<USS Avalon> "Fiat Jusiticia Et Pereat Mundus"

Fiat Jusiticia Et Pereat Mundusby Patrick Ming Kabuki and Petty Officer Vevay 
Davis 


The utter joy he felt at Vilya's news didn't keep Ming from ploughing onward 
with his research. He couldn't let it distract him from studying if Vilya 
wouldn't let it distract her from her duty shifts. So he went back to the 
library and stuck his nose back into the computer's information on the 
religious beliefs of the Ninitchik.

The studious solitude of the library consumed her and made her feel 
comfortable. She'd once visited an old fashioned library on Earth, it's high 
ceilinged walls covered in real books. This place was nothing like that, but it 
had the same quiet peace to it. Vevay smiled to herself despite the knot of 
conflict in her stomach as she picked her way through the occupied desks.

It seemed that today everyone was out to broaden their minds: all the desks and 
boothes were occupied. One at the very back only had a single occupant, a 
youngish man dressed in priests' clothes. She coughed quietly and asked if she 
could join him, forcing her smile to broaden but knowing it didn't reach her 
eyes.

"Be my guest," Ming said, smiling as he looked up. "If you need the console, I 
can download the information I'm reading into a PADD and move over."

His bright blue eyes looked at her and recognized that this was a very unhappy 
person, despite the smile she offered. His instincts kicked in but he'd be 
patient, he told himself. My sort of help isn't always appreciated.

"No, no, I'm fine. I just wanted to get out of the office for five minutes, 
that's all." Out of the office. It echoed around her head, knowing what they 
were doing and why. She hated it. After seeing Ffej again, having him forgive 
her, nothing was sitting well in her mind. Pulling out her own PADD, she waved 
it at him. "Brought a trashy novel to read, I'm fine, honest."

He peered over at the novel titled and offerd her a crooked grin. "I've read 
that one. It's not bad," he said. At her surprised looked, he winked and added, 
"Nobody ever expects me to read something not bound in leather or swished with 
holy water but I do. Ming Kabuki, ma'am. Pleased to meet you."

Returning his grin and already feeling a little better, she said, "Petty 
Officer Vevay Davis, JAG." She looked deep into his eyes and expected the 
habitual flinch when he realised she was a lawyer.

"JAG?" he wondered aloud then he recalled the acronym for Judge Advocate 
General and shrugged. "My wife did say something about new officers coming 
aboard but I didn't know what department. I'm most familiar with the engineers 
abord since that's her department. All the legal things to deal with in the 
military must be even harder to deal with than in civilian courts..."

"Oh you just wouldn't believe." Sighing, Vevay leaned back and read a couple of 
paragraphs of her book. Within minutes, Ffej's face was dancing in front of her 
eyes, quickly followed by Keith's. Who was she kidding? "I guess my father was 
right, I'm not really cut out for this job."

Since Vevay had gone back to her novel, Ming stuck his nose back in his 
research but he was still conscious of her presence. When she spoke again, he 
looked over at her curiously.

"Would you like to tell me why?" he asked. "I ought to tell you, though, that I 
am not Starfleet and I am not required to report to anybody but God. I can't be 
ordered to say anything to anybody--ever."

In a faraway voice, she started to tell him about the investigation. She wasn't 
quite sure why, she just needed to. Her own professionalism prevented her from 
confiding in Ffej but this had been building inside her until she was ready to 
explode from it. Finally, she ended with, "We're going to crucify him. We're 
setting him up to take the fall to placate the Ferengi. He's the Federation's 
scapegoat and I don't know what to do about it." Her voice quivered and she 
looked away. "There's nothing I can do about it."

Ming listened without interruption as Vevay told her story, so softly that it 
could not be overheard. He finally reached forward and took one of her hands, a 
gentle touch to settle the tremor in her voice. "What makes you think there 
isn't anything you can do, Vevay? If you know something ..."

A gasp escaped her at his touch and she pulled away. "I'm an officer for the 
Judge Advocate General. This is my job, it's what I'm trained for. I would be 
violating orders if I tried. I would lose my job. I would have to go back..." 
No, she would keep her mouth shut and let him hang. She would do anything to 
not go back to her parents' house; she was pretty sure she would even throw 
Ffej in the pot with Keith if it meant she would be kept safe.

Ming accepted her withdrawal without comment but he kept his eyes on her. "Go 
back where? Home? Is that a problem?" he asked. From the look in her eyes, he 
had the feeling that it was. "No one can force you to go anywhere. You're a 
grown adult."

A haunted look crept into her eyes as she shook her head. A small, scared 
little child stared back at him as she tried to get the words out. "If I left 
Starfleet, he'd find me, I know he would." A small sob shook her. "I think he 
killed her. I've no proof that she's even dead, but I think he killed her."

Ming bit back a sigh then stood up. "Walk with me, Vevay. I'm in need of a 
break and I think I'd like some company." He wanted to help her but the specter 
of so many possible ears and eyes was just not helpful.

Numbly, she stood to follow and they left the library. Who was this man? Why 
was she telling him so much? Definitely losing your touch, Vevay.

Ming like the observation deck. The spectacular view invited contemplation as 
well as peace. They walked there in silence. It was usually empty at that time 
of day so they were quite alone when they entered. He took up a leaning stance 
on the railing. "Vevay, the one you're afraid of--it's your father, isn't it?" 
he asked softly.

"Yes." Her voice echoed in her own ears. She'd never said it, never admitted it 
to anyone. Ffej had read it in her mind, but she'd never told him out loud. It 
felt odd to finally hear it said.

"Let me ask you something. Is it the thought of disobeying orders that's 
silencing you or the fear of having to return home to him? If it's the second 
one, I can help you there if it came to that. I know of a safe place," Ming 
told. "And remember, I cannot be ordered to speak."

Instead of answering him, she moved up to stand beside him at the rail. "You 
know, I am a military police officer by training. I was good at it too. To 
employ an old cliché, I have a nose for a mystery." Smiling sadly, she added, 
"Hence the novel." She stared out at the stars, not quite sure what to say now. 
"I don't make a very good lawyer, I don't really have the killer instinct for 
it. Kind of had it beaten..." The word stuck in her throat and she couldn't 
continue.

"Out of you," Ming finsihed the sentence for her. It galled him that such a 
thing could still happen in this day and age but he knew it was possible. 
"Vevay, I come from a very large family, lots of brothers and cousins. There's 
always room for more at my parents' house. I can't predict the future but it 
may very well be that you would be discharged for telling the truth. If that 
happens, I know there's a safe haven at my parents' house for you. Or my oldest 
brother's for that matter. You do not have to go back and face that monster 
until you want to or have to. You also can't keep quiet about an injustice, 
though. A wise man once said that a person who loses their conscience has 
nothing worth keeping. I think you have a lot to keep, don't you?"

Ffej's blue eyes flashed in front of her. "I do." Shaking her head, she said, 
"If I tell the truth and they discharge me, they'll make me leave the ship. I 
don't want to do that, not now. There's this man, this wonderful, beautiful 
man, that works here and now that I've found him, I don't think I can stand to 
lose him."

Ming smiled gently. "Love will make a person do all sorts of things, won't it? 
Perhaps he'd go with you if that were to happen. If you say nothing, though, an 
innocent man will be railroaded and you'll be safe but at what cost? Could you 
live with that? I know I tend to quote a lot of things but it helps me. One of 
my fellow men of the cloth said, 'An individual who breaks a law that 
conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of 
imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its 
injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.' If you 
respect the law, you need to respect yourself, too, Vevay."

"I really can't let this just happen, can I?" Her whole world crashed down 
around her into a fiery hell. "Oh God, I really really can't." She pushed away 
and looked over at Ming. "Thank you. You helped. Despite destroying everything 
I've worked to achieve, you have helped."

"Vevay, careers can be rebuilt but faith in oneself and respect for yourself is 
much harder. Do you want me to go with you?" he asked simply.

"No, I'm okay. I need to make an appointment to see the Captain. At least I 
know he'll see me with no hassles." A tired sort of a laugh bubbled out of her. 
"I never knew I'd end up being a witness for the defence. Goes to show that you 
can never predict the outcome of anything." Nodding once more, she turned and 
strode out of the Observation Lounge, her head held as high as she could make 
it go and marching like she'd just left her first training.

---------------------------------

Note: The title of this log is latin for "Let justice be done though the world 
perish."

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