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Narviat snorted. “'Honor,’ indeed. So honored is he that he is losing this war for us!”

“Surely, Praetor, the difficult prosecution of the war cannot be laid at the feet of a single-”

“Oh, it can. I just met with my senior-most admirals. They painted quite a fascinating picture of the 'difficult prosecution of the war,’ as you so delicately put it. When I queried them as to why our forces have been routed with such regularity-including that rather embarrassing defeat at Khitomer-they said it was because the intelligence provided by the Tal Shiar has been faulty!”

Koval put his hands behind his back. “No intelligence network can be one hundred percent foolproof, Praetor. I’m sure Colonel Lovok is doing the best he can under trying circumstances.”

Narviat smiled without mirth. “If this truly is the best he can do, then I weep for the survival of our empire. Regardless, I can no longer tolerate this. You will take over the intelligence gathering for the war from Lovok.”

“And what is Lovok’s new assignment to be?”

Normally, Narviat would not have to explain. But these were not normal times, and Koval probably wished to be absolutely clear about what his praetor was requesting.

“I wish him to be permanently removed.”

This time, Koval’s bow was deep. “As the praetor commands. If you will excuse me, I will expedite this matter.”

“Please do.” Narviat started pacing again. “I wonder if this war was wise. I did not expect the Federation to involve themselves.”

“We could do little else, after such unprovoked attacks on our people. The Grimar incident was isolated. The Klingon response was premeditated-and also duplicitous. It required retaliation.”

Narviat scowled. Klingons were always using avenging their House name to justify unnecessary violence. While he could appreciate family loyalty, Narviat found it reprehensible that Gowron used it as an excuse to sanction violence against Romulans while allowing himself to wash his hands of any responsibility.

And war between their two nations had been coming for some time.

It was only a pity it was being waged so badly. Were it not for Lovok’s incompetence, Narviat was sure his troops would be winning the day. Between the Defense Force’s bloodthirsty incompetence and Starfleet’s softness, they should have been easy foes to defeat.

But now it would be taken care of. He dismissed Koval, who exited the strategy room to carry out his appointed task.

Lovok cursed the incompetent fools of the military.

His agents had done their work well, learning about Starfleet troop movements and Defense Force strategies-particularly the latter, since Klingons leaked intelligence like a broken raft taking on water.

But somehow, the information he relayed did no good. It was as if the military never received his information-or acted in direct contradiction to it.

At first, Lovok had assumed it to be the usual stubbornness. The colonel had lost track of the number of admirals and commanders and subcommanders who deliberately ignored what the Tal Shiar told them, out of some kind of pig-headed insistence that the Tal Shiar were unnecessary. Usually, it was due to some imagined infraction that they believed the Tal Shiar had committed against them, their families, or their friends.

It grew tiresome. Lovok did the work of the empire. Everything he did, every action he took, was to make the Romulan Star Empire stronger. If a few families lost their parents or children or siblings, what of it?

Of course, Lovok had brought this to Koval’s attention several weeks ago. Koval had promised to let the praetor and the Senate know. “It will be dealt with, rest assured,” Koval had said.

Weeks later, and nothing. Lovok had provided everything necessary for a successful attack on Khitomer. That thrice-damned planet was the location of the historic treaty negotiations between the Federation and Klingons-a treaty that was directly responsible for this war being a third again as large as it should have been. One of Lovok’s agents had learned of a flaw in their defenses and provided it to the military.

The