Riker was about to respond, but Xiomek held up his hand. “Captain, I have more important matters to deal with right now than you and your offers that give us nothing. You have the safety of your ship. Be grateful, stay back, and let us forge our destiny without your interference.”Then the screen went blank.
Riker let out his breath, his shoulders sagging as though deflating. He wanted to let out a string of Klingon curses fit to melt the deckplates, but he somehow held his tongue. Facing Akaar and his own bridge crew right now was bad enough without displaying any further weakness. The last thing he wanted to do now was look as ridiculous as Khegh.
And then it hit him. Khegh.
He whirled around, doing his best to suppress a sly smile. “Christine, you have the bridge. Ambassador Spock, would you please accompany me to my ready room? I believe I’m going to need some expert diplomatic assistance.”
He moved toward the door to his ready room, catching Deanna’s eyes for only an instant.
Don’t worry,Imzadi ,he thought. I think I’ve finally got this thing figured out.
Chapter Twenty-two
U.S.S. TITAN
The fighting had stopped, at least for the moment.
Troi sensed both incredulity and admiration radiating from the otherwise inscrutable Tuvok. If he doesn’t report to sickbay soon, he’s liable to fall down.But the skies over Romulus still teemed with hostile, Reman-crewed warships, and Tuvok’s assistance during their attack had proved indispensable. The outbreak of hostilities had kept the intelligence operative too busy to submit to a thorough examination in sickbay, though he had found the time to exchange his torn and bloodied Romulan traveling cassock for a standard-issue Starfleet duty uniform.
Tuvok, who was working at Lieutenant Commander Keru’s tactical station, looked toward the center of the bridge, where Troi and Vale sat. “Whatever Captain Riker did, it appears to be working,” Tuvok said. “Although more than half of their vessels remain fully operational—and able to continue fighting—the Remans are withdrawing.”
“Confirmed,” Jaza said, his eyes trained on the science station’s scanners. “The Reman attack fleet has begun falling back toward Remus.”
The ready-room door swished open. Troi turned and watched as Will strode briskly back onto the bridge, followed a moment later by Ambassador Spock, who moved across the bridge with supple grace.
The turbolift doors slid open, and Troi saw Akaar step onto the bridge after a brief absence that the admiral hadn’t seen fit to explain to anyone. Perhaps he had needed some privacy in order to consult his local covert intelligence resources; she assumed he was looking in on the twilight power struggle that doubtless continued on the ground, even as the battle in the skies over Romulus reached a tentative conclusion, or at least a stalemate.
The tension that suffused the admiral’s body reminded her of her own current uncharacteristic emotional state. She had been angry and frustrated—and frankly still was—at having been excluded from whatever ad hoc plan Will had apparently just hatched to convince the Remans to break off their aerial assault on Romulus.
Troi looked back at Vale, who was already rising from the command chair Will had left in her care less than half an hour earlier. I can understand Will ordering Christine to stay out here on the bridge while he and Spock did gods-only-know-what in the ready room. Somebody has to tend the rudder. But I’m thediplomatic officer. I should have been in on whatever plan they’ve come up with.
She tried to set aside her own wounded pride, though without complete success. Whatever deal Will and the ambassador had just negotiated behind closed doors, it was clear to Troi that neither of them wanted anyone else to share responsibility in the event their improvised plan were to result in catastrophe.
Troi recalled something Data had observed about her husband many years earlier: During battle, William Riker tended to rely on conventional strategies and tactics less than a quarter of the time. Perhaps this is just another one of those inspired occasions,she thought.
“Well?” Akaar said as Will and Spock came to a stop before him.
“I believe we were successful, Admiral,” Spock said. “At least so far.”
“The Remans are no longer shooting at us,” Akaar allowed. “Or overtly menacing Romulus. Those are satisfactory results, I should think.”
Will spread his hands. “But only temporary ones, unless we take the next step, and quickly. Now the Romulans have to stand down as well, or else there really willbe hell to pay. And if that happens, we won’t have a prayer of stopping it again.”
“The Remans have moved against Romulus, using the Empire’s own ships,” Akaar said. “The Romulans will expect to strike back decisively. And immediately.”
“Indeed,” Spock said, his jaw set in a grim line. “Though the Remans did very little real damage to Romulus, this incursion has no doubt dealt a serious blow to Romulan pride.”
Troi knew that the Remans could have laid waste to much of Ki Baratan before the planet’s disorganized defenses finally mobilized themselves. She also knew that it was foolish to expect the Remans’ restraint to inspire any gratitude from the Romulans.
But that restraint did give her reason to hope that Colonel Xiomek might be amenable to making an honorable peace with his Romulan neighbors.
Will offered Akaar an ironic half-smile. “And we thought it was going to be hard to persuade the Romulan factions to work together again.”
“Few things are quite so persuasive as a phaser pointed at one’s head, Captain,” Akaar observed dryly.
“Sensors are picking up another pair of warbirds approaching Romulus, Captain,” Tuvok reported. “They’re dropping out of warp now, on an intercept heading toward the retreating Reman fleet. I have identified one of the warbirds as Commander Donatra’s vessel, the Valdore.”
Will took several steps toward Tuvok’s station. “Hail her, Mr. Tuvok. She and Suran weren’t privy to the, ah, dealthat Ambassador Spock and I just struck with our Reman friends. We can’t afford to let her undo it.”
A few moments later, Donatra’s face appeared in the wide viewscreen’s center. Troi hadn’t seen her look so careworn since immediately after the battle against Shinzon. Troi sensed a profound feeling of loss. Had someone close to Donatra died during the Reman attack?
“Captain Riker. I’m glad to see your vessel hasn’t been too badly damaged during this…unpleasantness.”
Troi quietly shook her head at Donatra’s gift for under-statement. “Unpleasantness” hardly did justice to an armed battle involving dozens of starships. And maybe at least that many casualties,she thought.
“We’re fine, thank you,” Will said to Donatra. “But that’s not my main concern at the moment. I need you to break off your pursuit of the Reman fleet.”
Donatra regarded him as though he had just grown a second head. “Excuse me?”
“Please listen to me, Commander. Captain Picard and I trusted you during the Shinzon affair. Now I’m asking you to return the favor.”
“We’re being hailed,” Tuvok reported.
“By whom?” asked Vale.