“Some of you are doubtless wondering why I have elected to come along on this mission,” Akaar said, addressing the room. “I have come less in a military capacity than in what Starfleet Command and the Federation Council would no doubt describe as ‘humanitarian.’ ” His brief pause made the irony of his last word conspicuous; everyone present was well aware that humans comprised a distinct minority aboard Titan.“Since the fall of its Senate, there has been a great deal of political chaos in the Romulan Empire, and this has grown more acute in the past several days. The Romulans need outside help, and—more importantly—they are finally willing to admit it.

“Among my staff are several experts in Romulan sociology, politics, and culture.” Akaar continued before briskly introducing T’Sevek and T’Rel, the two Vulcan women, and Sorok, the lone Vulcan male. Each was dignified, almost regal in bearing, though their earth-tone civilian suits were elegant in their unadorned simplicity. “T’Rel?”

Nodding her curt, decidedly Vulcan acknowledgments to both the admiral and the captain, T’Rel took a single step toward the conference table before speaking. “Thank you, Admiral. Captain. Members of Titan’s crew. I trust you have all read the background documents we transmitted to you last week.” She acknowledged the round of nods that answered her with a peremptory nod of her own. “Very good. Among the strongest of the numerous Romulan factions to emerge from the post-Senate Romulan geopolitical landscape is—”

“Excuse me.” Nearly everyone in the room seemed surprised at the almost brusque interruption. Except, Troi noted, for the man to whom the voice belonged: Will Riker.

Based more on her private conversations with Will than her Betazoid talents, she knew exactly what was coming.

T’Sevek replied in an almost chiding tone. “Captain, we would prefer that your questions be held until afterour briefing presentation.”

“That’s a fine idea, ma’am. However, there’s one question I really need to get out of the way first.And that’s because nobody has answered it to my satisfaction yet, even though I’ve already asked it more than a few times over the past two weeks.”

Clearly becoming irritated, all three Vulcans turned as one toward Admiral Akaar, who sighed as he spread his hands in capitulation. “All right, Captain Riker. Which question are you speaking about?”

“The most fundamental one, Admiral. Why is Titanbeing sent on this mission rather than the Enterprise?I don’t mean any disrespect, sir. But Titanhas been a ship of exploration from drawing board to final crew roster. It seems to me the Federation’s flagship would be far better suited to this mission—as would its commander, who is a much more accomplished diplomat than I am.”

Troi suppressed a smile. My, but youare still eager to get out to the far reaches of the Orion Arm, aren’t you, Will?

But she also knew very well that far more was at play behind Will’s wrinkled brow than simple frustration over Titan’s recent change of orders and mission. He was clearly suspicious that the loss of personal prestige his former captain had suffered following last year’s Rashanar catastrophe had had something to do with Picard’s being passed over for this historic diplomatic assignment—a job that Will clearly believed that Picard should have drawn. Troi was forced to ask herself if Akaar might not be holding Rashanar against Picard, despite his subsequent multiple vindications at Dokaalan, Delta Sigma IV, and Tezwa, not to mention Picard’s aiding Klingon Chancellor Martok in recovering the clone of Emperor Kahless after he had mysteriously gone missing several weeks ago.

Frowning, Akaar nodded and regarded Will in silence for a protracted moment. Still unable to read the guarded Capellan very deeply, Troi began to wonder if Will had finally pushed him too far.

Then the admiral spoke with surprising mildness, in tones tinged with regret. “That is a fair question, Captain. But it is one that your former commanding officer has already answered, during his recent mission into Romulan space.”

Will scowled. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, sir.”

“Let us simply say that Captain Picard’s…uncanny resemblance to the late Praetor Shinzon did not go unnoticed on Kevatras,” Sorok said, stepping forward. “Word of the unfortunate relationship between Picard and Shinzon has already spread far and wide throughout the Romulan Star Empire.”

Troi suddenly understood, even as she noted the look of comprehension that was spreading across Will’s face.

“You think Captain Picard’s presence would destabilize the Romulan Empire even further,” the captain said.

Sorok nodded solemnly, one eyebrow slightly raised. “Of course, Captain. As the man who assassinated the Romulan Senate, Shinzon is widely viewed as the author of virtually every difficulty the Empire currently faces. The fact that he was a clone of Jean-Luc Picard is just as widely known throughout the Romulan sphere of influence.”

“Our primary mission is to assist the Romulans in the creation of a sustainable political power-sharing agreement,” T’Sevek added, speaking in professorial tones. “Picard’s presence would be antithetical to this goal.”

“Is that reallyour primary goal?” Troi was startled to note that she herself had been the one to voice this question. Every head in the room had turned in Troi’s direction; her crewmates’ emotions ran the gamut from surprise to expectation, while the Vulcans, eager to get on with their briefing presentation, only seemed quietly annoyed.

“What do you mean, Commander?” Akaar said. Though he remained difficult to get a precise empathic “read” on, Troi perceived little other than patient curiosity coming from the large man.

Still, she decided it was best to proceed with utmost caution. “Just,” Troi began slowly, “that the political chaos in the Romulan Empire presents the Federation with a unique opportunity.”

“Ah,” Akaar said with a knowing nod. “You are speaking of the opportunity to neutralize the Romulan Empire’s potential as a threat to us by splitting it up. The same opportunity that some say we failed to exploit with the Klingons nearly a century ago, after the Praxis explosion threatened Qo’noS itself with destruction.”

Troi shook her head, intensely uncomfortable with being compared to the flinty-eyed cold warriors of a thankfully bygone era. “Not precisely, sir. But surely some of the Empire’s former subject worlds—Nemor, for example, or perhaps Miridian—might be amenable to voluntarily entering the Federation sphere of influence now that Romulus can no longer effectively rule them.”

“True enough,” said Akaar. “And had Arafel Pagro prevailed in the recent presidential election, our current mission might well have been to secure exactly that result. But President Bacco has chosen instead to build trust with the Romulan Empire by assisting it in its efforts to remain essentially intact, in no small part to maintain the Federation’s security along the Neutral Zone.”

“Meaning we’re just going to prop up Praetor Tal’Aura’s regime?” said Vale, clearly unhappy with that prospect and apparently addressing the entire room.

T’Sevek shook her graying head. “That is a gross over-simplification of our mission, Commander. The goal of our task force is to assist the new praetor in reaching an accord with several rival factions that have emerged to fill the dangerous power vacuum created by the sudden absence of the Romulan Senate.”

T’Sevek’s fleeting mention of the task force reminded Troi that Akaar still had yet to fill anyone in on precisely which other starships had been assigned to accompany Titaninto the Romulan Neutral Zone, aside from the trio of aging Miranda-class supply vessels that had escorted her all the way from Utopia Planitia Station. It seemed rather late in the game for this particular detail still to be unannounced. Was it possible that Starfleet Command actually expected Titanto prevent the dissolution of the Romulan Empire essentially on her own?