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When a Maquis engineer named Dalby
disrupts power to the ship's energy grid by making an
unauthorized repair, Janeway realizes that she can't expect
Starfleet behavior from people who never went to the Academy. To
bring the Maquis officers up to speed on Starfleet protocol,
Janeway asks Tuvok to train a group of four recruits, including
Dalby. Predictably, the Maquis recruits balk at Tuvok's
by-the-book discipline until Chakotay forcefully gets the point
across that this is not a voluntary exercise.
Like any good drill sergeant,
Tuvok comes down hard on his Maquis charges, demanding
regulation attire and behavior. Dalby complains to Torres about
Tuvok's tough tactics, but Torres suggests that Dalby is afraid
he can't cut it. The conversation is abruptly halted, however,
when one of the ship's bio-neural gel packs malfunctions, the
second time in days. Torres takes the pack to Sickbay, and the
Doctor notes that the partially biological component has an
infection and must be "cured" before it spreads to the rest of
the ship's systems.
Tuvok's rigorous training sessions seem to work at a superficial
level, but the Maquis are easily discouraged. Tuvok confesses to
Neelix that he doesn't understand why his techniques, honed
through years of instructing cadets at the Academy, aren't
working. Neelix advises Tuvok to be more flexible in his
approach.
While pondering the Talaxian's advice in the mess hall, Tuvok
wonders if bacterial spores from Neelix's newly made homemade
cheese is being absorbed by the ship's ventilation ducts,
serving as the source of the gel pack's infection. The Doctor
inspects the cheese, and Tuvok's hunch turns out to be correct.
Not long after, Tuvok and his students find themselves trapped
in a Cargo Bay when another system falls victim to the virus.
When the Voyager crew infuses the gel-packs with a plasma burst
of heat to kill the infection, noxious vapors leak into the
cargo bay where Tuvok and his recruits are stranded. Nearly
overcome by the fumes, Tuvok helps three of the four cadets
escape, then goes back for the incapacitated fourth. As the
toxic gas ultimately overcomes him, his three black sheep
finally band together to become an effective team, forcing open
the door and rescuing both men. Later, Dalby notes that if Tuvok
can break the rules sometimes, then maybe they could learn to
follow protocol under his tutelage after all.
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