January 2000
Rating G
While I often don't agree with the tactics of the media, the
abbreviations I have used for various news organisations
should not be taken to be indicative of any organisation
currently in existence. Trek, as always, belongs to
Press
Cuttings
by Sängerin
CNNEarth Report - Nysani Willis at Starfleet HQ, SanFransisco
Willis: The
Starfleet Exploration Vessel USS Voyager has arrived back in the Alpha
Quadrant. The Starship has been making its way home from the Delta Quadrant
since 2371, when it went missing during a mission to the
Memo to: Department Heads, SFIntelligence, Re: Return
NC-74656. Sensitivity - High
All
department heads are to file requisitions relating to information received
during NC-74656 de-briefings by 1600 at the latest. Requisitions received after
that time will automatically be denied.
Departments
wishing to contribute to de-brief teams must nominate officers for the purpose
no later than 1700. De-briefing of senior officers will be limited to those of
Captain's rank and above.
Note
that NC-74656 has at least one Delta Quadrant native on board,
and an ex-human Borg. Security will be strict, most information to be
distributed on an NTK basis.
Signed:
Admiral T'Pena, SFI
Newspadd Daily
The lost Starship Voyager is expected to dock at
Starfleet's McKinley Space Dock within 12 hours. A major press conference is
scheduled with the Starfleet CINC and Voyager's Captain, Kathryn Janeway, for 0900 tomorrow morning.
In related news, the President of the Federation
and the Office of the Planetary Government have both received an unprecedented
number of requests for an honorary parade and civilian recognition for the
Voyager crew.
CNNEarth Report - Nysani Willis at Space Dock McKinley
Willis: Codai, I've never seen such scenes of joy and elation as I
saw today here at Space Dock McKinley. There was a large contingent of Voyager
relatives here - I recognised Retired Commander Janeway, mother of the Voyager captain, and Admiral Owen
Paris, along with many civilians, such as the Kim family. Masako Kim became
quite well known in 2375 for her leadership of the Voyager Friends Society, who
lobbied Starfleet to develop better communications with the Delta Quadrant.
Anchor: Did you have
any trouble with Starfleet personnel denying access to the crew?
Willis: Members of
the media have not been permitted to speak to the crew as yet, Codai, but we have been assured that we will have full
access to speak to the senior officers at the press conference tomorrow. We
were able to get pictures of the reunions between the crew and their families
however.
(Tape
rolls, showing Voyager crew greeted by senior Starfleet personnel, then being
sought out by their families.)
On
screen now is Captain Kathryn Janeway, with her
mother and sister. Her father, an Admiral with Starfleet, was killed in a
Shuttle accident many years ago. Behind them you can see Admiral Owen Paris and
his wife with their son, Thomas.
Anchor: Wasn't he on
board Voyager as a prisoner, Nysani?
Willis:
That's right Codai. However, he was
granted a field commission by Captain Janeway. There
has been no word as yet from Starfleet whether they will honour
that commission.
(On
the tape, Chakotay and Torres emerge from the
airlock, and stand to one side, away from the throng of relatives.)
You
can now see Voyager's First Officer, Commander Chakotay,
and the Chief Engineer, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres.
They are the two senior Maquis crew members, and are
the most likely to be brought up on charges of treason or terrorism.
Anchor: Still no word
from Starfleet on that issue, Nysani?
Willis: No -
Starfleet has refused to confirm or deny that charges will be laid. They are
being incredibly tight lipped. There was one interesting thing that occurred
today - we have it right here on the tape.
(The
tape shows Janeway turn towards Chakotay,
who walks across to the Janeway family.)
As
you can see, the Janeway family welcomed the First
Officer very warmly - more so than you would usually expect for an executive
officer. Of course, one would expect a command team to become close over the
long period of time this crew has been in the Delta Quadrant, but this is
frankly more than I would expect for a man who is, to all intents and purposes,
a criminal.
(Tape
finishes, screen once more shows Willis in front of a viewport
looking out onto Voyager.)
I
think there is something here that bears watching. This has been Nysani Willis with a special report from Space Dock
McKinley.
Sun and Stars Gossip Net
Rumors
have reached these ears of a romance or two among the recently returned Voyager
crew. Sources state that plans are being made for a number of weddings,
including an all-out Starfleet bash planned for the nuptials of former
CNNEarth Report - Nysani Willis at Starfleet HQ, SanFransisco
Willis:
There has been unprecedented interest in the return of the
Starship Voyager to Earth yesterday. The press conference at Starfleet
Headquarters in SanFransisco this morning was packed
out by media organisations, so much so that many
print journalists were forced to watch the conference projected onto terminals
in the lobby.
(Tape
rolls showing packed lecture theatre, with recording apparatus filling the
aisles and the back of the hall. At a table in front sit Admiral Paris, Captain
Janeway, and Admiral T'Pena.)
There
was a great deal of interest surrounding Voyager's encounters with the Borg and
other Delta Quadrant species. However, Admiral T'Pena
of Starfleet Intelligence kept a sharp eye on proceedings, and Captain Janeway was able to answer few of our questions. She
finished the press conference with this statement.
Janeway: I would like to pay tribute to
the dedication of my entire crew. Getting home was a team effort, and praise is
not to be afforded to any single individual. I will, however, mention a member
of my crew who did not come home with us. An Ocampa
female, by the name of Kes, was with us for three
years of our journey. While she was with us, she contributed greatly to our
wellbeing, and when she left us, she gave us an invaluable gift. It is right
that you should all be aware of that. Thank you.
Journalist: Would you care
to comment on the possibility of the Maquis crew
being charged with espionage and terrorism?
T'Pena: Such questions are not
appropriate at this time. Once any decision has been made, the media will be
informed by Starfleet Command.
Journalist:
Are you pleased to be home, Captain?
Janeway: Getting home has been my one
goal since 2371. Naturally I am pleased to have achieved it.
Willis: What is your
relationship with your first officer?
Janeway: We are good friends, and have
been since circumstances forced our crews to merge. Commander Chakotay is a talented officer, and I was lucky to have him
as a friend and colleague during this time.
Willis: Did he go to
Janeway: (looking towards T'Pena, who says nothing.) Commander Chakotay
has no surviving family, and my mother, Retired Commander Gretchen Janeway, invited him to join my family for dinner.
Journalists,
including Willis: Captain? Captain?
(Tape
ends)
Obviously,
Kathryn Janeway is still reluctant to discuss her
relationship with her first officer. Considering the penalties which may be
handed down by Starfleet for fraternisation, her
reticence is perhaps understandable. This is Nysani
Willis, at Starfleet Headquarters.
Memo to: SF Media Relations Re: Return
NC-74656. Sensitivity -
No
mention is to be made to the public of the Borg or the sentient hologram.
Enquiries about the Talaxian Neelix
should be directed to Masako Kim at the Voyager Friends Association.
No
mention is to be made to the public regarding the possibility of charges
against Maquis crew members. Inquiries may be
answered by saying that a press release will be made when any information of
import comes available.
Inquiries
regarding Thomas Paris should be fielded. A press release will be made when any
information of import comes available.
Inquiries
regarding the personal relationship between Captain Kathryn Janeway
and Commander Chakotay are to be directed to the
individuals concerned. Starfleet HAS NO COMMENT on any aspect of that issue.
This includes inquiries relating to Starfleet regulations.
Signed:
Adm. T'Pena, SFI
Newspadd Daily -
Editorial
CNNEarth is flirting with danger if their staff continue to circulate the kind of unfounded and
frankly scurrilous rumours that have been touted
recently by one of their specialist Starfleet Affairs reporters. Starfleet and
the individuals involved would be within their rights to pursue legal action
against the media giant. Newspadd Daily wishes to
assure the families of returned Voyager crew that their privacy is important to
us, and that we will not intrude on their special and long-awaited reunions.
Sun and Stars Gossip Net
CNNEarth was on the receiving end of a harsh editorial
from the politically liberal print media organisation,
Newspadd Daily. CNNEarth
and their ace Starfleet Affairs reporter, Nysani
Willis, continue hot on the trail of this year's most intriguing love match -
that between the two commanding officers of the recently returned Starship
Voyager. Our latest information has the lovebirds visiting the home of Admiral
Paris near San Fransisco, apparently in preparation
for the eagerly awaited wedding of Admiral Paris' son Thomas to Voyager Chief
Engineer B'Elanna Torres. Ms Torres did not attend
the dinner, as she has left Earth for Qo'noS, where
she will be re-united with her mother. It is reported that relations between
Torres and her mother were strained for many years prior to Torres joining the Maquis.
CNNEarth News Update, Niprem Codai, CNNEarth
Studios
Niprem: Starfleet announced today that
the field commission given to Ensign Thomas Eugene Paris during the Voyager
mission will be honoured. Ensign Paris' father
Admiral Owen Paris stated that his son was pleased and proud that Starfleet was
willing to recognise his contribution to Voyager
during her time in the Delta Quadrant. When asked about the wedding of Ensign
Paris to Voyager Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres,
Admiral Paris showed the reticence that has become typical of the Voyager crew
when asked about personal relationships, and refused to answer. Thomas Paris
was previously dishonourably discharged from
Starfleet on charges of manslaughter and perjury, and was on special parole
from the Federation prison in
Memo to: SF Media Relations Re: Return
NC-74656, Sensitivity - normal. Charges against Chakotay,
Torres
Take
note that no charges will be laid against NC-74656 crewmembers, including Chakotay and Torres, for activities occurring during their
membership in the Maquis. A formal press release will
be forthcoming.
Signed:
Adm. T'Pena, SFI
Newspadd Daily
After
two months of uncertainty, Starfleet has finally confirmed that no charges will
be laid against the First Officer and Chief Engineer of the Starship Voyager.
Rumors of terrorism charges have haunted the two senior ex-Maquis
officers since their ship returned to Earth, however, they are now free to
consider their futures. The confirmation that no charges will be laid has also
left the way open for the Federation President and the Planetary Governor to
jointly hold a series of celebratory events, including a parade through Paris
and a lavish reception. Dates will be announced in the near future.
In
related news, Phoebe Janeway, sister of Voyager's
captain, Kathryn Janeway, has reportedly been warned
by civilian police in Venezia after allegedly
striking a CNNEarth reporter who ambushed her with
questions regarding the Captain's relationship with her First Officer.
Sun and Stars Gossip Net
Returned
Voyager officers Ensign Thomas Paris and Lieutenant B'Elanna
Torres have finally officially announced their engagement, according to guests
at a small Voyager reunion held yesterday at an undisclosed location in
The
six-month reunion has re-fuelled speculation as to the relationship of Kathryn Janeway and her former First Officer Chakotay.
Chakotay is apparently considering resigning his
Starfleet commission, whilst Janeway has been on
accrued leave since completing de-briefs with Starfleet four months ago. The
two have not been seen publicly together since the weeklong celebrations in
Vulcan News Broadcast Corporation
Update
Anchor: The CNNEarth pursuit of the so-called 'True Story' behind the
command relationship on board the Starfleet vessel Voyager reached Vulcan
today. In a regrettable incident, a CNNEarth reporter
persisted in interviewing Lieutenant Commander Tuvok,
who is currently with his family following his long absence. Vulcan Peace
Officers noted a disturbance and arrived to find the reporter unconscious,
after Commander Tuvok had employed a form of self-defence known to non-Vulcans as
the "Nerve Pinch." Ms Willis has recovered sufficiently in the
VNBC
extends to Ms Willis and her organisation the hope
that this investigation will subsequently be limited to Earth, if, indeed, it
must be continued at all.
CNNEarth Special
Report; Nysani Willis at CNNEarth
Studios
Willis: As a journalist
one comes to expect personal attacks. However, I never expected to be
physically attacked as a result of investigating an innocent story of romantic
involvement. What harm is there is asking a few questions about the private
lives of public people? I can only conclude that Ms Phoebe Janeway
and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok are protecting a
bigger story, and I, for one, don't intend to let that story get away.
Infinity Magazine - Vox Populi
This
week's question - has CNNEarth's Starfleet Affairs
reporter Nysani Willis gone too far in her pursuit of
the story of the romance between Captain Kathryn Janeway
and Commander Chakotay?
Lede Kirschbaum (Student,
Tenara Jel (Starfleet
Cadet, Trill Homeworld) Nysani
Willis is a creep. It's none of our business whether Kathryn and Chakotay are a couple. This sort
of thing has been going on for centuries - it's time for the media to butt out!
Kuneta Sepal (Labourer, Bajor) I don’t really pay much attention. I've
never been in the militia, but romances like that happened all the time in the
Resistance. I guess Starfleet might have different ideas, though.
Hobbes
Johnson (Academic,
Nichelle Carmody (Ambassador
to Qo'noS) I'm used to the Klingon
way of doing things, so one nerve pinch and a light slap seems like reserved behaviour. And I'm not sure what Ms Willis means by a
'bigger story,' but perhaps this is an instance where the media can begin to
scratch the surface of Starfleet. There's something wrong with that organisation. Maybe this is a way in.
Sun and Stars Gossip Net
The
long-awaited 'Wedding of the Year' between Thomas Paris and B'Elanna
Torres occurred with very little fuss and less notice last weekend at the
However,
it would appear that all who attended this joyful event enjoyed themselves.
Captain Kathryn Janeway officiated, and the bride was
escorted down the aisle by her colleague and best friend of many years,
Commander Chakotay. According to reports, Janeway and Chakotay danced
together for at least half of the evening, and apart from the obligatory dance
with the newly married couple, the Voyager command team spent the entire
reception together. Lt. Commander Tuvok travelled to Earth from Vulcan for the event, and the
bride's mother is in the process of moving to Earth permanently, as a result of
the mended relationship between mother and daughter. The newly-weds are
expected to honeymoon on Risa and
This
recent semi-public appearance by Janeway and Chakotay will re-ignite the fires of interest that have smouldered since Commander Tuvok's
attack on the innocent journalist covering the story for CNNEarth.
Commander Chakotay is yet to formally resign his
commission, but it is expected within days. His resignation from Starfleet
would leave him and his paramour free to continue their obviously long-standing
relationship.
Ex Astra, Informatia - SF Academy Newspaper
Admiral
Bilani announced yesterday that Commander Chakotay, the well-known Exo of
Voyager, will join the Tactical Faculty as of next semester. Those taking his
classes can be assured of an informative, and academically rigorous, semester.
The gossip rags expected Commander Chakotay to resign
his commission in order to be free to pursue a relationship with Captain
Kathryn Janeway, but we at Exai
are pleased to see that he has not been forced into such a situation by the
machinations of the media. [Spot the Lit major! - ed.]
Exai execs have frequently seen Captain Janeway
in the Science Faculty labs, and the campus goss is
that she will shortly take up a research position here, possibly including a
single subject teaching load. So, all you blue shoulders, keep your eyes out
for her class. You won't regret it.
CNNEarth Special
Report; Nysani Willis at CNNEarth
Studios
Anchor:
Since the Starfleet vessel Voyager returned to the quadrant eight
months ago, it has rarely been out of the news. Starfleet charges, births, weddings,
resignations and re-assignments have kept CNNEarth's
Starfleet Affairs reporter, Nysani Willis, very busy.
But her top assignment has always been to follow the evolving story surrounding
Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay. And now we present Nysani
Willis with a very special report for CNNEarth.
Willis: (Sitting in
an office-style studio, in a leather chair in front of a window. The view
through the window is ostensibly across the
Thank
you, Codai. Over the past months, I have done my best
as a journalist to investigate a situation I perceived to be in the public
interest. The return of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager was a long-awaited
event, and interest in the officers and crew of this ship was widespread.
When
Voyager arrived at Space Dock McKinley, I noticed signs of a relationship that
was clearly against Starfleet regulations. A relationship
between a Federation hero and a Maquis criminal.
The
public has a right to know. That has always been our motto here at CNNEarth, and I am sure it will continue to be so.
I am
now able to bring sold proof of favouritism in
Starfleet. Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay have both accepted positions at
The
fact is that these two officers are still working within the same area of
Starfleet, and yet have not received a single reprimand for fraternisation.
And
this lenience from the same organisation that
repeatedly reprimanded Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, then
captain of the Enterprise D and E, and his partner and Chief Medical Officer,
Dr Beverly Crusher. The same organisation that placed
reprimands in the files of Picard's First Officer,
Commander William T Riker, and the Enterprise Counselor, Commander Deanna Troi. The same organisation
that effectively forced the resignation of Lieutenant Sarah Sarasuga
and Lieutenant Commander Matthias Kattan.
When
will this favouritism for the officers of Voyager
come to an end?
This
is Nysani Willis, reporting for CNNEarth.
Newspadd Daily
Starfleet
has finally broken its silence on the non-issue of the Janeway/Chakotay
relationship, attempting to clarify the Starfleet chain of command following Nysani Willis' latest attack on the Delta Quadrant heroes.
In a
statement made today, Admiral Bilani, Provost of
Starfleet Academy, pointed out that as Captain Janeway
will be a grant-funded researcher in the Science Faculty, while Commander Chakotay will be an Academy Instructor, the couple will be
in different chains of command.
"As
a grant-funded researcher, Captain Janeway will be,
in effect, independent of the Academy command," said Bilani.
"And even if she were also an instructor, she and Commander Chakotay are posted to significantly separate divisions. I
would be their only common commanding officer."
Admiral
Bilani stressed that he was simply attempting to
clarify "misstatements made by Ms Willis," and did not intend to cast
comment on any relationship between Janeway and Chakotay, "should such exist."
Admiral
Picard,
mentioned by Willis as an example of favouritism
towards the Voyager officers, was more blunt in his comments. "This
reporter does not know what she is talking about," he said. "If she
can't get the details right, she should not be airing her opinions. Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay
have enough to deal with from Starfleet without having to put up with the media
as well."
Sun and Stars Gossip Net
Starfleet's
royal couple is back in the news. Eagle eyes spotted Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay at the Rockefeller
Center Skating Rink over the weekend. Witnesses report a significant amount of
physical contact between the two. Those close to the couple explained the
reports by saying that Chakotay is significantly
unskilled in the skating department.
Such
an explanation cannot cover the locking of lips observed in the rinkside café after their skate. Perhaps this couple is preparing
to come out of the closet once and for all.
Infinity Magazine Special Report -
Voyager 12 Months On: Has Anything Changed?
The
events of the past twelve months ought to give any serious journalist pause.
The return of Voyager understandably garnered significant media interest, however the resultant three-ring circus was an
embarrassment to the profession.
All
branches of the media have bought into this circus, but the greatest offenders
were certainly CNNEarth and the tabloid provider Sun
and Stars Gossip Net. The results of 'investigations' carried out by these
outlets included assaults on Janeway family members,
the bringing of assault charges against one of Captain Janeway's
oldest and most trusted advisers, and invasions of Voyager crew privacy that
extended to the Paris/Torres wedding, and last week's engagement party, held at
Captain Chakotay's summer home in the Rocky
Mountains.
With
this week's announcement that anti-Janeway/Chakotay
crusader Nysani Willis has been dismissed by GalacticCNN, we can only hope that the entire fiasco has
come to an end.
CONFIDENTIAL Memo to: SFI s31 Re: Janeway/Chakotay, Sensitivity - extreme, NEED TO KNOW ONLY
I
confirm your instructions and enclose all relevant information re: Captain
Kathryn M Janeway, and Captain Chakotay.
SFI (gen. division) considers the matter officially closed.
Signed: Adm. T'Pena, SFI (gen. div.)
On to Press
Cuttings - part 2