Section 31_ Rogue - Andy Mangels [91]
Zweller turned his back to his friends, and walked over to the viewing window, staring out at the sparse sea of stars floating in the blackness. Finally, he spoke. “None of this was supposed to happen. Certainly not the Slayton’s destruction or the ambassador’s death. And nobody knew about the subspace singularity.”
He paused and put one hand to the back of his neck, before speaking again. “As for the fate of Chiaros IV, I don’t believe that its destiny has ever lain with the Federation. Ruardh’s brutality would have been a black eye on the UFP’s peaceful, smiling face. The planet was a write-off before you ever got here.”
Batanides’s tone was wrathful. “Are you saying that Aubin died for nothing?”
“No. I’m saying that a deal had already been brokered to hand Chiaros IV over to the Romulans. At the time, my superiors believed that the only result of Romulan annexation would be the loss of an expanse of space that perfectly defines the term ‘void.’ As I said, no one knew about the singularity.”
Picard became aware that his mouth was hanging open in surprise. He shut it with an audible snap, then spoke again. “You said that these supposed higher-ups in Starfleet had made a deal. What were we allegedly getting in exchange for handing this system over to the Romulans?”
“The Romulan Tal Shiar was going to furnish a list of all Romulan intelligence operatives working inside the Federation. Prior to the discovery of the subspace singularity, it had looked like a pretty good deal.” Zweller picked at a loose thread on his tunic, a mannerism so casual that the revelations he was sharing might have been something as innocuous as soufflé recipes. Picard wasn’t sure what angered him the most, the secrets, the lies, or Zweller’s cavalier attitude.
“I’m to meet with Tal Shiar Chairman Koval at a remote location in the Chiarosan asteroid belt immediately after the Romulans win the referendum,” Zweller said. “There, he’ll give me a data chip containing the list.”
“In other words, you’re betraying the Federation to the Romulans for a chip?” Batanides said, her voice taut.
Zweller’s face and voice betrayed only a flicker of emotion as he leaned forward, hands on the table. “No, Marta. I’m acting on behalf of an agency whose highest priority is the Federation’s security. As far as my superiors knew, my mission would have cost us little and benefited us greatly.”
“You know as well as I do that those Romulan agents are probably set to be purged anyhow,” she replied. “And that there are probably innocents on that list who will be removed from their posts or charged with conspiracy so that the Romulans can replace them with their own people.”
“I don’t think that any Starfleet Intelligence operatives will be charging forward blindly to arrest and prosecute everyone on the list without first-“
“Enough!” Picard slammed both hands down on the table, scowling at his two oldest friends. He had a hard time swallowing everything Zweller had just told him; on the other hand, he certainly couldn’t dismiss out of hand the commander’s charges against Ruardh’s government. Riker and Troi had corroborated that part of Zweller’s story, after all.
The captain turned toward the admiral and spoke, his tone measured. “We must salvage as much of this situation as possible. I think it’s clear now that Ruardh and her government have been concealing their ethnic cleansing pogroms from us all along. And now that the rebel headquarters have been destroyed-regardless of who is responsible-the people seem certain to reject Federation membership, and perhaps even Ruardhcontinued rule. I’m afraid I must agree that the loss of Chiaros IV seems a foregone conclusion at this point.”
He switched his gaze from Batanides to Zweller, and continued. “You’ve obfuscated the truth so much, Corey, that I almost don’t know what to believe anymore. Except for this: Your exchange with the Romulans must go ahead as planned.”
“What? Why?” Batanides appeared dumbfounded. Zweller looked surprised as well.
“Marta, if the Romulans are playing straight with Corey,” Picard said,