When several former Maquis crew members break Federation rules, it is up to Tuvok to train them in the finer points of Starfleet protocol and discipline in order to reestablish harmony among Voyager's crew. Simultaneously, a strange virus invades the ship's bio-neural circuitry, endangering the lives of all aboard. As B'Elanna Torres and the Doctor try to discover a cure, Tuvok and his unlikely "cadets" become trapped in an unstable part of the ship. As one of them lies near death, Starfleet tenets are put to the test.