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“Based on what? The actions of someone the Romulan government’s been condemning for six months? Sure, we know they’re full of it, but we can’t prove it. I can’t take this to the Federation council and get them to approve this as a reason to go to war.”

Now K’mtok smiled. “The High Council is not so strict in its need for motivation to do battle, Madam President.”

“Yeah, but if you get into it, then we’re obligated to either go along with you or pull out of the Accords, neither of which is an option I’m thrilled with. And let’s just say we do manage to get everyone to agree-who are we fighting? Tal’Aura? What about the rest of the military? They’re not all on her side, and not all the ones who are can be considered fanatically loyal. And what about the Romulan people who’ll be caught in the middle of this? And then there’s the question of fighting forces. We’ve finally got Starfleet back on an exploration footing, and the Defense Force isn’t back up to full battle readiness, either.”

K’mtok wanted to answer at least some of those questions, but the human refused to let him get a word in. He did, however, have to concede her last point. The end of the war hadn’t meant the end of battle for the empire, and what with the coup against Martok right after the war, and battles at San-Tarah, Elabrej, Kinshaya Major, Tezwa, and others, the Defense Force was in no position to wage a prolonged conflict in a territory as large as the Romulan Empire.

Bacco wasn’t finished. “Besides all that, the Romulan ambassador stood here in my office and apologized to you. When was the last time a Romulan official did that to a Klingon official?”

His teeth now grinding, K’mtok said, “I do not know.”

“Me either, and the two of us are professional politicians whose job it is to know stuff like that, so I’d say the odds are pretty good on it being extremely rare.” Bacco leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath. “Look, K’mtok, it’s up to you guys. If you want to go to war on the basis of what all the evidence indicates is a rogue attack, the perpetrators of which have killed themselves, and for which the people you want to go to war with have apologized, then knock yourselves out. But you need to tell Martok and the High Council that there is absolutely no way you’ll get support from the Federation. Even if I was inclined to argue for it-and, quite frankly, I’m not-I won’t be able to convince the hundred and fifty people on the first floor of it, because I don’t have a good argument to make. And if you do go to war without us, we have to pull out of the Accords, and that won’t be good for anyone.”

After a moment, K’mtok said, “I will convey this information to the High Council.”

“Do me a favor?”

That request surprised K’mtok. “What?”

“Convey what I actually said this time.” She stood up and came around to the other side of the desk. The human woman was half a head shorter than K’mtok, but somehow she managed to look him right in the eyes. “I didn’t need to have you in here when I talked to Kalavak. In fact, my chief of staff said I shouldn’t have. But you are our allies, and you were the ones who were attacked on Klorgat, so I wanted to make sure that you were included in all of this.”

K’mtok sneered at her. “On what are you basing this ridiculous notion that I will not- “

“Cut the crap, K’mtok, I know that you didn’t convey my precise words to the High Council when you and I did our little dance back in March. So right here, right now, I want your word that you will tell the High Council exactly what I told you.”

“You insult me by implying that my word is necessary.”

Bacco smiled. “Oh, I’m not implying a damn thing, I’m coming out and saying it. And you’re insulting me by trying to convince me that it isn’t necessary. Now then, please, may I have your word that you will pass on my message to the Great Hall? Not a version of what I told you that’s been altered in order to provide a better political position for your allies on the High Council,