Taking Wing - Michael A. Martin [35]
“What do you mean, Commander?” Akaar said. Though he remained difficult to get a precise empathic “read” on, Troi perceived little other than patient curiosity coming from the large man.
Still, she decided it was best to proceed with utmost caution. “Just,” Troi began slowly, “that the political chaos in the Romulan Empire presents the Federation with a unique opportunity.”
“Ah,” Akaar said with a knowing nod. “You are speaking of the opportunity to neutralize the Romulan Empire’s potential as a threat to us by splitting it up. The same opportunity that some say we failed to exploit with the Klingons nearly a century ago, after the Praxis explosion threatened Qo’noS itself with destruction.”
Troi shook her head, intensely uncomfortable with being compared to the flinty-eyed cold warriors of a thankfully bygone era. “Not precisely, sir. But surely some of the Empire’s former subject worlds—Nemor, for example, or perhaps Miridian—might be amenable to voluntarily entering the Federation sphere of influence now that Romulus can no longer effectively rule them.”
“True enough,” said Akaar. “And had Arafel Pagro prevailed in the recent presidential election, our current mission might well have been to secure exactly that result. But President Bacco has chosen instead to build trust with the Romulan Empire by assisting it in its efforts to remain essentially intact, in no small part to maintain the Federation’s security along the Neutral Zone.”
“Meaning we’re just going to prop up Praetor Tal’Aura’s regime?” said Vale, clearly unhappy with that prospect and apparently addressing the entire room.
T’Sevek shook her graying head. “That is a gross over-simplification of our mission, Commander. The goal of our task force is to assist the new praetor in reaching an accord with several rival factions that have emerged to fill the dangerous power vacuum created by the sudden absence of the Romulan Senate.”
T’Sevek’s fleeting mention of the task force reminded Troi that Akaar still had yet to fill anyone in on precisely which other starships had been assigned to accompany Titan into the Romulan Neutral Zone, aside from the trio of aging Miranda-class supply vessels that had escorted her all the way from Utopia Planitia Station. It seemed rather late in the game for this particular detail still to be unannounced. Was it possible that Starfleet Command actually expected Titan to prevent the dissolution of the Romulan Empire essentially on her own?
“I was under the impression, Admiral,” Dr. Ree said, interrupting Troi’s reverie with his oddly sibilant almost-purr, “that Romulan praetors never share power willingly.”
“You are correct, Doctor,” Akaar said. “But Praetor Tal’Aura is nothing if not a pragmatist. Both she and the newly appointed Proconsul Tomalak are creatures of necessity, well aware that today’s oppressed dissidents can be tomorrow’s desperate assassins—like Shinzon. Along with a few key survivors among the behind-the-scenes backers of the now-defunct Senate, they understand that it is better to strike deals with their political opponents sooner, rather than risk sharing the Senate’s fate later.”
T’Rel shot an expectant look in the direction of Akaar, whose silent nod invited her to resume the prepared briefing. “Over the past two weeks, a number of rival political factions have gained prominence on Romulus.”
Two weeks, Troi thought, coming to a sudden realization about Akaar’s presence aboard the ship. No wonder the admiral has spent so much time alone in the stellar cartography lab since he came aboard. She reasoned that he must have been using it as a “war room” for modeling the volatile Romulan geopolitical situation—and that Akaar’s strangely unhurried attitude toward Titan’s departure date had a purpose behind it as well. Maybe he didn’t want to get us under way too quickly. Perhaps he preferred to allow Tal’Aura’s opponents some additional time to gather their strength—or wanted Tal’Aura herself to simplify the game