“Nerys!” he said with a smile. “Come in, come in.”

“You’re leaving the station?” Kira wondered if the Promenade brawl, combined with the vandalized conference room, had led his advisers to recommend that he return to Bajor until the station situation stabilized. An attack on Shakaar’s staff or offices—even worse, an assassination attempt—would send any peace efforts spiraling into a quagmire, possibly even derailing the transition into the Federation. He would hate having to run from a fight,Kira thought, remembering how eagerly he plunged into the unknown, dealing with whatever challenges lurked ahead without fear for his own well-being.

“Yes and no. The Federation meetings are in recess, and I’ve decided to use the opportunity to accept Captain Mello’s invitation to tour the Gryphonduring one of its patrols of the system.” He removed several items from his desk—a book, a plain metal case, several isolinear rods—and placed them neatly into his travel bag before he started searching the office for something else. “I expect to return to the station the day after tomorrow.”

“Sounds like fun,” Kira said, wondering what it was he couldn’t find and whether she should help him look. She perused the items scattered over his desk, trying to imagine what a commander-in-chief took along for a visit to inspect the troops, but saw nothing she considered important.

“Anything new from Lieutenant Ro’s investigation?” He asked, his voice muffled as he ducked under his desk.

Opening and closing desk drawers, throwing opening cabinets and shuffling through padds, Shakaar never stopped moving. Kira felt dizzy watching him. “It appears the toxic combination of gambling, liquor and rivalry exploded at Quark’s. We haven’t been able to ascertain who threw the first punch, but it seems that after the initial taunts, it was only a matter of friends coming to the aid of friends. Everything escalated from there. No fatalities, thankfully, but at least two dozen serious injuries.” She held out to him the padd she’d brought with her. “You’ll find Ro and Dr. Girani’s complete reports here. We’re keeping all pertinent information out of the main data core until both sides can agree what details are relevant to the station population. Everyone is anxious, sir, as you might imagine.”

Shakaar accepted the padd, but didn’t look at it. “Understandably. And without any sign of tensions abating soon. You know, Nerys, I was thinking…”

“Sir?”

“We’ve both been working hard. We could use a break. How about joining me at the holosuites for a round of hang gliding off the Cliffs of Bole when I get back from the Gryphon?”

Kira snorted indelicately. “I think you’ve forgotten how much I dislike holosuite adventures, First Minister. I’ll have to pass, but thanks for the invitation.”

“Nerys, please. We’re alone in my office—it’s just us. You can call me Edon.” He held up the padd Kira had given him and quickly scrolled through the contents. “So Quark agreed to the settlement proposed by Gul Macet and my office?”

“He groused about the yarmoksauce he lost, but Ro knew he’d been stashing it in a cargo bay for the last six months, so he can’t claim it as one of last night’s losses.” She owed Ro for acting as the intermediary between Quark and her office. If she’d had to deal with Quark’s whining on top of everything else today, she might have been here informing Shakaar of another homicide on the station.

Shakaar tossed the padd into his travel bag. “Sounds like you have everything under control, then.”

“I hope so, sir,” Kira said. She remained standing, fixed in front of his desk, uncertain as to how to transition into the next topic, especially since Shakaar appeared to be done with her. For all her desire to remain uninvolved in the politics surrounding her, she knew the time had come for her, as commander of the station, to voice her concerns about a process that impacted them all. “Minister?” she said at last.

“Yes?” his said, his tone and expression obscure.

Once upon a time, she would have been able to read him. How she lamented the gradual erosion of trust between them! In the past, she could have—would have—come to Shakaar with anything, spoken plainly and known that she wouldn’t have been misunderstood. Now, she had no idea what to expect from him. Kira took a deep breath. “While I was waiting for reports to come in over the last eight hours, I took the liberty of reading the transcripts of the negotiations between Ambassador Lang and Minister Asarem.”

He didn’t appear surprised or concerned. “Haven’t yet had the chance myself. How’s it going?”

At last, an opening!“I’m glad you asked that, sir.”

“Edon,Nerys,” he said with a smile.

“Edon,” Kira repeated. “To be blunt, I think Minister Asarem’s approach is unreasonable.”

He looked at her blankly. “You have a basis for that conclusion?”

“I’ve reviewed the transcripts of the meetings, and it seems very clear to me that the second minister is obstructing the initiatives you began when the war ended, to have Bajor spearhead and coordinate the Cardassian relief efforts.”

“How so?”

“Those initiatives were designed to be progressive,” Kira reminded him. “We’re supposed to be helping Cardassia not just survive the next five years, but get back to being a self-sufficient civilization under its new democratic regime. But everything Asarem is doing seems designed to keep Cardassia crippled and dependent on outside aid indefinitely. I think she’s made this personal.”

Shakaar’s eyebrows went up. “That’s a strong accusation, Colonel. What made you look into this?”

The time of reckoning is here, Nerys.Kira made sure Shakaar was looking directly into her eyes before she answered. She needed him to see that she told the truth, that she had no hidden agenda. “Gul Macet asked me to review the transcripts.”

“Nerys—”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think his concerns had merit.”

“To do this right, you shouldn’t go around—”

“Old grudges are getting in the way of our delegation’s doing its job. The Federation, with cause, could delay our petition again if they think we’re not prepared to be forthright in our dealings.”

Shakaar frowned. “You haven’t taken this to Akaar—”

“Of course not!” she said, indignant at his suggestion.

“Because if you had, Colonel, I’d be questioning your loyalty.”

Kira took a deep, steadying breath before answering. “I came to youbecause I’ve been implementing your initiatives toward Cardassia for the last six months—initiatives I believe in—and I’m seeing the original intent of those initiatives being compromised.” She locked eyes with Shakaar. “And more to the point, I came out of my own sense of right and wrong. And what Asarem is doing is wrong.”

They lingered in uncomfortable silence until Shakaar at last said, “You’re right and I apologize for overreacting. It’s just that knowing who your friends and enemies are these days is harder than ever.”

No one knows that better than me,Kira thought. So which are you, Edon?

Shakaar, however, seemed to feel that they’d resolved their disagreement; he smiled pleasantly. “Send the meeting transcripts to Sirsy for my database. I’ll look into the matter personally.”

Relief washed over Kira. “Thank you, sir.”

“No need for that. I realize what you must think of Minister Asarem, but you have to know she’s an absolute patriot. Her love for Bajor is as deep as yours. While she may seem harsh and inflexible, she stands on equal footing with you in terms of her loyalty. Separating her personal views on the Cardassian questions from the need for political expediency has always been a struggle for her. I think you two are more alike than you know.”

Kira winced involuntarily at the comparison, thinking of the rigid, inflexible politician she had observed, what was it, only yesterday? It felt like an eternity ago. Maybe once I was like Asarem. Maybe it’s true if you still think of me as I once was. Now, I don’t think you know me.Edon would never see the subtle distinctions. “I’ll go, then. If there’s nothing else…?”