By Felicia Ferguson
Feedback: I'm ready and waiting!
Then
5/?
"Damn you, Shinzon," Tal'Aura muttered under her breath as she slammed a data padd down on her desk. His coup d'etat had cost the Empire dearly. Forty Warbirds, a dozen scout ships and the manpower diminished well below their previous levels of glory. The death toll was astonishing. It was expected that Picard's great military mind twisted by abuse and hate could create such damage. Expected, but still astonishing nonetheless.
She realized too late that she was wrong in her assessment of Shinzon, which left Tal'Aura, as the new Praetor, to clean up the mess. All her life she had dreamed of reaching this position, had envisioned leading the legions of followers who supported her. It would be a just revenge against a people who at one time would rather have killed her for her father's traitorous acts.
Even with ambition, she was young and female and there had been no female praetor in a century. Her age did not hurt her as much as her sex, but the elder senators were accustomed to promoting their contemporaries to leadership. It was a form of protection for themselves. They had survived politically for so long in such an unstable environment that there were debts to be paid and favors to be granted in trade for more power.
Tal'Aura had hedged her bets when backing Shinzon. She had never really believed that peace was possible, but she knew (having been put of by Hiren) that she wouldn't rise in power as long as he was in control. So she joined the movement to back Shinzon thinking that he would surround himself with young leaders because they would not be quite so unshakeably loyal to the old ways.
Now, thanks to that equally young Reman/Human, Hiren, the old fool, was dead and she had reached the pinnacle, had received the right to rule her people. But, there had been no election. There had been no ceremony. There was no one else to consider for the position. Tal'Aura was Praetor by default. And she hated that. Her success had been tainted; its long-awaited sweet taste was bilious in her mouth.
To add insult to injury, she had heard rumors from Levaeri V, a planet that had been a colony for centuries. Conquered worlds were banding together, combining resources, their target: the heart of the Romulan Star Empire. They wanted freedom. They wanted peace. It was ironic that the Rihannsu wanted exactly the same thing, if only for themselves.
Tal Shiar agents had been dispatched to assess the threat and their reports were not promising. The Navy commanders were scheduled to meet in two hours. Hopefully, they would bring her good news as to the progress of rebuilding the fleet. Without the fleet, there was no hope of putting off an attack. Shinzon had placed all his faith in one Reman Warbird at the expense of the Romulan Empire thinking himself indestructible. The Universe, in all its incongruousness, had had the last laugh.
She rose and again cursed Shinzon as she paced the length of her office before calming her raging temper. It was pointless to be angry with a dead man. It hadn't worked with her father so it was certain not to do so with the verrool Shinzon. She drew in a deep soothing breath, then reclaimed her seat behind the praetor's desk. Picking up another data padd, she returned to her review of the state of the empire.
A disrupter blast seared the air, its sparks visible in the glass windows that separated her office from the hallway. Startled, she half-rose from the chair just as the doors were opened. She fully expected to see her guards and hear their report as to the nature of the disrupter fire. However, the person who walked in was not a member of the security detail. Blonde hair glinted in the morning sunlight that streamed through the chamber windows. A low, mocking laugh and pleased smile greeted the praetor.
"Security!" Tal'Aura called, having risen fully from the chair.
"They're taking a little nap."
"Sela!" the praetor cursed. "Who released you from the Reman mines?"
The blonde Romulan assumed a surprised expression. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, cousin. I would have thought that surely the new praetor would be current on all the latest gossip. The Remans freed me." Slowly, she walked the width of the room, prowling as it were, stalking her prey. "They had heard about the planned uprisings of the conquered worlds and decided to offer their services to you before siding with them." She nodded to the two Reman warriors who flanked her. Without a sound, the men circled Tal'Aura's desk and shoved her back down into her chair. "And they needed me to help them deliver the message."
A sliver of fear slid down Tal'Aura's spine. Sela was known for her ruthlessness. Her human heritage had not softened any part of her. In fact it had served to strengthen her Romulan warrior side. They had been raised together as children, and though, there had been no affection between them, they weren't adversaries either.
The comm system beeped overhead. "Praetor Tal'Aura, the Federation ship USS Titan has arrived and is hailing."
One of the Reman guards shoved a disrupter into her side in silent warning. Tal'Aura nodded once, then answered, "Understood, however, I am meeting with several senators. I will contact you when I have finished so you can send them the coordinates for transport and bring them to the Senate chambers."
The Reman relaxed his stance as the connection was broken. Sela leaned her hip on the edge of Tal'Aura's desk, one hand rested on the surface. Piercing the praetor with her cold, green eyes, she remarked, "Surely you must realize that this peace the Federation speaks of so highly is not its true aim."
Ignoring the two Remans who maintained a careful watch over their target, Tal'Aura sat up straighter in her chair and folded her hands. "If the Federation does not want peace," she asked, her tone that of mild interest, "why does it send representatives to begin discussions?"
"You are a child, Tal'Aura," Sela said, rising from the desk. She turned and planted her hands on the desk. "They come to reconnoiter. To determine if the rumors they most certainly have heard by now are correct. Peace is nothing but a child's dream."
"You are wrong," the praetor answered with a swift shake of her head. "It was the dream of my father and of many other fathers -- including yours, cousin."
"Have you no Rihannsu pride?" Sela sneered as turned away from Tal'Aura, unable to look at her any longer. "The Federation is nothing but a group of sniveling, whining children. They are nothing compared to the full might of the Rihannsu navy. Take the offer before you, cousin, take the hand of your Reman brethren. Join with us and together we will create an armada that not even the Borg can stop.
"What is peace and compromise with several hundred worlds when we can rule them all through time honored and tested principles? Domination. That is the true spirit of the Rihannsu people." Sela paused to take a breath, to calm the rage that rushed through her blood. Tal'Aura would not be won by intimidation and she was the key to Sela's plan. "You are a politician, cousin; you do not know the ways of the military. Let me be your guide in this matter."
The praetor sat back in her chair, carefully considering the woman before her. After a moment, she answered, "Since it is the will of the people, I will attend the peace talks and determine if this is the correct course of action for the Empire."
Sela smothered her anger, hoping that a 'but' was soon to come. She wasn't forced to wait long.
"If the talks fall through," Tal'Aura continued, "I want you to be ready. Therefore, I am appointing you as head of the Tal Shiar. Take whatever means necessary to rebuild the fleet with ships and personnel. Enlist the Remans if you want. But know this, I must consider the will of the people."
"Consider the will of a people who didn't choose you?" Sela spat as venomous spite poured from her eyes. "What loyalties do you have to them? Had it been up to them when your father defected, you and your mother would have been stoned to death on the Senate floor. Why should you show any sympathies for the will of the people?"
"I show it not for them, but for myself. I lead this Empire, my rule is absolute, but even I recognize its limits." The praetor's lips lifted, their action barely reminiscent of a smile. "As you say, I am the politician, let me be concerned with matters of the Empire." She tapped a screen on the console and ordered, "I will be meeting with the commanders of the Navy. Transmit the coordinates to the Titan when we have finished adding my apologies for the delay."
The praetor waited for the connection to be terminated then returned her attention to Sela. "Go, make your preparations and report back to me when they are complete."
The commander nodded, her eyes gleaming with intent and gestured for the Remans to follow. Before she could reach the door, Tal'Aura stopped her. "And do not show your face here until after the Federation envoy departs. I know of your history with them."
***
Captain's Personal Log: And so it begins. We have arrived at the Romulan homeworld and I must admit my wife must be rubbing off on me. I felt a foreboding sense of déjà vu as soon as we went into orbit. Thanks to M'Ret, I have been fully prepped for this mission, but when dealing with Romulans, one learns to expect the unexpected. My hope is that the Romulans have been truthful in their desires for peace, unfortunately, based on previous experiences, that hope is waning even before we begin to talk.
***
It was another damn waiting game.
True, it hadn't been sixteen hours, but any delay at this point was cause for frustration and concern. "It has been two hours since our arrival, Captain, and the Empire has yet to acknowledge our hails," Commander T'Noth reported from her duty station, "such tactics are juvenile and illogical."
Riker flashed an ironic smile as he shifted to a more comfortable position in the captain's chair. "Only illogical in the sense of fair playing. However, with Romulans, strategy is of the utmost importance."
"As is posturing," came the dry reply from Ambassador M'Ret who stood near the door to Riker's ready room. He was prepared to disappear through the doors at the first sign of contact with the Romulan ship that hovered under cloak just off the Titan's starboard bow.
It was with an unexpected sense of relief that T'Noth stated a few minutes later, "We're being hailed, Captain."
Riker rose and unconsciously straightened his uniform. "Let's get this show on the road. On screen."
"Greetings, Captain Riker, on behalf of Praetor Tal'Aura," a young Romulan man said with a slight inclination of his head. "The praetor apologizes for the delay. We are transmitting transporter coordinates and await your arrival." Without another word, he severed the transmission, leaving Riker and several members of the bridge crew surprised at the abrupt nature of the conversation.
Lemoor glanced over at Riker and asked, "What could be more important than talks with the Federation?"
"Nothing," M'Ret replied, re-entering the bridge from the ready room, "but that doesn't mean she didn't want to preserve the image that there actually was a reason."
"Whatever the reason, I'm getting damned tired of this tactic," Riker said with a grimace. "Conn, have the coordinates been received?"
"Yes, sir, I've transmitted them to Transporter Room Two."
The captain nodded, then glanced upward as he ordered, "Counselor Troi, meet me in Transporter Room Two." Without waiting for an acknowledgement, he turned toward M'Ret. "Any last words of advice?"
"If I may, Captain," T'Noth interrupted as she left her station, "I request to be included in Away Team. You require security's presence on this mission since this is a hostile environment."
M'Ret shook his head and replied, "I would not advise it, Captain. The Romulans are very touchy about Vulcans given all of Ambassador Spock's work to slip defectors out of the Empire. It would be imprudent of you to include any Vulcans in the party."
Riker cast an appraising glance toward T'Noth, who stood in silent regard of the ambassador. "Would it be appropriate to include a security officer at all since this is supposed to be a mission of peace?"
The ambassador nodded. "Yes, at least one security officer but no more than two would be an admirable display. The Romulans are not a trusting race and to show similar distrust would keep the two parties on equal footing."
"Does this suit, Commander?" Riker asked the security chief.
T'Noth inclined her head and replied, "It will be acceptable. I will assign Lt. Ramirez, but I must request that a transporter lock is maintained on you and Counselor Troi at all times."
"Fair enough," the captain agreed. "I want you in constant contact with Ramirez while we're planetside. He more than likely will not be allowed to be present in the meeting, but I'll make certain he's at the door." Riker extended his hand to M'Ret and grasped the ambassador's hand. "Now we find out just how real this offer of peace is."
The Romulan nodded as he returned the handshake. "Good luck, Captain. And remember, nothing is ever what it seems with the Rihannsu."
***
"Jolantru," Commander Donatra greeted the Away Team as they materialized in the antechamber. "Welcome to Ch'Rihan."
"Thank you, Commander. The Federation is looking forward to developing an amicable relationship with the Romulan Empire."
"As are we, Captain. I hope you find this visit to Ch'Rihan more pleasant than the last." She paused and gestured for them to follow her to the senate chambers. "You can be assured that all of Shinzon's supporters have been routed out."
"Yes, I understand you were instrumental in that endeavor," Deanna said as they continued through another antechamber.
Donatra shrugged and walked past a series of doors and another hallway. "Someone had to and it was the least I could do to avenge Suran's death. It was of little comfort to merely know that Shinzon's atoms were scattered across the universe." She stopped in front of an opulent door and smiled at the three officers. "The praetor is waiting for you." Taking note of the security officer, she added, "I'm sorry but you must know that I cannot allow your guard to enter."
"Understandable, Commander, and expected," Riker replied. "Lt. Ramirez is prepared to wait outside the senate chambers."
The Romulan inclined her head. "Then I will leave you to the meeting." She paused once more and, lowering her voice, murmured, "The Rihannsu support this endeavor, Captain; the only matters that are at issue are the means."
Without giving either the captain or the counselor a chance to reply, Donatra disappeared, leaving them alone in front of the doors.
Why am I waiting for the other shoe to drop? Riker asked his wife. His uncertainty floated to her across their bond.
Because it always has? she returned with ironic mirth as she sent soothing thoughts to him.
Her joke lightened his mood just as she had hoped it would and he stepped forward with confidence. The doors opened and the awesomeness of the Romulan Senate was revealed. Riker smothered the urged to gape at the enormous bird of prey that swept down from the ceiling. How had Picard not managed to reveal his awe at this sight?
With great aplomb and dignity, Deanna's mind whispered, and not a little curiosity.
"Greetings, Captain, Counselor," Tal'Aura said, rising from her seat behind the auspicious desk that had been moved to the front of the room. Since the elections were still underway to fill the senate once again with representatives, there was little need for the Advisory Council table. After all, she already knew the wishes of the people. Whether or not they were correct in the long term, she had not yet decided. But, in the interim, and until Sela could convince her otherwise, there was no reason not to entertain the notion of peace.
"Please, come in. The table is prepared and it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to it. Refreshments are here. May I offer you something to drink?" The praetor turned to the side table laden with succulent fruits and hardy meats. Without waiting for an answer, she poured three glasses of a silvery liquid. Tal'Aura offered them to both Riker and Troi then raised her arm. "I believe in the tradition of the Federation a toast is appropriate."
The captain nodded, replying, "It is an Earth custom, but one that has been adopted at many formal gatherings."
"To the dream of peace, may we live to see it in our days."
"To peace," the officers echoed then joined the praetor in taking a sip. The drink was refreshing, yet slightly tart and finished with a nice twist.
Rather like Troi's reading of Tal'Aura herself.
As the praetor took her seat, Deanna sent, She's not exactly lying, but she's not telling the whole truth either. She's hiding something that no one else here knows.
Riker clenched his jaw against the foul curse that hovered on his lips. Remember what I said about the other shoe? He schooled his features into a bland expression so as not to hint at his true reaction, then thought, Do you have any sense what it is?
He didn't have to look at his wife to know that she was frustrated by her limited abilities. It was times like these when she wished she had inherited her mother's psionic capabilities. No, but it's definitely something she wants to keep to herself at all costs.
***
...to be continued...