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Entek tried to avoid a sigh. This was not what he had been hoping for. Fifteen years ago, he had been eager to return to Raknal V; now, the planet held little interest for him. Bajor was, to his mind, more important to Cardassia’s future. Tain, however, thought otherwise, and Entek knew better than to argue with him. “What is my assignment to be?”
Tain leaned forward. Up until now, his tone had been pleasant, conversational—he discussed the political situation in the quadrant with all the ease and comfort of an uncle chatting about the latest sporting events with a favorite nephew. Now, though, his voice hardened, his hands folded on his immaculate desk. “Cardassia needs fewer enemies right now. The longer the situation on Raknal goes on, the more likely it is that we will have to go to war. Klingon military forces have built up impressively since Chancellor Kravokh came to power, and our own forces are divided among the Federation, the Klingons, and internal difficulties on Bajor and Chin’toka VI—and Raknal V, which now has a garrison dedicated to defending it, despite its distance. What I want from you, Entek, is to observe the situation on Raknal V. Central Command may be convinced that it’s worth devoting the resources to; I’m not. If it’s possible to cede the planet to the Klingons and end this—and give them their precious Ch’gran relic back—I think it’s something we should consider.”
Where fifteen years ago, Entek considered Tain to be sensible, despite Entek’s enthusiasm, for not sending him to Raknal V, now Entek thought Tain unwise for doing so. Entek’s expertise was on the Romulans and the Bajorans. Why devote such a resource to a backwater planet that was the flashpoint of a conflict with a species Entek hadn’t even thought about since he disembarked from the Carthagea decade and a half ago?
But he also knew better than to question an assignment from Tain himself. Just the fact that he was leaving this office in one piece—and with an assignment that the head of the Order considered important—spoke well for Entek’s future.
Tain stood up. Entek did likewise. “Your supervisor will have all the details of your cover on Raknal V at your next meeting. Make your reports to her.”
Entek nodded and turned to leave.
“Oh, and Entek?”
He stopped and turned to face Tain again.
“I told you once that I make use of my valuable resources.” Entek noted that the avuncular tone had returned, as had his bland smile. “I still do.”
The words did not fill the older Entek with the same pride as they did the younger one, but he, at the very least, was willing to take it guardedly as a good sign…
Chapter 21
Starbase 47
“Starbase 47, this is the shuttlecraft Woodlawnrequesting permission to dock.”
“This is starbase control. You are cleared to dock at Pad E.”
Wiping the blood on his forehead away from his eyes, Elias Vaughn said, “Thank you, starbase control. We’ll need a medic to meet us—we’ve got wounded.”
“Acknowledged.”
Vaughn looked over at the still-unconscious forms of Special Emissary Tartovsky—who would no doubt be fuming when she awoke—and Commander T’Pry
“He’ll be devastated, I’m sure,”the starbase control officer said dryly. DeMartis was the one in charge of the team that built the Woodlawn,and Vaughn had spent the hour before the mission listening to the young man go on at some length about the pod’s capabilities, limitations, and, above all, the necessity of bringing it back in one piece.
After he brought the shuttle in for a landing on the designated pad, he opened the hatch to see three people in white medical uniforms, one in the red-and-white engineering uniform—DeMartis, with an expression on his face indicating that someone should draw a dark cloud over his head—and an elegant-looking older woman in a captain’s uniform, who was the last person Vaughn expected to see.
“Captain Uhura. This is a surprise.” And, given Uhura’s position at Starfleet Intelligence, which was arguably as high as it got, rank notwithstanding—Vaughn wasn’t the only one who kept a low profile, after all—probably not a good surprise.
“Walk with me, Commander,” she said in an almost musical tone of voice that couldn’t hide the fact that she was here on serious business.
Pausing only to give the medics a quick précis of what he knew of the damage T’Pry
They walked through the hallways of Starbase 47 in silence for several seconds. Finally, she asked, “Your mission went well?”
“About as well as expected.”
Uhura smiled. “That bad?”
Returning the smile, Vaughn said, “We did what we were supposed to. I had been hoping to extract Special Emissary Tartovsky without drawing any attention from the Cardassians, but I knew that was wishful thinking. I’m content with the fact that we got the emissary and ourselves—and Chief DeMartis’s precious shuttlepod—back in one piece.”
“More or less. How did Commander T’Pry
Vaughn told her. When he got to the bit in the cave, it prompted a pleasant laugh from the elderly captain that sounded like wind chimes. Elderly, listen to me. She may have passed her hundredth birthday, but she’s as formidable a presence as she was when I first met her. More, even. I hope I’m half as sharp when I hit her age.
When he finished his tale, Uhura said, “I’ve met several diplomats in my time for whom shooting would have been a useful option to have. In any case, this latest bit of Cardassian imperialism has a lot of people worried. They’ve made similar moves in the Bryma, Umoth, and Cuellar systems in the last year. The Cardassians are building their forces, and getting into more skirmishes with us and the Klingons. Did you hear about what happened with the Stargazertwo weeks ago?”
Vaughn nodded. He had met Jean-Luc Picard a few months earlier, and knew that the younger man had a reputation for not ducking a fight—this one, though, he ran from. The Cardassians were definitely getting more aggressive.
Uhura continued. “To make matters worse, the Klingons are doing likewise, and starting to remember what it’s like to be a major power—and an enemy of the Federation—again.”
Vaughn frowned. “You think they’re gearing up for war?”
“I think they both wanted to fight a war fifteen years ago over Raknal V. Ambassador Dax managed to put that off by pulling a rabbit out of his hat, but now it’s coming to a head again. And if it does happen, we’ll allfeel the effects.”
“Why are you telling methis, Captain?” Vaughn asked, though he suspected he knew the answer, given that he was atRaknal V when Dax came up with his so-called rabbit.
“To the point, as usual, eh, Commander?” Waving off Vaughn’s slightly abashed look, she said, “It’s all right. To the point, then: I want you to go to Raknal V and check up on things.”
Snorting, Vaughn asked, “Shouldn’t that be Ambassador Dax’s job?”
“Dax isn’t Starfleet. And he has a vested interest in telling us what we want to hear. I’d rather be told what I don’twant to hear—and you’ve always been very good at that.”