The Good That Men Do - Andy Mangels [35]
“Captain,” the admiral said, interrupting. “Neither Starfleet nor Earth’s government- all the way up to Minister al-Rashid, and even Nathan Samuels himself- can afford to risk sending the fleet’s flagship off on what could very well turn into a lengthy and distracting snipe hunt. Not with the Coalition Compact signing ceremonies coming up so soon. And certainly not on the basis of such inconclusive evidence.”
The longer Gardner spoke, the more Archer felt his spine stiffen- and the more he was coming around to Trip’s way of thinking. “Respectfully, Admiral, the signing ceremony is three weeks away—”
Gardner interrupted again, causing Archer to bristle further. “The galaxy is a very big place, Captain Archer. And, unfortunately, the slave trade afflicts a fair chunk of it.”
“Perhaps you’ve just identified a very good reason for us to stay out here and do something about it, Admiral,” Archer said, carefully schooling his tone to a fairly convincing degree of calm.
Gardner nettled Archer still further by grinning indulgently. “I would have thought that four years out on the frontier would have taught you a little more patience, Captain.”
Archer returned the admiral’s grin, but with considerably lower wattage. “Patience. Never had much time for it. Sir.”
“Captain. Jonathan.” Gardner appeared to be changing his tack, trying to appear reasonable, rather than patronizing or outright authoritarian. “You’ve been around long enough to know how lawless most of the galaxy is. You and I both know it’s filled to overflowing with slave traders, pirates, gangsters, smugglers, and soldiers-forhire. The best chance we have of doing anything substantive about that sad reality is the Coalition of Planets. Therefore it’s my duty, and yours as well, to do nothing that might conceivably make any of the prospective members any more nervous about entering the alliance than they already are- at least until after the Compact is finalized and signed.”
Not for the first time, Archer breathed a silent prayer of thanks to the fates that Starfleet Command had seen fit to entrust Enterprise to him instead of to Gardner.
The Admiral continued: “And that includes taking risks that might provoke the Orion Syndicate into embargoing any of the Coalition worlds with which they currently do business, such as Coridan or Tellar. Adopting an overly aggressive posture against the Romulans right now is a similarly bad idea, since we don’t yet understand all the repercussions for the allies should hostilities break out within the next three weeks.”
Trip, who was already fairly vibrating with repressed frustration, had apparently reached the limits of his patience. “Admiral, does your list of ‘don’ts’ include leaving our collective ass exposed to a Romulan sneak attack? That’s one ‘repercussion’ that’s fairly easy to see.”
“Trip!” Archer snapped, turning toward his engineer and rising from his chair.
“You have something you’d like to share, Commander Tucker?” Gardner asked. Though he hadn’t raised his voice, he no longer sounded as though he wanted to play reasonable.
“I do, Admiral,” Trip said, almost snarling as he stepped toward the computer on Archer’s desk. “Sir, have you even read the report I filed about the Romulans’ invisible mine field? It was a clear and present danger back when we found it, and I’d bet my commission that the Romulans haven’t gotten any friendlier in the two and a half years that have gone by since. They’ve even tried to install invisibility cloaks on their ships, and if they ever perfect that—” Trip’s anger-besotted features posed a remarkable contrast to T’Pol’s expression of slightly surprised calm.
“Commander,” Archer ordered, “that’s enough.”
Though still red-faced, Trip nodded to Archer and looked contrite as he stepped back beside T’Pol.
“I apologize, Admiral,” Archer said as he turned back to the screen in front of the