How did Janeway ever get a command?

[Atekimogus]

Or we can speculate Janeway had her way with the sector's quartermaster and made sure her ship was fitted with the best weapon possible so she doesn't screw up on her first assignment against a sub-powered target.

Or we assume that - altough paranoid at the time - Seven did indeed stumble upon something and Janeway had those weapons only onboard because she secretly is a S31 agent. Unreasonable? Well lets assume that star trek intelligence knew that for some reason someone snatches ships into the deltaquadrant seemingly at random which happens to be the same direction the borg originate from. Now not only has recently opened up a wormwhole to the gamma quadrant, exposing the UFP to who knows what risks, there is enough evidence that the borg are tinkering in the Delta quadrant with forms of instant transportation to and fro the delta quadrant which makes S31 a bit nervous.

So what do they do? They sent one of their agents who happens to be mad as hatter into a region with reasonable chances of beeing snatched away and equip her with enough Tri-cobalt-devices that no matter what is on the other side, she is able to make sure there is one less wormwhole, transwarpgate whatever to worry about.

[Mikey]

Why would that be a job for S31 rather than for Starfleet at large? It wouldn't.

[Tsukiyumi]

Why would that be a job for S31 rather than for Starfleet at large? It wouldn't.

IDK, they do seem to have a habit of being a few steps ahead of Starfleet.

[Mikey]

Why would that be a job for S31 rather than for Starfleet at large? It wouldn't.

IDK, they do seem to have a habit of being a few steps ahead of Starfleet.

The CIA is probably a few steps ahead of the NYPD regarding national security threats, but they don't police the subway stations. S31 seems very strongly to be intelligence/counterintelligence/indirect action, not a direct action military body.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Why would that be a job for S31 rather than for Starfleet at large? It wouldn't.

IDK, they do seem to have a habit of being a few steps ahead of Starfleet.

The CIA is probably a few steps ahead of the NYPD regarding national security threats, but they don't police the subway stations. S31 seems very strongly to be intelligence/counterintelligence/indirect action, not a direct action military body.

The S31 is involved with anything they feel like it, but they are subtle. Maybe Janeway wasn't part of the S31 conspiracy, but what is the S31 decided that ships stolen from across the Galaxy by a powerful array was too much a treath into some hands (like Cardassians or Maquis?) and decided carefully to have appointed an unexperienced Captain that is known for gun-out tactics, "re-allocated" Tri-cobalt torpedoes to the ship ("Temporary Measure") and sent her on her way, hoping the mysterious shipsnatcher would take the bait?

Janeway never knew she was manipulated, but she still played her part.

[Mikey]

Anything is possible. We have rather limited info regarding S31, but what we do have seems to indicate that this wouldn't really be their bag.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Anything is possible. We have rather limited info regarding S31, but what we do have seems to indicate that this wouldn't really be their bag.

The question I am wondering:

In "Inquisition", was Section 31 hoping to recruit Bashir all along, or they genuinely feared he was a double agent?

[Atekimogus]

Why would that be a job for S31 rather than for Starfleet at large? It wouldn't.

Well, assuming Starfleet is aware that someone is snatching ships into the Delta quadrant they might suspect the borg but they would first rather send someone to investigate before deciding to blow something up in a most aggressive manner. Only S31 would be inclined to blow shit up no matter whats on the other side just because it "might" be a risk for UFP security.

The caretaker wasn't really evil or a viable target for a normal starfleet officer, alas it conviniently died before evil Janeway was forced to show her hand and the Kazon provided her with a most welcome excuse. She would have blown up the station in any event imho

Conspiracy Theories are fun!

[Mikey]

IDK... conspiracy theories IMO are annoyances. It could just as convincingly be argued that Janeway was an Organian who judged the UFP to be unfit to receive the Caretaker's technology.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Well, assuming Starfleet is aware that someone is snatching ships into the Delta quadrant they might suspect the borg but they would first rather send someone to investigate before deciding to blow something up in a most aggressive manner. Only S31 would be inclined to blow s**t up no matter whats on the other side just because it "might" be a risk for UFP security.

Or, you know, they know the Caretaker is close to Borg territory, and don't want this kind of technology to fall into Borg's hand.

I mean, frak the Kazons. Even if they owned the Caretaker Array, I doubt they'd use it to its full capacity, and they'd only provoke the Borg's attention which would deem them worthy of being harvested.

[Mikey]

Was Starfleet aware of the stretch of Borg territory in the DQ? I don't recall ever hearing so, and I can't imagine how they would be.

[stitch626]

AFAIK, Starfleet only knew that the Borg were somewhere in the DQ. Not specifically where.

[Mark]

Anything is possible. We have rather limited info regarding S31, but what we do have seems to indicate that this wouldn't really be their bag.

The question I am wondering:

In "Inquisition", was Section 31 hoping to recruit Bashir all along, or they genuinely feared he was a double agent?

Oh no...they were salivating over the chance to recruit him. Think about it. He's genetically enhanced both physically and mentally. He's been trained by Starfleet, and he's a doctor (which even the Jem'Hadar consider anyone in blue low priority), not to mention he was enthralled by the idea of being a secret agent (hence his holodeck programs and his fascination with Garak.)

Had he gone for it, he would have been the perfect agent.

[Deepcrush]

Agreed 100% with Mark.

[Mark]

Come to think of it, they almost set him up perfectly to BECOME an S31 agent.......seems rather a let down that he didn't.

Ah well, maybe as his ideals become a bit more ground away, and he becomes a realist, he'll join up.