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“No, the least I can do after costing you Brannik IV is getting you a water reclamation system that will actually reclaim your water. Anyhow, the appointment’s got nothing to do with the deal with the Carreon, it has to do with Artrin resigning. The fun part’s gonna be replacing him on the security- ” She finally noticed K’mtok. “Mr. Ambassador-I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow will be too late. I will speak to you now.”

Bacco turned to Sivak. “Have I got anything else besides Toshiro’s shindig?”

“No, ma’am-however, you are already fifteen minutes late for that.”

Turning to K’mtok, Bacco said, “Well, I wouldn’t be much of a leader if I showed up any sooner than half an hour late to an official function. You’ve got fifteen minutes, Mr. Ambassador-I suggest you make it good.” She then turned to the Deltan. “Councillor, I’ll see you at 1330.”

“Thank you, Madam President.” The Deltan then looked at K’mtok. “Mr. Ambassador.”

“Councillor,” K’mtok said, realizing that the woman was Eleana, the representative of Delta IV to the Federation Council.

Bacco moved toward the door, where the second guard had also taken up position. She expected K’mtok to follow her without prompting, a compliment the ambassador hadn’t been expecting.

As soon as the door shut behind him, K’mtok said, “You are not considering granting asylum to the Remans at your outpost.” He deliberately did not phrase it as a question.

“Really? I wasn’t aware that precognition was among your many talents, Mr. Ambassador.”

K’mtok frowned. “I assume that was a typical human attempt at humor.”

“Actually, my attempts at humor are pretty atypical, but that’s neither here nor there.”

“That was not a prediction, Madam President, it was a statement.”

“Sounded like an order to me.”

Shrugging, K’mtok said, “You may interpret it that way if you wish.”

“Oh, I don’t wish-because, you see, there’s only one person who gives orders in this office, and it is most assuredly not you.” The woman sat down at her desk and indicated the chair opposite it. “Have a seat, sir.”

“I prefer to stand.”

With more steel in her voice than K’mtok would have expected from an elderly human woman, she asked, “Remember what I said about giving orders, Mr. Ambassador?”

Under his gray beard, K’mtok smiled as he took the proffered chair. He had dealt with Bacco’s predecessor only a few times before his resignation, but K’mtok had had little congress with Bacco herself since her election. Perhaps she will be a more worthy opponent than I expected. She certainly is more invigorating than that spineless Bolian.

“Now then, why don’t we start this conversation over again. I believe you had a concern about the Reman refugees at Outpost 22.”

“They are not Reman refugees, Madam President. They are Klingon proteges. Under the terms of the Khitomer Accords, you are obliged to turn them over to the empire at our request.”

Bacco stared at him for a moment. “I take it that your presence here is that request?”

“Correct.”

The president rubbed her chin. “You are aware of the Remans’ situation, aren’t you?”

“No, nor do I need to be. Madam President, the treaty is clear. The ‘situation,’ as you put it, is of no consequence. A Defense Force vessel, the I.K.S. Ditagh, is on its way to Outpost 22 right now. It will arrive in four days. At that time, you will turn over all seventy-nine Remans to Captain Vikagh, who will remand them to Klingon custody.”

“Oh, will I?” Bacco said with a wholly inappropriate smile.

K’mtok realized that he had once again phrased his statements incorrectly. Most Federation citizens-even ones in positions of power-were intimidated by a Klingon giving orders. This one was made of sterner stuff, her appearance notwithstanding. “Perhaps I phrased that badly, Madam President.”

“Drop the ‘perhaps,’ and I’ll agree with you. Look, you want to send the Ditagh to the outpost, that’s your right. See, I’m pretty familiar with the Khitomer Accords. For reasons that should be pretty obvious, my staff and I’ve been reading them over. There are lots of terms to them, some