The Red King - Michael A. Martin [123]
“I’d believe the truth, Donatra. Governor Khegh is going to demand nothing less of me.”
Donatra waved dismissively. “Governor Khegh won’t want to admit in polite company that he sent a cloaked vessel to follow our ships into the Bloom in the first place. Any truth is therefore more truth than that fat, inept, Klingon ryak’na deserves.”
“So you are admitting it.” Riker looked disappointed, and Donatra found that this disturbed her even more than his outrage.
She retreated behind a shield of righteous anger. “I admit nothing, Captain. And as long as we are discussing truth, I must remind you of the promise you made to me.”
“Promise?”
“Your pledge not to reveal that I was forced to cripple the majority of the ships in my fleet as part of our joint effort to neutralize the Bloom.”
The human captain’s brow creased into a perplexed scowl. “What the hell does that have to do with the Dugh ?”
“Everything, Captain—that is, if I’m truly guilty of the charges you’ve leveled at me. If Khegh becomes as convinced of my treachery as you evidently are, he could very well figure out why I supposedly did this thing.”
Riker paused, considering. “Because Tchev would have reported that about half your ships jettisoned their cores inside the rift. And Khegh and the Klingon High Council might have seen that as an exploitable vulnerability.”
“Precisely. And Khegh would therefore decide that I would have had ample reason not to allow the Dugh to pass through the Bloom intact.”
“So you’re admitting you had a motive. You’re making my case for me.”
“Nonsense. Motive alone proves nothing.”
“You also had means and opportunity, Commander.”
In spite of herself, her anger began burning hotter than her wounds. “I’m not on trial, Riker, and you don’t stand in judgment over me. Take care not to tread so heavily on our alliance. Don’t forget, I control the Romulan fleet. That ought to make me someone you consider quite dangerous to trifle with.”
Riker fumed in silence for a lengthy interval, clearly angered at having been so deftly outmaneuvered. Federation humans, she thought, her anger receding. The best of them are so earnest and honorable. As well as naïve and tractable.
“I won’t lie for you, Donatra,” he said.
“And I wouldn’t dream of asking that of you, William. All I ask is…your discretion regarding the current vulnerable condition of my fleet. At least until a few weeks of repairs are behind us. We have deadly enemies on our doorstep, and the Empire’s internal political stability remains in question, in spite of your noble efforts on our behalf. Surely you can appreciate the need to be…selective, at the very least, about what you decide to tell Khegh.”
“Khegh’s flagship is already on its way here, Donatra. His people will be scanning your ships. They’ll know that half your fleet has been crippled.”
Donatra allowed a tiny smile to escape onto her lips. Shaking her head, she said, “No, Captain. All they’ll see are the false warp singularity-core readings being projected along our fleetwide internal subspace comm network from those of my ships that remain warp-capable. Khegh will learn only what I wish him to learn.”
“Unless I decide differently, you mean.”
“Consider your best interests, Captain. Your diplomatic mission to Romulus would be undone if anything were to add significantly to the antagonism the Klingons and their Reman clients already have for my people.”
“True.”
“And you still have to ferry the Neyel asteroid colony to the Neutral Zone so that Starfleet can tow it into Federation space. Titan cannot perform that task unaided. You need my cooperation and goodwill. Consider that.”
He glared at her, his blue eyes flashing like a pair of disruptor tubes. But she met his gaze without flinching.
“All right, Commander. You win this one. But you’d better understand something: Whatever ‘honor debts’ you might think I owe you, I hereby consider them