Dark Matters_ Ghost Dance (Book 2) - Christie Golden [74]
And the final blow: "She has been fraternizing with Vulcan sympathizers." He turned and looked at her, his eyes cold. "I had her followed. It is unlikely you will be able to extract information forcibly from her through regular methods because of the disciplines"-he sneered the word as if it were something filthy-"she has mastered sitting at the feet of pacifists."
"There is one final thing before we pronounce your sentence," said the Empress. "You have the Right of Statement. Do you choose to accept it or waive it?"
"I accept," she said, her voice sounding thin and hesitant. The centurions helped her to her feet as the recording device was brought to her. The impassive
master of the device tapped on the controls, then stood back, waiting.
Now that the time had come, Jekri was at a loss for words. Verrak's betrayal had taken the last traces of fire, of hope, out of her. She was exhausted, wrung out like a limp rag, and her tongue felt thick and sluggish in her mouth.
She dragged her gaze up to the dais and regarded Lhiau. He was smirking. That gave her the energy she needed.
"I stand before you as a condemned prisoner," she began. She knew the ritual opening by heart, but had never thought she herself would be speaking these words. "But prisoner or no, I am a Romulan, and to mat end I record my final statement My crime is treason, but, my friends, I am no traitor. I am as loyal a servant to the highest goals of the Romulan Empire as can be found on this planet or any other. Everything I have done, and everything I have thought, and everything for which I have striven has been to further those goals.
"There stands before you one who does not have the interests of the Empire in his heart. His name is Lhiau of the Shepherds, who has wormed his way into the highest ranks and spreads corruption and lies wherever he touches."
There were murmurs, but no one interrupted her. She could speak whatever she liked now. They would not stop her, no matter what she said.
"He comes, bearing a tantalizing prize-quadrant domination. This is achieved solely by trusting him and his technology, technology that I believe with all
my heart to be directly responsible for the destruction of our thirteen warbirds and some of the finest warriors the Empire has ever birthed. What do we know about this technology? Why did we choose to implement it so freely? My friends, fellow Romulans, I believe we were duped. Duped by Lhiau.
"He asks us to defeat his enemies. Has he even named them? He takes our Empress, our beautiful, proud, strong Empress whom I honor above all females as what a Romulan should be, and makes her a fvai to sit at his feet and wag her tail at his words!"
The outbursts were loud and angry this time, and the Empress rose from her chair. Jekri continued frantically.
"Empress, I have always served you and this Empire with my whole being. I know that I am nothing without the Empire. Why do you throw it away? I have felt Lhiau's presence in my mind like a rapist He can read thoughts, can influence them. You are under his influence even now, and you are too blind to see!" She whirled, facing the senators. "All of you are! We will pay for your blindness, your heedless-ness, your self-serving rejection of your duty. We will pay terribly. I, fortunately, will be long dead by the time Lhiau topples the Empire and places the crown of Emperor on his pretty golden head. And for that I am glad, I am glad. But you will have to see, and know, and remember this moment when I, Jekri Kaleh, once chairman of the Tal Shiar, stood before you and warned you of the dire consequences of your misplaced ambition.
"Beware