On qonos,a defense attorney was considered one of the worst occupations one could have. Defense lawyers almost never won a case. Most Klingon trials ended with a guilty verdict. Most were show trials.
No one wanted to be a defense attorney. In the past when the warrior cast was just starting to take over,lawyers hoped to use the law to stop the takeover. That ended a long time ago. Those who did practice law in the empire knew there jobs were useless.
P’mok loved being a lawyer. He hated the system. He did not believe in lying to his client’s. He was not as bothered if he was prety sure that they were guilty. If he was sure that they were innocent ,he hated it.
This case was far worse. This was hus coursing. They were raised as siblings. She was like his sister. He was certain that even if she was innocent,that was probably nothing he could do about it.
He was able to visit his client . he had to visit her In her cell. He had to speak to her with oversight by guards.
“I am glad you are hear!”curia said. “Curia I wish this has not happened. “He said. “I am innocent.I did not kill him!”she said. “Please tell me you have an aliby!”he said. “I am afraid I don’t. I was alone when the crime was said to have ocured. “She said.
“You put me in a bad position. I have never won a case. Not guilty verdicts are rare. “He said.
“I am innocent. “She said.”I know that. I am bound by the way things are not as I want them to be!”he said “if you have overwhelming evidence the judge would have to dismis the charges. “She said. “It would have to be beyond compelling. “He said.
“Will you take my case?”she asked.”I cannot refuse you. I am bound by family honor and by personal conviction. I won’t lie to you. Slaying a targ assimilated by the Borg would be easier. “P’mok said
“So it’s over. I am doomed just like that. There is no hope?”curia asked her cousign and lawyer. “Not that I can see. “He said.
P’mok never menaced words. He told it like it was. She appreciated his honesty. She wished that it was not true.
After his meeting with his client he arranged to meat the advocate for the sate. Advocate chipok considered himself a warrior for the law. He saw the courtroom as a battle field. As a prosecutor he was almost always a winner. It was an unfair fight. Everone knew it.
“Advocate P’mok !”the proscicutor said. “Advocate chipok. I assume you will be leading the prosecution ?”P’mok asked. “Of course I will . I would not leave a case like this to an underling. “He said.
“I did not think so. Look this case is hardly what humans call a slam dunk. This should be an actual trial not a show trial. The evidence is not there to convict. There is what humans refer to as responsible doubt. “The defense laser declared.
“We do not have that criteria in the Klingon justice syistom. ” the proscicutor said. “It irrational to assume that she is guilty.”he insisted. “We have motive,ability to have commited the crime. There us sufficient evidence to warrant such a verdict. The chancellor Is working on a judicial reform but it has not yet passed. The old syistom stands!”he said
. “so curia gets executed and that is just how it goes!”the defense lawyer said. “The best I can is to forgo the death penalty. “He said. “Let me gues, she will be sent to aurora pentae. A death sentence by any other name. Sorry !”he said.
“You should take this to your client.under the circumstances it is a good deal!”he said. “I won’t waste my client time!”he said.
He thanked him for his time. Then he left the office. He knew that it was a long schot. He needed overweliming evidence proving her innocence. That was a tall order.
P’drak was once a promising warrior. His arm was lost in a battle. He was deemed unworthy to serve in The k.d.f. . he decided to offer private security to whatever house would hire him. It was usually smaller houses. Then there was p,mok. P”mok had plenty of work but he was limited in what he could pay. It was usually a barter syistom. It was usually useles junk. All of all the recess he could have been born into it turned out to be Klingon.
P,drak spent a lot of time at the bar. He was not quite a drunkard but he drank more then was socially aceptible. Power dreaded p’drak. Almost as much as the man he found himself working for more then he wanted.
“You know you could work anywhere in the galaxy and be sucesfull yet you chose to stay in The empire!”the bartender said. “I know .I am a patriot. I love the empire!”he said. “You know your a sap!”the bartender said. “I do. Doi really want to be successful in the nighbrite alience. There unofficial moto is paperwork is next to godliness!”he said.
“Hey !”a waitress said.”if p”mok wants me I am not available! “The investigator said. “He says it is urgent!”The female waitress said.”it is always urgent with him. That job on the nighbrite alience looks pretty good right now!”he said .
Against his better judgement,he went to the office of p,mok. He went to see his usual boss.the lawyer explained the situation to the private detective.
“You got to be kidding me? You took the case of curia? You realize gired Is a war hero. He is beloved by warrior and comon person. I mean duras and the Borg and the dominion are slightly more popular then curia. I thought you wanted to improve the image of lawyers in the empire. The only thing worse then this is becoming good will ambassadors for the romulans.”he said.
“She is family! She is a consign by birth but she is my sister. I cannot abandon her. I May not be a warrior but I am a child of keyless.horror demands I act on her behalf “he said.
“She could be guilty?”p’dark suggested.”she is not. “He said.”I know martok is working on reforming the justice system but this case could put it on the back burner. Leave this case behind. “He said.
“I can’t.I won’t. You going to help me or shook hire someone else ?”the lawyer asked. “As the humans say if we don’t hang together we will hang sepritly. I will get on it.”he said.
To be continued.
Notes
My inspiration for p’drak is Paul drake. Drake was the private detective on the show Perry Masson.
Startrektheater 