“Starfleet has always respected the rights of free speech and protest,” Vekal told her, “and the freedom of its members to question and dissent, within the bounds of duty.” He set his jaw. “If that has changed, then our concerns at the evolution of Starfleet will be borne out, and whatever response we may provoke will serve as evidence for our cause.”

“I’m all for making my voice heard, but my parents would be furious if I got kicked out of the Academy in my first month.”

“Whereas mine would be disappointed if I continued to pursue membership in an organization that did not comport with my principles.”

“Great. Then I can come live at your house when I get kicked out of mine.”

Further badinage was interrupted by the cheering of the protestors as Doctor Janith-Lau emerged from the building at last, accompanied by her attorney. The reporters on the scene moved forward, but the attorney intercepted them and advised them that the doctor would not be making a statement at this time. Instead, she hurried over to meet with the other activist leaders at the head of the group, the slightly built Vulcan woman T’Sena and the heavyset Argelian man Rogo. The other activists circled around the three leaders to cordon them off from the reporters and escort them toward their private air tram, which granted Vekal sufficient proximity to overhear their conversation.

“I’ve just been released on my own recognizance,” Janith-Lau told them. “They still consider me a suspect.” She pulled back her right sleeve to reveal a tattoo-like imprint on her forearm. “It’s a passive sensor tag—it’ll trigger an alert if I try to leave the city.”

Rogo stared at the temporary imprint sorrowfully, as if it were a grave injury. “Outrageous. To impose such restrictions on your freedom when you’ve done nothing.”

Janith-Lau showed far more equanimity. “Until they find evidence to exonerate me or identify the real killer, they have to consider me a suspect. I don’t blame them for following procedure.”

“You’re far too trusting, Ashley. I wouldn’t put it past them to have killed this Arcturian just to discredit our movement.”

T’Sena gave him a look of strained toleration. “That is hardly logical, Rogo. The victim was one of the primary advocates for the increased militarization we object to.”

“All the more reason it makes us look guilty! Just because he was the public face of it doesn’t mean he wasn’t answering to higher masters. This brings sympathy to their cause by making them look like the victims.”

Janith-Lau touched his arm. “Starfleet isn’t the enemy here, Rogo. We want to reform them, to remind them of their professed principles before they drift too far from them.”