Tell Me How You Got into Trouble

PARIS:

Hey, Neelix, what's up?

NEELIX: 

Oh, nothing. 

Just thought I might give you a hand with whatever it is you're doing.

PARIS: 

Oh, you may regret that. 

Chakotay and I have to pick up a supply of biomimetic gel tomorrow morning, and I am trying to find to find the container that is listed as the proper transport device. 

Starfleet standard issue L647X7.

NEELIX: 

Well, sounds like another set of eyes won't hurt. 

M34, no not that one. L647. 

No, it's Y6. 

Tom, if it's not too bold of me, I wonder if I could ask you something?

PARIS: 

Sure, anything.

NEELIX: 

I've heard you were in some trouble in the past. 

Spent time in prison.

PARIS: 

That's right.

NEELIX: 

Do you, would you, tell me how you got in Trouble?

PARIS: 

I've thought a lot about that, and it comes down to one simple fact. 

I didn't Tell The Truth. 

I made a mistake, which happens to people, but if I'd admitted that mistake it would have been a lot better. 

But I lied about it, and it nearly ruined my life. 

Why do you ask?

NEELIX: 

Oh, no reason. Just wondered.

JANEWAY: 

Would all of you excuse us, please? 

I'd like to talk to Neelix alone.

(Tuvok and Kes leave. The EMH goes to his office after receiving a Look.)

JANEWAY: 

Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?

NEELIX: 

Only that I'm terribly sorry.

JANEWAY: 

Oh. You're sorry. 

Is that supposed to make everything better?

I don't really care whether you're sorry or not, Neelix. 

At this point it doesn't matter. 

I can't imagine what made you behave the way you did, lying to us, sneaking around behind our backs, covering up criminal activity. 

Did you have some misguided reason to think this was acceptable behaviour?

NEELIX: 

No, ma'am.

JANEWAY: 

You've been one of my most trusted advisors since we began this journey. 

How can I ever trust you again?

How can I ever listen to you without wondering whether you're telling the truth or not?

NEELIX: 

I've never been dishonest to you before, I swear, Captain.

I just took one step. 

A step that seemed perfectly reasonable. 

And that step lead to another and another, and before I knew what I was involved in something I didn't know how to handle.

JANEWAY: 

What was it? 

What was so important that you were willing to throw away your principles?

NEELIX: 

I needed a map.

JANEWAY: 

A map?

NEELIX: 

Captain, my usefulness to you was at an end.

I don't know anything about space beyond this point. 

I couldn't let you go into the Nekrit Expanse without knowing what you faced.

JANEWAY: 

You've been on this ship for two years. 

I'd think by now you'd have learned that the first duty of any Starfleet officer is The Truth. 

You violated that duty, Neelix, and there will be consequences.

NEELIX: 

I'm prepared to leave the ship, Captain.

JANEWAY: 

Oh no, it's not that easy. 

You can't just walk away from your responsibilities just because you made a mistake.

 You're part of a family now.

And you have obligations.

NEELIX: 

But, I can't guide you. 

I can't advise you. 

I don't know what's coming.

JANEWAY: 

Well, that's not the point, is it? 

None of us knows what's coming. 

That's what Starfleet is all about. 

We are all in this together, Neelix, and we have to be able to count on each other no matter how hard it gets. 

Do you understand?

NEELIX: 

Yes. Yes, I do.

JANEWAY: 

Well, that's good. 

Report to deuterium maintenance at oh four hundred tomorrow morning. 

You're going to spend the next two weeks scrubbing the exhaust manifolds. 

That should give you time to think about what I've said. 

Dismissed.