“Move on to whom?” Ledahn asked as Theno returned carrying a padd, which he proceeded to hand over to Asarem. “You and I both know all the names on that list. None of them have the qualities Sorati had, the qualities you told me were essential for Bajor’s Federation councillor. Let’s not deceive ourselves.”
Asarem ignored him and began scrolling through the padd.
Into the silence, Theno said, “Second Minister, may I ask you a question?”
Rubbing the ridges of his nose, Ledahn said, “Sure, Theno, what is it?”
“I’ve recently been informed that Cardassian voles have become an asset to the environment. Why are they not a protected species?”
Ledahn blinked, looked at Asarem, who continued to ignore them as she scrutinized the padd, and then turned back to Theno.
“Well, after all, they’re voles.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Theno said.
“Thank you, Theno, that will be all,” Asarem snapped. As her aide inclined his head and withdrew, Asarem tossed the padd aside in disgust. “You’re right,” she told Ledahn. “None of these are satisfactory. Any one of them is qualifiedfor the job, but there isn’t one that makes me confident they’ll be the kind of voice I think Bajor needs to have.”
Ledahn considered the matter. “You found Sorati by deciding to look outside the diplomatic arena,” he reminded her. “Isn’t there anyone else you know in the legislative or judiciary branches, or even outside the government, with the qualities and qualifications you’re looking for?”
“Colonel Enand Adassa,” Asarem said without hesitation. “He’s the commander of Militia forces on Prophet’s Landing. He’s sharp and has a good grasp of politics. He’s even considered running for governor of the colony. Or he did, before he decided to join Starfleet.”
“It isn’t too late to persuade him to change his mind,” Ledahn pointed out.
Asarem shook her head, reconsidering. “No. As much good as I think he would do for us on the Federation Council, it’s just as important that we have some of our best people in Starfleet.”
Ledahn nodded. “All right. Anyone else?”
“Opaka Sulan.”
He frowned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? She has the charisma, the intelligence, the integrity, and the strength of character—”
“She’s needed here, First Minister,” Ledahn said. “The Vedek Assembly has lost a lot of trust among the people over the years. Opaka’s return is being seen as a breath of fresh air. I understand there are many who still hope she’ll run for kai again. She can do the most good staying close to Bajor.”
Asarem sighed. “You’re right. Our options are dwindling, though. Prophets, I can’t believe I didn’t try harder to find more candidates like Sorati the first time around.”
“You couldn’t have known,” said Ledahn. “Once it became clear the Chamber of Ministers wasn’t going to see things your way with Sorati, there wasn’t much point in looking for others like her. You did what the situation required: You met them halfway.”
“And because I didn’t anticipate things evergoing my way,” Asarem said bitterly, “I’ll have to settle again, won’t I?”
Ledahn didn’t answer. Instead, she heard the sound of a throat clearing. The ministers turned in the direction of the noise.
“If I may be so bold, Ministers,” Theno said from the doorway, “I have a suggestion….”
“Are you still here?” Asarem asked. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Sadly, First Minister, that is precisely the reason I accepted this position.”
Asarem laughed in spite of herself and slapped the conference table with both hands. “Very well. I’ll make a deal with you, Theno: If you have a way to salvage this mess, you can have myjob.”
“I could never hope to run our world as you do, First Minister.”
Asarem’s eyes narrowed as she considered all the possible interpretations of Theno’s reply. “Do you have someone to suggest, or don’t you?”
“Your former husband.”
Ledahn’s mouth dropped open.
Asarem stared at her aide. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” she said quietly.
Ledahn was nearly out his seat. “Uh, you may not have that luxury, First Minister….”
Asarem held up a finger. “Stop right there—”
“I’m just saying—”
“Not another word!”
“If you’ll just calm down and think about it for a moment—”
“The answer is no.” Asarem pointed at her aide. “Get out, Theno. Get out, or by the Prophets, I’m going to kill you.”
Unfazed, her aide walked calmly toward the door leading to the anteroom. “I’ll leave you to it, then, Ministers,” Theno drawled. “I’m quite confident that between the two of you, you’ll find someone passable.”He closed the door behind him without a backward glance.
Fuming, Asarem turned back to Ledahn. “Now, as for you…”
“He has every quality you said you wanted Bajor’s Federation councillor to have,” Ledahn said, speaking rapidly. “And unless something has changed in the last seven years, he’s available. If not him, who?”
Shaking her head, she rose from the conference table and retreated behind the imaginary safety of her desk. “Absolutely not. There’s no way I’m going to—”
“First Minister, it’s either this, or we hand the decision back to the Chamber of Ministers.”
“Then let them have it!” Asarem shouted.
Ledahn stood his ground. “We both know you don’t mean that.”
Asarem sat down heavily and rubbed her eyes with one hand. “I can’t believe you support this idea, you of all people.”
“That should tell you how seriously I take it.”
“He made it very clear when he left public service that he wanted to be left alone.”
“You weren’t first minister then,” Ledahn said. “Now you are, and your job isn’t to give people what they want. It’s to provide them with what they need,and to let the right people know when theyare needed. I understand your reasons for not pushing the matter with Sorati, but Aldos was always willing to put Bajor before his personal feelings.”
“Yes, and all it cost us was our marriage.”
“That’s not for me to say. My job is to advise you on the course of action that serves our people best,” Ledahn said, refusing to let the conversation be derailed. “And you knowthis would serve Bajor best.”
Asarem said nothing.
“At the very least, you have to ask him, First Minister. I’ll remain with you while you contact him, if that’s what you want.”
Asarem closed her eyes, seeing the springball ricocheting wildly. She tried to anticipate where it would fly next, knowing that she was in real danger of losing control of it, even missing it completely.
“No,” she said, opening her eyes. “Thank you, Muri, but this is one I’ll need to handle alone. And I’ll have to do it in person.”
Solis
Mirroring Vedek Solis’s mood, the clouds over Ashalla broke, letting the afternoon sun warm the domes and towers and tiled rooftops of the coastal city, so different from his native Ilvia, a sprawling inland community built along the slope of a great mountain. Although this wasn’t his first visit to Ashalla, he had never before seen it from his current vantage point, the meditation balcony near the top of the Shikina Monastery. Standing with his right hand pressed flat against one of the four-sided columns that encircled the balcony and supported its roof, Solis looked out at Ashalla and beyond it, to all of Bajor, his paghswelling with hope.