Negotiation

[Cptn Swain 0]

Gaher Deson drank his tea cautiously. Not because he pworried that it was too hot, or that it had been poisoned, more out of a reflection of his attitude towards the human sitting across from him. Her silver hair was pulled up in a high beehive and her soft features belied a strong, formidable adversary.

"Madame President," he said. "I think you misunderstand my position."

"No," she said cutting him off, her voice tense but calm enough to remain respectful, yet in command. "I understand it all to well, Praetor."

Regarding her carefully he sighed and put his tea cup down on the table. For the last half-hour, the two had been locked in a sort of strange game of starring across the table from each other, drinking tea in the anteroom of the Praetor's suite at the luxurious (by Cardassian standards) Naka Su hotel in the heart of Laher after an evening at a Mountain retreat with the leaders of the other powers. Now, alone with her for the first time, the Praetor lifted a brow.

"You do?"

"Yes," Bacco said putting her own empty glass of tea down. "I've heard it plenty of times already from you, from Martok, from my own people.

"And I am going to tell you the same thing I told them. I don't give a damn about your political fortunes, I really don't. This isn't about getting re-elected or not causing a stir. It's about doing whats right. About giving our children a better universe to live in."

Deson nodded. On some level he almost admired her courage, but being courageous hadn't gotten him to the Praetorship and it certainly wasn't going to keep him there for any amount of time.

"It is a noble sentiment," he said, honestly. "But I must admit a difficult sell to my senate. Especially when you're administration has proven itself to have little regard for cooperation."

Nanietta took a very deep breath. The first one to get mad, she told herself mentally, loses. "With due respect Praetor," she said calmly. "My administration has bent over backwards to cooperate with your and other governments."

"In fact," she continued, trying not to sound needling, "I believe this conference illustrates the deep commitment my administration has for intergalactic cooperation."

With a practiced patience of years of maneuvering, Gaher lifted a brow. "I think if you were one of us you might see it for what it really is?"

"Oh?"

"You may think that you're trying to," he said, pausing a moment for rhetorical flourish, "'foster intergalactic cooperation.' Oh that I have no doubt; but instead of bringing us together and letting us make decisions on our own, you're doing what every Federation leader has done... the only thing I think you know how to do. You're brow beating us with your smug superiority.

"Well, Madame President, the Romulan Empire is not a bunch of fvai like your pet Klingons to be leashed and led around at your whim, nor will we be smacked with a ne'zha and brought to heel."

No, Bacco thought, the Romulans certainly aren't dogs. Bratty children perhaps. Or maybe cats. And whatever a 'ne'zha' was (she made a note to have an assistant check), she considered reminding him that with a big enough one you could beat anyone into submission. Or sprayed with a water bottle.

Thankful that Romulans were not telepathic, she kept her outward look rather serious. "I see..."

"I doubt that," Gaher said quickly. "Your administration has shown such little regard for my people as of late. You move ahead with plans for a starbase at the terminal of the wormhole, despite our protestations -- provoking the conservative elements of my government to call for actions to secure our rightful access to the wormhole... and at the same moment you willfully violate our space on a supposed mission..."

"I don't think you want to open that particular can of worms, Praetor," she said, looking at him sternly. "I mean I am all for it..."

Lifting his brow and stopping mid-flourish he paused. "With due respect, President, I believe it was your officer who violated our space with a cloaking device..."

"Your space," she said rather sardonically. "That last time I read the encyclopedia entry for the Neutral Zone -- it rather specifically noted the word neutral in the name. I could be wrong."

Continuing before he could respond, Bacco decided to nip something else before it could fester. "And as for the cloaking device, Praetor, I would sure like to know why a Hundred agent was given those by the Tal'Shiar. I am sure the Klingons would too."

Glowering, Gaher waved his hand. "Rouge agents," he huffed. "Besides those actions occurred under a different administration."

Smiling politely, Bacco took a drink of tea. "I think you get my point," she said slyly. "We can spend this entire time going back and forth about this or that; our people have only spent what? The last two hundred years staring at each other across a constant reminder that we were once enemies?"

"Once?" Gaher said before thinking better of it a making a gesture in that vein. "Listen," he said trying to strike a more compromising tone. "It is very hard for my people to see value in continuing to spend money on Cardassia; and even harder when some of them feel we are being cajoled by the Federation. They worry that we're losing our place in things. Your little space station is just another thorn in their side..."

She shook her head. "Lyonesse is non-negotiable," she said firmly. "All of our governments agreed about that when we proposed it -- even yours."

"Not my government," he said sharply, perhaps sharper than he intended.

Waving a hand, Bacco continued. "If we are to maintain our mutual presence in the Gamma Quadrant we need to be able to secure our holdings. You know that as well as I do and it's not as if the Federation doesn't already control access to the wormhole already anyway... in case you missed it, we have a heavily armed space station parked outside of it already..."

"No," he said sharply, "the Bajoran Government owns a space station parked outside of their wormhole."

Technically, she considered, that was true. The Federation still only leased Deep Space 9 from the Bajoran government, who'd also sold them the long term rights to the 'operation' of said wormhole, and in return the Federation received free passage (everyone else had to pay the Bajorans for transit rights.)

"A legal technicality," she said. "Besides, Bajor is still well on track to become a full member of the Federation, which would make your point moot anyway."

"That's not the point," he interjected. "The Federation has asked... no demanded a lot out of the Romulan Empire financially, and we've received very little benefit from it; compound that with the perceived loss of influence..."

"I don't even want to hear it," Bacco said, putting her tea down and standing up. "You've got to be joking."

"Excuse me?"

"You're being asked," she said, "to give a very small relative portion as part of the plan before you. And if you want to talk about our other joint ventures, we can, but I think you'd better check the numbers first Praetor. Take a look at the station orbiting above us -- do you know how much of its funding you were supposed to pay, according to the treaty?"

He started to stammer a response, but was quickly cut off. "25% percent of total operating costs, in addition to a number of other costs, while receiving a share of all docking fees."

He nodded. "Yes... that sounds about right."

"Do you know how much, in actuality your government has actually budgeted annually?"

Again before he could respond, Bacco had the facts ready for him. "Less than 75% of that, Praetor. Less than 75% of your obligations. Oh but that hasn't stopped you from taking your full cut of the docking fees."

"Well there are a number of issues to consider..."

"Spare me," she said. "The short of it is that there's a reason why the Federation is making all the decisions -- its because we're paying for everything. Hell, we're shouldering almost the entire cost of Sky Harbor and Camelot; and we didn't even bother asking the other governments for funding for Lyonesse because we knew we'd never get it -- yet we're not even going to charge for its usage.

"And as for the financial costs associated with the proposal I've put forward for the reconstruction effort -- your government is being asked to contribute very little, and out of it you're going to get a nice little trade deal to take back to your senate and crow about."

Gaher frowned and made a mental note to chide his advisers who'd grossly underestimated the President of the Federation. She was far, far tougher than he'd imagined and he could now see why she'd so easily convinced the other governments to go along with her little scheme.

"That is simply not enough," he said. "The Senate does not want to continue wasting money on outsiders. We have our own problems, our own rebuilding to do."

"Well then," she said. "I guess we have nothing more to talk about. I'll make sure to put out a begging bowl for you at the table tomorrow."

Gaher tensed. He didn't like be condescended too. Bacco, still standing, kept her eyes on him, watching him carefully. Negotiations were, as cliche as it sounded, a lot like playing hearts. Gaher had thrown just about every card he had at her, but she still had a few trumps to play and as she watched him tense, she wondered if she'd even need them.

"Oh," he said. "Is that how you expect to win compliance, by bullying me? By belittling the Empire?"

Bacco softened slightly and shook her head. "No Deson," she said using his first name for the first time. "I am just trying to get you to do the right thing. I understand its not good politics for you, I get that."

"I don't see..."

"I am well aware of political tensions," she said, "I know we don't always show it, but the Federation isn't immune to it either. I have the luxury of only having to run for election once every for years, true, but it doesn't mean I don't have to consider it. So, no, I do understand your position."

Gaher softened as well. Despite himself, he considered her for a long moment. There was more than just a little truth to what she was saying -- and the both knew it. "Listen," he finally said. "I do not entirely agree that is our full responsibility to help the Cardassians. That will likely never change. They brought this on themselves. They betrayed the entire Quadrant. Sure it was a handful of powerful people, but it isn't as if the Cardassian people minded until they started losing the war."

Bacco opened her mouth, but stopped short and nodded for him continue.

"On the other-hand," he said. "Our intelligence reports confirm what you and the Castelan have said. We believe that the civilian government is dangerously close to falling in the next election. While we do not share the same sort of … humanitarian and democratic concerns as you... my government has little interest in the old guard returning to power.

"That said, we're going to need some assurances that this isn't going to just be another blank check to the Cardassians. My people won't allow it. And.."

He paused for a moment. "And... I would like something more for myself. I will not lie, I am going to have to use a good deal of political capitol to get this deal through. If I am going to do that, I want something else out of it."

She nodded and leaned against the couch. "At least you're being honest now."

He nodded. "Those are the conditions."

"So what is it you want?"