Star Trek: The Original Series: Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages (88 page)

“Theoretically we should be well out of range,”
Harry said,
“but I’ll have Mr. Mitchelson peel a few extra of his eyes and see if he notices anything unusual. It’s not like there haven’t been occasional breakthroughs in scanning technology in the last five or ten years.”

“Good. Call and let us know if you find anything of interest. And give my best to the commander when you speak.”

“Will do, Jim.
Ortisei
out.”

The screen flickered, then went back to its view of
Mascrar.

Uhura had one hand to the transdator in her ear. She turned toward Jim and said, “Captain, the formal opening proceedings are about to start. Mr. Freeman has rigged the big holo display down in rec for viewing, but I imagine there’ll be a lot of off-duty people watching down there, and it might get crowded. Shall I put it up on the screen for you here?”

“Nothing else to watch but the scenery,” Jim said. “Please do.”

The room to which the viewscreen cut was another of those with floorto-ceiling windows, all looking out into space—another room in the “city hall” spire of
Mascrar
—but this one contained nothing else but the biggest circular table Jim had ever seen, easily thirty meters across. More properly, it was not a circle, but a ring, empty in the center so that assistants could come and go with padds and paperwork and so forth. On one side of it were the Rihannsu, nearly fifty of them all told, the last of them seating themselves now. Opposite them the Federation delegation sat, nearly as many—if not exactly as many, Jim thought. He let his eyes slide around to the background of the view that the Lalairu camera was giving them and caught a glimpse of Sam Cogley back there, and not too far from him, though well separated from him by an empty “neutral” space, a slender, handsome woman now dressed in dark clothes much less formal than the ones she had been wearing the previous evening. Arrhae i-Khellian. He was very glad to see her there, looking untroubled—though, heaven knew, appearances could be deceiving. At least she seemed to be in no immediate trouble with the dark-featured intelligence operative whom McCoy had reported was watching her.
Let’s hope it stays that way.

The opening comments from both sides went on for half an hour or so, from Ambassador Fox on the Federation side and Gurrhim tr’Siedhri on the other, before things started to heat up, and Jim watched it all, becoming increasingly concerned. The atmosphere in the room looked leisurely enough as the two elder statesmen went on in turn about mutual respect and past misunderstandings. But Jim could feel the tension as plainly as if he were sitting there in the middle of those people, all so busy looking statesmanlike, when Hloal t’Illialhlae stood up to read the official Rihannsu position paper.
They already know they’re going to get an answer they won’t like,
Jim thought,
and they’re beginning to consider just what they’re going to do about it.

Hloal t’Illialhlae was reading the position paper from a padd on the table in front of her. Why she was reading it standing wasn’t entirely clear to Jim.
Just that the gesture itself is threatening? Or because she looks more impressive that way? Or is there some other cultural thing?
But she was wearing just a shade of a smile, and the look of it troubled Jim obscurely.
“We desire, as you do,”
she was saying now,
“to bring an end to the unfortunate conflicts between our peoples which have troubled the tranquillity of our spaces and yours for a number of years, distracting all our attention from matters of more importance. The final resolution of these conflicts may most swiftly be brought about by the acknowledgment and implementation of the following four points. First: the abolition of the so-called Neutral Zone and the declaration by the Federation of what is true and known to be true, that these spaces have been, are, and will remain in perpetuity the territory of the Rihannsu Star Empire, and the surrender to our authority of all the surveillance facilities, known as monitoring outposts, in that zone of space. Second: the public acknowledgment by the Federation of previous thefts of vital technology and intellectual property from our territory, vessels, and citizens, including the cloaking device stolen from the vessel ChR 1675
Memenda
, and certain research materials formerly located at Levaeri V before the unprovoked attack on and looting of that facility, and a public apology for those thefts, accompanied by an undertaking never to use or develop the technologies or materials acquired in those thefts. Third: the immediate return for trial of the woman Ael i-Mhiessan t’Rllaillieu, formerly a commander-general in the Space Forces of the Rihannsu Star Empire, and self-acknowledged traitor to the Empire, though our government has chosen to relinquish any claim on the antiquated vessel that she stole, and has graciously chosen to commute to perpetual banishment the sentence of death passed on her crew, personages who have proved themselves unfit for further service in our military services by reason of allowing themselves to be duped by the aforesaid t’Rllaillieu and made accomplices in her crimes against the Empire. And fourth: the immediate return of the cultural artifact which the aforesaid t’Rllaillieu stole, variously known as the Fifth Sword of S’harien, the Sword of S’task, or the Sword in the Empty Chair.”

She sat down again, looking most poisonously demure. Jim sat there listening to the little rustle of reaction going through the room, and for his own part was amazed by the tone of calm threat and absolute insolence.
You’d think they already had a big force sitting on the moon, dictating terms, while they got ready to drop something large and nasty on the Earth.
“Huh,” said McCoy’s voice, ironic, from behind the center seat.

Jim glanced over his shoulder. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

“Nope. I see, though,” Bones said, “that a couple of the pawns have been knocked off the board already.”

Jim nodded. There had been no mention of the return of
Bloodwing
or her crew. “Somehow, though,” Jim said, “I don’t think Starfleet is going to agree to hand the Neutral Zone over to them.”

McCoy shook his head. “No, or the Sunseed routines, either.”

Jim nodded again. Fox was standing up to speak, now, and not bothering with a padd.
“I thank the noble Praetor for her clarification of the Imperium’s intentions,”
he said,
“and intend to respond in kind. Certainly much time and energy has been spent pursuing courses of action which have caused difficulty to both the Star Empire and the Federation, and any reasonable being would consider it prudent to seek to resolve these outstanding issues between us and move on into positions of greater interstellar security, always remembering that we are not the only two major powers to be reckoned with in the present scheme of things.”

Did Gurrhim and a few of the other Romulans blink at that bit of frankness? Jim looked closely at them and couldn’t be sure.
“As regards the Star Empire’s four points,”
Fox said,
“first: any change in the status of the Neutral Zone would have to be taken after a period of extensive consultation with the various inhabited planets in the area and a thorough investigation into the various consequences of such a change in the status of the area. Needless to say, so major a change would require some while to implement properly, with an eye to guaranteeing the continued peace and security of the star systems in this area, and the logistics of the change would need careful coordination among the interested parties. Regardless, the Federation will give this proposal careful consideration and will reply in more detail in due course.”

McCoy snorted softly.
“As regards the second point,”
Fox went on,
“the Federation fully understands the concern that unauthorized intrusions into Rihannsu space cause the Star Empire. The Federation has suffered various similar intrusions into its own space of late, and is well acquainted with the annoyance secondary to the loss of valuable equipment and personnel, as well as the loss of face which is invariably associated with such tragedies.”
That had an effect: Hloal t’Illialhlae turned a most astonishing jade color and stirred in her chair as if about to leap out of it.
“However, the Federation has no desire to reopen old wounds at this time, or, for that matter, to inflame new ones, and is minded to let bygones be bygones in this regard. I am, however, empowered to say that the Federation will consider such gestures toward truth and reconciliation in tandem with the Rihannsu Star Empire’s own consideration of such gestures, and stands ready to make a simultaneous public announcement at such a time as the Empire is prepared to do so in regards to its own previous incursions. Third—”

The hellish image of the chromosphere of 15 Trianguli rose up in front of Jim, and the memory of seven ships chasing
Enterprise
and
Bloodwing
around it and out into the cold again. His back itched as if the sweat were running down it all over again as they ran for their lives. “That’s
it?
” Jim said. “
That’s
all he’s got to say about—”

“Shh,” McCoy said.

“I can’t
believe
this!”

“—as regards the former commander-general Ael i-Mhiessan t’Rllaillieu, the United Federation of Planets is presently engaged in discussions intended to clarify her legal position with regard to her presence and possible rights under law in Federation space. Until such clarification is available, I regret that no statement can be made regarding her disposition. Additionally, and in regard to your fourth point, since there is some uncertainty regarding her whereabouts, it is at this time difficult to say whether the artifact about which you are inquiring is actually in her possession or not. Needless to say, it is the Federation’s wish that any artifact of cultural value should be restored to its proper place as soon as the facts of the case have been understood and evaluated by those most closely involved, and we would hope that such an evaluation could occur at the earliest possible date.”

And Fox sat down.

Jim just sat there, speechless. The only satisfaction he got for the moment was that the Romulans were doing the same.

After a moment, Hloal t’Illialhlae leaned across the table and looked hard at Fox.
“When,”
she said,
“might we reasonably expect this ‘legal clarification’ to be forthcoming?”

“I expect it within thirty-six of our hours,”
Fox said promptly,
“and I would hope your schedule allows you to remain here that long, so that whatever the nature of the clarification, we may then expedite further talks arising from it.”

Jim wasn’t entirely sure he liked the sound of that.

“We will return,”
said t’Illialhlae,
“in thirty-six hours, then.”
She stood up, as did all her delegation.
“But, Ambassador Fox, you must understand our position. If we do not achieve satisfaction on all four points by that time, the results will be unfortunate.”

Fox and the people on the Federation side all stood up as well.
“Intemperate action without the advice and consent of one’s superiors is always unfortunate,”
Fox said. Jim raised his eyebrows at that, for it was astonishing how so cool and seemingly casual an utterance could seem suddenly edged with threat.
“We look forward to meeting with you again, thirty-six hours from now.”

The Romulans filed out, eldest first, as was their habit, though there was something of a clear space between Hloal t’Illialhlae and everyone else, as if not even her own people cared to get too close. Shortly the screen showed only an empty room, and Uhura killed that view, leaving Jim looking at the serenely rotating bulk of
Mascrar
again.

Sulu blew out a long breath but said nothing. Jim swung around in the center seat to look over at Spock, who was turning back to look down his scanner as if he had been watching nothing of more moment than one of Mr. Freeman’s rechanneled ancient videos down in the rec room. Uhura just shook her head a little and then put her hand to her transdator, listening.

“That was the ambassador’s aide,” she said. “There’ll be a briefing for the negotiating team and the ships’ captains in about eight hours. Apparently Fox expects the talks with the main body of Romulan negotiators and observers to resume again later this afternoon, regardless of what we just saw.”

Jim nodded, trying to get a grip on himself and slowly finding it.

McCoy let out a long breath, looking at the screen again. “At least he stood up to tell them that last part.”

“It does mean something, then…”

“You don’t fight your enemy sitting down,” McCoy said. “Challenges are always delivered standing, unless you so despise the enemy that you don’t feel you need to do them that honor, or you foresee an outcome where you needn’t have bothered to extend the courtesy, because they’re not going to be alive long enough for it to matter.” He shook his head. “At least Fox understands the nuances.”

“I certainly hope he does,” Jim said. “The good ambassador isn’t without his occasional blind spot, as we’ve seen.” The memory of the near disaster that had been triggered by Fox’s actions when
Enterprise
had ferried him to Eminiar VII was all too vivid in Jim’s mind. He was willing to cut the man some slack; while his actions on behalf of the Federation there had been somewhat ham-handed, there had never been any doubt but that his intentions had been good. But good intentions were not always enough. Fox’s insistence on
Enterprise
remaining in the system even though the Eminians had warned her off resulted in the ship being declared “destroyed” in the virtual war between Eminiar and Vendikar. It was only smart action by Scotty, then in command while Jim, Spock, and the rest of the landing party were being held prisoner on the planet, that had kept the ship from really being destroyed, and had bought the landing party the time to escape, change the odds, and effectively end the war.