March 18 2024

TrekToday

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The Court Martial of Captain Kathryn Janeway

By Caillan Davenport
Posted at February 21, 2001 - 1:17 PM GMT

As "Voyager" nears the end of its run, and the possibility of a homecoming remains ever present, one key question remains unanswered. Should her Captain, Kathryn Janeway, be held accountable for the choices that she made in the Delta Quadrant? Are violations of the Prime Directive excusable because of good intentions, or because of their extenuating circumstances? How disparate are her actions from those of Kirk, Picard and Sisko?

Should Captain Janeway be hailed as a hero....or a criminal?

Over the next month, the Trek Nation will be running an extended feature - “The Court Martial of Captain Kathryn Janeway” - a mock trial, designed to answer some of these questions. The prosecution and defence will be made up of fan writers, and the jury will be you, the readers.

There’s never been a better time to look back and examine the events of Voyager’s run. Each week, a new writer will put forward their case, but it will be up to you to decide, in a poll that will run after all the articles have been published.

Read the articles, assimilate the information, and then vote wisely. The fate of Voyager’s Captain rests in your hands.


  • Part One: First Speaker for the Prosecution
    Taking the stand first up is Sara Rose, better known as 'Ariel,' who writes the weekly column 'Subspace Echoes' at Fandom.com's Star Trek Central. As first speaker for the Prosecution, she’ll be putting Captain Kathryn Janeway’s command decisions for the first three seasons under the microscope. Has she been wrong from the outset? Read on to find out!

  • Part Two: First Speaker for the Defence.
    Trek BBS Voyager forum moderator Da Woim fights back on behalf of Janeway. He thinks all charges should be dropped - but is he right? Follow this link to see for yourself!

  • Part Three: Second Speaker for the Prosecution
    Now it's the Cynic's turn. David E. Sluss, one of the web's most, well, cynical reviewers brings a swag of more charges against Janeway. Read on!

  • Part Four: Second Speaker for the Defence
    Last, but certainly not least, Lisa, Grand High Janewayite of the J-Team, presents the final case for the defence, proclaiming Janeway a hero. Is she right? Read on to see for yourself!

What do you think? Should Janeway be found innocent or guilty? Please send in your reactions to feedback@treknation.com and they might be published in a special edition of the Trek Nation mailbag!

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Caillan Davenport is moderator of the Trek BBS General Sci-Fi forum and is editor of the J-Team newsletter. His 'A Briefing With Caillan' column is published regularly here at the Trek Nation.

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