Articles Of The Federation Part 12

"Yes."

Kell looked at Nan. "Ma'am, what was this Wusekl person accused of?"

"Funny you should ask." She looked directly at Artrin. "Being a changeling infiltrator."

"Was he?" Gleer asked Artrin.

"Witnesses saw him altering his shape," Artrin said matter-of-factly.

Nan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that's hardly surprising, since Wusekl is a chameloid. See, the Founders aren't the only shape-s.h.i.+fters in the galaxy by a long shot."

Artrin shrugged, an odd gesture from a three-armed being. "We couldn't be sure that it wasn't a Founder posing as a chameloid, and using that species' own shape-changing ability to divert suspicion."

"Right." Nan leaned back in her chair. "So of course you opened up an investigation, did a full medical workup, got testimony from Wusekl's friends and family, right?" Her question was laced with sarcasm; she knew full well that hadn't been done.

"That would not have been prudent," Artrin said.

Chaoying stroked her chin. "You feared a public outcry."

"Exactly." Artrin seemed relieved that Chaoying, at least, understood his position. Certainly Nan was having a hard time with it. The Triexian looked at her. "Madam President, I do not see what the issue is. It was a time of war- "

Before Nan could explode at Artrin, T'Latrek came to the rescue. "That is incorrect, Councillor. War with the Dominion was not officially declared by this council for one year and seven-point-three months after 5 Torus Fortil, shortly after Dominion forces took Deep s.p.a.ce 9."

"That isn't the point. The Triexian people needed to be protected."

This time, Nan wasn't letting T'Latrek's cooler head prevail. "Really? I'm a little befuddled, Councillor, as to how people in a free society are being protected when innocent people are imprisoned without any kind of due process. Those are the actions of a totalitarian state, and I will not tolerate them in this government for as long as I am president."

Kell asked, "That poor man isn't still imprisoned, is he?"

Shaking her head, Nan said, "No, when our friend here got elected to the council, his replacement as SMA reversed the decision within about six seconds. Wusekl's a free chameloid today-although, Artrin's replacement being a politically savvy type, Wusekl's freedom was contingent on keeping quiet about his imprisonment. Well, that particular gag is going to come off."

Artrin stood up. "Madam President, you cannot use your access to cla.s.sified Triexian doc.u.ments to let loose with a vendetta against- "

Nan smiled at that. "Oh, you think I got this from Triex by waving around my executive privilege? No, no, no. You see, Councillor, I got this from a member of my staff."

"How can someone on your staff give you such information?" Artrin sounded justifiably confused once again.

"Someone gave it to him in a public restaurant."

Now Artrin's voice sounded dangerous. "Who?"

Nan snorted. "Don't get your bowels in an uproar, Councillor. We don't know who. He gave a name, but it belongs to a Triexian who's been dead for seventy years. The reason why he gave it to one of my junior staff is because someone else already gave it to Councillor Severn-Anyar."

Gleer slammed his furry fist on the table. "That is why she requested a further delay on his ratification vote?"

Nodding, Nan said, "That's right. And if they can give it to a councillor and a presidential staffer, you can bet all the ale on Romulus that they can give it to someone in Jorel's press room. I can tell you one thing, Councillor, we are not going to let the story break there."

Artrin was still standing. "My actions were wholly within the purview of Triexian law."

Matthew set his hands gently down on the table. "Your actions were wholly in conflict with Federation law-more to the point, sir, they were wholly in conflict with natural law."

Nan held up the padd. "Do I take it, Councillor, that you do not regret this particular decision?"

Artrin said nothing for several seconds. "Our people were scared. When Wusekl changed shape, he was almost lynched. Yes, we could have done a medical exam to reveal that he was not a changeling-the Founders are a liquid life-form, and chameloids are basically humanoid. But it wouldn't have mattered. The people would have called for his blood. I did what I had to do to keep him safe-and to keep Triex safe."

Nan then looked at the other councillors in turn. Each of them nodded affirmatively. Taking a breath, Nan then said, "For the safety of your political career-not to mention mine-you're going to go into the press room tomorrow morning, and you're going to announce your resignation from the Federation Council, and you're going to tell them why. I want the Palais to control the story for as long as we possibly can. But I also want the word to go out far and wide that we are not this. We were manipulated by an awful foe who did everything they could to break us, to tear us asunder, and to bring about our ruination. We have come dangerously close to sacrificing our ideals, but we will not go over that precipice. And the first sign that this is so will be your resignation tomorrow. Is that understood, Councillor?"

Artrin shook his head. "What I did needed to be done for the safety of Triex."

Matthew shook his head and chuckled. "There is a saying among my people, Councillor Artrin. It was said six hundred years ago by a great man. He said, 'They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' "

Artrin simply stared at the other councillors. Kell looked aghast, Gleer annoyed (which wasn't much different from how he normally looked), Matt pitying, Chaoying thoughtful. T'Latrek, of course, was the soul of equanimity.

Finally, the Triexian said, "Very well, Madam President. I will resign first thing in the morning."

"Wrong. You'll come to my office first thing in the morning, at 0500, where we'll go over your resignation speech, then you'll go with Jorel to the press room."

"As you wish."

"That'll be all."

Artrin stood at attention. "Thank you, Madam President."

Then he departed.

Nan let out a long breath. "Nice job with the Franklin quote, Matthew-I'm just sorry I didn't get to use it."

"It was not my intention to steal your thunder, ma'am."

"S'all right. I had plenty of thunder left over." She looked around the table. "Thank you all for your support."

"We could hardly do otherwise," Gleer said. "His actions were appalling. I cannot believe he said nothing."

"He could hardly have done otherwise," T'Latrek said with a withering look at Gleer. "By Triexian law, he was not permitted to speak of a cla.s.sified judicial session in the presence of anyone who did not partic.i.p.ate in it."

Chaoying added, "And he was doing what he felt was right for his people."

Before anyone else could say anything, Nan said, "Maybe he thought it was necessary eight years ago." She sighed. "I don't know, maybe it was-maybe it did keep that chameloid protected. But his resignation is just as necessary, if not more so."

"Agreed," Kell said emphatically.

Nan stood. "Thank you, everyone. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Everyone also rose, except for T'Latrek. "May I stay a moment, Madam President?"

"Of course," Nan said. T'Latrek had served on the council for over eighty years. She hadn't run for president only because she herself had never felt the need to. Hers was one of the wisest and most respected voices on the council, and Nan was not about to turn down a request for a private meeting.

After the others departed, Nan took her seat again. "What can I do for you, T'Latrek?"

The Vulcan councillor folded her arms on the table, her fingers interlocked. "It was not necessary for you to have the five of us partic.i.p.ate in this meeting, Madam President. I am, however, gratified to see it."

Not expecting a Vulcan to express grat.i.tude, Nan smiled. "It was necessary-for a lot of reasons."

"Perhaps, but you could have simply spoken to Councillor Artrin in your office and demanded his resignation. But you gave him the opportunity to speak his peace. For that, you are to be commended. It is my hope that this spirit of cooperation will become more typical of your administration than it was of the previous one."

Nan smiled. "Or of my first few months?"

"The first few months of any presidency are fraught with precisely the sort of difficulties you have been suffering. They are exacerbated by your predecessor, who, during the war, took a much more autonomous role than is usual for a Federation president. In the years following the war, that autonomy remained, despite the best efforts of the council. It caused a certain amount of resentment among the more emotional councillors."

Chuckling, Nan said, "Everyone but you?"

"Not quite everyone."

Was that a smile she almost started? Nan wondered.

T'Latrek continued. "Your statements regarding the Aligar trade agreement were interpreted by many on the council as what you humans sometimes call 'more of the same.' "

Nan sighed. "Yeah, you're right, I haven't exactly been playing well with others."

"Perhaps the most important lesson in your job, Madam President, is to learn that one cannot do what one thinks is best, but rather what will do the job best." T'Latrek looked up at the painting of Ra-ghoratreii. "I served in President Ra-ghoratreii's administration, as a junior policy advisor on external matters. I was one of his advisors during the Khitomer conference. One evening, at Khitomer, after the final negotiating session with Chancellor Azetbur and her staff, he met with myself and several others." T'Latrek paused to take a breath. "The president informed us that he thought the Khitomer Accords-which he was preparing to sign the following morning-were a terrible idea. That the Klingon Empire was only suing for peace because they were crippled by the destruction of Praxis, and that they would use the treaty to use us to build up their resources, and then-when they were truly a superpower in the quadrant again-they would wage war on us. He was convinced that this would be the case-but he also knew that he could not turn his back on Azetbur, and that the treaty was necessary for the short term, even if it would be disastrous in the long term."

"But he was wrong," Nan said. "Aside from that one blip eight years ago, the empire's been our staunchest ally."

"Yes, he was incorrect in his prediction. People in your position often make mistakes, Madam President. What matters is how those mistakes are dealt with afterward. In President Ra-ghoratreii's case, it did not matter, because he did not truly commit the mistake. In yours- " T'Latrek unfolded her hands. "- it remains to be seen. But I have faith in your ability to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them."

"I appreciate the confidence, Councillor," Nan said, then added with a smirk, "Though I suspect that learning from my mistakes will just result in newer, more interesting mistakes down the line."

"That too is in the nature of the position you occupy." Then that almost-the-beginning-of-a-smile came back. "It is one of several reasons why I have avoided running for your office, Madam President."

Nan laughed. "Well, Councillor, you're a much smarter person than I am."

"That, Madam President, goes without saying," T'Latrek said archly. "One other item, if I may?"

"Of course," Nan said with a "go-ahead" gesture.

"I understand you are meeting with Amba.s.sador Spock tomorrow morning."

"a.s.suming the travel office didn't send him to the Badlands by mistake, yeah." Nan figured out where T'Latrek was going before the councillor had the chance to articulate it. "You want to be in on the meeting?"

"I believe my inclusion would only be logical."

Not only could Nan not argue with that but she was also kicking herself for not thinking of that sooner. T'Latrek was the councillor in charge of external affairs; she supervised most of the Federation's foreign diplomats, including Spock. When Spock had spoken before the council after Captain Riker had brokered the agreement with the Klingons to make them the Remans' protectors, T'Latrek had been one of those who had argued against him-but who had eventually been persuaded by his arguments for the council to support Riker's solution. "More than logical-sensible. I apologize, T'Latrek, you should have been part of the meeting from the git-go."

"Apology accepted, Madam President. May I ask who else will be partic.i.p.ating?"

"Jas Abrik, Raisa Shostakova, and Starfleet's sending Admiral Akaar over."

"I would recommend that Starfleet send a different admiral, Madam President." T'Latrek spoke with as much disapproval as the president was ever likely to hear from the councillor.

"Why is that?"

"Admiral Akaar has a personal relations.h.i.+p with Amba.s.sador Spock. The amba.s.sador was instrumental in saving the admiral's mother when the latter was pregnant with him. I do not believe he will serve as an objective judge of Spock's words."

"Maybe not, but that's not what I want from him. He's been Starfleet's point man on this from the beginning, and I want him in there. However, if you want a blunt a.s.sessment, why don't we bring Molmaan into it?"

"A reasonable compromise. Thank you, Madam President."

Standing up, Nan held up her hand and parted her two middle fingers in the Vulcan salute. "Thank you, Councillor. Peace and long life."

T'Latrek rose and returned the salute. "Live long and prosper, Madam President."

Chapter Ten.

KANT JOREL TRIED not to grind his teeth while Artrin made his resignation speech. He said all the right things and apologized for what he'd done-though, to Jorel's surprise, Artrin limited his apology to the victim of his decision. The councillor was forthright and eloquent.

Jorel knew it would go badly once he was done.

Reluctantly, he had to give credit to President Bacco for doing it this way-and for letting Jorel see the resignation first. He had made a couple of changes, softening some of the language to make Artrin look more contrite, which he'd accepted. By doing it in the room, by preempting the story before somebody could break it, Jorel got to control the story, at least initially.

The apology, however, had been ad-libbed. Jorel worried about the reaction to that.

Not nearly as much as he worried about the subsequent press questions that he would get when Artrin was done.

When the councillor finished, he opened the floor for questions. Earlier, Jorel had told him to call on Regradnischrak from Sebrotnizskeapoierf first. A lightweight from Antares, he wouldn't ask a substantive question, and it would give Artrin a chance to get his bearings.

To Jorel's surprise, Regradnischrak asked a better question than Jorel would have credited him with. "Councillor, why did you limit your apology to this chameloid you wrongly imprisoned?"

"Because he is the only one to whom I owe an apology." He pointed to Regia Maldonado of FNS.

"I'm surprised you feel that way, Councillor," Regia said. "Don't other people deserve an apology? The people of Triex, the people of the Federation, your fellow councillors and the president-don't they deserve an apology?"

"No. Triexian law states that cla.s.sified judicial sessions may not be spoken of in the presence of anyone who did not partic.i.p.ate in the session, unless one is instructed to by a superior. If I had told them, I would have violated the law. I have nothing to apologize for on that front."

"So why talk about it now?"

"I am-or was-a Federation councillor. My superior-the president of the Federation-ordered me to speak of it. Let me repeat that I deeply regret the decision that I made and the damage it did to Wusekl's life. What I do today is all I can offer him in recompense. But he is the damaged party, not the people of Triex, not the people of the Federation, not my fellow councillors, and not President Bacco." He then pointed to the new reporter from Seeker, whose name Jorel couldn't remember. Idly, he wondered when Ozla would be coming back from Tezwa-and why she thought going to that h.e.l.lhole was such a good idea.

The young Trill asked, "Where is Wusekl now?"

"I honestly don't know. He was granted his freedom six years ago and left Triex."

"So you never kept up with him? Checked to see how he was faring?"