Chapter 77:

Renée was having dinner with Rojor at a table with a view of the planet, "This bottle of wine is from my grandfather's winery from grapes grown in his vineyard."

Rojor tried it and said, "It is quite excellent."

Renée said, "As you know, for much of my family, looking into the future is their business. It can be exciting, it can be depressing, it can be terrifying, it is never boring. Now is what we in the business call a nexus. The future timeline can go different ways from here, and apparently both of us are part of that, through action, or even through inaction. What are your thoughts on this?"

Rojor replied, "It is intriguing, the idea of having choices. If one could see the future paths, based on a choice of today, it still would not be that simple. There might be more to see than what is seen. Let me ask you, what choices do you see, and what results do you see?"

Renée said, "Our actions or inaction will change the course of the Romulan Star Empire, the Federation, and the Devronians.

The Romulan Star Empire will not be offered the choice to slowly find ways to acquire from the Federation its unique capabilities and then later attack it. Nor will it be offered the choice of enslavement of other people's and at the same time having the cooperation of the Federation.

Its choice will be a choice of war or peace. War at a time of Federation advantage, which is now, or to be part of a cooperative mutually peaceful Federation Alliance.

Our choices involve how destructive that war will be, or if a way can be found to have peace."

Rojor said, "How? And how can my choices influence these outcomes?"

Renée answered, "One possibility is that your family takes over the Romulan Senate, in cooperation with the Remans."

Rojor said, "Besides whether I would agree with this goal, there is the end of the path to consider where my entire family would be wiped out for being traitors."

Renée said, "If you were part of this plan, your role might appear later, when the balance of power is already in your favor. As of now, your people are unaware of your survival."

Rojor said, "I have been reading some of your Earth literature. There is a quote in an earlier form of Federation Standard from one of the Earth regions of the origin of your family, by an author by the name of John Harrington. He said Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

Renée said, "I intend for you to survive and succeed, and only to act when those are assured."

Rojor said, "Out of curiosity, not agreement I would see the predictions and ask further questions. I also know that the magicals of Earth have a way of pledging the honesty of a statement."

Renée said, "It will be arranged."

Since Starfleet was mobilizing, there were no plans to engage in any action for at least several weeks. Renée and Rojor were brought to Starbase New Berlin. It was considered sufficiently well defended now, and was one of the assembly points for mobilized ships. Cora, Theo, and Luna and myself went there. Section 31 security was upset that we would risk the voyage, but Starfleet was convinced that it was secure, and Cora, Theo, and Luna could see a safe trip and the necessity of the trip.

Luna and I got to New Berlin before Cora and Theo, so we toured the planet. It reminded me of magical Britain, which seemed to idealize circa 1690, with a few elements from later eras. There were half timbered houses, stone fortifications, windmills.

We ate at a beer hall with a huge courtyard with long outdoor tables. They had some technology to make it habitable when the weather was not ideal. We had sausages, purple cabbage, dumplings, beer served in large mugs. At times everyone in the courtyard would sing along to a band playing traditional German music.

The next day after a hearty breakfast, where we were staying, we saw some high technology factories. They were hidden in what looked like traditional German buildings.

Later we looked for a cafe. For some reason we expected to find something resembling old Vienna, but that wasn't part of the culture of this world. Luna said, "Let's find pudding then", and we did find a place serving coffee, and Grießbrei, a sort of wheat pudding, with Blackberry jam.

When we all assembled in a private suite on Starbase New Berlin, Rojor asked to see the pledge that would be given. He also had earlier asked for an Aenar to verify that the magical pledges would be real. Since it was in the cause of peace, an Aenar magical agreed and was at the meeting.

The pledge would be by Cora, Theo, and Luna, to relay honestly what they can forsee in the course of discussions. I was not included. It was explained that I see futures of other timelines, but not the futures that are part of this meeting. Rojor said that the pledge was not sufficient, that he wanted a clause to relay completely and honestly what was seen, not just honestly. We agreed, but told him that depending upon future choices and circumstances, it might be necessary to remove memories from him, but we pledged not to do so until the meetings were over and he made decisions.

I said, "The predictions made almost always, but not always would come true, except that the prediction itself changes choices,which can result in them being avoided. This is a different type of future magic than prophecies, which always come true, generally expressed in confusing carefully arbitrary words, and sometimes only come true due to the prophecy itself being heard and believed."

Rojor asked, "OK, I'm ready to hear the predictions. Tell me what happens if I do nothing?"

Cora looked blankly for a minute and then said, "The Federation mobilizes while debating what to do. They decide on a preemptive strike on Remus. The Director of Marines objects that what is planned as a liberation would end up in a counter-insurgency. They want him to give no cause for rebellion. He refuses. They talk about removing him, but Section 31 backs him, and agrees that no-one will override him, and no-one will order the marines to be treated as expendable pawns. Force protection will be more important than public opinion, either at home, or on an occupied planet.

The invasion succeeds, and the Romulan fleet is destroyed at its home system. The expected insurgency doesn't actually happen. The use of Nausicaans allowed to go a little off their leash provides a sufficient deterrent, at least to the end of this vision.

The Romulans are defiant and this vision ends with a standoff where they vow to keep fighting.

Personally, you refuse any role and Renée stays with you. Eventually you two marry and find a way to genetically engineer your children to be viable and have magic."

Renée and Rojor looked at each other.

Rojor then asked, "What happens if I agree to cooperate?"

Cora answered, "You would answer questions about the Romulan Senate and your family's role in the balance of power. We all would together come to the conclusion that the Romulan Star Empire would first need to believe that they would lose a war at this time with the Federation, and that the Federation will not relent and agree to keep the peace or after fighting to have a cease fire.

Given that belief, your family would emerge as a protector of the Romulan people. It would be a harsh realization that a collection of free people's would be needed, instead of an empire. However, as an alternative to being conquered, the Romulans would accept being one of many free peoples.

The Romulans would be told about the predictions of the Romulus being destroyed in a supernova in stardate 2387. The Federation would do everything possible to research how to prevent it, or if not possible to safely evacuate and find alternative homes for all people effected. This vision does not say whether the research efforts would be successful.

The future arrival of the Borg would be described. This vision does not have the answer if we will together fight off the Borg, but the Devronians, who have a similar magic to us, say that their magic says that only with the help of Renée and Rojor would it be possible to fight off the Borg, at least as they would effect their planet.

Again going back to the personal, you would have a prominent role in representing Romulan interests in the Federation. You and Renée would still get married. In this timeline, she would insist on you pledging to have a human cultural marriage, not a Romulan cultural one, the main difference being that you would each pledge to be exclusive to each other. You would have magical children, who themselves can have children, again through genetic engineering. Oddly enough, a scientist who tried to kill Renée in another timeline would solve the genetic incompatibilities between your two species to specifically help Renée."

Theo added, "I see much debate about how to approach the Romulan Senate, and different approaches considered. The Vulcans would be instrumental in coming up with a mostly non-violent show of force.

Your family will become prominent, and to some extent a ruling family of Romulus. However, all of you will face attacks. You will all remain careful enough, and be assisted by seers, especially the Devronians, so that no attacks will succeed.

On the Federation side, there will be some who dislike your union and the existence of your genetically modified children, but no violent attacks."

Rojor said, "Between the two alternatives, as a Romulan I'd favor the second one, even if it makes me the greatest traitor in Romulan history. Do you see any additional alternatives?"

Luna said, "The show of force, without you and your families help, would result in a last stand mentality, and therefore war.

Vulcan Romulan unification would not work in this era without one conquering the other. With Vulcan, Romulus, and Remus, being in the Federation, none are conquered, and each can associate to the extent that they want to. The restriction of being in the Federation Alliance are not major, but do not allow being an empire."

I said, "Unlike other very different timelines, where the Federation would frequently say that comes in peace, this Federation does not come in peace. It comes to impose peace, through war if necessary. The end goal is cooperation and mutual gain through cooperation far more than that of being an empire, at least materially. If a people's goal is to rule over others, then that is not something we can accommodate. If their goal is to be better, wealthier, happier, smarter, than others, they are free to try to be so. If their goal is to have their material needs met through automation, that is possible.

Since the question is if there are alternative plans, I would ask if anyone can see what the result of the Nemisis plot would be if carried out now?"

Cora answered, "In a very different timeline, already so different than our timeline, that this timeline cannot become that one, in 2379 a renegade cloned member of the Picard family engaged in a plot. There was no knowledge of the supernova only 8 years later. In that timeline there was less than a year's warning before the supernova, and while it was contained, the star system was destroyed, but the specifics are not clear since there was a nexus that led to several timelines from that event.

In any case, this human infiltrated Remus and led a rebellion that freed the Remans, who quickly built a large ship with higher technology than the Romulans had. He got some Romulan Senators to agree with his plan to take over the Federation and to rule the Romulan Empire. Those Senators left a destructive device in the Senate chambers, killing all the other Senators.

While the plot seemed to succeed, during the plan to attack the Federation, operatives, including the Picard family member who was cloned, stopped the plot and destroyed the advanced ship. The Romulans then went back to peaceful coexistence with the Federation behind a neutral zone.

If we tried a similar plot now, the Tal Shiar would manage to stop it on the planet Remus. I do not see any method that would succeed."

Luna said, "There is another possible plan to take over the Romulan Senate. We magicals can take over minds and cause them to act in ways they otherwise would not. We can also act stealthily.

The plan would at first succeed. However, the Tal Shiar would stop the plot. The idea of mind control is not beyond their imagination, nor is the idea of shape shifting, where an agent appears as someone else, even passing biomarker tests. The uncharacteristic behavior sets off their suspicion, and even if ones in charge blustering and demanding that they halt their investigation, and attempts to arrest the investigators as renegades, the Tal Shiar succeeds. I see no similar plot that can succeed, not even one trying to infiltrate the Tal Shiar itself."

I said, "Rojor, it looks like there are only two viable plans, the one without and the with your cooperation."

Rojor said, "I accept the idea of cooperation, but want to see the specifics of my cooperation first, and hear from the Devronian seers before fully agreeing. Since you will need my knowledge before coming up with the specifics, I ask you to use your magical abilities without my cooperation to obtain that knowledge, so I do not already begin cooperation before having the information to make that decision."

I said, "We will make our preparations, and you and Renée will return to Devron when they are complete.

On a personal note, you should note that with these types of seeing, you still have free will. Therefore, assuming that you and Renée decide to marry, I would be very happy to welcome you to our family."

Luna added, "As would I."