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 ship 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 relationship 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 leadership."

"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 Shiar, 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 Shiar, 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."

"So that we can then manipulate events to suit our own needs?" Safranski asked.

"Manipulate?" Bacco said. "No. But we may be able to offer opinion and advice. We have recognized Donatra's government. We have had an ongoing dialogue with her. I see no reason not to continue that dialogue by sending another envoy to meet with her."

"I don't think we can expect her to tell us just how she's planning on conquering Tal'Aura and taking control of a united Romulan government," Raisa said.

"Of course not," Jas said. "But that doesn't mean that she won't reveal information to us, or that we won't learn things we don't already know."

"But what if Donatra did did send the Reman to a.s.sa.s.sinate Spock?" Safranski asked. "And what if she then had the Reman killed to cover it up?" send the Reman to a.s.sa.s.sinate Spock?" Safranski asked. "And what if she then had the Reman killed to cover it up?"

"Then we need to send somebody to speak with her capable of gleaning that information," Bacco said.

"Somebody familiar with the Romulans," Jas said.

"The Federation diplomat most experienced with the Romulans is Spock," Safranski noted.

"Perhaps somebody from Starfleet," Jas suggested.

Bacco nodded. "I'll contact Admiral Akaar and get his recommendation," she said. "So are we all in agreement?" She turned toward the secretary of the exterior. "Mister Safranski?"

He looked over at her with a dissatisfied expression. "If all we're talking about is data-gathering, and possibly offering some advice, then yes, I'm in agreement."

"I'll accept that," Bacco said. Rising to her feet, she said, "Thank you, everybody," signaling the end of the meeting. Everybody stood and thanked the president, and as Esperanza joined Bacco, the others headed for the door. Before departing, though, Safranski stopped and looked back. "I truly hope you know what you're doing, Madam President."

Bacco didn't hesitate to reply. "So do I, Mister Secretary," she said. "So do I."

25.

Spock moved along the edge of Victory Square, skirting the crowd even as he observed it. Located within Ki Baratan, the majestic plaza celebrated the history and successes of the Romulan Star Empire. Defining the square, great columns climbed high along its periphery, interspersed with towering statuary. Colossal likenesses of praetors and senators, of military leaders and heroic soldiers, stood with their backs to the outside, as though standing guard over the grounds within.

At the four corners of Victory Square and at its center, grand fountains usually sent plumes of water soaring high into the air, but Spock saw that they had been shut down, obviously to accommodate the day's event. At the far end of the plaza, broad stairs led up to a platform on which stood the largest of all the statues, an image sculpted in stone of the first Romulan praetor, Pontilus. As Spock looked in that direction, a man began to ascend the steps, presumably to address the crowd, just as two other speakers had already done.

"How many people do you think are here?" asked Venaster, raising his voice. The ambient noise of the people ma.s.sed in the square made communicating at a normal level impossible.

Spock did not know the dimensions of Victory Square, nor could he adequately gauge them from his position along the perimeter of the s.p.a.ce. Still, he cast his gaze from the front of the plaza to the rear, doing his best to conservatively estimate the number of those present. After a few moments, he leaned toward Venaster and said, "I would approximate a minimum of a quarter of a million."

Venaster's eyes widened, and Spock understood why. The figure dwarfed the number of people who had attended any single rally for Vulcan-Romulan reunification. Although the popularity of those events had continued to trend upward, Spock could not reasonably expect that his voice or those of his comrades would draw enough people to fill Victory Square any time in the near future. The size of the crowd at that moment did not surprise Spock, nor did its fervor, but he thought that the fact of both likely signaled a coming change in the status quo. He did not know how long it would require for that change to take place, but it pleased him that he had forewarned President Bacco-though he did not know if she had heeded his advice.

At the top of the stairs, the man reached the platform and turned toward the crowd. Behind him, the t.i.tanic statue of Pontilus provided a dramatic backdrop. So dramatic So dramatic, Spock thought, as to ensure its widespread distribution across the Romulan comnet. as to ensure its widespread distribution across the Romulan comnet. It did not escape Spock's notice that Victory Square had been the location where Tal'Aura had captured Donatra's ally, Admiral Braeg. It did not escape Spock's notice that Victory Square had been the location where Tal'Aura had captured Donatra's ally, Admiral Braeg.

"My name is Veltor," said the man, his voice collected and amplified by a sound system that Spock could not see but that he noted would serve to enhance all records made of the event. said the man, his voice collected and amplified by a sound system that Spock could not see but that he noted would serve to enhance all records made of the event. "My name is Veltor, and I am a Romulan." "My name is Veltor, and I am a Romulan." The man threw his arms into the air as though he had achieved some sort of triumph. The people in the square cheered, supporting that impression. The man threw his arms into the air as though he had achieved some sort of triumph. The people in the square cheered, supporting that impression.

When the volume of the crowd had dropped enough, the man continued. "My sister lives on Virinat," "My sister lives on Virinat," he said. he said. "She's a schoolteacher, an honest, hardworking woman with a family and a home of her own "She's a schoolteacher, an honest, hardworking woman with a family and a home of her own. She is and has always been a loyal Romulan, and yet I haven't seen her-I haven't been She is and has always been a loyal Romulan, and yet I haven't seen her-I haven't been permitted permitted to see her to see her-for hundreds of days."

A rumble of discontent snarled through the square. Spock glanced around and saw seemingly genuine anger on many faces. He found the differences between the current gathering, and those in support of Vulcan-Romulan reunification, pointed. Where Spock and his comrades advocated for the positive benefits that the rejoining of two civilizations would bring, the speakers he had witnessed that day had consistently articulated their anger, emotion that appeared to engage the people a.s.sembled.

"Why?" the man called out to the crowd. the man called out to the crowd. "Why have I not been allowed to visit my sister on Virinat?" "Why have I not been allowed to visit my sister on Virinat?"

Although such a question seemed an obvious rhetorical flourish, Spock heard numerous people exclaiming in reply. Donatra's name flew across the plaza, accompanied by epithets: Egotist. Traitor. Veruul. Veruul. And like weeds sprouting in gra.s.s, hand-lettered signs suddenly popped up throughout the crowd, decrying the empress of the Imperial Romulan State. And like weeds sprouting in gra.s.s, hand-lettered signs suddenly popped up throughout the crowd, decrying the empress of the Imperial Romulan State.

But Spock did not hear and see only the name of Donatra. He also heard and saw that of Tal'Aura, though not with nearly as much frequency. And somewhere, someone called out, "Shinzon!" To Spock, all of it seemed calculated to give the impression of proletarian unrest, though clearly the gathering had not arisen as a spontaneous aggregation of concerned citizens. The setting, the extinguishing of the fountains, the sound system, the overly amateurish nature of the handheld signs, all of it indicated to Spock a controlling interest.

"We must not be divided," Veltor went on. Veltor went on. "We must not allow ourselves to be divided. We are all Romulans. We must take back our Empire. We must be one." "We must not allow ourselves to be divided. We are all Romulans. We must take back our Empire. We must be one."

The crowd roared its agreement. Veltor raised his arms once more, then started back down the stairs. As he did so, a woman headed up the stairs, no doubt to continue the shared screed against the sundering of their people.

"Spock," somebody called. "Venaster."

The two men turned together toward the sound of the voice. Spock did not feel particularly comfortable being identified by name amidst an angry throng, but n.o.body appeared to take notice. As he looked for the source of the voice, Spock saw D'Tan struggling to push his way through the crowd. When finally the young man reached them, he said, "You need to see something." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a data tablet.

Venaster looked to Spock. "We can go," Spock told him. "We've seen enough here." Venaster nodded, then pressed past D'Tan and headed for the nearest exit, forging a traversable path for them.

Outside the square, Spock took the lead, directing Venaster and D'Tan away from the exit and down the avenue, until the flow of people around them had thinned. Then he stepped to the side of the pedestrian thoroughfare and addressed D'Tan. "What is it that we need to see?"

D'Tan held up his tablet and activated it, then handed it over to Spock. Venaster leaned in to look at it as well. On the screen, a large crowd of people listened to somebody urging the rejoining of the Romulan people.

For just a moment, Spock thought that D'Tan had handed him a recording of the event they had just seen for themselves. But then other details became visible, and he saw that the event depicted on the tablet had not taken place in Victory Square, or in any other location that Spock recognized. "D'Tan, where did you get this?" Spock asked.

"It's all over the Romulan comnet," he said.

"Where did this take place?" Spock wanted to know. He continued to watch the recording, picking out familiar details: the large crowd, the single speaker, the slapdash signs.

"On Artaleirh," D'Tan said. "But that's not the only place something like this has happened. There have been at least half a dozen protests throughout Romulan s.p.a.ce."

Spock peered up from the tablet. "Where else?"

"Abraxas, Devoras, Xanitla-"

"Xanitla," Spock said. "There have been protests within the Imperial Romulan State?"

"Yes," D'Tan said. "There was even one on Achernar Prime."

The homeworld of Donatra's empire. "Do you have a recording of that event?" Spock asked.

"Not yet," D'Tan said. "We've only read accounts of it."

"Tell me," Spock said. "On Achernar Prime, did they denounce Donatra or Tal'Aura?"

"From what we've read so far," D'Tan said, "the protests have all been similar: there are complaints about both the praetor and the empress, but far more about Donatra."

Spock nodded. He wondered how much of the sudden public call for the two Romulan states to become one could be laid at the door of the Vulcan-Romulan Reunification Movement. He had convinced Tal'Aura to allow him and his comrades to bring their cause out into the open because it would also serve the praetor's own interests. He had argued to her that one call for reunification could beget another. That appeared to have happened, though nothing he had seen or heard suggested to him that the abrupt communal outcry for one Romulan empire had arisen naturally. He could readily envision Tal'Aura setting the wheels of civil unrest in motion, seeking to grind down Donatra through the mill of public support.

But is that too simple a solution? Spock asked himself. He understood well the Romulan penchant for cunning. For all he knew at this point, Donatra could be driving the protests in order to spur a backlash against Tal'Aura. Spock still didn't even know whether or not the empress had been behind the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt made on him. Spock asked himself. He understood well the Romulan penchant for cunning. For all he knew at this point, Donatra could be driving the protests in order to spur a backlash against Tal'Aura. Spock still didn't even know whether or not the empress had been behind the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt made on him.

Misdirection is the key to survival, went an old Romulan maxim. Never behave as your enemy expects, and never reveal your true strength Never behave as your enemy expects, and never reveal your true strength. If knowledge is power, then to be unknown is to be unconquerable. If knowledge is power, then to be unknown is to be unconquerable.