And then there was that: A Moment of Clairvoyance

[NDak 0]

And then. And then there was that.

 

Standing in t’Rexan’s chambers, Destorie sighed deeply as he was overcome by a moment of clairvoyance. In a matter of seconds the off handed suggestion of his commanding officer made the situation clear as glass.

 

Until that moment all of his speculations had only ended with more questions than he’d started with; every time he found what seemed to be the end of the rope, there was another knot to be untied. Now things were beginning to come together. In his mind the story flowed together as if upon a silver screen that only he could see.

 

Hru’Llairhi Ori’Na t’Sevik N’Kedre. Known for her opposition to war, conflict and xenophobia, many within the circles of power on ch’Rihan considered her to be a dangerous element they could not predict. Long had she stuck in the crawl of the more conservative elements of the Senate, Tal’Shiar and even the Galae, but the power wielded by her, she was after all the daughter of two war heroes, and the considerable clout of her husband’s family provided made her almost untouchable.

 

Almost. Her husbands censure before the Senate had weakened his position to the point he could no longer protect his wife. Like wolves, her enemies encircled her, forcing her too retire from the Diplomatic Corps.

 

Ironically, it had been the very people who put her out of a job that would again call her to service.

 

“Ori’na,” tr’Kelna said.

 

“Yes.”

 

The room was lowly lit, and it was dark outside. It had been four months since her eldest and youngest sons had been tried and convicted of treason against their Commander. Three months since her husband had been censured before the entire Senate. She had been forced to resign her post as Chief Ambassador to the Tholian Assembly.

 

And now one of the most powerful men in Empire, the future father in law of her daughter had come to see her, wishing to discuss reparation.

 

“I have a way for you and your House to regain favor with the Empire.”

 

Her husband, Senator D’Lvon N’Dak, lifted his brows. “Continue, Praetor.”

 

“The Federation and the Klingons are entering into an alliance with the Dominion to share a system and create an outpost in the Gamma Quadrant.”

 

N’Kedre lifted her brows. “And they have…kindly asked us if we wish to participate in this…alliance.”

 

tr’Kelna nodded. “We have decided to recall you into active duty as Chief Ambassador to ‘Starbase Camelot’.”

 

“Is that really a wise move,” D’Lvon said knowing his wife’s…reputation. “The more…conservative of the Senators will be…outraged.”

 

tr’Kelna grinned from pointed ear to pointed ear. “Yes, but only for show.”

 

Both N’Kedre and D’Lvon exchanged glances before either spoke. “What do you mean?” D’Lvon finally spoke.

 

“We have…other ideas in mind.”

 

D’Lvon had once been a high ranking member of the Tal’Shiar, and for the past 20 years a very high ranking Senator—he knew what that meant…and so did N’Kedre.

 

“So,” tr’Kelna said. “If you will agree to part of our…plan, we will reinstall you into the Romulan Diplomatic Corps, and you can restore the N’Dak name. D’Lvon will be reappointed as head of the Galae Command Committee.”

 

“I suppose I will be briefed on what I…need to know after I accept.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Very well,” N’Kedre said without hesitation. “I will do my duty to the Empire and to the House of N’Dak.”

 

“Excellent.”

 

And she did her duty. Over the course of the next several months she played her role, precisely as she’d been instructed, carrying out the orders of the Tal’Shiar as they led the Empire on a course that could only end in disaster. Still she had done exactly as they asked her.

 

She lied, cheated, schemed her way onto the Round Table of Camelot. She held information from her allies. The stage had been set; the Tal’Shiar had the Empire upon the cusp of war with the Federation. The victory that had so long been denied the Empire was with in reach, so they thought.

 

Deep inside her, she knew that the only outcome of the clandestine plan they had hatched would be the death of too many loyal Romulans. Romulans like her sons and daughters. She couldn’t go through with the plan. The House of N’Dak would suffer for it, as would her own name and reputation…and possibly her life, but the Empire would endure.

 

The time had come, N’Dak thought to himself as the credits rolled upon the silver screen. The time had come to pay the piper. It had been no secret that the Tal’Shiar was furious with his mother. While there was no direct evidence tying her to the foiling of their plans, it was all but assumed she’d orchestrated the entire fiasco.

 

The support of tr’Kelna though kept her untouchable to the Tal’Shiar. They could not act against her, with out acting against him, and that was a war they could likely not afford. Nor could they simply kill one of the highest ranking senators in the Empire, her husband; which was where her eldest son came into play.

 

It all made sense now. The Tal’Shiar couldn’t hurt her, or his father, so they would hurt them worse than could ever imagine. They would kill their bloodline.