What If: Voyager

[Captain Picard's Hair]

Suppose that, in "Caretaker," the Maquis are able to wrest control of Voyager. They then take steps necessary to quell any potential Starfleet uprising, potentially even leaving SF crew behind, and they cement their control over Voyager with Chakotay as captain.

As much as there is that stands in the way of such an event (numbers, training, etc), for the sake of argument, let's say it happens. How does the Maquis-controlled Voyager do things differently?

[Captain Seafort]

At what point in Caretaker does this takeover occur? If it's before the destruction of the array I can't see Chakotay making the same decision as Janeway.

If it's after the destruction of the array (perhaps as a reaction to it, with Starfleet support), then I wouldn't be surprised if Voyager allied with the Kazon, per Seska's recomendation, and the alliance with the Borg certainly wouldn't happen. Other than that, as a general rule I can't see the Maquis pulling any of the stupidity Janeway did (throwing away a chance to get home in "False Profits, for example), and would generally be a lot more willing to trade technology for local assistance.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

At what point in Caretaker does this takeover occur? If it's before the destruction of the array I can't see Chakotay making the same decision as Janeway.

Yes, assume that Voyager is again trapped in the DQ, for whatever reason.

[Aaron]

Chakotey takes his own advice and they settle on the 37's planet. Their Maquis, what reason do they have to go back to the Badlands and continue a hopeless insurection?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Chakotey takes his own advice and they settle on the 37's planet. Their Maquis, what reason do they have to go back to the Badlands and continue a hopeless insurection?

If they could get back in a reasonable amount of time the Maquis could become much more formidable with a fully operational Intrepid-class starship.

[Aaron]

If they could get back in a reasonable amount of time the Maquis could become much more formidable with a fully operational Intrepid-class starship.

They estimated seventy years to get home, by which time Voyager would be obselete (or at least obselecent) and she'd be the number one target for every Cardie and SF ship in the badlands.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

If they could get back in a reasonable amount of time the Maquis could become much more formidable with a fully operational Intrepid-class starship.

They estimated seventy years to get home, by which time Voyager would be obselete (or at least obselecent) and she'd be the number one target for every Cardie and SF ship in the badlands.

Like I said, reasonable amount of time, before the Cardassians joined the Dominion.

[Aaron]

Like I said, reasonable amount of time, before the Cardassians joined the Dominion.

So what? Three years? How are they going to do that? And why would they even want to go home? These people were possibly the most wanted persons in the entire quadrant, being hunted by both the Cardies and the Feds. With chemical weapons being deployed against their homes. What possible motivation could there be to go back, when there was no reason to expect that they could before they died.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Like I said, reasonable amount of time, before the Cardassians joined the Dominion.

So what? Three years? How are they going to do that? And why would they even want to go home? These people were possibly the most wanted persons in the entire quadrant, being hunted by both the Cardies and the Feds. With chemical weapons being deployed against their homes. What possible motivation could there be to go back, when there was no reason to expect that they could before they died.

Well, I'd bet Chakotay would take advantage of some of the stuff that Janeway didn't. And they'd want to go back because it's their home. That's the reason they were fighting in the first place, to protect their homes from Cardassian aggressors. Many are sure to still have families that they want to get back to as well.

[Aaron]

Well, I'd bet Chakotay would take advantage of some of the stuff that Janeway didn't. And they'd want to go back because it's their home. That's the reason they were fighting in the first place, to protect their homes from Cardassian aggressors. Many are sure to still have families that they want to get back to as well.

Lets be perfectly clear here. After the array was destroyed, there was no indication (IU) that they would ever get home. Chakotey himself mentioned that they could settle and be happy on the 37's planet.

Yes, they had families (though Chokatey's crew seemed remarkably attachment free) but they would be dead within the expected timeframe. They were also fighting a protracted insurgency with no hope of victory. This was a chance for a fresh start.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Yes, they had families (though Chokatey's crew seemed remarkably attachment free) but they would be dead within the expected timeframe. They were also fighting a protracted insurgency with no hope of victory. This was a chance for a fresh start.

If they did get home their insurgency would be much more powerful with a ship of the line on their side. They might even have driven the Cardassians out of the DMZ once and for all. I'd say that's something worth fighting for.

[Aaron]

If they did get home their insurgency would be much more powerful with a ship of the line on their side. They might even have driven the Cardassians out of the DMZ once and for all. I'd say that's something worth fighting for.

First an Intrepid is not a ship of the line, that refers to Capital vessels. At best she's a frigate.

Second by the time they got home, there's no reason to expect that the insurgency would have been a success. In fact when they left they weren't doing so hot.

Third, if it took seventy years Voyager would have been about as useful as a Miranda was in the Dominion War.

Fourth, there's no way they could drive off the Cardies with one ship. She would be the top target for every Cardie battlegroup in the DMZ and likely the Feds would destroy her themselves to prevent the Cardies from capturing her.

Fifth, they'd all be geriatrics.

[Sionnach Glic]

By the time they got home, Voyager would be about as useful as the Miranda class was during the war: good for drawing fire, and little else. All its weapons and systems would be 70 years outdated, and the Maquis can't exactly refit the ship to 100% capacity even if they did somehow get the ship back in one piece to the AQ.

After 70 years, the rebellion would probably be over in one way or another. The Maquis with Chakotay weren't stupid; they'd have figured that out for themselves. Therefore, there would be nothing for them to return to except a jail cell.

Moreover, they'd have to spend 70 years traveling through completely unknown territory fighting god knows what. Even if they all somehow survived, they'd get back home just in time to drop dead.

So no, there's no motivation for them to get home. They settle on the 37's paradise planet and live out their lives there.

[Mikey]

Yep. If nothing else, the Maquis must necessarily be considerably more pragmatic and less idealistic than Federation-types.

[Graham Kennedy]

I think Chakotay would have stranded himself. Let's not go to "he would have used a timer", that's not a character thing, it's a plot device that you couldn't for whatever reason. My point is that Chakotay was the archeologist, and he was frequently the one arguing for minimum interference with other civilisations. I can easily see a man like that wanting to preserve the Ocampa society.

After that, the ep that springs to mind is False Profits. If I remember right, Janeway took the Ferengi on board Voyager and then let them go again because they give her a speech. Later she is delayed so long in dealing with them that she misses a chance to go through the Barzan wormhole and back home.

For the same reason as before, I can't see Chakotay letting the Ferengi continue one minute longer in charge. He'd have stuck them in the Brig. So at the end of the ep Voyager gets home.

The Maquis then have a fully functioning top of the line Starship at their disposal.

Which, ultimately, will make no difference at all. The Federation has thousands of ships, the Cardassians thousands more. One Starship, even a top of the line one, isn't going to change the balance of power. I can see the Maquis making a big nuisance of themselves, then some Sovereign or Galaxy will have a good day and bag them.