Articles of the Federation - Keith R. A. DeCandido [124]
What if she’s right?
He had tried to convince himself that Ozla’s source, whoever or whatever it was, was wrong. That the Tezwan soldier whose diary she’d read had been mistaken. But the more he thought about it, the less he liked it.
“Esperanza’s ready for you,” Zhres said as he got back to his office. “You were a trifle terse in there.”
“I’m getting reviews from you now? Zhres, in the last year, have I ever shown even the slightest indication that I find your opinion in any way relevant or interesting?”
“No.”
“Learn something from that, would you please?” He handed Zhres the briefing padd, then went to the turbolift.
Esperanza Piniero was waiting for him in her office. She was studying something on her workstation intently. When he came in, she looked up and said, “Jorel, before I forget, next briefing, I need you to announce that we’ve come to an agreement with the Strata to act as intermediaries with the Trinni/ek. And if anyone asks about a summit again, don’t deny it.”
“I didn’t deny it. I never comment on rumors, Esperanza, you know that.”
Nodding, she said, “Yeah, I know, but the president’s been trying to get the Klingons to agree to this ever since that Klorgat mess. Giving it a little bit of a higher profile might help things along a bit.”
Jorel fixed her with an incredulous look. “You really think the Klingons are gonna give a damn about more attention in the Federation press?”
“I’m not talking about the Klingons, I’m talking about our people. Some of the Diplomatic Corps are dragging their feet-I’d like to stomp on those feet a little.”
“I love your imagery sometimes.”
“Thanks.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
Esperanza smiled. “I could tell-mainly because you were awake. Zhres said you needed to talk to me about something?”
Jorel nodded and took a seat in Esperanza’s guest chair. “Ozla Graniv came to see me this morning.”
“She’s back?”
“No, Esperanza, it was a convincing hologram. Yes, she’s back, and she has a story that she will run unless we give her a good reason not to.”
“What possible reason would we have not to run it?”
Esperanza’s face never changed expression the entire time that Jorel was telling her what Ozla had told him. He hoped, he wished, he fervently prayed to the Prophets that she would laugh at him, that she would tell him the whole idea was ridiculous, that she would reassure him that there was nothing to worry about, that Ozla’s source was just out-and-out wrong.
She did none of those things.
Instead, she let Jorel tell the entire story. Then she leaned back in her chair.
“Hell.”
“Esperanza, you can’t tell me- “
“That she can’t run the story? I wish I could. Dammit, this will- ” She slammed a hand on the desk. “Dammit!”
“Esperanza- “
“I was hoping-I was so so so much hoping-that it wouldn’t come to this. That that Zakdorn bastard actually covered his tracks well enough that this wouldn’t come up.” She laughed bitterly. “And that the Syndicate thing was a cover story. Guess not. God, I can’t believe they actually used the Syndicate to funnel those weapons. I mean, how stupid- “
Jorel’s stomach twisted in his gut. Bile started to rise, leaving a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. “Esperanza, you can’t tell me that she’s right?”
“I have to, Jorel. She is. Zife and Azernal and Quafina armed Tezwa behind the backs of the Federation Council and the Klingon Empire. When Kinchawn went nuts, Zife sent the Enterprise in to escort the Klingon fleet and didn’t tell them about the cannons. And when Starfleet found out where the cannons came from, they forced the three of them to resign.”
“They- ” Jorel stood up. He tugged on his earring, the pain shooting through his lobe a reminder that he wasn’t dreaming. “How could they do that?”
“I don’t pretend to know what the previous- “
Jorel waved his hand back and forth. “No, not the president and Koll and that twerpy little Antedean, I’m talking about Starfleet. I’m talking about Ross. How could he-I mean, Starfleet’s supposed to fight for what the Federation stands for, and they do