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“The point is that the job is difficult. The main reason for that is not because of how one deals with the expected. President Zife was elected because everyone knew we would be at war with the Dominion. Under his leadership, we were ready. President Jaresh-Inyo was elected when no one knew of the Dominion. He proved unable to handle that crisis. That is why his presidency is remembered so poorly. When President Bacco was elected, she was expected to be able to keep the Klingon alliance intact. So far, she has done that. But she also was not expected to have to deal with the fall of the Romulan government. No one saw that coming. Such a catastrophe could have sent the quadrant into chaos. But it did not. For that, we have to give at least some of the credit to the leadership of President Bacco.”

“So you’d say she’s doing a good job?” Velisa asked.

“All right, that’s it,” Goodwin said.

“Goodwin- “

“No, I’m sorry, but this is ridiculous. He just spent half an hour talking, and that host still can’t figure out if he said whether or not she’s doing a good job? How can you watch this?”

“Look, Goodwin- “

He got up. “No, forget it, McCall, I’m leaving. I’ll go to the lounge, the library, the commissary, anything so I don’t have to listen to this garbage.”

“Hey, if you’re stopping at the commissary, will you pick me up something?”

Goodwin opened the handled door that led to the hallway. “Sure, what do you want?”

McCall smiled. “I’d love some kimchee.”

This time, Goodwin did throw the padd at him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

KANT JOREL WAS ABOUT READY to poke his eyes out with hot pieces of metal when Zhres’s voice came over the intercom. Jorel didn’t understand it-he had done everything he could to alienate Zhres, same as he had every other assistant, yet the Andorian had now lasted a full year in the position, which shattered the previous record. Not only that, but Zhres even still had his will to live. It vexed Jorel no end.

“What could you possibly want right now?”

As unflapped as ever, Zhres said, “Ozla Graniv is here to see you.”

Jorel’s nasty retort died aborning on his tongue. “Ozla’s back?”

“No, this is merely a convincing hologram of her. Yes, she is back and she says it’s quite important that she speak to you.”

“All right, send her in.”

The doors parted to reveal a much slimmer Ozla Graniv. “It’s about time you came back,” Jorel said. “Gora’s been driving me insane.”

“Well, that’s a short drive for you, isn’t it, Jorel?”

Jorel couldn’t help but laugh. “See? Gora’s wit was never this caustic. So where’ve you been? I was considering sending search parties.”

“I told you where I was,” Ozla said as she sat down on the couch. “Tezwa.”

Taking the seat on the other end of the couch, Jorel said, “No, you started off on Tezwa. You even filed some decent stories.” They were, in fact, excellent stories, but Jorel was hardly about to say that out loud. “Then in June, you disappeared.”

“It takes a while to get from Tezwa to Earth when you don’t have Starfleet ships at your beck and call.”

“It doesn’t take four months.”

“It does the way I went.” Ozla took a deep breath. “Jorel, I need to tell you something very important: I know the real reason why Zife resigned.”

“We all know the reason.” Jorel said it with ease, even though he’d never been entirely sure of it. He knew that the notion that it had been planned for months was false, for all that he’d flogged that particular horse in the press room. The causes stated in Zife’s resignation speech had certainly all been valid, and Zife’s chances for reelection had dwindled with each new mishandled crisis in any case, but it was still a bit odd. However, he was hardly about to say so to a reporter.

“We all know the stated reason. But I know the real reason, and unless you give me a good reason not to print it, I’ll be writing about it for all of Seeker’s subscribers to see.”

Jorel didn’t like the sound of this. “What’re you talking about, Ozla?”

“I’m talking about Tezwa. I’m talking about six nadion-pulse cannons that the Zife administration put