Articles of the Federation - Keith R. A. DeCandido [62]
Also present were Raisa Shostakova, Safranski, Jas Abrik, Roshenz Huaig, Holly Hostetler Richman, William Ross, and Leonard Akaar. They were waiting for a comm line to get through to the Federation embassy on Qo’noS. Nan Bacco was in a security council session, the first since Krim Aldos had been ratified by a ninety-seven to thirty-five vote three days earlier. They were going over various bits of business and also standing by for Esperanza’s call in case the security council would need to deal with the situation.
Finally, the screen lit up with the faces of Alexander Rozhenko and Spock. As soon as Esperanza saw the expression on the former’s face-Spock was too stoic to give anything away-she knew it wasn’t good news.
“Ambassadors, this is Esperanza Piniero-the council’s in session, so the president is busy. What’s the good word?” She was trying to sound optimistic, but she wondered if the attempt sounded as pathetic to everyone else in the room as it did to her.
“I wish we had a good word to give you, Ms. Piniero.”
Spock added, “In fact, there is some good news. The High Council agreed with our notion of providing the Remans with their own homeworld. The worlds that I suggested in the Kavrot Sector were all deemed acceptable, and the council has chosen Klorgat IV.”
“I assume the bad news relates to Outpost 22.”
“Indeed,” Spock said. “The empire’s acceptance of the relocation of the Remans is contingent upon our delivering all twenty-nine Remans aboard the Vkruk to the Ditagh when it arrives tomorrow.”
“They won’t budge on that?”
“Not a chance,” Rozhenko said. “The High Council doesn’t care about the internal politics of the Remans-their mandate’s to protect all of them.”
“What about the Khito- “
“I know what you’re gonna say, Ms. Piniero, but- ” Rozhenko hesitated. “Councillor Kopek summed up the High Council’s feelings on the subject when he said that so literal-minded an interpretation of Paragraph 27 of the Khitomer Accords is, and I quote, ‘cowardly.’ “
Abrik barked a laugh. “Klingons sure do know how to cut us to the quick.”
Spock said, “Their resolve is absolute. They have no intention of negotiating.”
“Mr. Ambassador,” Ross said, “I can’t believe that the Klingons are being this stubborn on so minor an issue. Are you sure there’s no room for negotiation? Some concession we can give them in exchange for allowing us to grant the refugees asylum?”
“I proposed that very notion, Admiral, and it was rejected without reason.”
Rozhenko then said, “I think I can take a guess why, though.”
“Really?” Abrik asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Esperanza shot the retired admiral a look, then said to Rozhenko, “What’s your theory, Mr. Ambassador?”
“Being protectors of the Remans is something the Klingons take seriously for one reason: It gets the Romulans really mad.”
Involuntarily, Esperanza laughed. So did Shostakova, Hostetler Richman, and Ross. “Great, so the Klingons are getting their jollies. Where does that leave us?”
Shostakova recovered from her brief fit of laughter at Rozhenko’s bluntness. “With two options: turn over the refugees or abrogate the treaty. I do not believe that it is necessary to explain the consequences of the latter.”
“Those are not our only options,” Akaar said. “They are merely the most obvious.”
Giving the Capellan a withering look, the secretary of defense said, “They are our only options under the law, Admiral.”
Ross regarded Esperanza with a serious expression. “What do you think, Esperanza?”
“I think that precisely nobody in this room is qualified to make any of these decisions.” She touched the intercom on the table in front of her. “Put me through to the clerk’s office.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the Starfleet ensign who handled communications on this floor said.
Moments later, a voice said, “This is Selk.”
“Bgdronik, it’s Esperanza-can you tell whoever’s clerking on