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“Perhaps, but you could have simply spoken to Councillor Artrin in your office and demanded his resignation. But you gave him the opportunity to speak his peace. For that, you are to be commended. It is my hope that this spirit of cooperation will become more typical of your administration than it was of the previous one.”

Nan smiled. “Or of my first few months?”

“The first few months of any presidency are fraught with precisely the sort of difficulties you have been suffering. They are exacerbated by your predecessor, who, during the war, took a much more autonomous role than is usual for a Federation president. In the years following the war, that autonomy remained, despite the best efforts of the council. It caused a certain amount of resentment among the more emotional councillors.”

Chuckling, Nan said, “Everyone but you?”

“Not quite everyone.”

Was that a smile she almost started? Nan wondered.

T’Latrek continued. “Your statements regarding the Aligar trade agreement were interpreted by many on the council as what you humans sometimes call ‘more of the same.’ “

Nan sighed. “Yeah, you’re right, I haven’t exactly been playing well with others.”

“Perhaps the most important lesson in your job, Madam President, is to learn that one cannot do what one thinks is best, but rather what will do the job best.” T’Latrek looked up at the painting of Ra-ghoratreii. “I served in President Ra-ghoratreii’s administration, as a junior policy advisor on external matters. I was one of his advisors during the Khitomer conference. One evening, at Khitomer, after the final negotiating session with Chancellor Azetbur and her staff, he met with myself and several others.” T’Latrek paused to take a breath. “The president informed us that he thought the Khitomer Accords-which he was preparing to sign the following morning-were a terrible idea. That the Klingon Empire was only suing for peace because they were crippled by the destruction of Praxis, and that they would use the treaty to use us to build up their resources, and then-when they were truly a superpower in the quadrant again-they would wage war on us. He was convinced that this would be the case-but he also knew that he could not turn his back on Azetbur, and that the treaty was necessary for the short term, even if it would be disastrous in the long term.”

“But he was wrong,” Nan said. “Aside from that one blip eight years ago, the empire’s been our staunchest ally.”

“Yes, he was incorrect in his prediction. People in your position often make mistakes, Madam President. What matters is how those mistakes are dealt with afterward. In President Ra-ghoratreii’s case, it did not matter, because he did not truly commit the mistake. In yours- ” T’Latrek unfolded her hands. “- it remains to be seen. But I have faith in your ability to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them.”

“I appreciate the confidence, Councillor,” Nan said, then added with a smirk, “Though I suspect that learning from my mistakes will just result in newer, more interesting mistakes down the line.”

“That too is in the nature of the position you occupy.” Then that almost-the-beginning-of-a-smile came back. “It is one of several reasons why I have avoided running for your office, Madam President.”

Nan laughed. “Well, Councillor, you’re a much smarter person than I am.”

“That, Madam President, goes without saying,” T’Latrek said archly. “One other item, if I may?”

“Of course,” Nan said with a “go-ahead” gesture.

“I understand you are meeting with Ambassador Spock tomorrow morning.”

“Assuming the travel office didn’t send him to the Badlands by mistake, yeah.” Nan figured out where T’Latrek was going before the councillor had the chance to articulate it. “You want to be in on the meeting?”

“I believe my inclusion would only be logical.”

Not only could Nan not argue with that but she was also kicking herself for not thinking of that sooner. T’Latrek was the councillor in charge of external affairs; she supervised most of the Federation’s foreign diplomats, including Spock. When Spock