by Jariel Camen
90221.1700
Later, the same day as Remembering the Words
-=Bajor=-
90221.1700
Later, the same day as Remembering the Words
-=Bajor=-
Gillan Pace sat quietly; arms folded over his stomach, staring down at the bowl of rapidly cooling vegetable soup on the table before him.
Across from him, Jariel Camen held half of a large sandwich in one hand, and sipped his beverage with the other. Pace had not said a word the entire time since they had filed out of the hearing room, walked to the café, and ordered their lunch.
Camen was waiting for Pace to form some question or comment about everything he had seen, but as of yet not a word had been spoken, and Jariel was beginning to wonder if he were going to need to break the ice himself.
Vedek Ram’s hearing had gone exactly as Jariel had expected. Once the truth had come out, and Ram realized there was no way to protect his assets or power, he decided he needed to save his own neck. In exchange for his testimony against Relanon Bio-Medical, Ram was allowed to evade prison time. He would be forced to sell off any possessions deemed extravagant by the Vedek Assembly, with the proceeds going to the orphanages of Bajor.
Jariel would believe the money existed when he saw it.
The testimony against Relanon would have justified letting Ram go free outright, but the matter of the kidnapping could not be avoided so easily. To that end, Ram would further be forced to give up his estate and move into a single story home, where he would live under house arrest for the next five years. Jariel doubted that Ram would be without his luxuries long. He still had powerful friends.
Still, as long as he was not in a position to hurt the people of Bajor anymore, Camen frankly couldn’t care less what became of Ram from here on out.
Pace had watched in silence as all these judgments were handed down, culminating in Ram’s expulsion from he Vedek Assembly. In a pompous and unreasonably long ceremony, Ram was stripped of his title and privileges.
Though if Jariel had his way every member of the Assembly would give up their privileges. The true reward for serving on the Assembly was supposed to be working for the good of the people.
Perhaps seeing a member of the Assembly he revered so completely defrocked was too much for young Pace. The expression on his face as he stared blankly at the table was at best described as disappointment.
“If there is one thing Fleur cannot abide, it is an empty stomach. I can’t bring you back to Altaan hungry.” Camen said finally.
“Sorry, sir. I’m just not very hungry. But the Prophets detest wasted food.” Pace reached for his spoon, and scooped a mouthful of soup.
Jariel shook his head slightly, “Pace, I promise you, the Prophets have larger matters to tend to than a young man’s uneaten soup. If you aren’t hungry, then don’t eat.”
The idea of not being required to eat had the side effect of actually making Pace feel a little hungry. He picked a few large vegetables out of the broth to eat.
The silence once again hung in the air and Jariel was drawing uncomfortably close to having consumed his entire lunch without even discussing the matter he wished dine with Pace over.
“How could he do that to Bajor? And the Prophets? They trusted him. How could the Prophets not see what he was doing? And why didn’t They stop it?”
Jariel chuckled slightly. “You do not talk for the entire meal, and now you ask me several questions that require long complicated answers.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s all right. Do not apologize. This first lesson you must learn if you are ever to serve the people of Bajor, is that some people are just plain greedy. Maybe he wasn’t always that way, I don’t really know, but some people just cannot resist the allure of power and wealth. People like you are so trusting and good-natured, it can be so easy to be exploited by someone like former Vedek Ram.
“That is why I wanted you to come with me today. I wanted you to see that a title and a robe does not make a man infallible, nor does it make him humble and wise. You are young Pace, so young. You have not seen what I’ve seen and you do not know what I know. Just as I have not seen what Timal has seen, or learned all that he knows. Choose carefully whom you trust, because there are those who will want to lead you astray and that road ends with what you just witnessed today.
Jariel had just seen it too many times, where seemingly innocuous gestures such as a small gift, or an invitation to a party led someone into poisonous relationships. They always start so innocently, but when the trap snaps shut, there is no escape. He had to wonder what it was with Vedek Ram that made a man who at one point wanted to serve the Prophets and Bajor, eventually end up kidnapping a baby.
“But what about the Prophets?” Paced asked. “Why wouldn’t They stop him, or help him find the right path?”
Camen sighed, and finished the last of his tea. “That is a bit more complicated,” He fiddled with a packet of granulated Kava on the table as he tried to formulate his next sentence, keeping in mind just how impressionable Gillan Pace was. “I think there are those who want to believe faith in the Prophets is all that is required to ensure nothing untoward ever happens to anyone. They may be watching over us from the Celestial Temple, but we are not puppets, Pace. They do not script our every move and every thought, nor do I believe They wish to do so. They need to let us make our own mistakes, otherwise, what is the point of living, if we are merely living out a predetermined fate?”
“But They listen to us, do They not? Surely someone prayed for Ram’s soul, and for the Prophets to stop him from straying off the path. Do They not answer our prayers? Like they answered my mother’s?” Pace looked at Jariel as if Camen held in his hands Pace’s very will to go on living.
“What do you mean by that?
“My mother called to the Prophets, during the storm. She begged Them to spare her children.” Pace fought the tears with all the strength in his soul. He did not wish to cry in front of Jariel Camen. “And, and They did. Tress and I are still alive,” Pace placed his forearm over his eyes, so Camen could not see the tears spilling from them. “That was the last thing I ever heard her say, before the water,”
Jariel moved from his side of the booth to Pace’s, and pulled him into his shoulder. The boy sobbed against him, and Jariel felt his own eyes clouding with tears of empathy for the young man’s pain. The waitress came to the table to check on them, to see if there was anything she could do to help, but Jariel waved her off.
After several minutes, Pace finally turned away to wipe his eyes. “Forgive me, Jariel.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Camen comforted him immediately. “There is no need to apologize. I hope this all hasn’t been too much for you. I fear these events may have shattered the faith you had.”
Knowing the last words of Pace’s mother made it clear to Jariel exactly why Pace placed so much blind faith in the word of the Prophets, and the Vedek Assembly. Seeing what had become of Ram no doubt made Pace question everything that he held dear.
“What is the point of trying to serve the Prophets when even those in the Vedek Assembly can fall from grace in such a way?”
“Pace, people are, for the most part, good. That is the first thing you need to accept. Men like Ram are truly the exception and not the rule. If you choose to serve the Prophets, do so because of men like Ram, not in spite of him. Bajor needs every strong and pure soul in its government and its clergy that it can get. The more people like Gillan Pace that Bajor can count on, the less people like Ram there will be to work against the greater good.”
“The Vedek gives me praise I do not deserve,” Pace said, shaking his head.
“It will take a long time, and many sleepless nights of study and soul searching for you to find peace with the thoughts that preoccupy you now. That is the true test of your faith that lies ahead of you. Not simply whether you will follow the teachings of the Prophets or not, but what those teachings will mean to you.”
Camen excused himself from the table, to find and pay their waitress for the meal. He watched from across the room as Pace ate the rest of his soup, which was at best lukewarm by now. The waitress attempted to hand several strips of latinum back to Camen as change, but he merely folded her hand closed.
“You will find better use for it then I,” he said. She thanked him, and placed the money in the tip jar shared by all the wait staff, rather then her own pocket on her apron. Camen returned to the table, and sat beside Pace once again.
“They are very busy, we should clean up our own mess a bit,” Camen said, as he began stacking some of the dirty dishes. Pace did the same. “I have something I’d like to ask of you, before we head back to Altaan.”
“Anything, sir.”
“Pace, you know that I am very much in love with Fleur, and her with me. I know how much you care for her, and wish for her to be happy, so I would like to tell you now that when the time is right I intend to ask for her hand. That is, if she will have me.”
Pace grinned. He had little doubt that Fleur would have him.
“But,” Camen continued, “We both love you and Tress with all of our hearts as well.”
Jariel grasped Pace’s shoulder gently. “That is why, Pace, I wish to formally ask for your permission to pursue an adoption of Tress, and you as well.”
Pace shook his head slowly, “No, you do not need my permission. I already understand the law says I am a child, and I have no say in what happens to Tress.”
“The law says that, but Tress is your sister, and you are her only family. You devoted your life to her, to protecting her, when she had nothing else. Fleur and I wish nothing more than to have the chance to raise Tress, but it is not right for us to do so without your blessing. And I feel, Pace, that you still need a father and mother figure in your life as well, to provide you protection from those would take advantage of your youth, if nothing else.”
Pace nodded, “If you truly believe you need my blessing, then of course you have it. When Tress is with you, I know I do not need to worry about her.”
“Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me, to us.” Camen said. “There is one other thing I must ask. The Plains are doing so well now, it is time for them to stand on their own again. Fleur and I would like, in the near future, to return to our starship, the Serendipity, and we would like to take Tress with us. She would want for nothing there. We have replicators to provide food, teachers to give her a full education, other children to play with. The people there are like family to Fleur and I, and we know they will accept Tress, and protect and love her just as we do.”
Pace shifted uncomfortably. He had heard of the conveniences, of living on board a Federation ship, and the dangers as well.
“But,” Jariel continued, “The choice has to be yours. If you wish Tress to stay here on Bajor, then just say the word, and we will stay here with her, and raise her here. Or, if you wish to stay here and study, while we take Tress to the ship, that is your choice as well.
“The third option is for you to come to the Serendipity with us. I can teach you what I know, and you will have many other role models for you to look up to as well. The important thing is that you make the decision, Pace, because we want you to live where and with whom you are most comfortable.”
“Can I have some time to think, Jariel? There is so much to consider. I don’t wish to be split up from Tress, but she will have so much more help available to her on a Federation ship. I guess the question I must answer is if I wish to live here or there with you.”
“You may have as much time as you need,” Jariel said. “Come now, let’s get home.”
******************************
Jariel Camen
On Bajor
Jariel Camen
On Bajor