Crew : Suder, page 1 : Janet's Star Trek Voyager Site

Crewman then convicted of murder. Tries to conquer his violent impulses. Dies heroically.

LON SUDER

screenshots by Janet

Species: Betazoid.
Former Maquis.

Page contents: THE MURDER AND THE MELD WORDS

THE MURDER AND THE MELD

Crewman Lon Suder, a male Betazoid, was originally a member of Chakotay's Maquis crew.

Suder's rank: For [#42 and #43 Basics] source VC wrongly lists Suder as "Ensign Suder". Suder was demoted from being a member of the (in service) crew in [#32 Meld]. If VC was following Encyclopaedia, VC could list the character as Ensign in [#32 Meld], as he would be for part of [#32 Meld] but not for [#42 and #43 Basics]. In [#32 Meld], Janeway's supplemental log, heard before the final scene, says: "Ensign Suder has been incarcerated in secured quarters, where he will likely spend the rest of our journey home." However, I believe that Janeway's supplemental log should say "Crewman Suder", not "Ensign Suder", to take into account his demotion which, by the time she made the supplemental log, had been in effect for some time. It is not really a blooper that Tuvok addresses Ensign Suder as "Crewman" immediately after Suder confesses to murdering Darwin in the line: "Crewman, I suggest you speak to counsel." (at which time Suder cannot possibly have yet been demoted for the crime), because the term "Crewman" is a generic term, which would explain the apparent blooper in [#41 Resolutions] when Kim tells Ensign Hogan and Ensign Swinn: "But Captain Tuvok's made his decision. Two Ensigns and a Crewman won't change his mind." For all three of them are ensigns (at that time).

Even his fellow-Maquis were wary of him:
Torres: "As a Maquis he did what he had to do a little too well."
Tuvok: "As in?"
Chakotay: "As in killing Cardassians. ... A lot of us were doing what we were doing to protect our families, but Suder had his own reasons. I wish I could tell you what they were. In combat there was something in his eyes... ... Sometimes I had to pull him back, stop him from going to far, and once or twice when I did he looked at me with those cold eyes and I just knew he was this far away from killing me." [#32 Meld]

In 2372 Suder murdered fellow-engineer Frank Darwin. He felt no remorse. Tuvok, learning that Suder had committed violence in the past, performed a mind-meld with him hoping to find a reason for his violence. But some of Suder's violent madness transmitted itself to Tuvok, who suspended himself from duty, locked himself in his quarters and tried to solve the problem through meditation, but finally agreed to undergo treatment by the Doctor. During the course of the treatment, Tuvok voiced his hitherto unspoken protest against Janeway's decision that Suder be confined to quarters and guarded for the rest of the journey home - Tuvok believed Suder should be executed for his crime. Suder himself was willing to die for the crime. Tuvok broke out of confinement in sickbay and went to the brig, intending to kill Suder but was unable to carry out the act. (Janeway then ordered Tuvok not to carry out any more mind-melds without her permission.)

While incarcerated Suder took up floriculture, a hobby unwittingly transmitted to him by Tuvok through the mind-meld; he named a new cross-breed of orchid "the Tuvok Orchid" to honour Tuvok. Tuvok gradually helped Suder control his violent emotions through a series of regular meditation sessions.

In an interview with Janeway Lon Suder told her that he believed he could adapt the genetic engineering techniques he developed for the orchids to help the vegetable garden in the airponics bay become more productive. He said he wanted to do something for the ship. Janeway promised to consider his idea but he irritated her by pressing for an immediate answer.

[#32 Meld]

[#42 and #43 Basics]

Suder's self-control was very fragile at the time when Voyager was seized by the Kazon-Nistrim helped by Seska. The Kazon set down all the crew on the planet Hanon IV but did not find the two missing crewmembers - Suder and Tom Paris. Encouraged by the Doctor and using meditation techniques taught by Tuvok, Suder helped save the ship even though he had to kill again, but he was killed by a Kazon soldier in the act of disabling Voyager's backup phaser couplings which enabled Paris and a group of Talaxians to board and recapture the ship.

WORDS

"It's that Vulcan thing where you grab someone's head."
To Tuvok, on mind-melds [#32 Meld]

"You're right, it is disturbing, never knowing when that impulse may come, or whether or not you can control it when it does. You live on the edge of every moment, and yet in its own way, violence is attractive too, maybe because it doesn't require logic. Perhaps that's why it's so liberating. ... If you can't control the violence, the violence controls you. Be prepared to yield your entire being to it, to sacrifice your place in civilised life, for you will no longer be a part of it, and there's no return."
To Tuvok, on violence [#32 Meld]

Next page: Lon Suder in [#42 and #43 Basics]