There was a message waiting for him in his stateroom. Paul didn't recognize the number and hurriedly dialed it, thinking it might be from Jen's newly appointed lawyer.
But when the screen cleared he immediately recognized the woman who answered, as well as the man who joined her. 'Paul! Surprise!'
'Mom? Dad?' Paul couldn't think of anything else to say.
'Yes. We got a contract job up here on Franklin and thought we'd surprise you.'
'That's, that's great.'
'I know you're probably not ready for us and you probably have a lot of work every day, but we should have some opportunities to get together. You father and I really want to tour your ship and see how it compares to the old relics we used to sail around in up here.'
'Sure.'
'And we're both really looking forward to finally meeting this girl of yours we've heard so much and so little about.'
'Uh…' Gee, Mom and Dad, my girlfriend's in pretrial confinement in the brig, awaiting court-martial on charges of killing over sixty of her fellow crewmembers and sabotaging her ship.
I know you want to see the woman I haven't yet told you I want to marry, but the brig probably won't allow all of us to visit her.
I think I can safely wonder how things could possibly get any worse today.
Chapter Eight
Lieutenant Ahmed Bashir, United States Navy, Judge Advocate General's Corps, was a few years older than Paul, but looked far too young to be Jen's lawyer in Paul's eyes. He wanted somebody who looked like he or she had argued and won cases in every court and venue. But the best lawyer he knew had been assigned not to defend Jen, but to prosecute her. He could only hope Bashir could go toe-to-toe with Alex Carr and not get steamrollered. 'When can you get Jen out of the brig?'
Bashir sighed. 'I doubt I'll be able to do it all.'
'Why not? Do they think she's going to run away on a space station?'
'It's not about that. It's about the safety of the station.'
'What?'
'Look.' Bashir leaned back and spread his hands helplessly. 'This is how the government's looking at it. Lieutenant Shen is charged with sabotaging the equipment on the Maury, causing it to blow up and kill scores of sailors. If she's free on Franklin, she could presumably do the same thing here.'
'That's so completely ridiculous.'
'Maybe. But the government's convinced the military magistrate, so Lieutenant Shen is in the brig and in the brig she will almost certainly remain.'
Paul slumped back. Great. This guy isn't even going to fight for her. 'Have you even talked to her yet?'
Bashir picked up on Paul's tone of voice and attitude, leaning forward and pointing both fore-fingers at him. 'Yes. I have. And I'm going to do everything I morally and legally can to get her acquitted of these charges. Clear?'
'Clear. What can I do?'
The Navy lawyer relaxed again, shaking his head. 'I don't like this. I don't mind telling you. Secret Article 32 Investigation. Secret findings. Secret hearings. I've demanded to see all the evidence they've compiled to justify those charges against Ms. Shen, but as far as I know right now it's all circumstantial.'
'Won't that help us?' When we tried Silver on circumstantial evidence, they didn't want to convict him of some charges because of the uncertainty of his guilt.
'It should, but…' Bashir rubbed his face. 'You try someone for one murder on circumstantial evidence, and everybody gives them the benefit of the doubt. Try them for six murders on circumstantial evidence and they assume they're guilty. Why? Because they've been charged with something extra bad.'
'That doesn't make sense.'
'Tell me about it. But that's the way it works. People figure if someone's charged with something so bad, there must be good reasons.' Bashir slapped his desk. 'Even if there aren't. Tell me about Jen Shen.'
Paul spoke, at first hesitantly, then more quickly. Bashir listened closely, occasionally asking questions. 'She sounds like a great officer.'
'She is a great officer!'
'But they're trying her for some pretty horrendous crimes. Why?'
'I hoped you know.'
Bashir thought, looking up at a corner of his office. 'This is a big deal, of course. The Maury badly damaged. A lot of her crew dead. Lots of attention. A lot of people wanting to blame the South Asians even if that means we start shooting. The authorities have to find a cause, and I'm sure they don't want to find one involving the SASALs.'
'Are you saying they're going to use Jen as a scapegoat?'
'Maybe. She seems like an odd choice, though. And they'll have to fill in some blanks if they hope to make that stick. I can't see Alex Carr playing along with that kind of thing, either.' He looked closely at Paul. 'You could be asked to testify against Lieutenant Shen, you know.'
Paul's laughter sounded harsh even to him. 'Let them. I'd back Jen one hundred percent.'
Lieutenant Bashir rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and smiled halfheartedly. 'I'm sure. Odds are the prosecution realizes that. Besides, they don't want to build sympathy for Lieutenant Shen, and putting her officer boyfriend up on the witness stand is likely to do just that. Still, those questions you said the agents were asking Lieutenant Shen. If they uncover any evidence which might make you look wronged, they might still do it.'
'Evidence that I've been what?'
Bashir looked away for a moment, plainly uncomfortable. 'Is there any of that?'
'Any of what?'
'Indications that since meeting you Lieutenant Shen has committed personal indiscretions, been involved in other relationships-'
'No!'
'Paul, I understand your emotions, but I need to be aware of anything which might impact on Lieutenant Shen's defense. I assure you nothing you tell me will ever-'
'There's nothing to tell you!'
'I won't be able to prepare to counter anything they find if I'm not already aware of it.'
Paul fought to control his temper, feeling his face warming with anger. 'Sir. There's nothing to be aware of.'
Bashir looked down at his hands, speaking carefully. 'Nobody's perfect. You know the Navy. Long separations. Close working relationships-'
'It hasn't happened. Jen would've told me. She's not perfect. But she's honest. She wouldn't lie to me.'
'It wouldn't have to be an actual indiscretion, you realize, just something that looked like one. Anything which an outsider might interpret as, uh, infidelity towards you.'
Relax. He's trying to help. 'I swear I don't know of anything like that.'
'Nothing that anyone might twist around?'
'No. I've never heard of anything.'
'What about you?'
'What?!'
'Anything that might imply fooling around on your part? Something that would've made her jealous.'
I don't believe this. I do not believe it. 'No.'
'Are you going to be available at any time during the trial?'
'I'll be there every day.'
