If you could rewrite Voyager

[Lynx]

Not entirely.

The only time we see Janeway after the conclusion of Voyager, she's an admiral and (iirc) working at Starfleet command.

I got the impression that the majority of the Marquis didn't want to be on Voyager, nor particularly wanted to be in Starfleet either. It was a decision on the part of Chakotay. I think initially it would have been all of their intent to reconnect with the Marquis once they returned to the alpha quadrant.
I'm not. They were trying their hardest to restart a war between the Federation and the Cardassians for their own goals, a war that (according to Picard) cost millions of lives.

I don't think Neelix would have been unhappy in his new home, Neelix typically seem to be the type of person who was happy in their surroundings, Neelix likely would be happy almost any where he was. And if not, Neelix still had his small starship and could have ventured forth into the neighboring space.

Would Naomi enter Starfleet academy one day? Hard to say, the decision would be a decade in her future and that's a long time to a child.

Tom Paris was temporarily in Starfleet originally, his goal was a pardon for his crimes which I easily see him receiving. He could remain in Starfleet by simply making the request. Although in-spite of his (fairly) good record aboard Voyager, given his criminal record and being married to a former Marquis I wonder if he would have difficulty obtaining the needed security clearance.

Tuvok would take a sabbatical from Starfleet to reconnect with his family and consider his options. A promotion to captain and a command of his own would be easy to see.

I believe Harry would receive his lieutenant jg pip.

Chakotay would return to his planet in the former contested territories and the life he had there, the conclusion of the Dominion War would see this world (and others like it) free from any claims by the Cardassian Union. Whether his world would remain independent, join the Federation, or pursue other options is hard to say.

Many of the Voyager crew would stay in Starfleet, but some would wish to leave the service after their experiences.

Of those who stay in Starfleet, most (imho) would never want to set foot on Voyager ever again.

Well, first of all I have to state that Chakotay had no planet to go home to. Everything there was totally destroyed by the Cardassians and not a single person survived.

Considering that a certain farm where I spent a lot of my childhood now is in other peoples hands and everything is torn down and rebuilt and that I've never been in that area since the destruction and have no plans at all to visit it either, I don't think that Chakotay would ever go to his former home planet again.

I don't think that the former Maquie would be punished for "trying to start a war between the federation and the cardassians because if the Federation had had the guts to stand up against the Cardassians in the first place, a lot of suffering and destruction would never had happened.

Not to mention that the Maquis on Voyager did honorable job for seven years on the ship:

I can actually imagine that most of the Voyager crew would like to stay n the ship due to the camaraderie between everyone on the ship during the long journey home.

 

[Tracy Trek]

I don't think that the former Maquie would be punished for "trying to start a war between the federation and the cardassians because if the Federation had had the guts to stand up against the Cardassians in the first place, a lot of suffering and destruction would never had happened.

I believe the Maquis were defending their homes against the Cardassians who never had any intention of leaving them alone like the treaty stated.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

Ah, I'd like so much to share Lynk's vision of a world of just rainbows and butterflies, where all's well that ends well, where everyone looks good - everyone was friendly/respectful but we have witnessed during 7 years, either in Voyager, DS9, TOS or Entreprise etc..., that people like aliens had a way of complicating things, ‎whether in wartime or peace, either between-them or with others! But hey, c'est la vie!

Yes Voyager and her crew are back on Earth, safe and sound (or almost), after to have lived on top of each other during 7 years, inventing their own social living rules & protective policies to be able to live together and protect themselves from ennemies coming from outside. But once back at home, there is a very high chance that this little "aparté" flies into piece and some former Voyager crew members have trouble to return to a normal life, where friends and relatives no longuer expected them or maybe even themselves aren't ready to this new life, having ended up getting used and even enjoying this life in autarky with its moments of excitement during times of emergency. In short, I would expect some cases of deep depression for some people, including Harry Kim, even if in his case, it would be for the reverse case, he could suffocate with ‎his ubiquitous relatives!

About the rest of our senior crew, I tend to share Tenacity's point of view even it appears rather somber. It's more realistic that your scenario, Lynk, sorry! Indeed, it is very probable that :
- Janeway's actions and decisions-making will be scrutinized since the very first day of her Voyager's captaincy... and to be penalized even if it didn't sound like it, in being promoted Vice-Admiral but forced to stay in an office of Starfleet HQ
-> that being said, I think that after 7 years alone to lead 150 people "round the clock" while stuck in the DQ, with afferent stress and loneliness, Janeway would live this decision rather as a relieve sanction than an unfair treatment.
- Chakotay and his former Maquis crew will be forced to answer for their actions* and also be sanctioned, what means no pardon delivered by the Federation, definitively banned from Starfleet (as the former officers had resigned from their commission to join the Maquis, it wouldn't be a big surprse or disappointement for them as seeing as they already had drew a line on a possible brilliant military career and then after to have been forced to serve under a Starfleet uniform for during 7 years, they may be fed up with all military stuff -> they surely wouldn't join up again, even if the occasion was offered to them! ). But thanks to Janeway's active campaign/support, they should avoid any prison sentence, even the lighter one. However, despite this apparent good news,they will be condemned to a life under great surveillance, wherever they are and do in the future. It could be the 2nd part of the deal proposed by Starfleet to Janeway: "we leave your friends alone but they will be under constant surveillance from now in order not be a problem for the Federation & Starfleet anymore" and Janeway would have no other choice but to accept.
(By cons, I would see the surviving crew members of the USS Equinox return be
reintegrated although keeping a mark in their personal files).
- Seven would be investigated heavily for a past among the Borg but there too, Janeway would manage to protect her too and in order to avoid any future problem with Starfleet and the Federation, she would propose to officially monitor her while in fact, she would keep playing a mentor/mother's role, what means that Chakotay and her, it would be over ; that Chakotay and Janeway would stay good but distant friends.
- Tom/B'Elena would focus on cashing their talent of engineer and pilot/holonovel author, honestly and legally, while continuing to raise Miral and why not giving her a little sister or brother and all that, under Admiral Owen Paris benevolent (especially for Miral & Tom but maybe more suspicious towards B'Elena, at less, at the beginning) gaze -> maybe Starfleet made the same deal than with Janeway: "we leave your daughter-in law alone but we will keep you responsible if anything happened to the security and/or the reputation of the Federation & Starfleet"... .
- The Doctor, I keep thinking that the more difficult for him is to come: he should face the greatest scepticism from Starfleet scientifists & lawyers, Federation judges and in general, people still too accustomed to see holograms playing the roles of servitors, to accept to recognize the Doctor's sentiency and autonomy. Result: after his miraculous holographic mobile ermitter being confiscated or destructed, his program partially deleted to get the "the factory release" version, our Doctor would be condemned to remain indefinitely in one of laboratories of Starfleet Medical Dpt to assist experts and doctors in their researches as a simple assistant device.

Voyager will have been finally a pretty & exciting parenthesis - even if very dangerous sometimes for everybody but the transition to a normale - though routine - life may be difficult than planned - and even dreamt - for some of them.

 

[Lynx]

^^
Oh!

And I thought that we all liked the characters and wanted a possible continuation of their adventures!

But obviously the current trend in the Gray Universe of doom-and-gloom has affected too many.

So I guess I have to come up with some solution where all of them gets jailed, executed, ends up in padded cells or commits suicide.

 

[Tenacity]

And I thought that we all liked the characters and wanted a possible continuation of their adventures!

Oh I like the characters just fine, they're my second favorite crew, and Voyager my third favorite series.

I think they had lives prior to Voyager and would have lives subsequent to leaving Voyager behind.

While TOS and TNG show their crews being connected for decades, I personally think this is atypical for Starfleet personnel. Starfleet officers would (more likely) be assigned to a ship/station/planet, serve for a period of time, and then receive a new assignment. Over the course of their careers this would happen multiple times.

One Voyager episode showed the (then) former crew mates getting together now and again to discuss their continuing lives and to rehash old times. This doesn't mean they want to endlessly serve with each other for all of time.

Also, given that Voyager returned to Earth with advanced technology, had visited fluidic space, and at one point traveled at trans-warp speeds, I could see Voyager essentially being torn apart down to her keel plates.

 

[Lynx]

In that case, I would rewrite Voyager so that they never got home.

They could stay at "The 37's" planet and help the people there to create a new Starfleet and a new Federation in the Delta Quadrant.

That would set the scene for dozens of dozens of good books.

And become a much more interesting project than the current Star Trek Discovery and its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

^^
Oh!

And I thought that we all liked the characters and wanted a possible continuation of their adventures!

But obviously the current trend in the Gray Universe of doom-and-gloom has affected too many.

So I guess I have to come up with some solution where all of them gets jailed, executed, ends up in padded cells or commits suicide.

I think we can love most characters but be ‎realistic nonetheless, can't we? And then, they are all living & free ‎at least on a physical level ( ;-) ) in the end, but yes, the return to a normal life will be more or less easy particularly for some of them (in any case, people can not spend seven years away from traditional social life with friends/relatives/colleagues and come back, expecting that everything will be back to normal, whatever in relation to themselves and in relation to other. -> everything depends on the uniqueness of each individual, their past experiences... and in case of Voyager, their history with the Federation & Starfleet).
-> I remember to have read that astronauts who where interviewed several months after their return on Earth, recognized easily that their lives since their return was chaotic and they still difficulties to resume routine so, I don't see why it would be different for fictional characters.

A parallel universe?! Why not but what would be interested would be to cross both worlds and make that each meets their double ... ;-)

 

[Lynx]

I think we can love most characters but be ‎realistic nonetheless, can't we? And then, they are all living & free ‎at least on a physical level ( ;-) ) in the end, but yes, the return to a normal life will be more or less easy particularly for some of them (in any case, people can not spend seven years away from traditional social life with friends/relatives/colleagues and come back, expecting that everything will be back to normal, whatever in relation to themselves and in relation to other. -> everything depends on the uniqueness of each individual, their past experiences... and in case of Voyager, their history with the Federation & Starfleet).
-> I remember to have read that astronauts who where interviewed several months after their return on Earth, recognized easily that their lives since their return was chaotic and they still difficulties to resume routine so, I don't see why it would be different for fictional characters.

A parallel universe?! Why not but what would be interested would be to cross both worlds and make that each meets their double ... ;-)

Which is exactly what I'm getting at.

Coming home after 7 years and discover that things aren't what they expected and dreamed of, like Janeway coming home and realize that mark has married another woman.

Most of them would miss the good, old days on Voyager where their lives had a purpose and would therefore welcome a solution where they could continue to serve on the ship.

I could easily imagine that Starfleet would be happy to keep Chakotay and the former Maquis on Voyager as well, sort of: "Let Janeway have them on their ship, then we at least know what to do of them".

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'd love to have seen Voyager be an older ship, a Miranda-Class or similar, something with a few thousand light-years on the clock--all the brand new, cutting edge, top of the line ships we constantly get is a little dull.

 

[LJones41]

Unless one has thoughts about re-writing the other four TREK shows, I don't see the point in contemplating over re-writing "VOYAGER". I find this whole idea not only irrelevant, but also another example of unnecessarily bashing the show.

 

[Nyotarules]

^ you can start a thread on rewriting the other shows

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Unless one has thoughts about re-writing the other four TREK shows, I don't see the point in contemplating over re-writing "VOYAGER". I find this whole idea not only irrelevant, but also another example of unnecessarily bashing the show.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Captain Picard pretty much as he was, a born explorer, someone whose service to the Federation has made him a legend. First Officer Will Riker is an alien orphan of unknown origin who was found and raised by Starfleet officer Kyle Riker and his wife, he is young, cocky and ambitious, with his sights set on his own command, though acknowledged as being a gifted officer it's generally agreed that he needs a little more 'seasoning'. Deanna Troi is the ship's Second and Diplomatic Officer, who specialises in xenology, linguistics and sociology and is on hand to advise and support Picard as needed and is a more measured person than Riker, which makes their past relationship something of a surprise. Geordi La Forge is the Chief Engineer from the start, he is also the casts resident family man, whose wife and daughter reside on the ship (giving us an inroad into the lives of non-Starfleet onboard to make the ship feel more like a community). Ensign Data is the Ops/Science Officer, she is brilliant but doesn't understand emotions or the 'human condition'. Doctor Crusher would be pretty much as she was, though her daughter is now a cadet following in her late-fathers' footsteps, she has mixed feelings about serving with Picard given their past, but the Enterprise is too good an opportunity to pass up. Security Chief Natasha Yar grew up fending for herself on an outlying planet where humans were rare and the Federation had no say, as such she knows how to look after herself and has an intense drive to keep others safe. Conn Officer Lieutenant Worf was raised in a colony on the Klingon/Federation border and had a deep interest in his people's former enemy, so much so that he brought dishonour to his family when he joined Starfleet, a shame he now must live with. Also onboard are a number of cadets for specialist training, including Ellie Crusher (top of her class and already amazing her instructors with her intellect) and Ro Laran (though he may be a troubled young Bajoran there are times when he has shown signs of being truly remarkable).

The Galaxy-Class Enterprise-D is one of the largest and most imposing ships in Starfleet, carrying over 1000 people further than any other crew has been, they will see things no other Federation citizen has dreamed of, encounter new races no one has ever heard of, making history with every light-year they travel and blazing a trail for others to follow.

 

[Tenacity]

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The Enterprise-D is the pride of the Starfleet exploration and diplomatic service (entirely separate from the Starfleet defense and combat service).

Captain Picard is a scientist by profession, and has been a Starfleet officer for six decades, he's married to the ship's doctor (and wiidow of his best friend) Beverly Howard, they have two children Wesley and Leslie.

Commander Riker is a resent transfer from the combat side of Starfleet. Rumor has it he was told to transfer or resign after leading a successful mutany on a Starfleet vessel testing a illegal cloaking device. Riker's more of a hard charger than the exploration/diplomatic is used too.

Lt. Troi is one of the ship's mental health professionals, and secretly a agent in the Betazed intellignce service.

Lt. LaForge a engineer by training, who Picard believes would benefit from a more varied career path. He is assign to the bridge, away teams, and frequent shifts in the ship many science labs.

Lt. Yar is the head of the Enterprise's small 10 person security team, by Picard's standing orders they are only allowed to carry light stunners.

Lt (jg) Worf is a Klingon defense forces exchange officer. As the Klingon people move away from a past that is increasingly the anthisis of their modern culture, the opportunity to educate their officers in the sciences couldn't be past up. Worf is married to a hybrid Human/Klingon diplomat, and they have a son Alex who Worf dolt upon shamelessly.

 

[Lynx]

I see no reason to rewrite the shows.

There are some things I would do a bit different, especially in Voyager but the outcome would be basically the same.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

It's always fun to look at "what ifs", there's no harm in looking at how fans would do things differently, give greater focus to favourite characters and examining how plots might've gone or paths not taken.

 

[Lynx]

It's always fun to look at "what ifs", there's no harm in looking at how fans would do things differently, give greater focus to favourite characters and examining how plots might've gone or paths not taken.

Sometimes it can be interesting.

But too many fans are too affected by the current doom-and-gloom trend when it comes to SF-series so there's a lot which just looks destructive and depressive.

 

[Prax]

Sometimes it can be interesting.

But too many fans are too affected by the current doom-and-gloom trend when it comes to SF-series so there's a lot which just looks destructive and depressive.

Nooo, they should've been at each others throats, pulling hair, unshaven, bloody, dirty and sweating, with McDonald's wrappers littering the corridors.

Edit: I was just reading the other comments on this page:

- The political situation that made the Maquis outlaws no longer exists, and the Maquis on Voyager were no longer Maquis anyway. Unless some had arrest warrants out for them for specific crimes, there's nothing Starfleet can do to them. Most would be offered a job. Chakotay would definitely be offered a position, and would take it. Starfleet was his life.

-The whole crew would all be decorated, especially Janeway. Would she have a long debriefing with lots of questions? Yes. Would she be under scrutiny? Yes, in the sense that any captain would be, but she did so much good, made so many new contacts, charted so much of unknown space...she'd be praised, promoted, and probably wield a great deal of power.

And why would the crew "not want to ever step foot on Voyager again"? It's been their home.

 

[Lynx]

Nooo, they should've been at each others throats, pulling hair, unshaven, bloody, dirty and sweating, with McDonald's wrappers littering the corridors.

Edit: I was just reading the other comments on this page:

- The political situation that made the Maquis outlaws no longer exists, and the Maquis on Voyager were no longer Maquis anyway. Unless some had arrest warrants out for them for specific crimes, there's nothing Starfleet can do to them. Most would be offered a job. Chakotay would definitely be offered a position, and would take it. Starfleet was his life.

-The whole crew would all be decorated, especially Janeway. Would she have a long debriefing with lots of questions? Yes. Would she be under scrutiny? Yes, in the sense that any captain would be, but she did so much good, made so many new contacts, charted so much of unknown space...she'd be praised, promoted, and probably wield a great deal of power.

And why would the crew "not want to ever step foot on Voyager again"? It's been their home.

Exactly my thoughts too!

As for the comment about all of them being at each others throats, pulling hair, unshaven, bloody, dirty and sweating, with McDonald's wrappers littering the corridors. Well, there was a series with a similar scenario.

That was Stargate Universe.

And look how popular it was and how long it lasted.

 

[Tenacity]

and the Maquis on Voyager were no longer Maquis anyway.

In one of the later seasons, there's a scene in Janeway's ready room (not sure the episode) where Janeway says that she no longer thinks of the crew as being Starfleet and Marquis, but instead one crew.

To which Chakotay responds that the Marquis are still Marquis and that's how they think of themselves.

Chakotay would definitely be offered a position, and would take it. Starfleet was his life.

Hardly his life, Chakotay took the position of first officer (after the destruction of his own ship) to guarantee the Marquis a way home, and a place inside Voyager's power structure. One of his first actions after becoming first officer was to push for another of the Marquis to become chief engineer.

He wasn't suggesting Belanna become ONE of the staff engineers, Chakotay wanted her to be in the senior position. A management position she clearly (initial) didn't have the temperament for.

In addition to my doubt that Chakotay would have the option of a place in Starfleet, I also don't think he would want it. Once he delivered the surviving Marquis to the alpha quadrant, Chakotay's sole reason to be around Starfleet would be over.

It's always fun to look at "what ifs"

First off, Voyager isn't optimized for combat (per Paris), not is she a brand new construction.

She's a older large cruiser in good condition. The Starfleet and Marquis , even after combined on one ship, are still too few to properly crew the ship.

This Voyager will need nearly four hundred crew.

Other ships (disabled) are around the Ocampa system, brought there by the Caretaker. Not all are from the alpha quadrant, other places in our galaxy too, plus some of the other closer galaxies too.

Out of necessity, Voyager has people from over a dozen alliances, star republics and individual star systems. Janeway and Chakotay have to manage scores of cultures somehow. While all agree to Janeway as captain and are given the equivalent of Starfleet ranks, none (including the Marquis) are willing to wear a Starfleet uniform. To say the least, there are clashes of cultures aboard the ship.

The inside of Voyager is like the "alien sector" from Babylon Five.

In order to create some semblance of harmony, top positions are distributed among the leaders of various groups.

Belanna isn't Marquis, she a engineer from a Klingon BOP, senior surviving officer.

Neelix and Kes' backgrounds are the same, as is Paris and Tuvok's.

Kim (different name?) is from a small galaxy outside our own, sole surviving officer among one of the larger alien groups, he's just out of their version of a officers academy.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

I think a lot of Trek fans like imagining a different Voyager simply because the very premise of the concept had a lot more potential than the show actually took advantage of. It settled for carrying on the more episodic approach that TOS and TNG were modeled as. That's not to bash VOYAGER. Some of the best episodes of that show are a result of that model. There are far more better episodes in the middle seasons than there were in the first and second (which were arguably the most serialized with the Kazon/Seska storyline).

But VOYAGER never really measured up to TOS and TNG. It's my opinion that those two shows had higher highs, whereas VOYAGER was usually middling. So with what the show is, I can't help but imagine if a different take on the show would have been a better alternative. For all I know there's an alternate universe where we got a more serialized version of that show but that it was terrible, and perhaps in that universe I'm wondering if a more episodic format would have been better suited.