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“Be sure to suggest that,” Esperanza said, “and then update your resume.” She hit the intercom. “Zachary, track down Councillor Enaren. Tell him the chief of staff needs to talk to him right away.”

“Sure thing.”

She looked up at two of her deputies. “You’re sure you can’t get the seven anywhere else?”

“We’ll keep working it,” Dogayn said, “but I don’t think it’ll work. Some people are throwing the argument right back at us.”

“What do you mean?”

Dogayn frowned. “Cardassia’s already proven they can’t be trusted. So why should we even give them the chance?”

“Right,” Ashante said with a sigh, “because the kick-them-while-they’re-down theory worked so well in Germany.”

“Where’s Germany?” Dogayn asked.

Before she could answer, Zachary said over the intercom, “Esperanza, the councillor can talk to you now-he’s en route from Betazed for tomorrow’s session.”

Esperanza’s eyes widened. “Uh, okay. Get him on standby-I’ll let you know when we’re ready.”

“You want us to help out?” Ashante asked.

About to say no, Esperanza held back. “Yeah-just you. Dogayn, keep working the councillors, in case this doesn’t work.”

Dogayn nodded again and left Esperanza’s office.

Esperanza looked up at Ashante. “Ready?”

After taking a very deep breath, Ashante said, “Yeah. Let’s do it.” She walked around to stand just behind Esperanza and to her right.

Esperanza opened the intercom. “Put him through, Zachary.”

A moment later, the screen on Esperanza’s workstation lit up with the bland features of Cort Enaren. He had surprised her when they’d first met a few years earlier. She had heard stories of the member of Betazed’s parliament who’d become the leader of the Betazoid resistance after the planet had fallen to the Dominion, and so she had expected someone more-well, impressive. But then, with a telepathic species, physical characteristics are really the least important.

“Councillor, thanks for talking to us. You remember my deputy, Ashante Phiri?”

“Of course.” Enaren nodded. “It’s good to see you both. I assume this is about Cardassia.”

Unable to contain a cheeky grin, Esperanza asked, “Your finely honed Betazoid senses tell you that, Councillor?”

Enaren did smile back, though the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “My transport is several light-years from Earth, Esperanza-my telepathy isn’t that good. No, I simply heard from my aides. Your deputies aren’t exactly being subtle.”

“We don’t have time for subtle, Councillor,” Ashante said. “And this aid is too important to lose.”

“Important to the Cardassians, perhaps, but I’m more concerned with the people of Betazed. What’s left of us, anyhow.”

“Sir,” Esperanza said, leaning forward in her chair, “I’m aware of Betazed’s losses during the war, but- “

“Are you? Fifteen percent of our population died, Esperanza. They died when the planet was attacked, they died when we drove the Dominion offworld, and they died when they were taken by that Cardassian scientist for genetic experiments.”

Esperanza winced. She had forgotten that part of the reason for the Dominion’s interest in Betazed, as opposed to other Federation planets in that sector. It had been related to the native species’ innate telepathy: A Cardassian scientist named Crell Moset had been performing experiments on the Betazoids in an attempt to engineer telepathic Jem’Hadar.

She was also starting to understand a bit of Enaren’s motivation. “Councillor, I appreciate what your world went through, but- “

“I don’t think you do, Esperanza.”

“And I don’t think you appreciate what’s happening on Cardassia right now, sir.”

“I know their government can’t hold it together. I know that we’ve been propping them up for four years and that most of our relief doesn’t even get where it’s supposed to go.”

Ashante said, “The solution to that problem is to improve the delivery methods, not to cut it off altogether. That’s like amputating an arm because the pinky finger is infected.”

“I disagree. And a majority of the council agrees with me.”

Desperately, Esperanza wanted to answer that. No, Gleer wants to help you give us a hard