Star Trek: Brinkmanship (24 page)

Garak opened his palm. “By all means, do. But try to remember that we are your ally. Not your enemy—and certainly not your satellite.”

Bacco leaned forward in her chair. “Damn it, Garak! What’s Garan playing at?”

Garak pursed his lips. “Believe me when I say that I too find the castellan very tiresome on occasion. But it plays well in public.”

She looked at him. He looked unblinkingly back. Then he turned and looked out of the window.
Ah,
thought Bacco.
So that’s it. A little posturing from the castellan to make sure we don’t take her for granted.
Her eyes narrowed as she studied Garak, still absorbed in whatever the hell was going on outside. Suddenly, he turned to look at her directly. He was smiling, as if to say:
Have you caught up yet?

I wonder,
Bacco thought,
what exactly Garan asked him to say.

“Sometimes,” said the Cardassian Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, “I think I’ve spent too much time among humans. Too long away from Cardassia.” His smile slipped. “As yet, the question of our attacking the unhappy Venetans is, I am glad
to say, for the future. In the meantime we should, I believe, maintain a united front.” His eyes went icy. “Still, it won’t do the Venetans any harm to believe that they’re in danger.”

You cold-blooded, coldhearted bastard.

“Madame President, before we move on I simply must say—that particular shade of emerald is a
triumph
on you. Now—what’s next on our agenda?”

FROM:
Nanietta Bacco, President, United Federation of Planets
Rakena Garan, Castellan, Cardassian Union

TO:
The people gathered under the Venette Convention Alizome Vik Tov-A, designated speaker for Korzenten Rej Tov-AA, Autarch of the Tzenkethi Coalition

We repeat our request that the twelve ships en route to the Venetan System halt in their approach. We restate the warnings given by our representatives on Venette: none of these ships will be allowed to enter Venetan space. We urge you to seek a peaceful settlement to this crisis.

FROM:
Inzegil Ter Mak-B, Senior Enforcer, Area 9, Subsection 56

TO:
Her most excellent Ap-Rej Mertikor Ter-Mak-A[?], acting head of Unit 9, Department of Behavioral Supervision

MESSAGE:
One certified and two potential Ata runaways at loose on Velentur Island (within jurisdiction Subsection 72). Possibility of hostage situation. Requesting immediate air support from Subsection 72.

In the name of our most beloved and exalted Autarch Korzenten Rej Tov-AA, and in defense of the integrity of his order, I serve and salute you!

FROM:
Admiral Leonard Akaar, Starfleet Command

TO:
Captain Ezri Dax,
U.S.S. Aventine

PRIORITY MESSAGE, SECURITY CODE ALPHA-2:
Do not proceed on your rendezvous with the force currently deployed on the Venetan border. New coordinates to follow.

In addition, Commander Peter Alden is to be restored immediately to active duty. Be aware that this order comes directly from the office of the president of the Federation.

Week 3
Resolutions

13

4 DAYS TO WAR . . .

FROM:
A syndic formed to consider evacuation procedures

TO:
The people gathered under the Venette Convention

MESSAGE:
Do you need to evacuate your dwelling? These guidelines will help you decide and help you to evacuate.

You do not need to evacuate if you live in a 60+% green area. Any attack will be targeted on so-called “urban areas.” So-called “rural areas” should be safe. You may wish to consider whether you can help with evacuees. Consult the syndic formed to consider evacuee care.

You are advised not to evacuate if you cannot easily reach transport. This may be because your transportation is unreliable, or because you are too young, old, or unwell. Consult the syndic formed to create shelters. A sub-syndic will exist in your area that can assist in building shelters.

You are asked to consider not evacuating if you have expertise that can be drawn on: medical, firefighting, communications. Sub-syndics are being formed in your area to coordinate your skills.

All others: consider evacuating. This syndic has created a checklist of what you should take with you and the steps you should follow. This checklist follows . . .

CAPTAIN JEAN-LUC PICARD
CAPTAIN’S LOG
The twelve Tzenkethi ships remain en route for Outpost V-4 and our listening posts along the border report fleet activity. The Cardassians too are building up their fleet along their border with the Venette Convention near Outpost V-15 and there remains the possibility that they might not only fire on Venetan ships but also go on the offensive. This would of course put a strain on our relations with the Cardassians and I can only hope
that we do not find ourselves in the impossible position of trying to protect the Venetans on one border while blockading them on another.

O
ne last ship had been permitted entry into the Venetan system. Reaching the bridge of the
Enterprise
just in time, Crusher watched as the Ferengi vessel
Zek,
bearing Madame Ilka and the staff from the Ferengi embassy on Venette, crossed out of Venetan space and went into warp. As far as the Federation and Starfleet were concerned, the border was now closed.

“That’s the last,” Worf said.

“Thank you, Commander Worf,” Picard said. Leaving the bridge to his first officer, he went into his ready room. Crusher followed.

They listened for a while to transmissions coming from the Venetan broadcasters, as they offered advice to the people of the three systems on how to organize themselves in the event of a Cardassian attack and any subsequent Tzenkethi reprisals. Crusher nearly cried to hear their dogged bravery. She listened to instructions for evacuation procedures, how to build quick shelters, how to give emergency medical aid. Eventually, Picard cut the comm. “It won’t come to that, Beverly. I promise.”

“Isn’t there
some
kind of pressure you could be putting on Detrek?”

“I’m pressing as hard as I dare. You’ll recall the admiral’s instructions to keep the Cardassians sweet.”

“But that was before this threat to Outpost V-15. The Venetans have no military to speak of. The Cardassians would be firing on civilians. Can’t you speak to Detrek again?”

“Beverly, there’ll be back-channel discussions going on that we know nothing about. I can’t simply blunder in and demand that Detrek does something. What can she do? She’s as powerless as I am.”

“So we do nothing?”

“We do what we can. We carry out our orders to maintain the blockade—and we await new orders.”

“And if the Cardassians open fire on civilians?”

The lines on his face hardened. “Then we’ll do what we must.”

•   •   •

The enforcers from Subsection 72 greeted Inzegil and Artamer cautiously but with some quiet excitement. They were junior to them both, hence the rural rather than the urban beat, and trouble rarely came this far out.

“We have one confirmed runaway and two potentials,” Inzegil explained. “I’m concerned about the welfare of those two. The confirmed runaway may be unbalanced and may become desperate.”

Trekitor Ter Mak-C said, “Whatever you need, Ter Inzegil. We can put air cars at your disposal, heat detectors—”

“All of it,” Inzegil said. She glanced at her colleague, standing by. “Well, Arty? Do you want to go back with the others to the city? Getiger said he’d stay if you preferred.”

Artamer sighed. “I’ll stay to the bitter end, Inz. But wait till I get my hands on Hertome Ter Ata-C. He’ll be begging for Re-Co by the time I’ve finished with him.”

•   •   •

After a skyturn, Efheny abandoned her attempts to shake off her pursuer. She was having no success, and the meandering path forced on her as a result was in danger of making her late for the pickup. There would be only a small window of opportunity for the ship sent to collect her to come this deep into Tzenkethi space and make a safe exit. She would have to force her pursuer into the open.

She stopped to take stock of her surroundings. The
keteki
trees provided her with cover, but they did the same for him. Still, she was fairly sure which direction he was coming from. Scouring the immediate area, she picked up a thick branch that had fallen from one of the upper boughs. She tested its weight. Good. Solid. Hardly a disruptor, but it would do. Sitting down with her back against the twin trunk of one of the trees, she held up her makeshift weapon so that it was clearly visible and waited for her shadow to reveal himself.

She assumed it was Hertome. It was certainly someone who knew what he was doing, but enforcers would have air cars and trackers at their disposal, and would surely have made swifter progress. This was somebody who wanted to follow rather than capture her. No doubt he’d been watching to see when she left the boat and then sneaked out of his cabin and trailed
her ever since. But he would be missed as soon as the enforcers arrived from the city to collect him.

Efheny cursed him under her breath. It would be just her luck if the enforcers sent to track the runaway Hertome stumbled over her instead. She gripped her branch. As long as he was following, he would be bringing enforcers after her.

She heard a crack of twigs nearby. She knew he could have prevented her from hearing that, so he must want her to know that he was close. She rolled her weapon around in her hands.

“Hey, Hertome! Weren’t you meant to be going for reconditioning? Your escort will be here by now. You’ll be missed. You’ll be bringing people after us.”
You crazy liability of a human,
she added to herself.

“One more reason for you to take me with you, Mayazan!” he called back. Now she knew exactly where he was. “Tell you what, why don’t we just hurry to your pickup point? Then nobody gets caught and everybody’s happy.”

“Are you armed, Hertome?”

“Alex,” he called. “My name is Alex.”