“Wewould have been the aggressor, said Samuels, his expression mirroring Sovals, only without the hard veneer of Vulcan composure. “The Klingons would have felt entirely justified in striking back at us, and hard.
“There will be no war with the Klingon Empire, al-Rashid said, sinking back into his chair as he allowed a tremendous sensation of relief to take wing; his words, which he had aimed at no one in particular, sounded almost like a benediction in his own ears.
A womans voice sliced through al-Rashids joy like a hot blade. “Why do you seem so happy about this?
He found himself blinking his incomprehension at the official observer from Draylax, who regarded him with undisguised puzzlement from across the table.
“Im afraid I dont understand, al-Rashid said. “The Klingons werent behind the attack against your people. You dont wantwar with them, do you?
Grethe Zhor shook her head, sending a cascade of golden hair tumbling around her leonine face. “Of course not, Minister. But instead of an easily conceptualized enemy to rally my people to straightforward action, we now must contend with a mystery attack by phantoms disguisedas Klingons.
“Which is why Starfleet is already busy planning tactical countermeasures against the new Romulan weapon, Samuels said.
“Until those countermeasures become available, the Draylaxian said, “and perhaps for a goodly period afterward, we willbe at war with phantoms, Minister, make no mistake. Against whom shall we rally the varied peoples of the Coalition in such a phantom wara struggle in which one cannot even see the enemys face? At whom shall we point the Coalitions guns?
“Pfagh, Gral said. “Romulans are no more phantoms than are Klingons. And there is no more reason to fear them than the Klingons.
The silence that came from both the Andorian and Vulcan delegations spoke more eloquently than any counterargument al-Rashid could have devised.
Recalling the terrifying holovids he had seen of the charred bones and burning seas of Coridan Primethe handiwork of phantomsEarths interior minister began to believe that the Draylaxian had the bleakest vision of the future of anyone in the room.
He also thought it was probably the clearest.
THIRTY-FIVE
Day Thirty-nine, Month of KriBrax The Hall of State, Dartha, Romulus
N IJIL TRIEDto affect a look of cool composure as he watched Valdore rise from behind his massive sherawood desk. The admiral remained quiet until his impressively broad form had finished unfolding to its full height.
“I have given you all the time I can spare, Nijil, Valdore said. “Praetor Dderidex and First Consul TLeikha are both growing restless, as are the admirals of the fleet. Is the arrenhehwiuatelecapture system finally ready for general deployment?
While there was no way to know for certain whether the new offensive system would work perfectly in actual use, the tests thus far had given Nijil every confidence that the fleet would experience no significant problems with it.
Which meant that there was only one thing Nijil could afford to say. “It is ready, Admiral. The Coalition vessels we have just acquired with the system will provide all the cover we need, in addition to illustrating the need to apply the telecapture technology more generally against all our adversaries.
Nijil was aware, of course, that the enemy ships the fleet had taken most recently hewed to the same general technological principles as did the Romulan fleet. But he also had the good sense to avoid mentioning that fact to Valdore, who was obviously in a mood to hear answers that were as positive as they were unequivocal.
Valdore nodded his acknowledgment, looking well pleased. “Good, Nijil. Outstanding.
The scientist was well acquainted with Valdores moods when he was notpleased. Indeed, he had encountered the mans disruptor-like glare just this morning, after another subordinate had failed to discover anything new about Centurion Terixs apparently failed mission to recover the avaihh lli vastamstardrive data the Ejhoi Ormiinassassins had stolen from the late Ehrehins labradicals who had paid Nijil rather handsomely in exchange for his giving them access to the late scientist.
Nijil rejoiced at the fact that hewasnt among those who had to deal with the admirals bad side. At least, not recently.
The admiral continued, “Our advance forces will mobilize just as soon as you finish verifying the installation and calibration of the attack fleets telecapture units.
“My people can complete the last of the settling-in adjustments in an eisae,Nijil said, nodding. “Perhaps less. I only wish we were able to produce and install more than two telecapture units per squadron in the time allotted.
“Two per squadron will suffice, Nijil. A broad smile spread across Valdores face. It was a rare sight, and a welcome one. “The fleet will move against the Isneih and Seichi systems, right on schedule.
Nijil nodded. From those beachheads, the Romulan fleet would face few serious impediments to its ultimate goals, provided it maintained the advantage of surprise. Even if the Coalition were to discover prematurely what was coming, they could do little to keep the point of the Empires spear from reaching the worlds that constituted the very beating heart of the Coalition of Planets.
The alien lloannmhrahelwho populated the vast regions of space that lay beyond the Avrrhinul outmarches that marked the Empires present-day borders would no longer be safe, assuming all went well as the very near future began to unfold. Not even ancient, ruddy ThhaeiVulcanitself could stand for very long against Romuluss most glorious onslaught in recent memory.
“I have more news for you, Admiral, Nijil said.
The admiral raised an eyebrow.
Scarcely able to contain his excitement, Nijil began to explain the warp-speed breakthrough his theoretical people had just stumbled upon. “The technology division may very soon render Centurion Terixs mission moot.
THIRTY-SIX
Romulan Scoutship DrolaeNear Romulus
A S THE OVERSTRAINED LITTLE SHIPobediently transitioned from nearly warp six to a relatively sluggish warp two, Trip breathed a new prayer of thanks to any deity who might be monitoring such things anywhere in the vast empty spaces between Romulus and Earth. He was grateful not only that the vessel around him had successfully endured yet another brutal bout of rapid acceleration and decelerationnot to mention the sustained hard use it had suffered in between those extremesbut also for the simple fact that, as one of Trips automotive-engineer ancestors might have put it, Centurion Terix had apparently left his keys in the scout vessels ignition, so to speak.
That simple, unaccountable fact also proved to be a source of nagging disquiet from the moment Trip had left the Taugus system until now, when Romulus was already becoming visible on the long-range sensors as a small but brightly shining cerulean bauble, locked in a perpetual gravitational dance with the ruddy wasteland of Remus, an ugly, blotchy orb that appeared to be perched on the blue planets shoulder like some grimly vigilant gargoyle.