Crossover - Michael Jan Friedman [71]
The crowd roared its approval. Pausing to let the applause die down, Tharrus considered Surak’s followers with a scornful eye.
“Thousands of years ago,” he said, “the seeds of the Romulan Empire were grown on the planet Vulcan, among a powerful race of conquerors. However, on the eve of their greatness, before the mightiest on that world could unite it in a common purpose, a plague was visited on Vulcan. A philosophy of weakness overcame the population.
“The strong on Vulcan were faced with a choice—rule over a race of passive and cowardly people, or strike out into the reaches of space and found an Empire, before which the entire galaxy would one day shudder. This became our Empire.”
Pointing to the unificationists, the governor raised his voice a notch louder. “These traitors who stand before you would destroy that strength. They study the teachings of the very weaklings on whom the Empire turned its back. They seek to spread that philosophy among us, and reunite the Empire with Vulcan under a tyranny of cowardice.”
Tharrus lowered both his accusing finger and his voice, forcing the crowd to listen carefully to his next words. “But this traitorous plot ends here, and it ends today. Our operatives have apprehended the traitors you see before you, and collected incontrovertible proof of their guilt. Thanks to these efforts, the Romulan Empire will survive. It will endure.”
When the governor paused this time, a tremendous din of approval rang through the crowd, even greater than before.
“We are not here to determine the guilt or innocence of those you see before you,” Tharrus pointed out, “for their guilt is certain. We are here to see justice done.”
Turning his attention from the crowd to the students of Surak, the governor asked, “Do any of you traitors wish to confess your crime, and pledge your allegiance to the Empire, before your sentence is pronounced? Do any of you choose to denounce your treason and die citizens of the Romulan Empire?”
Tharrus, his council, and the crowd waited silently. But none of the students of Surak spoke.
Spock was pleased. His followers would remain true to the movement even now, despite the reemergence of their Romulan emotions.
While they could not embrace all the principles of logic and the Vulcan way of life, they had seen the waste and illogic of the Romulan Empire. If that were possible, perhaps there was hope for the movement. Perhaps some day, reunification might yet become a reality.
Finally, D’tan stepped forward and broke the silence. “We choose the right of statement,” the youth asserted.
A murmur ran through the crowd as Tharrus hurriedly conferred with his advisors. A moment later, the governor spoke.
“The right of statement is reserved for loyal citizens of the Romulan Empire. You have given up your allegiance, and therefore that right.”
Another murmur wove its way among the spectators. The Teacher knew why, from personal experience.
The right of statement was one of the oldest and most protected of Romulan privileges, one that had not been abridged for centuries. And contrary to Tharrus’s claim, it was not restricted to loyal citizens, or even Romulans.
“However,” the governor went on, “I grant each of you the opportunity to speak for five minutes—no more.”
The murmur increased in volume. A trial of this nature, even when there was a clear-cut case of treason, routinely took days to complete. In some trials, the statements of the accused had been known to go on for weeks.
Tharrus must have a good reason to end the trial today, Spock mused. Enough to risk the repercussions of abrogating the rebels’ rights.
Finally, the sound of the crowd ceased—though the Vulcan wondered if the discontent would end there.
For the twelfth time by his own count, Riker peered out of the cell he shared with Data and Geordi, looking past the translucent energy