Part 34 (1/2)
”I wouldn't underestimate them,” the captain said.
The former official turned toward the man next to her. ”And I would not overestimate them, Captain. Nature favors the destructive process. It took that Reman all of a minute to destroy the senate, and it only took him another few days to get himself killed and ruin his own revolutionary government. That will take decades to rebuild.”
Before the captain could say anything, the councillor said, ”Your words are not false, Ythril, but just because it will not happen quickly does not mean it will not happen. Witness the Klingon Empire following Praxis.”
”Yes, Councillor,” the former official said in a voice that the observer thought indicated annoyance, ”but this summit should not be concerned with what might happen fifty years from now but what is happening now.”
The discussion leader asked the councillor, ”T'Latrek, do you think Praetor Tal'Aura should be included in the summit?”
”There are benefits to including her-and to excluding her.”
The former official's antennae went wild. ”How equivocal of you, T'Latrek.”
The journalist spoke up. ”I don't think the High Council will be too pleased with the idea of Tal'Aura being there, Velisa. There's no love lost between the Great Hall and Romulus, especially after the incident at Klorgat IV.”
The former official once again grew agitated. ”Starfleet proved conclusively that Admiral Mendak was responsible for that, and he was a rogue element.”
”Oh come on,” the captain said, ”you don't really believe that, do you, Ythril? Mendak's always been a loyalist. h.e.l.l, I met the man right after Brasito. Patriotic to a fault.”
The councillor said, ”Even patriots will go against their government if they feel it necessary. Tal'Aura, remember, supported s.h.i.+nzon's coup. Mendak has always been loyal to the Romulan government, yes, but he has also consistently spoken out in favor of continued Reman oppression. It is logical to deduce that it is at least possible, if not probable, that he refused to cooperate with the government as long as Tal'Aura was praetor and his status as a criminal was genuine.”
”I don't buy it,” the captain said. ”Mendak didn't do anything that actually hurt Tal'Aura, and when the S.C.E. found him out on Klorgat, he conveniently commits suicide. I gotta go with Ythril here, that lady shouldn't be anywhere near the summit.”
”The next question is about the issues under dis- ”
Then the playback went dead. So did the observer's reporting equipment.
He let out a sigh. He supposed this was inevitable, since he had already gone over his allotted time to study this section of the universe several millennia ago. But they were so fascinating!
Sighing again, he collected himself and s.h.i.+fted the universe so that he would be back home to file his report.
Chapter Twenty-Six.
”THE COUNCIL YESTERDAY RATIFIED the motion to allow Koa into the Federation. The Koas are now based in the Mu Arae system-though that's not where they're from.”
Kav glasch Vokrak recorded Kant Jorel's words as he sat in the holocom-in truth, his small one-person office in Vancouver-waiting for him to finish babbling so he could ask his question. He'd heard that the summit was going to happen on Grisella, and he wanted confirmation from Kant. But he was still carrying on about these potential new members. As if the Federation needs a one-hundred-and-fifty-fifth member. Was I the only one who wanted the Ontailians and the Trill to follow the Selelvians out the door? This government is too big for its own good.
”When their sun was threatening to go nova about four years ago, they were able to make use of an ancient device to shrink their planet down and place it in a pyramid-shaped box. With some help from Starfleet, the box was brought to Mu Arae and the planet was deposited there, with the system actually rearranging itself to accommodate the new world. Talks began shortly after that, and now they're ready to join. The date for the signing ceremony still needs to be set.” Kant looked around the holocom. ”You all look sufficiently bored. It's pathetic, you know that? They put their planet in a box. Don't you think that's-Oh, never mind.” He looked down at his padd. ”One last thing.”
Thank you, Kav thought toward every Tellarite deity who'd ever existed.
”The president's office would like to officially announce that the summit with Chancellor Martok, President Bacco, and Praetor Tal'Aura will be held on Grisella one week from today.”
Kav blinked his sunken eyes. He answered my question. This relieved Kav, as it eliminated the need to try to get Kant's attention, which had always been problematic under the best of circ.u.mstances, and which had gotten worse the past seven weeks or so. It was right after judiciary's landmark decision in the B-4 case, the retirement of Admiral Ross, the pa.s.sing of the new transportation bill, the birthday of three different councillors' chief aides, and Ozla Graniv's return to the Palais press room. Knowing Kant, any one of those could have set him off. My bet would be on the birthdays-he never likes it when people are having fun.
However, his announcement prompted more questions. It was Regia Maldonado who asked, ”So the Romulans will be represented at the summit?”
Kant nodded. ”Your powers of deduction remain ordinary, Regia. Yes, since the future of the Romulan Empire is one of the primary goals of the summit, it was felt that the Romulan government should have a voice.”
Ozla asked, ”Jorel, there are several indications that Tal'Aura's on her way out. Is including her in the summit the Federation's way of supporting her in light of her dwindling support on Romulus?”
”Including her in the summit is the Federation's way of including her in the summit,” Kant said. ”That's it.”
Kav was suddenly back in his small office. Standing across from him in the small s.p.a.ce between his desk and the door was a person he never thought he'd see again.
”Brek? Is that you?”
Brek chim Glamok nodded. Kav stood up and slammed his arm against Brek's. ”I don't believe it! They declared you dead!”
”There were many times, my friend, that I wish I was.”
”How did you get here? What're you doing here? You should be back on Tellar!”
”Kav, I'm only here-I'm only alive-because of Amba.s.sador Emra and Zaarok.”
At that, Kav almost swallowed his own tongue. ”Zaarok? You mean the Tzelnira Zaarok?”
”That's who I mean, yes. He sent me because he needs our help.”
”How would the Tellarite News Service help- ?”
Brek spit at him. ”No, you idiot, the Federation's help!”
”Spare me your anger, Brek!” Kav spit right back. ”You disappeared months ago. You were declared dead. Phant almost ripped all his fur out.”
”I know-and I apologize for that. It has been-difficult.”
Kav nodded in understanding. ”Of course. What is it you've been asked to do?”
”Zaarok has a son who is dying. He was diagnosed with cal-tai a year ago.”
Frowning, Kav said, ”I don't know what that is.”
”It's something that only Tzenkethi get, apparently-some kind of growth in their spines. They had been hoping the diagnosis was wrong, but apparently all the best doctors in the coalition checked him over. The only cure that is known is a surgical procedure that removes the growth.”
”So where does the Federation come in?”
Brek stared at Kav. ”There's only one doctor who has ever successfully performed that surgery-a Starfleet doctor named Rebecca Emmanuelli, who was a prisoner during the Tzenkethi War.”
”So let me see if I understand this,” Nan said as she ran her hand through her paper-white hair, convinced that it was all going to fall out before her second year in office was halfway done. ”The son of a Tzelnira is sick, the only doctor who can save him is in Starfleet, and the Tzenkethi are willing to s.h.i.+p the boy here for the operation?”
Sitting across from her were Esperanza, Secretary Safranski, Kant Jorel, Z4 Blue, Myk Bunkrep, Councillor Strovos of Ardana, Admiral Akaar, and Chirurgeon P'Trell, the head of Starfleet Medical. Nan had been surprised to see that P'Trell was Caitian, considering that he had an Andorian physician's t.i.tle, but Esperanza had explained before he'd arrived that, although he was Caitian by species, he was born and raised on Andor and studied medicine there.
Esperanza said, ”I wish it was that simple, ma'am. The Tzenkethi aren't willing to s.h.i.+p the boy anywhere. It's just this one Tzelnira that's trying to make it work.”
”Ma'am,” Z4 said, ”I'm pretty sure this is what Emra was trying to see you about back in January.”