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“Another time, perhaps,” Jetanien countered, adjusting his posture while sitting on his chair. He pointed to his computer terminal. “I received a rather interesting communiqué this evening.” He let the sentence hang in the air for a moment, until Karumé’s eyes widened in comprehension.
“The Romulan?”
Jetanien nodded. “Senator D’tran himself, if he’s to be believed. Apparently, death has not yet caught up to him.” Without any real information to consult, Jetanien could only guess that the senator had to be approaching the upper limits of advanced age even for Romulans, and even that was assuming that their physiology remained similar to their distant genetic relatives, the Vulcans.
Moving into the office, Karumé made her way around Jetanien’s desk in order to see the terminal. “Assuming that it’s not some kind of ruse, this is incredible, Ambassador.”
“Indeed,” Jetanien replied. “The message arrived in an encrypted form, and I spent several hours combing through Selina’s notes to find the cipher.” He had finally found the decryption key buried in the pages in one of his mentor’s numerous handwritten journals. The entry was i
Leaning closer, Karumé nodded to the terminal. “Well? Let’s see it.”
Unable to resist the temptation, Jetanien emitted a small laugh. “It would seem that you’re awake now.” On the computer terminal’s interface, he tapped a command to replay the message he already had viewed three times. The display shifted from a graphic of the UFP seal to the image of an aged Romulan. Thick gray hair framed a gaunt, angular face, the most distinctive features of which were the stark, penetrating blue eyes peering out from beneath a pronounced brow. Though time may have ravaged the body, all indications were that the mind within remained vibrant.
“Greetings, Ambassador Jetanien,”began the recorded message. “I am D’tran. It seems you have benefited from the rather voluminous record-keeping habits of our mutual friend. I must admit to being more than a bit surprised to receive your communication, given the length of time since my last correspondence with Selina. However, I hope you will accept my sympathies for her passing. It is one of my life’s regrets that I never was able to meet her in person.
“As you know, Selina and I were in agreement that while the peace accord negotiated between our two peoples was necessary, its terms were lacking with respect to long-term consequences as far as our mutual future was concerned. Despite the propaganda fed to our citizens, there are many within the Romulan Empire, including more than a few within our government, who believe that a lasting peace with the Federation is possible, even desirable. We also accept that many within the Federation must feel the same way.”
“Well,” Karumé said as D’tran paused, “he certainly talkslike a politician.”
Leaning forward, the elderly senator continued, “Of course, there are those among our people who would welcome another war, perhaps as a misguided opportunity to atone for what they believe were unreasonable concessions forced upon us when the peace treaty was enacted. However, I am not alone in the Senate when I say that this is not a path we wish to follow. A few of my more ambitious colleagues even harbor fanciful notions of negotiating some form of accord with the Klingons.”A small smile graced his weathered features. “The wide-eyed optimism of youth never ceases to amuse me.”
Jetanien chuckled at that. “I may learn to like this Romulan.”
“Since the recent contact between one of our vessels and a Federation starship, I have had discussions with trusted colleagues about how best to open new diplomatic cha
It was what the Romulan said next that caught Jetanien off guard. “I recall Selina mentioning you on occasion. She referred to you as a gifted prodigy with much potential. Based on what she told me about you, you very well might be someone who can persuade your Federation to engage us the way we wish to approach you—in peace. To that end, I make a proposition: full-faith negotiations, face-to-face, at a neutral site of your choosing.”
He shrugged. “If you have contemporaries within the Klingon Empire who you feel are up to this challenge, then we are willing to meet with them as well. As Selina might once have said, I leave the ball in your court and await your reply with great anticipation. Until then, my new friend, I wish you well.”
D’tran’s image faded on the computer display, and Jetanien looked up at Karumé. “Well, what do you think of that?”
Karumé shook her head, her expression skeptical. “It’s either the mother of all cons, or else this D’tran just dropped a career-defining opportunity right into your lap. The question now is, what do you intend to do about it?”
It was a question Jetanien had been mulling for some time before Karumé’s arrival. The idea of brokering any kind of extended diplomatic discourse with the Romulans and the Klingons, particularly now, with relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire teetering on the edge of the proverbial abyss, excited him. As D’tran had said, he might be the one to foster such a cooperation. After his failed attempt to bring together the Federation, the Klingons, and the Tholians with respect to the ongoing concerns in the Taurus Reach, this was just the challenge he needed now.
“Is there another choice?” he said after a moment. “We at least have to explore the possibilities and see where they might take us.” Assuming a more comfortable position on his chair, he reached once more to the computer and pressed the control to activate its voice interface. “Computer, provide a list of Class-M planets occupying positions equidistant to Federation, Klingon, and Romulan territory. Include spatial coordinates for all selections.”
Jetanien and Karumé waited in silence while the computer processed the request, which took longer than the ambassador anticipated. After nearly a minute, a list of planets appeared on the screen. It was a short list.
“I don’t recognize any of these,” Karumé said.
“Wait,” Jetanien said, pointing to one name. “This one might work. It has no strategic value for any party and possesses no natural resources worth exploiting. It’s an inhospitable hunk of rock, with no distractions to fuel unsavory agendas.” He released a satisfied grunt. Of those listed, one planet seemed perfect for his needs.
Nimbus III.
60
INTERLUDE
The Shedai Wanderer had found a new home.