Part 15 (1/2)
At least there is is a Federation a Federation, she told herself, a phrase that, if not exactly her mantra, then at least a fact of which she continually reminded herself. Once, when she said as much to Esperanza Piniero, her chief of staff suggested wryly that they'd found a ready-made slogan for her reelection campaign in 2384. Of course, although she had yet to make a decision two years out, Bacco often found it impossible to envision running for office again. Most of the time, I want to run Most of the time, I want to run from from office. office.
Peering from the top floor of the Palais de la Concorde, Bacco refocused her eyes, pulling her gaze from the great city spreading before her to the image of her own face reflected in the window. With her short white hair pulled back from her face, and the lines in her flesh etched ever deeper, she thought she looked severe. Approaching her ninetieth birthday, she felt that the job had aged her, that it had scooped her up and carried her summarily past her middle years-well, her late late middle years. When she'd taken office, she'd felt at the height of her abilities, at her prime, but these days, she felt constantly fatigued. middle years. When she'd taken office, she'd felt at the height of her abilities, at her prime, but these days, she felt constantly fatigued.
Even if I really wanted to run from from office, I'd be too weary office, I'd be too weary, she thought. In truth, though, Bacco didn't really know how to run from difficulties, only how to face them head-on. Why else would I be in my office at midnight on a Friday? Why else would I be in my office at midnight on a Friday?
”And why the h.e.l.l am I here alone?” she asked aloud as she turned from the window. She gazed past her desk at the large, semicircular s.p.a.ce, at the various chairs and tables and other pieces of elegant furniture scattered throughout the room. She liked the office. When she needed to think, she could move about without feeling restricted, and when she needed to work, it provided a comfortable environment conducive to her productivity. But when required to wait by herself-which didn't happen often-she found the area too big, its many empty chairs an accusation of lost time-of wasted wasted time. time.
Glancing over at the chronometer, Bacco saw that the hour had actually slipped past twelve. She strode over to her desk and reached for the intercom. ”Sivak,” she said, ”where in h.e.l.l is the secretary?”
”Madam President,” replied her a.s.sistant at once, replied her a.s.sistant at once, ”your question lacks both specificity and meaning.” ”your question lacks both specificity and meaning.” Prior to Bacco's relocation to Paris, Sivak had a.s.sisted her for three years during her time as governor of Cestus III, and she had come to rely on his organizational abilities and keen mind for detail. At the same time, she had never entirely warmed to the Vulcan's decidedly sardonic wit. Prior to Bacco's relocation to Paris, Sivak had a.s.sisted her for three years during her time as governor of Cestus III, and she had come to rely on his organizational abilities and keen mind for detail. At the same time, she had never entirely warmed to the Vulcan's decidedly sardonic wit. ”If you are referring to Secretary Shostakova, I can a.s.sure you that she is not in 'h.e.l.l.'” ”If you are referring to Secretary Shostakova, I can a.s.sure you that she is not in 'h.e.l.l.'”
”Thank you for that information, Sivak,” Bacco said crisply, ”but I'm more interested to know where the secretary is. is.” She knew that her secretary of defense had been touring various sections of the Federation over the past half-year, examining rebuilding efforts as they tried to fully recover from the Borg invasion. That day, the secretary had to travel to Earth from Rigel IV for their meeting, but the s.h.i.+p ferrying her should have arrived an hour ago.
”Right now, she's on a turbolift,” Sivak said. Sivak said.
”A turbolift?” Bacco echoed, surprised. ”Where?”
”Somewhere between the second and fifteenth floors,” said Sivak. said Sivak.
”Here, at the Palais? Why didn't you say so?”
”I believe I just did, Madam President.”
Bacco rolled her eyes, wondering how Sivak would react if she fired him on the spot. Then she wondered which three people she could hire to replace him. ”Send the secretary in as soon as he arrives,” she said. ”And have my chief of staff, Admiral Abrik, and Secretary Safranski join us in my office immediately.”
”Yes, Madam President.”
Bacco took a seat behind her desk and picked up the padd she had been studying earlier. It detailed reports of former Amba.s.sador Spock's efforts on Romulus-or at least the results of those efforts. Bacco still found it difficult to believe that he had persuaded the praetor to grant him a legal visa and to allow him to openly advocate for Vulcan-Romulan reunification.
Perhaps of more importance, though, the padd held the contents of a communication sent from Spock through her old friend Slask. The Gorn had conducted the message through another trusted intermediary to Bacco, but she didn't quite know what to make of it. As if the division of the Romulans and the advent of the Typhon Pact had not been enough to keep the Alpha and Beta Quadrants spinning in uncertainty, Spock seemed to think that the currently stable relations.h.i.+p between the Romulan Star Empire and the Imperial Romulan State might not last.
Bacco heard a knock at the leftmost of the three doors that lined the inner wall of her office. It then opened to reveal not only Secretary of Defense Raisa Shostakova, but Chief of Staff Esperanza Piniero; Esperanza must have met Raisa at the transporter bay. The two women approached the desk, a study in contrasts. Esperanza, though not especially tall, appeared to tower over the defense secretary, owing to Raisa's short stature and poor posture-both traits the result of her hailing from a human colony on the high-gravity planet of Pangea. As well, Esperanza had an olive complexion and black hair, while Raisa had much lighter coloring.
”I am sorry for the delay, Madam President,” Raisa said with a slight Russian accent. ”The Altair Altair made an unscheduled stop at Mars.” made an unscheduled stop at Mars.”
”The Altair Altair?” Bacco asked. ”That's one of the new vessels, isn't it?”
”Yes, ma'am,” Raisa said. ”They're still on their shakedown cruise, and they needed some parts for the engine room.”
”Well, you're here now.” Bacco understood that even though Starfleet had made great strides in renewing their force after the Borg invasion, the speed with which rebuilding efforts took place could also lead to problems. ”Have a seat,” she said, pointing toward the sitting area.
As Bacco walked out from behind her desk, there came another knock. The door opened again, this time admitting Federation Security Advisor Jas Abrik and Secretary of the Exterior Safranski. ”Gentlemen,” Bacco said, ”join us.”
Once everybody had taken their seats, Bacco explained that Spock had sent a clandestine request for an undercover courier to deliver a message to her office. She then detailed the events Spock had described in that message, and his recommendation that the president send an envoy to speak directly with Donatra. ”We need to discuss whether or not to send such an envoy, and if we do, exactly how we should approach the empress.”
”Pardon me, ma'am, but it's unclear to me exactly what Spock thinks is going on,” said Safranski. The Rigelian sat alone on the sofa to Bacco's left, with Raisa and Jas in separate chairs to her right. Esperanza had taken a seat at the far end of the conference area, opposite the president.
”It doesn't sound as though he knows what's going on,” Raisa offered. ”Only that something may may be transpiring on Romulus.” be transpiring on Romulus.”
”That's how I read it too,” Bacco said. ”Jas, can you tell us what we know about Tal'Aura and Donatra right now?”
The security advisor leaned forward in his chair. ”As best we can tell,” said the Trill, ”neither of them want the Romulan people divided, but neither want to surrender their positions of authority. Some months ago, Praetor Tal'Aura strengthened her hold on the Star Empire by reconst.i.tuting the Romulan Senate, but she still lacks the military might to forcibly take control of Empress Donatra's Imperial State. At the same time, Donatra not only doesn't have enough military might to take control of the Star Empire, she doesn't even have enough to occupy the planets of her own nation. Because of that, it stands to reason that the people on those planets must more or less support Donatra.”
”According to Professor Sonek Pran,” Bacco said, ”Donatra's plan was basically to wait out Tal'Aura.” Months prior, Pran had successfully lobbied the empress to offer food to the Star Empire, an offer that Tal'Aura had rebuffed after allying with the Typhon Pact nations. ”Donatra believed that the support of her people would grow and spread all the way to Romulus, where a popular uprising would ultimately take Tal'Aura down.”
”That made more sense when the people of the Star Empire were facing shortages of food and medicine,” Jas said. ”But now that Tal'Aura's joined the Typhon Pact, that's no longer the case.”
”Since the Star Empire is now allied with the Typhon Pact,” Safranski asked, ”doesn't that alter the balance of power between the two Romulan states?”
”It could,” said Raisa, ”but so far, we've seen no indication that the other members of the Pact have any inclination in getting involved in a civil war. That's particularly true since both the Federation and the Klingon Empire have formally recognized the Imperial State. Although there's no formal treaty, the Pact might not be disposed toward opening hostilities with Donatra if they believe that the Federation and the Klingons might get involved.”
”So it remains a stalemate,” Bacco concluded.
”Romulan leaders in general don't like to lose,” Jas said, ”but there's one thing they might dislike more: inertia.”
”And with Tal'Aura and Donatra, it's not just political, is it?” Safranski asked. ”They despise each other.”
Bacco considered all of the comments, as well as Spock's message. ”So it seems to me that we have to ask ourselves whether it's likely that either Tal'Aura or Donatra is taking actions to undermine the other, to compel the uniting of the Romulan people under her own leaders.h.i.+p.”
”I think it's a virtual certainty that both both are acting,” Jas said, ”but I think it's likely that other factions are also maneuvering to take control of a united empire. Although Senator Pardek was murdered, his so-called war hawk contingent-which favors confrontation with the Federation-still exists, driven by Senator Durjik. There is also the Tal s.h.i.+ar, under control of the ambitious Rehaek, as well as the militaries of both Romulan states, and various members of the Hundred. And I don't think we can discount Spock's Reunification Movement either, which has grown more popular since coming out of the shadows.” are acting,” Jas said, ”but I think it's likely that other factions are also maneuvering to take control of a united empire. Although Senator Pardek was murdered, his so-called war hawk contingent-which favors confrontation with the Federation-still exists, driven by Senator Durjik. There is also the Tal s.h.i.+ar, under control of the ambitious Rehaek, as well as the militaries of both Romulan states, and various members of the Hundred. And I don't think we can discount Spock's Reunification Movement either, which has grown more popular since coming out of the shadows.”
”Wait,” Esperanza said. Bacco's chief of staff had yet to contribute to the conversation, instead doing what she often did, sitting back and allowing the princ.i.p.als to work through an issue. She spoke up when something arose that she either didn't understand or that didn't seem right to her. ”Are you suggesting that Spock's Reunification Movement is seeking political power within a united Romulan state?”
”There's no question,” Jas said. ”Spock may not wish an official role in such a government, but that doesn't mean that the Romulans who believe in his cause don't want a role-or that some of them don't actually want Spock in a role.”
”So is that how this involves the Federation?” Safranski asked. ”Through Spock?”
”I think it's more than that,” Bacco said. ”The point Spock has made is that we need to know what's going on, because whatever happens could mean trouble for the Federation. I mean, what happens if the Romulans unite under Durjik, who then convinces the Typhon Pact to launch a preemptive strike against the Federation? They know that we're still rebuilding from the Borg invasion, more so than they need to.”
”They also know that we have the slipstream drive,” Raisa said.
”For now, that might provide a balance of power,” Jas said. ”But technological secrets can be fleeting, and you can be certain that the Typhon Pact nations have initiated their own slipstream research-and-development efforts.”
For a moment, silence descended in the president's office, the sobering notion of a technologically equal Typhon Pact giving pause to Bacco, and she thought probably to the others. With their six members, the Pact would pose a major military threat-as well as an economic and political threat-to the Federation. For that reason, Bacco had already reached out to the Ferengi Alliance, the Carda.s.sian Union, and the Talarian Republic as possible new allies in an expansion of the Khitomer Accords. She had also invited Donatra to discuss having her Imperial Romulan State join the fold-a discussion the empress had agreed to have, but which she had so far delayed.
”So what is it we're proposing here?” Safranski asked. ”That we try to find out what's happening among the Romulans? What if we do, and what if we don't like what we find out? What are we going to do then? a.s.sa.s.sinate their potential leaders that we don't like?”
”Wouldn't that be preferable than going to war again?” Jas asked. ”Haven't we seen enough bloodshed recently?”
The secretary of the exterior jumped to his feet and pointed at Jas. ”You're actually advocating murder as a means of avoiding bloodshed?”
”Sometimes,” Jas said carefully, ”good, important ends justify normally unpalatable means.”
”Not for me, they don't,” Safranski said, his voice rising. ”We would be no better than the Romulans if we took such an action.”
”Hold on,” Bacco snapped. She looked up at Safranski. ”Sit down, Mister Secretary.” Once he sat down again, Bacco said, ”I am not suggesting that the ends justify the means, or that we should involve the Federation in Romulan politics. But we are debating all of this in a partial vacuum. We know of the various factions on Romulus and Achernar Prime. What we don't know is what all of those factions are doing, and how the Romulan political situation is likely to play out. It seems eminently reasonable to me that we take steps to keep ourselves informed.” am not suggesting that the ends justify the means, or that we should involve the Federation in Romulan politics. But we are debating all of this in a partial vacuum. We know of the various factions on Romulus and Achernar Prime. What we don't know is what all of those factions are doing, and how the Romulan political situation is likely to play out. It seems eminently reasonable to me that we take steps to keep ourselves informed.”