Date: 26 Mar 2012 11:21 Title: Outrage
There are so, so, so many layers of this story and so many different thoughts that appeared in my mind in the process of reading.
First, I guess it's not a coincidence that the Tykas reminded me of Na'vi from Pandora.
At first the story seems like posing a typical dilemma that was so often used in Voyaget episodes. A former Borg that should answer for Bong crimes. But is a former drone still responsible. After all, he didn't ask to be a drone and he had no choice not to do what the collective demanded.
Then we add the fact he's a Cardassian and on a ship, of which a huge number of members are/were Maquis, this should pose a serious problem.
But what I didn't see coming was Janeway's personal experience and suffering she had to go through because of what Cardassians had done to her and her friends. At that point I was outraged that she was going to give Tusa to the Tykas for the execution based on her experiences. Especially after Tusa showed that he wasn't a brainless bandit. His nightmare indicated he might have been a more open-minded person who wasn't a blind racist. He enjoyed hasperat and didn't seem to have aggressive thoughts toward anyone on the ship, until he was confronted by Torres and Tabor. And the thought that Janeway wanted to punish him for merely being a member of Cardassian species fell into one of those poor decisions she sometimes made.
But when Seven discovered Tusa's past...we don't even know for sure if he hurt Janeway personally, but Janeway's lack of sober judgement becomes clear--such wounds don't heal and her had just been opened anew.
I wonder, though, if Tusa was as guilty as they took him. He committed crimes and he admitted to that, but what if he had no more choice than when being a Borg drone? A drone, if possible, rejecting directives would be disassembled as faulty. A Cardassian soldier rejecting orders would be executed as...faulty.
And Seven executed him. She was so angry with him for his crimes, for the possibility that he had hurt her mentor that she murdered him. And Janeway suspects it. And she accepts it. Maybe she thinks he deserved that, maybe she's relieved that her oppressor is dead and paid for his crime.
I didn't see that ending coming. You revealed each piece of information at such a pace that I could create my own theories as to where it was all going and what was going to happen. It is a great story that kept me reading. I liked those tiny hints of humour and you made me like Tusa. Then you made me disappointed in him and finally angry. I'm just not sure I'm angry with him, or Seven because of her action in the end, or Janeway that she allowed her past cloud her judgement, or everyone.
A great story!