TOS - Vulcan's Soul 3 - Epiphany by Star Trek

Author:Star Trek [Star Trek]
Language: deu
Format: epub
Published: 2011-01-02T14:40:25.969000+00:00

Romulus

2377

Hiren looked about at the other four members of the senatorial fact-finding committee: Erona, the youngest of the five, looking more like a sullen girl than a politician; Turan, heavyset and dull as rock; Serik, a sleek, pampered-looking career politician out for the easiest way to a wealthy retirement; and Muratik, solid and middle-aged, a former military man and still as fit as someone in active service. All four looked more resigned than interested or enthusiastic.

But then, the subject of this meeting was hardly a complex or controversial one, simply a matter of resolving some problems in the transport of various items of food from Xanitla, Ralatak, and Virinat to Romulus. Hardly the stuff of which heroic sagas were composed. But, Hiren thought with an inner smile, any subject, no matter how trivial, could be carefully subverted to his own purposes.

"Senators," he said, looking around the room again, "I believe that we are all in agreement. Since the end of the Dominion War, we have all become a different people, more suspicious, more wary, even, I dare say it, more fearful."

"We are not afraid," young Senator Erona cut in indignantly.

Hiren smiled paternally at her. "Ah, the fires of youth!"

"I am hardly a child!"

"No, of course you are not." By about five years, perhaps, oh daughter of another senator and child of nepotism. "My apologies, Senator. No insult was meant. And perhaps 'fearful' was too strong a word. But then, you are too young to remember how matters were before everything changed."

"I repeat, I am not a child! I certainly do know what things were like under the previous administration, yes, and the one before that."

"Ah, then you can understand my argument. And you, all of you, have been angry with the way the Romulan role in the Dominion War was handled." Hiren stopped just short of mentioning that it had been Neral who'd roused that anger. Let them draw their own conclusions. "We have also, all of us, been harboring a great deal of anger about the alliances that were made with the Federation. After all, now that the war is over, what has the Federation done for us?"

"You know the answer to that, Hiren," Muratik said. "I won't say that things were better under the late Praetor Narviat, who was far too liberal in his views for my taste, or under his predecessor, the unlamented Dralath, who did more to harm Romulan honor than any Praetor I can recall. But at least in both of those administrations we were not forced into the wrong side of a war we never wanted."

"Indeed we were not," Hiren agreed amiably. "Had I been in charge of the matter-which, of course, none of us here were-had I been in charge, I assure you things would have been far better."

"If you were Praetor?" Serik asked warily.

Hiren waved that off. "Oh, it is merely a theoretical question. But if I were, indeed, Praetor, let me assure you, all of you, that I would have seen

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