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Now the growl was getting bigger. Mizarians were the vermin of the galaxy. Their world had been conquered dozens of times in the last hundred years alone, and the empire refused to have any dealings with that species.

“Chancellor, I read over these people’s work on the way here. They might have something. If it keeps going on this track, they might be able to tell us about the way the universe works, how it’s held together, what keeps it from flying apart. It’ll probably take years, and may not even be done in either of our lifetimes-but honestly, is this the kind of thing you want to ban just because you don’t like one of the people in the group?”

“You are asking me to accept scientific data provided by a Mizarian?” Martok found the entire notion repugnant.

“No, Chancellor, I’m not. I’m asking you to accept scientific data provided by some of the finest minds in the galaxy, one of whom happens to be a Mizarian. He doesn’t even live on Mizar, for pity’s sake. He’s in no way representative of the Mizarian people, he doesn’t speak for them, doesn’t represent their pacifist ways, which I know disgust you-he’s one person. One person who, along with a lot of other people who are, frankly, smarter than any of the three of us, might be able to tell us more about the place we live in. Isn’t that worth putting aside a prejudice that doesn’t do you any good anyhow in the hopes of a much greater goal?”

Laughing mirthlessly, Martok asked, “Is that all that is required of me?”

“It’s nothing you haven’t done before, Chancellor.”

“That is ridiculous.” Martok was losing patience. “This is a minor scientific curiosity that has no benefits in the short or long term. For that, you wish me to set aside the empire’s policy regarding Mizar.”

“This has nothing to do with Mizar. And how the hell do you know it has no benefits in any kind of term? You haven’t even read MOE’s research, and you don’t know what they’re going to turn up. Think about how many Defense Force vessels have come across spatial anomalies that they didn’t know how to deal with-or that destroyed or damaged them. MOE might actually be able to figure out where they come from and how to survive them. And you’re just gonna let all that potential fall by the wayside because you don’t like the Mizarians.”

“It is not a question of what I like, Madam President. You cannot ask me to reverse centuries of- “

Tal’Aura interrupted: “Klingon bigotry?”

It took all of Martok’s willpower not to unsheathe his d’k tahg and kill Tal’Aura where she sat.

Bacco glanced at the Romulan woman. “There’s a human cliche, Praetor, that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” At Tal’Aura’s confused look, which matched Martok’s own, she added, “It means that you don’t have any basis to get superior toward Martok regarding bigotry toward other species-or should we go into the treatment of the Remans, the Miridians, the- “

Tal’Aura held up a hand. “Your point is noted, Madam President.”

“Fine, then shut the hell up.”

Martok couldn’t help but smile at that.

Turning back to Martok, Bacco said, “About a year and a half ago, I met Benjamin Sisko for the first time.”

The vicious smile directed at Tal’Aura changed into a warm one for the human Martok respected more than any other.

“He told me an interesting story from the war about how your flagship rendezvoused with the U.S.S. Defiant and you beamed aboard because you wanted to see the Starfleet doctor instead of the one in your own medical bay. I’m fully aware of the Klingon prejudice toward good medical practice, and I’m also aware that that’s changed over the years, in part because of your own initiatives after becoming chancellor. That sounds a lot to me like reversing centuries of Klingon tradition for the sake of something better: healthier, longer-lived Klingons who have the opportunity to extend their record of battle and have a better chance of going to Sto-Vo-Kor.”

Once again, Martok was reminded why K’mtok had so changed