Let’s All Spy on Chakotay

[Ragitsu]

Or a double-double agent, though that's probably thinking into things too much as this was VOY and not DS9... I think your reason is far better.

Admittedly, from a writer's perspective, it isn't the most compelling/sexy reason for the audience to get invested in a focal character (who, ideally, should bring a quality unique to themselves), but the strategy of surveilling a person of interest in the hopes of catching someone of greater importance is perfectly realistic...as many intelligence-gathering bodies throughout history will attest.

 

[Oddish]

That's why successful terrorist organizations (like the Bajoran resistance) are compartmentalized. You can't knock out the whole organization just by catching a lower ranking member and interrogating them until they break. Or by infiltrating them, for that matter.

 

[WarpTenLizard]

Food for thought: what if Tuvok and Seska found out about each other while on Chakotay's ship? Would they become allies, or would Seska try to take Tuvok out?

 

[Victoria]

I can't see what Seska would have to gain by taking out Tuvok. That he is spying on the crew does not affect her unless she thinks that he is going to expose her. Even then, it's a MAD case: he exposes her, she exposes him. In practice, it's probably better to be aware of the other spies in the crew than to remove one and face having the spy replaced but this time you don't know who they are.

It's hard to see what they would gain by becoming allies. They aren't trying to achieve some kind of concrete result: they are just collecting intel.

 

[Ragitsu]

Mess hall?
Holodeck?
Sonic shower?

Introduce a bit of specificity for Pete's sake.

 

[DonIago]

I can't see what Seska would have to gain by taking out Tuvok. That he is spying on the crew does not affect her unless she thinks that he is going to expose her. Even then, it's a MAD case: he exposes her, she exposes him. In practice, it's probably better to be aware of the other spies in the crew than to remove one and face having the spy replaced but this time you don't know who they are.

It's hard to see what they would gain by becoming allies. They aren't trying to achieve some kind of concrete result: they are just collecting intel.

One of them outing the other, if they can somehow keep their own secret identity secret ('shoot first; ask questions later') might make them even more credible for Chakotay. If it had come to that, I think Seska would have eliminated Tuvok, mostly because I think she's more treacherous.

 

[Victoria]

The problem with eliminating Tuvok is that BOTH the Maqus AND StarFleet will be asking questions about his death.

I can see a situation where Seska's asked for extraction, Tuvok is in the way, and eliminating him would buy some time. By the time the Maquis have worked out she's the killer, she's been extracted and SF is one step behind so, by the time they show, she's back in the Cardassian field of influence.

Other than that, I don't see Seska simply killing Tuvok because he's SF. She might be untrustworthy but we've seen the Cardassians as being pragmatic. There would have to be some advantage to his death. Killing someone within your cell might give you some initial brownie points - but it'll make other people edgy round you too - and it's not exactly something you can repeat.

I would have liked to have seen a Seska who is stuck in a situation where, to get home, she has to go along with pretending to be Bajoran. Outed as Cardassian at some point, she still wants to get home but she's completely untrusted. A shortage of resources (and perhaps she has specialist skills) means she can't just be locked in the brig for 78 years. Paris would be in the same situation of being trusted by no-one. That would have been more interesting than the jumping ship to join the Kazon which makes little sense.

 

[Oddish]

Food for thought: what if Tuvok and Seska found out about each other while on Chakotay's ship? Would they become allies, or would Seska try to take Tuvok out?

I would think that since Seska undoubtedly had orders to kill the Maquis and Tuvok was sent to capture them, an alliance would be unlikely. But not impossible, if their backs were up against the wall. Tuvok might see the logic in neutralizing the Maquis before they could do further harm, while Seska might be willing to settle for a capture, as long as the Maquis were no longer a threat.

 

[Ragitsu]

That's why successful terrorist organizations (like the Bajoran resistance) are compartmentalized. You can't knock out the whole organization just by catching a lower ranking member and interrogating them until they break. Or by infiltrating them, for that matter.

TrekBBS: come for the arguments over Spock's strength, Geordi's visor, Sisko's baseball and Janeway's controversy...stay for practical advice on the establishment of lasting terrorist movements.

 

[Oddish]

TrekBBS: come for the arguments over Spock's strength, Geordi's visor, Sisko's baseball and Janeway's controversy...stay for practical advice on the establishment of lasting terrorist movements.

We aim to please.