Articles of the Federation - Keith R. A. DeCandido [115]
“With me tonight to discuss these issues are Rina Tran, chief aide to Councillor Sanaht of Janus VI; Kav glasch Vokrak, the Palais correspondent from the Tellarite News Service; former Starfleet admiral and author of Knowledge Isn’t Always Power: My Life Among the Stars, Gregory Quinn; and, remotely from his home on Andor, former President Thelianaresth th’Vorothishria. Welcome, all of you.”
As the guests thanked Velisa, Goodwin’s eyes went wide. “That is Thelian. Son of a bitch.”
“I didn’t think he was still alive.”
Chuckling, Goodwin said, “Look at him-I’m not so sure he is.”
“Thought Quinn looked familiar,” McCall said. “His picture’s in the big hall. He was superintendent here for a while before they moved him over to operations. Then that parasite mess hit and he retired.”
“You read his book?”
“Please-like I care about some old admiral’s war stories. I get enough of that just walking around here. ‘Sides, it’s got a stupid title.”
“This from someone who willingly watches a show called Illuminating the City of Light.”
Velisa moved on to her first question, which Goodwin missed, but he assumed it was directed at one of the panelists and that it was about Bacco’s first year, since the Betazoid, Tran, spoke. Goodwin was now sure she was a Betazoid, since she was an aide to Councillor Sanaht. Though the Horta could speak through vocoders, it was more comfortable for them to communicate with telepaths; all of Sanaht’s staff who weren’t fellow Horta were Betazoids. Goodwin only knew this because he’d had to study the council for a government class last term.
“I have to say that I’m not all that impressed,” Tran said. “I think President Bacco has proven herself incapable of dealing with the larger issues of the presidency after serving only one planet for so long. The Federation’s a big place, and it takes a lot to run it.”
Goodwin rolled his eyes. “Oooh, great wisdom there. ‘The Federation’s a big place.’ For the love of kimchee…”
Velisa asked, “What, exactly, do you think she’s done wrong?”
Tran smirked. “How long do you have?”
“Give us an example.”
“Why do that?” Goodwin asked. “Much easier to take shots without giving specific examples.”
McCall glowered at his roommate. “Will you shut up, please?”
After thinking about it for a moment, Tran finally said, “Well, just for one example, the Reman refugee situation. That was bungled from the outset and resulted in a ship full of dead Remans who should’ve been under Federation protection.”
Kav made a snuffling noise. “That is not what happened.”
“Oh, you were there, were you?” Tran said snidely.
“I did not need to be,” the Tellarite said with a huff, which Goodwin had never seen anyone do in real life. “I read the reports, including the transcripts of the security council’s discussions with various senior staff members and diplomats and Starfleet officers on the subject. The president did all that she could-the Remans chose to kill themselves instead.”
“Fine, even if you give her that one,” Tran said, “her appointments to the sub-councils have been a joke. First she appoints Artrin, then she calls for his resignation-and replaces him with Eleana, of all people? I have nothing but respect for the councillor from Delta, but she’s got entirely the wrong temperament for judiciary. Tomorrow, the new session begins, and judiciary’ll be listening to the B-4 case. That needs a rational legal mind, not Eleana and her bizarre interpretations of law. And I don’t see how anyone can think it’s a good idea to put so new a councillor as Krim on security. On top of that, she’s done nothing to keep the peace on Romulus. She actually signed off on a plan that puts Klingon ships in the home star system of the Romulan Empire. It’s a miracle that interstellar war hasn’t broken out.”
Before