“Prudence has never been a watchword of the Klingon Empire, Timol.”

“Times have changed, My Lord Praetor.” She then explained the terms of the agreement, and how the planet would be occupied by both nations until one proved worthy of taking it.

Nodding, Dralath said, “I see, they’ve made it a competition. That is a language the Klingons dospeak.” He rubbed his chin. “Have our agents within the Klingon Empire monitor the situation on Raknal V, but do not inform the Senate. If the Klingons are truly so weakened, we may wish to end our self-imposed exile sooner than planned.”

“Sir, we do not have any agents as such, only—”

“I know exactly what we have, Timol. Speak with the appropriate noble houses, they will do the rest.”

Timol hesitated. “I know at least one such appropriate house that will feel no great urge to aid you, My Lord Praetor.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The new taxes will have a profound impact on Alidor Ralak and his concerns on Romii.”

Dralath again rubbed his chin. Ralak was the head of a house that had close ties to several prominent Klingon families.

“Assure him that he has nothing to be concerned about regarding the new taxes—which I will be vetoing tomorrow.”

“My Lord Praetor, that may not be wise. The economic impact on the worker class—”

Pounding the table, Dralath said, “I have no interest in the worker class, Timol! Ralak is not someone I will have as an enemy. It will be done.”

“Of course, My Lord Praetor.”

Timol then went on to the rest of the agenda, but Dralath barely paid it any mind. We will be watching you,he thought at the High Council on Qo’noS. You will sit in your chambers and rebuild your pathetic empire and beg the Federation for help and forget all about us. But we will be here, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Part 2

A Heavy Iron

Chain Descends

2333—2334

Chapter 15

Raknal V

“My fellow Cardassians, I’m sure most of you have heard about the aircar collision on the outskirts of Raknal City.”

Noting that Gul Monor—or, rather, Prefect Monor—used the word “collision” rather than “accident” to describe what happened, Ekron stood to the side of Monor’s desk while the communications system sent the prefect’s image out to all the monitors on the northern continent. This bulletin was interrupting the usual governmental messages, and would be repeated several times until an update was warranted. Normally, such bulletins would be part of the regular news reporting, but the prefect wanted the people to hear about this from his own lips. “Let them know I’m on top of things,” he had said. Ekron had agreed with the sentiment in principle, but in reality he feared that Monor’s tendency to digress would dilute the message somewhat.

“I’m saddened to say that four loyal Cardassian citizens lost their lives in the crash. I have personally sent the proper authorities to look into this incident, and I can assure you all that they will not rest until the truth about this crash comes to light. And to forestall the questions that I’m sure all of you, as equally loyal Cardassians, might have, let me say this: we have not ruled out Klingon involvement.”

Ekron sighed, expecting this. In fact, there wasn’t any hint of Klingon involvement, and the investigation team’s preliminary report indicated that it was, in fact, an accident. But Raknal V had been plagued with accidents for each of the five years that the Klingons and Cardassians had been sharing the world, and the plague had grown more virulent with time. Where both governments supported the Raknal project in the beginning, as time went on, supply ships came fewer and farther between, and the supplies they carried were less and less state-of-the-art.

Try telling Monor that,Ekron thought with a sigh. At least he wasn’t calling the Klingons “Foreheads” on public broadcasts. That would stir things up even more. And he had finally—after five years of steadfast refusal—given Ekron permission to investigate the possibility of transplanting hevritto this world. It might not be enough to save the species, but Ekron felt it was his duty to try. The hevritwere as much a part of Cardassia Prime as Cardassians themselves were. If the people of the home planet deserved to have their lot in life improved by colonization, so too did its animal life.

“We will determine who is responsible for this heinous act against our people, and the responsible parties will be brought to justice. I give you my personal assurance as prefect of Raknal V that all of those responsible will be punished.”

I wish he’d let me read his speeches before he gives them,Ekron thought, not for the first time. Too much repetition makes him look like an idiot.Monor could not afford to look like an idiot in public, especially now.

“We’ll find out what happened, and you can be assured that appropriate action will be taken. This planet will be ours, of that you can allbe assured. No one will take away from Cardassia what rightfully belongs to Cardassia, least of all a bunch of upstart aliens who think they can scare us off with cowardly sabotage. They have endeavored to elude blame for many of the so-called ‘accidents’ that have befallen loyal Cardassians in the past, all the while refusing any attempt to cooperate on endeavors that would save lives on both sides. They have continually refused to coordinate their orbital control center with ours, resulting in several near collisions in space. It is only a matter of time before a tragedy even more tragic than the tragedy that befell the aircar victims today happens again.”

Ekron tried not to gag at the tortured syntax.

The prefect leaned forward in his chair. “Be strong, my fellow Cardassians, and be vigilant. We will overcome these tragedies and emerge a stronger people for it!”

With that, he leaned back. Ekron deactivated the live feed, and the monitors all across the northern continent went back to the prerecorded bulletins and messages.

Knowing full well that the protest would fall on deaf ears, Ekron nonetheless felt compelled to say, “Sir, there’s no evidence that the Klingons had anything to do with it.”

“One of those damned Foreheads was seen near the site.”

Ekron closed his eyes and counted to five. “Sir, that was a merchant named Kall—he’s well known in that sector. He’s a private citizen. We’ve checked him thoroughly, as has the Order.”

Monor made a snorting noise as he got up from his desk. “As if you can trust anything from those imbeciles. I want that ‘merchant’ arrested and interrogated.”

“Sir, Governor Qaolin will object if you do.”

“Let him.”

It took all of Ekron’s willpower not to say, That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one who has to listen to the objection.Monor always made Ekron take any communiqués from the Klingons, refusing to speak to the “Foreheads.”