"What's up?" Nan asked.

Myk said, "Ma'am, I've been looking into something for the last few weeks, and I think it's something you'll want to mention at the summit."

Nan shot Esperanza a look. "If we have to add something else- "

Esperanza held up a hand. "I know, I know, the Diplomatic Corps will put a.r.s.enic in your soup or whatever horrible retribution diplomats visit on sitting presidents when they annoy them, but I think this is worth it."

"Actually, they'll probably just talk me to death." Nan looked at Myk. "What is it?"

Myk handed her a padd. Nan read it over, then looked at the Zakdorn woman. "You sure about this?"

She nodded. "That's why this is so last-minute- Esperanza said she wouldn't bring it to you until I was absolutely sure, but I've spoken with about a dozen people who are involved in the project, including some of the Klingons. This is for real, but it's in danger of falling apart at the seams unless the governments step in."

Nan turned to Esperanza. "You think Martok'll go for it?"

"I know he won't if you don't ask him."

Smiling, Nan said, "Yeah. All right, I'll work this into the third meeting. I pull this out in either of the first two, I risk scuttling the whole thing." She looked at Myk. "Good work on this."

Favoring her with a rare smile, Myk said, "Thank you, Madam President."

Martok, son of Urthog, head of the High Council, chancellor of the Klingon Empire, wasn't sure what to expect from Federation President Nan Bacco.

He had dealt directly with her predecessor, Min Zife, during the Tezwa crisis and had found him to be an irritating coward-about what one would expect from someone elected by the ma.s.ses. Martok had always found democracy puzzling; power came from the judgment of one's peers, not the adulation of one's lessers.

Prior to this, his impressions of Bacco had come mostly from that petaQ K'mtok. Zife's going straight to Martok during Tezwa had given the hardliners on the High Council all the excuse they'd needed to call for replacing Amba.s.sador Lantar with K'mtok, an ally of Martok's biggest enemy on the council, Kopek.

Tellingly, K'mtok's impressions of Bacco had changed as time had gone on. At first, K'mtok-whose reports had mostly gone to Kopek-had spoken of her dismissively and categorized her as weak. However, more recently he was reporting to the entire High Council that Bacco was a shrewd and worthy leader.

Over the past few days, they had sat in a dull, beige-colored room on Mount Dalwik, a high peak on Grisella. The room, like the planet itself, was a neutral party in galactic politics. The Grisella government had agreed to host the summit in the hopes of fostering peace, which was one of several reasons why the empire had had little use for the Grisella in general.

Each leader had been permitted two guards. Two of Martok's personal guards now stood at attention behind him, just as two Starfleet security officers stood behind Bacco, and two centurions stood behind Tal'Aura. Aside from that, they had remained undisturbed during the session, for which Martok was grateful. The presence of Federation journalists had annoyed Martok-Klingon news-gathering organizations were not permitted on such trips-but he recognized it as a necessary evil when dealing with the Federation, and he didn't mind as long as they stayed out of his way. Mostly they had, thanks to the chancellor's personal guard.

The summit had brought Martok around to the same conclusion about the Federation president that K'mtok had reached. Bacco understood the Klingon heart but was not willing to let that get in the way of serving her people.

About Tal'Aura, Martok had fewer kind words. She was quiet, uncommunicative, and spoke mostly in vague terms about her vision for the Romulan Empire, none of which seemed possible with the support she had. Martok hadn't realized how much of the Romulan economy depended on labor produced by Remans; with them removed from the equation, mostly to Klorgat IV, the Romulan people were suffering.

To make matters worse, Tal'Aura's voice reminded Martok for some reason of that of his late wife Sirella. To hear something even similar to his beloved's voice coming out of a Romulan just made his blood boil.

Martok thought the final session was over, allowing him to return to his people with something like a victory. Martok had agreed that the empire's expansionist policies would cease-not a difficult concession to give, as the empire's losses since the war were such that expansion was proving problematic-and in return the Federation renewed several trade agreements and opened a few new ones, including more extensive technology sharing, something that had been beneficial to both nations in the years since the Khitomer Accords. In addition, Martok reaffirmed that, even with the move to Klorgat IV, he intended to honor the agreement made regarding the Remans and that the empire would withdraw from its role as protector of the Remans at the agreed-upon date, which was three weeks from this summit.

Bacco then said, "There is one more thing I would like to discuss, Chancellor. It's not something that was on the agenda, and I'll understand if you don't want to, but I believe it's important."

Martok smiled. "The schedule for this meeting was due to the labors of the High Council and Amba.s.sador K'mtok's office. I have no need to keep fidelity to their work, Madam President."

Bacco smiled right back. Martok noticed that she didn't consult with Tal'Aura. From what he'd been told, mostly by Alexander Rozhenko, including Tal'Aura had not been Bacco's idea any more than most of the Klingon side of the agenda had been Martok's, and had mostly come about due to the Romulan amba.s.sador, Kalavak, lobbying several Federation councillors. I wonder if Bacco's council vexes her as much as mine does me, he thought with an internal laugh.

"Are you at all familiar, Chancellor," Bacco said, "with an organization known as the Matter of Everything? They're a civilian group, not affiliated with any government, and they include several Federation experts, as well as some prominent Carda.s.sian and Klingon scientists, who are studying various s.p.a.ce anomalies and trying to tie them together into a theory about the structure of the universe. I believe the Klingons in the group call it HapHoch."

The first name was unfamiliar to Martok, but the second was, and his face soured. "Madam President, HapHoch was condemned by the Science Inst.i.tute for- "

"I'm familiar with the condemnation, Chancellor-in fact, I've read it. It says that the HapHoch violates every tenet of scientific inquiry and is an obscene investigation into matters best left alone. There's only one problem: It's a project that the Science Inst.i.tute actually pursued about five years ago. Then, suddenly, the project was shut down, and its head-a woman named B'Ekara-was fired from the inst.i.tute. She's with MOE now, and the reason why all that happened was because she brought in the theories of someone else who's now part of MOE."

Martok felt a growl build in his throat. He knew some of this, of course, from when the inst.i.tute's condemnation was reported to the High Council. He hadn't given it much thought at the time and had simply a.s.sumed that the inst.i.tute's condemnation was for a good reason, and so he and the council had agreed to banning further research on the topic. Until Bacco spelled it out, he couldn't even remember exactly what it was they'd condemned, only that it had happened. "Madam President, I fail to see- "

Bacco, however, refused to be interrupted. "The scientist in question is named Kleissu-he's a Mizarian."

Now the growl was getting bigger. Mizarians were the vermin of the galaxy. Their world had been conquered dozens of times in the last hundred years alone, and the empire refused to have any dealings with that species.

"Chancellor, I read over these people's work on the way here. They might have something. If it keeps going on this track, they might be able to tell us about the way the universe works, how it's held together, what keeps it from flying apart. It'll probably take years, and may not even be done in either of our lifetimes-but honestly, is this the kind of thing you want to ban just because you don't like one of the people in the group?"

"You are asking me to accept scientific data provided by a Mizarian?" Martok found the entire notion repugnant.

"No, Chancellor, I'm not. I'm asking you to accept scientific data provided by some of the finest minds in the galaxy, one of whom happens to be a Mizarian. He doesn't even live on Mizar, for pity's sake. He's in no way representative of the Mizarian people, he doesn't speak for them, doesn't represent their pacifist ways, which I know disgust you-he's one person. One person who, along with a lot of other people who are, frankly, smarter than any of the three of us, might be able to tell us more about the place we live in. Isn't that worth putting aside a prejudice that doesn't do you any good anyhow in the hopes of a much greater goal?"

Laughing mirthlessly, Martok asked, "Is that all that is required of me?"

"It's nothing you haven't done before, Chancellor."

"That is ridiculous." Martok was losing patience. "This is a minor scientific curiosity that has no benefits in the short or long term. For that, you wish me to set aside the empire's policy regarding Mizar."

"This has nothing to do with Mizar. And how the h.e.l.l do you know it has no benefits in any kind of term? You haven't even read MOE's research, and you don't know what they're going to turn up. Think about how many Defense Force vessels have come across spatial anomalies that they didn't know how to deal with-or that destroyed or damaged them. MOE might actually be able to figure out where they come from and how to survive them. And you're just gonna let all that potential fall by the wayside because you don't like the Mizarians."

"It is not a question of what I like, Madam President. You cannot ask me to reverse centuries of- "

Tal'Aura interrupted: "Klingon bigotry?"

It took all of Martok's willpower not to unsheathe his d'k tahg and kill Tal'Aura where she sat.

Bacco glanced at the Romulan woman. "There's a human cliche, Praetor, that people who live in gla.s.s houses shouldn't throw stones." At Tal'Aura's confused look, which matched Martok's own, she added, "It means that you don't have any basis to get superior toward Martok regarding bigotry toward other species-or should we go into the treatment of the Remans, the Miridians, the- "

Tal'Aura held up a hand. "Your point is noted, Madam President."

"Fine, then shut the h.e.l.l up."

Martok couldn't help but smile at that.

Turning back to Martok, Bacco said, "About a year and a half ago, I met Benjamin Sisko for the first time."

The vicious smile directed at Tal'Aura changed into a warm one for the human Martok respected more than any other.

"He told me an interesting story from the war about how your flagship rendezvoused with the U.S.S. Defiant and you beamed aboard because you wanted to see the Starfleet doctor instead of the one in your own medical bay. I'm fully aware of the Klingon prejudice toward good medical practice, and I'm also aware that that's changed over the years, in part because of your own initiatives after becoming chancellor. That sounds a lot to me like reversing centuries of Klingon tradition for the sake of something better: healthier, longer-lived Klingons who have the opportunity to extend their record of battle and have a better chance of going to Sto-Vo-Kor."

Once again, Martok was reminded why K'mtok had so changed his feelings about this human. Not only had she given an argument that a Klingon would understand but she had also done so in a manner that was eminently human. She could easily have made her point by accusing Martok of lying, citing his position on medicine as an example of his duplicity, an accusation that would have been sure to provoke a violent response in the chancellor. Instead, she performs that irritating human task of appealing to my better nature.

"What is it," he finally asked after a long pause, "that you are proposing?"

"That our governments jointly support MOE-or HapHoch, or whatever it winds up being called-and give them every chance to do what they want to do, and do it right. Let's give them support from Starfleet and the Defense Force. And let's show that we can work together on this and move forward on this and not let outmoded prejudices get in the way of doing the right thing."

Martok threw his head back and laughed. "It has been a long time, Madam President, since I was able to convince anyone on the High Council to admit their prejudices were outmoded-much less that they should do the right thing. However, I will bring this to them and make it clear that I wish it to be so."

Bacco smiled now, for the first time since she brought this up. "Thank you, Chancellor. I think the best thing for all our people is to work together as much as possible. The galaxy's gotten too small for us to keep hiding behind neutral zones and ethnocentric biases. And I think, my friends, that that's it."

Tal'Aura then spoke. "I'm afraid there is one more thing that I must discuss with you both."

Looking at Martok, Bacco said, "Well, I already went off the playbook, so I'm in no position to argue. Chancellor?"

Martok's instinct was not to care what the Romulan had to say, but she had also been very subdued throughout this entire summit, partic.i.p.ating only as much as had been necessary. Given how hard her people had worked to get her here, it seemed odd to Martok that she would then have declined to involve herself in the goings-on of the summit itself. He suspected that the answer to his unspoken question would come from Tal'Aura now, so he nodded his affirmation.

Tal'Aura took a moment before she finally spoke. "Within a few days, an announcement will be made on Achernar Prime by Commander Donatra. She will be calling herself Empress Donatra, actually, and she will declare Achernar Prime, as well as all the worlds in that star system and three or four more besides-including Xanitla, Ralatak, and Virinat-to be the Imperial Romulan State under her rule."

"And how does this concern us?" Martok could have answered his own question-it was a cause for celebration. Tal'Aura had been holding the empire together with her teeth, and now two large morsels had slipped through.

"Those three worlds are our primary farming planets," Tal'aura snapped in a voice that sounded even more like Sirella.

"Does she have the support of the rest of the military?" Bacco asked.

"No-many are still loyal to me. However, the ships she has are guarding those three worlds."

Bacco nodded. "She's holding the empire's food supply hostage?"

Tal'Aura nodded. "I have managed, over the past year, to unite at least some of the factions. The Tal Shiar, Durjik and his radical sect, and several admirals and commanders have all pledged their loyalty to me. But Donatra has fought me every step of the way. Now she has seceded from the empire."

"I'm afraid," Bacco said, "that I'm with Martok. What is it you want from us?"

"To not recognize the Imperial Romulan State. To refuse to trade with them, to impose sanctions upon them, and to aid us in retaking their worlds for the Romulan Empire."

Martok snarled at her. "You wish me to commit Klingon warriors to fight for a united Romulan Empire?"

"Donatra will reach out to you as an ally, or at least as a trading partner, offer you the resources she is now denying us in order to build her strength. And then, when she is powerful enough, she will try to succeed where Shinzon failed. Remember, Donatra was on Shinzon's side."

"So, Praetor, were you," Martok said in an even tone.

Bacco had been unusually quiet. In a soft voice, she said, "You're giving us a lot of hypotheticals here, Praetor, but none of this has even happened yet. Either way, though, I can tell you this: Like Chancellor Martok, I can a.s.sure you that there's no way in h.e.l.l I'm committing any military resources to help you out."

"If you don't, our people will starve."

"There, we'll be happy to help you. If your people need food, we'll provide it. But we're not gonna take sides in your little internecine conflicts."

Sneering, Tal'Aura said, "You are condemning the Romulan people to a slow and miserable death."

Bacco stared intently back at the praetor. Then, speaking with more iron than Martok would ever have expected from a frail-looking, elderly human woman, she said, "No, Praetor, you did that when you left a thalaron bomb in the senate chamber on Shinzon's behalf. That is what put you on this course, and if you find now that you can't turn around, then I will pity you, and I will help you in whatever way I can, but I will be d.a.m.ned if I will let you try to foist the blame on me. You got into bed with a lunatic, Praetor, and now the people you claim to lead are paying the price for your stupidity. If the Imperial Romulan State does indeed declare itself a sovereign ent.i.ty, then the Federation will carefully consider whether or not to recognize it as a legitimate government. I can tell you this for d.a.m.n sure: Our decision will take a lot of factors into account, but what makes your life easier will be extremely low on that list."

Tal'Aura turned her gaze to Martok. "I a.s.sume that the Klingon Empire, as usual, trails behind the Federation like a pet eager for approval?"

"No." Martok smiled. "The Federation may require time to make that decision, but the empire's is already made. We will recognize any political ent.i.ty that fractures the Romulans further."

That obviously did not please Tal'Aura, which only pleased Martok more. After a brief silence, she rose from her chair and left the meeting room, the two centurions trailing behind her.

Bacco looked at Martok. "Can't say as that was much of a shock. Honestly, I'm amazed the empire's held together as long as it has. I figured they'd start falling to pieces once you guys took the Remans to Klorgat IV."

Martok nodded. "That was, in fact, our hope."

Chuckling, Bacco said, "Yeah, we kinda figured that." Growing serious again, she said, "I meant what I said, Chancellor. We won't get involved in the Romulans' internal politics, but we're not just gonna stand around and let their people die."

"I would not expect you to do anything other than what you have always done, Madam President," Martok said.

Bacco rose from her chair. "I'd say this summit is concluded, Chancellor."

"Indeed, Madam President." Martok also got up.

"I think we've done some good work here today, Chancellor. I hope this isn't the last time we do this."

"I can promise nothing, Madam President. If I have learned nothing else in my five years as chancellor, it is that predicting the future is unwise."

"Wasn't asking for a promise, Chancellor-was just asking for hope."

"My only hope, Madam President, is to die in battle and cross the River of Blood to Sto-Vo-Kor. Whatever happens on that journey happens, and we can do little else but fight it to the end."

"Well, I'm a little more concerned with getting the most I can out of this life." She smiled. "But I think we've done a pretty good job on both ends."

She held out her hand. Recognizing the human gesture, Martok accepted the handshake.

As they shook hands, Bacco said, "Qapla', Martok, son of Urthog."

"Qapla', Nan Bacco."

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

DR. REBECCA EMMANUELLI had been to many dangerous places in her seventy years of life: the brutally hot sands of Vulcan's Forge, the treacherous fire caves of Bajor, the uncertain mists of Berengaria, the toxic Mayak swamp on Ferenginar, and the hideously dense petrified forests of Selmak. Plus, of course, there were the four years she'd spent on Tzenketh, but she tried not to think about that.

None of those places made her as nervous as she was right now as she sat outside the president's office in the Palais de la Concorde.

An elderly Vulcan sat at a workstation, giving her the occasional disdainful look. She wondered if that disdain was a direct result of what she had been refusing to do for the past two weeks and would continue to steadfastly refuse to do, no matter what it was that President Bacco said to her when she went into her office.

She knew what was going on, of course; given the fact that the patient in question was in Starbase 1's infirmary, it would be impossible for her, as the head of that infirmary, not to know. The son of one of the Tzelnira-the people who'd ordered the attack on Starbase 55, during which Emmanuelli had been captured; the people who'd ordered her to be declared dead so she could remain on Tzenketh and treat their sick and wounded-was now in one of her biobeds, awaiting an operation that only she could perform and that she swore she would never perform again as long as she lived.

The door to the office slid open, and Rebecca saw the face of the president herself. Under any other circ.u.mstances this would be a thrill. It had been a big enough deal, talking with the chief of staff back in August during that mess with the Trinni/ek, but now...

"Dr. Emmanuelli, please come in."

The Vulcan looked at the president. "Is the intercom no longer working, ma'am?" he asked in an arch voice that made Rebecca realize that the disdain was more general and not directed necessarily at her. For some reason, that relieved her.