Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [89]
“Reactor control to J’rak, we can’t eject the reactor. It’s going to blow!”
J’rak pounded the bulkhead. “Quvatlh! All hands-”
Krivaq’s last thought before the explosion that destroyed the outpost cut off J’rak’s instruction was, Who will mediate the disputes between my brothers now?
3
Praetor Narviat’s Home Ki Baratan, Romulus Romulan Star Empire
Narviat, the Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, sat in his favorite chair and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders, trying desperately to stave off the chill. The servants had already raised the temperature in his anteroom by four degrees, but it didn’t help. With a shivering hand, he reached for the remedy the imperial physician had prescribed-a tea made from a special blend of herbs that the doctor was sure would ease his suffering.
But ultimately, there was nothing to do but wait for the chills to pass, for his ears to unclog, and for his nose to stop running. He tried to inhale, to smell the tea, and sniffed instead, smelling nothing but his own mucus-hardly a palliative.
The side door opened to reveal Charvanek, Narviat’s consort and also his head of security. Worry lined her lovely face, and softened her hard eyes. It was a side of her few saw, and Narviat appreciated it.
“The representatives from the Tal Shiar are here,” she said without preamble. She’d already expressed concern over his sickness, and she was not one to repeat herself, especially since Narviat was already doing all he could. “Shall I send them away?” Her tone implied that she thought his answer to the question should be yes.
“Who is here?”
“Colonels Lovok and Koval.”
Narviat sighed. Or, rather, he tried to, but his congestion transformed it into a ragged cough that made his throat feel as if it were filled with loose gravel, and that almost caused him to lose his grip on the tea mug. After clearing his throat, he said, “No, I will see them.”
“Narviat-”
“Lovok and Koval wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important, my consort. Allow them an audience.”
Now Charvanek’s eyes burned, but she only said, “As you wish,” and departed through the same door.
Narviat sipped more of the tea, the hot liquid burning his tongue. Why must all remedies be so hot?
Moments later, Charvanek reentered, followed by Lovok and Koval. Both men wore the simple gray jumpsuits that many of the Tal Shiar favored.
“The praetor is unwell,” Charvanek said, “so I would ask, Colonels, that you be brief.”
Koval inclined his head toward Charvanek and said solicitously, “Of course.” As with everything that came out of Koval’s mouth, it sounded oily and insincere. Narviat tolerated it only because that insincerity was what made him good at his job.
Indicating the couch opposite his chair, Narviat said, “Have a seat, gentlemen, and tell me what is so urgent that the Tal Shiar visits me in my sickbed.”
Lovok took the proffered seat and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone that Narviat found a welcome contrast to Koval. “We will be brief, Praetor. We have received word from our spies in Klingon space that the High Council has seized lands belonging to the Houses of Qorvos and Taklat.”
Narviat sniffled and set down his tea mug. “Both Houses? Has a reason been given?”
“It was done in a closed council session,” Koval said. “That alone is suspicious.”
Charvanek, who remained standing, snorted. “If Gowron’s acting in secret, it means he’s scared of something.”
“Or he knows where those Houses’ loyalties lie,” Lovok said. “Praetor, it is my belief that we must abandon this particular plan. We lost the House of Duras during Gowron’s ascension.”
“Thanks to Sela,” Koval said with disdain. “Her inability to circumvent a simple blockade ruined that campaign. The empire would have been ours. Instead, we lost our strongest ally among the Klingon aristocracy, and with Qorvos and Taklat’s fall, we lose two others.”
Shaking his head, an action that only made the blockage in his ears worse, Narviat