Letters From The Delta Quadrant

Letter From Tuvok To Michael Eddington
Terry — 29 Jan 1998

Letter written by Tuvok to his old Starfleet colleague, Michael Eddington

Received: from voyager.sf.ufp.dq ([47.47.47.47])
           by hirogen.aotw.dq (7.4.4.7)
           by prometheus.sf.ufp.aq ([47.56.38.74]) with ESMTP id DQ4774;
           Wed, Stardate 51471.3
 From:     Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Chief Tactical Officer and Security Chief
           U.S.S. Voyager, Delta Quadrant
           topcop@voyager.sf.upf.dq
 To:       Lieutenant Commander Eddington, Starfleet Security Officer
           Deep Space 9, Alpha Quadrant
           valjean@ds9.sf.upf.aq

I am addressing this message to Deep Space 9. Admiral Toddman informed me of your imminent posting there at our last contact three years ago.

Commander. You are undoubtedly surprised to hear from me. And equally surprised to see that I again hold the rank and position of a trusted Starfleet officer. The last word that you had was of me turning renegade and joining the Maquis terrorists. You must have believed that I was aiding their illegal efforts to undermine the just peace between the Federation and the Cardassian Union.

I wish to apologize for the unpleasant words exchanged between the two of us at our last meeting. My statements excoriating the Federation's pusillanimity and perfidy in negotiating and maintaining the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2470 were merely part of an elaborate ruse concocted by Starfleet Intelligence. I was acting under orders to establish myself as a disgruntled and mutinous Starfleet officer.

Provoking a loud and very public argument with a well-known Starfleet patriot such as yourself seemed the logical course to attract the attention of Maquis sympathizers within Starfleet. The plan worked perfectly; soon afterward, I was contacted by a Maquis recruiter who possessed detailed knowledge of our dispute. Unfortunately, I was never able to ascertain the identity of the Starfleet informer.

You will find the details of my infiltration of the Maquis in my official report, as well as how I came to be on Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. After the facts are all out, you will know that I once again wear my Starfleet uniform with as much pride as you do.

But I can not writing this letter to justify myself to you. Rather this letter is to warn you of the presence of a high-ranking traitor amongst the Starfleet officers posted at Deep Space Nine. Shortly before my disappearance three years ago, I uncovered evidence of such a traitor. But I was unable to transmit my report until now.

I could not conclusively determine the identity of this traitor but evidence indicates that he has passed top-secret Starfleet intelligence reports dealing with DS9 to the Maquis. These reports include some prepared by you at Starfleet Headquarters. The only officer stationed on Deep Space Nine possessing the clearance to readily access such material is Commander Benjamin Sisko.

Despite his outwardly fierce dedication to the Federation, his many personal connections to the Maquis brings his loyalty into question. His close friend, Calvin Hudson, was one of Starfleet defectors instrumental in the creation of the Maquis. I have every confidence in your ability to expose this contemptible traitor before he damages the hard-won peace of the Alpha Quadrant beyond repair.

Your loyal comrade-in-arms,
Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok