shuttle wasn’t an option, I must commend you for your conduct throughout the mission. Even though things went wrong, you did everything necessary to overcome the adversity you faced. I hope hearing that helps in some way.” Commander Antos said.

An uncomfortable silence followed.

“No, you didn’t help her. I tried to avoid making comments that involved her emotions and her duty.” the Betazoid said.

“That lieutenant must stand trial before a Starfleet tribunal. I’ve worked with vulcans before, and I’ve never had an experience like this. This isn’t natural, and nothing justifies it.” Thelma stated.

“Thank you for sharing your side of the story. The counselor and I will interrogate him.” Commander Antos replied as he rose from his chair.

“Please don’t make me be around him again…” Thelma pleaded.

“Don’t worry. The entire crew of the Mar del Plata will protect you. We won’t let anything else happen. You’re safe here.”

“Commander, I sense a feeling of shame after hearing what you just said,” the counselor informed him. “Cases of this nature are confidential. The only thing the crew knows is that he attempted to attack you. They don’t know the details of what happened, in order to protect both parties and their privacy equally.”

“That’s right. The counselor is correct. I misspoke. The only people who know the details are the counselor, the chief of security, the captain, and myself.”

“And what if they start rumors about Pon Farr?” Thelma whispered.

“They won’t.” the Betazoid counselor said.

“These cases are handled with great care. If this goes to trial, both your identity and Harok’s will remain anonymous. That doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences. I want to reiterate that you can trust in the justice system of both the Federation and Starfleet.” Antos said.

A little while later, they were waiting for the Vulcan to calm down before questioning him.

Meanwhile, Narad was on her way to speak with the chief engineer. The young man she had met earlier, Yimak, had pointed out the sections where the Jefferies tubes required maintenance. Once he had left, Narad approached.

“Yimak, permission to speak freely.”

“Permission granted. What is it, Narad?”

“Did you see that human you gave an assignment to? Well, I think he likes me. Did he say anything about me?”

“Why would he tell me anything about you?” she asked bluntly.

“It’s just… look, I know it’s too soon, but he’s shown an interest in me, and I can’t stop thinking about him. Don’t get me wrong, though. I wanted to ask you what you think I should do.”

“First of all, men are a distraction. Don’t get your hopes up too much.”

“Why do you say that? Have you had bad experiences?”

“That’s none of your business, but I’ll tell you this: I despise Cardassian men. They’re a bunch of lecherous good-for-nothings. Almost all of them were wiped out during the war against the Dominion by choosing the wrong side. That’s why I decided to leave and join Starfleet. Men are the ones who ruined Cardassia. I don’t believe in the ‘gender politics’ Starfleet teaches.”

“Well, I didn’t know you had such a view of men. I was looking for romantic advice. I thought you might know something about that.”

“If you insist… I’d say most men appreciate directness. Be clear about your intentions and see what happens. But let the record show that I’d tell you to focus on your work instead of going around looking for a partner.”

“May I ask you something else?”

“Depends. What?”

“Are you attracted to women?”

“What?! No! I’m just not interested in romance, and I’d advise you to feel the same way! But I can see you’re too young to understand that.”

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Enough. Get back to work.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Later, the counselor and commander Antos were questioning the accused Vulcan, Harok.

The Betazoid counselor informed commander Antos that she could sense extremely powerful emotions even before entering the cell where he was being held. It was a mixture of emotions so complex that even someone as empathic as the counselor found it difficult to distinguish them.

Nevertheless, the interrogation proceeded without major difficulties. Harok recounted the same events, albeit with fewer details.

“And then, upon regaining consciousness after being stunned by the phaser, I realized that Pon Farr had temporarily taken me away from the path of logic. I wanted to make amends for the harm I had caused and avoid feeling ashamed of what had happened. However, I forgot that humans do not always understand vulcans. That was a logical error on my part.” Harok explained.

“Doctor Carmen’s medical examinations have confirmed that he was indeed under the effects of Pon Farr, both on the planet and when he was brought into custody. He is telling the truth.” the counselor added, hoping to reassure Harok and encourage him to speak freely about what had happened.

“Is there anything else we need to clarify?” Antos asked.

“I don’t believe so. I would appreciate it if the captain could visit me later. I’ve heard he’s a benzite. Mark Epsilon, is that correct? I’m sure he will understand and defend me in this situation.”

“We’ll take that into consideration. However, there’s something I’d like to know. Your phaser was damaged when you attempted to resist arrest. Why?”

“I had used some of its components to repair the shuttle, particularly its communications systems, but my efforts were in vain. I then reassembled it, but after making several modifications here and there, it eventually broke down after the two shots I fired.”

“Have the medications Doctor Carmen prescribed been helping you?” the counselor asked.

“They provide temporary relief. Once I see my wife again, everything will be over. Nevertheless, I will take responsibility for the damage I have caused,” Harok said. “By the way, commander, why are you asking about the phaser?”

“I didn’t understand why it had malfunctioned during the fight, so I wanted to know.”

“No, I believe I understand the logic behind your question. Did she tell you the same thing she told me? That I wanted to leave her defenseless? I must clarify that I used my own phaser, while Thelma’s remained intact. The same applies to the clothing. I tried to explain my situation to her, but she responded with a remark along the lines of: ‘Is this to help me? Or to help yourself?’ My logic told me that this could, so to speak, be ‘let go’. Once again, that was a logical error on my part. My intention was to resolve the situation, not make it worse.”

The commander and the counselor exchanged glances and nodded.

“Thank you for giving us your account of the events. You understand that this is part of an investigation and that your statement may be used in future legal proceedings. Do you have any objections?”

“Not at all. I would simply like to speak privately with Mark Epsilon. I wish to request legal assistance from him, given his knowledge of the law.”

Harok had expected to wait much longer. He stared at the wall, lost in thought, until he sensed someone’s presence outside his cell. As it turned out, the captain had managed to prioritize the situation and arrived at the cell shortly afterward.

They exchanged glances, and Harok understood that the captain intended to enter and speak with him.

“Commander Antos told me you requested my presence. What do you need, Harok?”

“You’re also a lawyer, aren’t you? Can I trust you to maintain professional confidentiality?”

Mark Epsilon raised his head confidently.

“Yes. What do you have in mind? I’m all ears.”

“I’ve been preparing my defense. Stardate 50537.2, Voyager, in the Delta Quadrant.”

“Yes, and no. I reject your argument. I won’t help you.”

“You haven’t even heard it yet. Hormonal imbalance is a possibility among vulcans.”

“Voyager was stranded for years, and Vorik was far away from his vulcan family. I personally disagree with the leniency he was shown on that occasion. Throughout the history of criminal law, people have attempted to justify gender-based violence as an ‘act of violent emotion’. It was the third wave of feminism that challenged such arguments across Earth, and I sympathize far more with Thelma in the situation both of you are dealing with.”

“You said it yourself: on Earth, when it was inhabited by humans, not vulcans.”

“I’m certain many decent vulcans would condemn Vorik’s behavior rather than justify it. That’s why treatments have been developed to reduce the effects of Pon Farr in cases where meditation alone isn’t enough. Besides, you assaulted a human. What matters here is whom you did it to, not what you were going through when you did it. She isn’t obligated to follow your rules.”

“I don’t mean to sound arrogant or presumptuous, but I’d like to remind you that the Federation is founded upon understanding and tolerance.”

“Those two principles shouldn’t apply to cases of rape. It doesn’t matter whether it was hormonal. I won’t tolerate intolerance.”

“With all due respect: You’re a hypocrite jingoist, illogical, and insensitive, Captain! You know perfectly well that I couldn’t control myself.”

“I wouldn’t defend someone who might do it again. Perhaps I would have considered it if you hadn’t caused such a commotion in the transporter room. Regardless of the effects of Pon Farr, a true Vulcan would have remained logical.”

“I wasn’t going to do it again. I didn’t even manage to perform a mind meld with her. Perhaps… she would even understand me if she had gone through what I did.” he said coldly.

“That sounds like a threat, Harok.”

“No, it isn’t. I never completed the Pon Farr with her. It is a burden that only I have to bear.”

The captain could have continued asking questions, but he knew it would lead nowhere. Without saying another word, he left. Although he would respect professional confidentiality and wouldn’t disclose Vorik’s case as a possible defense strategy, it wasn’t an approach Mark Epsilon was willing to share with him.

Captain’s Log, Supplemental:

This case has become complicated.

On one hand, we have a Vulcan who was clearly affected by being separated from his family for an extended period, even before becoming stranded on a planet. The counselor and Doctor Carmen can corroborate his explanation.

On the other hand, we have a human who was subjected to a degrading ordeal, spending several days in a constant state of alertness and fear that another sexual assault might occur.

As captain, although I must remain impartial, I firmly believe that Harok is entirely responsible for his actions. That is why we will leave the matter in the hands of the appropriate court, which I hope will share my judgment and refuse to let him get away with it.

But what if I’m being too inflexible? Was there really a lack of voluntary control over his actions? What makes me doubt this is that concealing evidence and deliberately damaging the phasers may have been premeditated, just as a vulcan might act logically. That is what makes me side with the victim rather than with him.

As for the rest of the ship, everyone was occupied with their own affairs.

Narad was on a date with the ensign who had fallen in love at first sight.

They spent quite some time talking nonstop at the bar while enjoying their favorite dishes. Eventually, by pure coincidence, the subject of justice on Ferenginar came up.

“Trials are basically a business. Well, just like Ferengi culture in general. You show what you have to offer, and whatever you don’t want people to see isn’t up for sale. I’m not surprised law firms were such a profitable business, even among humans, before the use of money was abolished.”

“I thought you didn’t like talking about business.”

“No, I don’t. Not at all, actually. It’s just that… I have some memories of Ferenginar. I heard things back when I was more vulnerable.”

“Vulnerable?”

“Yes, little,” Narad said with a nervous laugh. “You know what I mean, right? Or am I acting like an idiot again?”

“I don’t think you’re an idiot. On the contrary, I find what you’re telling me about Ferengi culture quite interesting. Besides, you did an excellent job inspecting the shuttle. I wouldn’t have thought of checking for fingerprints.”

“Do you really think I’m smart? You’re going to make me blush! Well, Ferengi don’t blush, but you get the idea. Would you like to come to my quarters?”

“Sure, that sounds nice. But what are we going to do?”

“It’s a surprise. Would you like to have some synthale with me?”

“Oh! I’d love to.”

Once they reached a room where they could be alone, she asked him to sit on the bed.

“Narad, what do you have in mind?” the confused ensign asked.

Narad followed her instincts and decided to start a suggestive conversation to set the mood.

“Ensign, I’d like to know what color your underwear is.” she said, placing her hands over those of the human engineer.

The engineer’s mischievous smile, revealing her small, freshly sharpened ferengi teeth, became apparent, making the ensign even more uncomfortable.

“I… I’d like to clarify that I agreed to come here because I don’t like the noise in the bar, not because I wanted to be intimate.”

At that moment, Narad’s expression changed, revealing her concern.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m just really attracted to you, and I thought you felt the same way about me.” she replied hastily.

“No, no. We’re just colleagues. We’re only just getting to know each other.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Did I bother you?”

“Not at all. I just wanted to make that clear.”

“You’re not going to stop talking to me, are you?”

The ensign didn’t know how to respond to the engineer’s lack of social skills.

“How about we talk some more later? I’m getting sleepy.”

“Yes, that’s fine, Ensign. If you’d like, you can sleep here. I…”

“I’m fine, thank you. I’d rather sleep alone. Goodnight, Narad.”

As the days went by, they continued greeting each other, but neither of them dared to start another conversation. In this case, the embarrassment was mutual.

Mark Epsilon had transported Harok and Thelma to two separate ships near Earth. There, the authorities would determine whether Harok could be granted bail, allowing him to return to Vulcan while remaining subject to further legal proceedings. As for the captain of the Mar del Plata, they were finally relieved to have the matter off their hands.

Commander Antos made his way to the captain’s quarters.

“Captain, I received your call. Has something happened?”

“I have to tell you something, Number One. Harok asked me to defend him as his attorney, which I refused to do. I don’t support what he did. He called me a ‘hypocrite jingoist, insensitive, and illogical’. What do you think?”

“I don’t think you’re any of those things. I think Harok should be given the support he needs to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Would you defend him?”

“I don’t think what he did was right. I just don’t think he deserves to be punished. Besides, all the evidence suggests he really did use the phaser components to repair the shuttle. But when you’ve done something wrong, everything you say can be used against you. On the other hand, she has every right to report what happened.”

“Is that what justice requires? Two opposing sides, a judge, and then balancing the scales?”

“It’s the fairest way, sir.”

“I see it as a circus, however necessary it may be. One of Shakespeare’s characters said it in Hamlet: ‘They seek to punish the criminal, not the crime.’ Everyone wants the law to be upheld, but then they want their own circumstances to be treated as an exception when they’re facing criminal charges. And there’s always someone who might sympathize with the offender or feel sorry for them, even when they’ve committed an act that we all agree is morally wrong.”

“Sir, if you were on trial, wouldn’t you want someone to defend you?”

“I can defend myself. Even if I were provided with legal counsel, I wouldn’t go running to another captain or admiral for help.”

“That sounds more like pride to me.” Antos replied jokingly.

Mark Epsilon remained serious.

“Let’s just say… I’m relieved I don’t have to deal with this case anymore, because it has touched a… sensitive nerve in me. We always expect danger to come from somewhere outside Starfleet.”

“Trust is one of the hardest things to earn. You’ve chosen a good crew. Nothing like this will happen aboard this ship.”

“I hope so, Number One… You may leave.”

“Sweet dreams, Mark.”

As Antos was about to leave…

“By the way…”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for listening. Sleep well.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”