“What of the Tholian vessel detected in the system?” Sturka said. “Did it participate in the attack on our ships?”

“No, my lord,” Gorkon answered. “Captain Kutal reports that the ship was deserted—but he also said it was undamaged.”

The chancellor gazed out, past the jagged rooftops of the First City, toward the qIj’bIQ, the dark river that cut like a wound through its center. Though the air was growing cooler with the approach of night, waves of heat continued to rise from the stone architecture of the Great Hall’s roof. Overhead, the sky was hidden behind a ragged blanket of clouds. Along the dark band of the horizon, only the brightest stars were faintly visible through narrow rents in the sky.

“Most curious,” Sturka said at last. “Indizar, did you say that your people found something in the Zin’za’s sensor logs? Something from its mission to Palgrenax?”

“Yes, my lord,” she said. “Immediately prior to that planet’s self-immolation, the Zin’za detected a number of complex signals moving between various locations under the planet’s surface—the same locations where it had detected extreme power spikes. Dr. Grinpa tells me that the data-traffic pattern was consistent with a coordinated weapons system and that it bears many similarities to Tholian signal encryptions—though it was many orders of magnitude more complex.”

That spiel inspired Sturka to actually turn away from the cityscape and face her. “Interesting,” he said. Then he looked at Gorkon. “Could the Tholians have been using the Gonmog Sector to develop a secret weapons program?” Directing the second half of his comment to both of them, he continued, “It would explain why they’ve harassed our ships and tried to force us from the sector.”

Indizar shook her head. “I don’t think so, Chancellor. All of Dr. Terath’s reports about the artifacts and their environs suggest that they are hundreds of thousands of cycles old, or possibly even more ancient. And whatever attacked Governor Morqla and his troops on Palgrenax, it was not a Tholian.”

“I would have to agree with Councillor Indizar, my lord,” Gorkon said. “The Palgrenax attack on the Zin’za was more powerful and sophisticated than anything the Tholians can currently muster. However, their actions suggest they have knowledge of the weapons’ potential, and they mean to deny us the opportunity to possess or investigate it.”

Sturka walked slowly in a wide arc, gradually circling behind the two councillors as he ruminated aloud. “That would explain the Tholians’ attack on the Federation starship Bombay. Gorkon, where did that happen?”

“Ravanar IV,” Gorkon answered.

Nodding, the chancellor continued, “Yes, yes. And more recently, their battle cruiser, the Endeavour—it came back to the starbase with heavy damage.”

“From Erilon,” Indizar interjected.

The chancellor scratched pensively at his chin. “And what do both those planets have in common right now?”

“Permanent Starfleet ground installations,” Gorkon said.

That drew a grin and a growl from the grizzled Klingon leader. “Not a coincidence, I’m sure…. Where is Starfleet’s newest ground installation in the Gonmog Sector?”

“Ge’hoQ,” Indizar said. “They call it Gamma Tauri IV.”

As he paced back in front of Indizar and Gorkon, Sturka asked, “What do we know about that planet?”

“Qo’noS-class, though somewhat more arid. The Federation colonists are setting it up as an agricultural colony.”

A stiff breeze fluttered Sturka’s robe around him as he walked. “How big a presence does Starfleet have there?”

“Much larger than necessary,” Indizar said, pleased to see that the chancellor’s deductive powers remained as keen as ever. “It’s worth noting that the Federation’s banner won’t be flying over that world. There have long been rumors of distrust of Starfleet among the colonists; my sources have confirmed that they refused protectorate status from the Federation.”

“Good,” Sturka said. He eyed Indizar. “How soon can we put our own people on the surface?”

“As soon as you give the order, my lord,” she said. “A team of scientists and a group of ‘farmers’ are standing by aboard a transport being escorted by the cruiser Che’leth. They can reach Ge’hoQ in a few hours.”

“Send them now,” Sturka said to her. “As for Captain Kutal, let’s send him some new cruiser escorts and put him back in the hunt. I want the Zin’za to make another sortie to Jinoteur.”

“Yes, my lord,” Indizar said. A cool breeze wafted across the rooftop from the northeast. It chilled her as it passed by. “The Zin’za is still in port making major repairs, but I’ll have it ship out as soon as possible.”

Gorkon glanced at her. “Mask its deployment orders well. It would be best if Councillor Duras and his allies remained as uninformed about the Gonmog campaign as possible.”

“That was already my assumption,” she assured him.

Sturka halted his pacing in front of Indizar. “Have we received any new intelligence about Jinoteur from our agent on the starbase?”

Exhaling an angry sigh through her nostrils, the rankled councillor replied, “No, my lord. Since the recall of our diplomatic team, her communications have become less frequent and less precise. Corrective steps are being taken.”

“See that they are,” Sturka said. “Starfleet plans to send its outrider to Jinoteur, I’m certain of it. I want to know the moment the Sagittarius leaves port. When it gets to Jinoteur, I want its crew to find the Zin’za waiting for them.”

Indizar nodded deferentially. “Yes, my lord. I’ve made Lugok aware of your wishes on this matter.”

“I’m sure you have.” The chancellor aimed a narrow-eyed sidelong glare at Gorkon. “You’re thinking something, my old friend—I can see it in your eyes. Out with it.”

A grim frown settled over Gorkon’s stately features. “I battled Vanguard’s commander a few times in the past, back when we were both starship captains. Considering the losses we have sustained in our expeditions to Jinoteur, I am forced to wonder whether Reyes deliberately leaked us the information about Jinoteur so that Starfleet could learn from our mistakes.”

“If so,” Sturka replied, “it would imply that our agent on Vanguard has been detected.”

“Or compromised,” Gorkon said. He and Sturka both looked at Indizar, as if to challenge her to rebut their suspicions.

Instead, she maintained her countenance of dispassionate calm and replied simply, “If either is true, she will die.”

Hidden deep within the crushing fires of Tholia’s deepest re-doubt, the Ruling Conclave had gathered physically, something that had not been done in ages. Shielded from the psychic tides of anxiety that coursed through the Tholian Lattice, the elite members of the Political Castemoot reached out to one another and made contact with their faceted limbs. Each touch brought another mind-line into their telepathic circle of harmony.

Azrene [The Violet] offered her thoughts in troubled shades of crimson. The Voice grows stronger, and still no word from the Lanz’t Tholis. Reinforcements are in order.

There can be no rescue effort, countered Radkene [The Sallow]. Too many have we sacrificed in that place. No more.

Strident flares of white conveyed the fury of Velrene [The Azure]. The Voice must be silenced, she insisted. Sacrifice the Lanz’t Tholis if we must, but it is past time for us to strike.

Narskene [The Gold] tried to mask his fear in hues of calming indigo, but the rich scarlet of alarm betrayed his stoic words. Mounting a larger expeditionary force to that place will only draw the attention of our enemies, he opined.

May they all suffer the same fate as Palgrenax, interjected Eskrene [The Ruby], her words coruscating with antipathy and interspersed with fleeting images of the scattered, glowing debris of the Klingon-occupied world that had recently exploded.