Praetor, Contested

[Aekal Donatra 0]

Aekal Donatra was annoyed. This was not an unusual condition for her recently. Ever since N'Dak had catapulted himself nearly to the Praetorship, her life had become one giant headache.

 

The En'Riov's popularity was alarming, given his violently xenophobic message. That was why a small delegation of senators had turned up at Donatra's estate in Riuurren, asking her to stand for Praetor. They believed she had both the political clout and the public presence to pose a serious challenge to N'Dak, and they insisted that no one else had the appropriate synergy of qualifications. After hearing their list of potential candidates, she was forced to agree.

 

The list of complaints against N'Dak was extensive, ranging from concerns about his anti-Versailles stance to fears regarding his personal ambitions. Donatra's concern was simpler: N'Dak did not trust Romulans. It was clear to her in every move he made, every speech he delivered, every change he proposed. N'Dak trusted no one but himself, and that only partially. And that was what frankly frightened her.

 

At the moment, the En'Riov was thundering against the Federation President, Swaggart, who was not making Donatra's life easier by providing rich fodder for N'Dak's paranoia. Of course, she'd been outraged by his speech as well, but mostly she wanted to shake him. Didn't he realize he was feeding right into N'Dak's plans? Or was he, too, more concerned with his own power than the needs of his people and his allies?

 

It was a moot point, really. She could do nothing to control the Federation President. Her problem now was convincing her own people that N'Dak would cause more problems than he solved. And the latest group on that agenda was the Imperial Party.

 

Which was the current source of her annoyance. Across from her sat En'Arrain tr'Revnor of the Rei'Krannsu (retired). A distinguished older man with the slight thickening around the middle of a military man gone to seed, he was highly regarded in the Imperial Party.

 

He was also scowling at her.

 

Carefully, Donatra chose a response. "En'Arrain, I appreciate your distrust of the People's Party," she said, "but I assure you we have the greatest respect for the Imperial House and the traditions of the Romulan Empire."

 

Revnor snorted. "So much respect you'll shackle us to aliens?" he replied, contempt dripping from every syllable. "Will you make us pets of the lloann'su like the Dead Ones?"

 

"Tradition is one thing, stagnation another," Donatra replied smoothly. "Things are changing, En'Arrain. The galaxy our grandchildren will know is not the one you and I grew up in. If we want the D'Era to retain their high place, we must be willing to create new traditions to stand alongside the old."

 

"You would see the power of the Senate rise out of all proportion to the needs of the Empire." He sat motionless in his chair, staring at her with weighty eyes.

 

Donatra took a deep breath and began cautiously, "I have been a senator, En'Arrain, and I am a politician now… but I was a soldier first, like you. We appreciate plain speaking, I think, you and I?"

 

She waited until he nodded, one slow incline of that greying head. His eyes never left hers. "To speak plainly, then – I have the greatest respect for the Empress. Were I Praetor, I would do all that I could to ensure that the Imperial House had a place of true leadership, befitting its stature."

 

She paused for a moment, wanting to choose just the right words for the next part. Everything might hinge on conveying to Revnor her vision of an ambitious N'Dak reaching for more and more power, until he had the entire Empire in a chokehold – and was still unsatisfied. "But I would rather," she said at last, "see an Emperor become the honored figurehead of an Empire led by the Senate, than see the Imperial House disgraced and dishonored by the machinations of that arrogant puppy, N'Dak."

 

Revnor was silent for so long she began to worry that her words had truly angered him. Finally, he said heavily, "I… need to think on this, Deihu."

 

"Of course, En'Arrain," she responded, hiding her relief. "Thank you for seeing me."