He preferred to reserve that privilege as one of a captains most sacred prerogatives.

“If I had suspected that Commander TPol would actually abscond with a shuttlepod and head out into Romulan space on her own authority, Phlox said, “I suppose I could have ordered her confined to sickbay. But I didnt do that. So it appears that I missed the very same warning signs that you did, Captain.

The Denobulan stepped toward Archer and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“The question you have to answer now, he said, “is what do you intend to do about it?

Archer felt a great empty chasm open up in the pit of his stomach as he realized that he had no answer to Phloxs question.

EIGHTEEN

Saturday, July 19, 2155 San Francisco

“G ANNET, SOMETHINGS HAPPENED at Draylax.

The intrusive voice in Gannet Brookss earpiece carried with it the same unmistakable end‑of‑the‑world quality that she recognized from all the other times the end of the world had seemed imminentand yet had somehow failed to arrivesince the Xindi sneak attack of fifty‑three.

Sitting alone at a sidewalk table in front of Madame Changs Mandarin Cafй, Gannet paused in the midst of her current rather urgent search of Earths datanets and the Coalition networks to which they were already partially linked via the subspace bands. She smiled to herself. As usual, Nash McEvoy had gotten wind of the story well after she had. That,she told herself, is what separates a good reporter from a merely competent editor.

“Im way ahead of you, boss, she said, subvocalizing into her throat mic to guard against the possibility that anybody within earshotsuch as the half‑dozen or so Starfleet personnel shed seen entering the eatery since her arrivalmight overhear what she was about to say. “I know about the alien ships that opened fire on the Draylaxians.

“Is it still going on?McEvoy said, sounding shrill in her ear.

“Cant say, she said as she scrolled through the text messages recorded on her data padd. She would have paid serious coin for a knowledgeable and talkative Starfleet officer to share her table right now, but none of the carefree fleeters nearby seemed likely to fill the bill. “My sources say its been taking everything Draylax has to stand up to the assault. Assuming thats even possible.

“Did your sources say anything about who the attackers might be?

“Still working on that, boss.

“What about that significant other of yours in Starfleet? Do you think he could shed any light on the matter?

“Thats ex‑significant other, remember? she said aloud, apparently startling a young busboy who had begun clearing a nearby empty table of a spent coffee urn and several other remnants of a previous customers meal. Catching herself, she resumed her outwardly inaudible subvocalizing.

“As if its any of your business anyway, Nash, she said as she pushed an errant lock of her otherwise straight brown hair away from her eyes. “Besides, Travis Mayweather and I have barely been on speaking terms all year.

Although she and Travis had parted company on friendly enough terms after Terra Primes poop had finished hitting the ventilator, Gannet hadnt forgotten Traviss suspicions that she was in league with Terra Prime in their failed assassination plot against Nathan Samuels, and she suspected that he hadnt forgotten either; he hadnt believed her when shed claimed to be doing spook work on behalf of Starfleet Intelligence, even though her journalistic career made it a professional necessity to forge and maintain close working relationships with certain key intel operatives. Traviss distrust during that crisis still stung, and it fueled her continued determination to resist any impulse to ask him for favorseven if it seemed as likely as not that hed grant them.

A new line of text scrolled into view on her padds display, as if summoned by her thoughts. She recognized it immediately as a reply from one of the clandestine sources Travis hadnt believed she sometimes worked with.

She gasped when she read it, once again momentarily startling the busboy.

“Whats wrong, Gannet?McEvoy murmured.

“Looks like one of my best sources knows who attacked Draylax, she said, still subvocalizing.

He sounded impatient, though she could hardly blame him. “And?

She paused long enough to pick up her sweating water glass and raise it to her lips in the hopes of moistening her dry throat enough to make an intelligible reply. “Its the Klingons, she said a moment later.

“The Klingons?he said, sounding quizzical. “Those motorcycle‑gang types with the big knives and the shellfish attached to their foreheads?

Gannet replied with a sigh and a resigned shake of her head. Nash McEvoy sometimes stood as a talking, breathing object lesson proving the Vulcans right in questioning humanitys readiness to move out into the galaxy.

“The hostile ships are of Klingon configuration, she said. “Three heavily armed battle cruisers. And their attack began sometime yesterday.

“Klingons,McEvoy repeated, his tone again oscillating back toward the shrill end of the spectrum. “From what little I know about them, it sounds like its going to be a slaughter. If it isnt all over for the Draylaxians already, that is.

Gannet could only wish that her intelligence source had been able to provide a more up‑to‑the‑minute report on that score.

Another chill thought occurred to her then.

Whatever happens next,Enterprise is sure to be in the middle of it.

With Travis behind the wheel.

NINETEEN

Saturday, July 19, 2155 San Francisco

N ATHAN S AMUELS NEARLYjumped out of his chair when his office door flew open and slammed into the wall behind it with a resounding thud.

“Have you looked at the newsnets? Haroun al‑Rashid said, holding up a large sheet of gray e‑paper. The black text that dominated the page was so large that it all but screamed at him.

Samuels couldnt remember the last time hed seen Earths interior minister appear so agitated. On the other hand, it wasnt every day that he saw headlines like this one:

KLINGON EMPIRE ATTACKS DRAYLAX

“Contact the sergeant at arms, Rashid, he said, swallowing hard. “Tell him to round up every available delegate immediately. And call Ambassador Li on Centauri III.

“The Coalition Security Council is going into emergency session.

The last time Minister Soval had seen such a grim mood descend upon the Coalition Councils spacious assembly chamber, half the planet Coridan Prime had been engulfed in flames.

Today, Vulcans senior representative couldnt help but wonder whether the nascent Coalition of Planets might not be about to undergo a similar immolation, succumbing to the fires lit by the all but ungovernable passions of some of its small but extremely variegated membership.

“Never before have the Klingons made such a bold incursion so deep behind the Coalitions boundaries, said Andorian Foreign Minister Thoris, who stood behind his worlds designated section of the rooms curved central table between a pair of his aides. The ministers twin antennae lay flat against his white‑maned scalp, pointing forward in a conspicuous display of outrage. “This body has no choice other than to respond in kind, and to do so immediately.

Minister al‑Rashid rose from behind his own section of the table almost directly opposite the Andorian delegation, and spread his hands in a placating manner. “There are alwayschoices other than war, Minister Thoris, the human said.

“Not when youre talking about the Klingons, Gora bim Gral of Tellar growled in a rare display of agreement with his Andorian counterpart. The hirsute diplomat remained seated at a position at right angles to both the human and Andorian parties, where he was flanked by a pair of Tellarite junior functionaries, both of whom were nodding in vociferous agreement with their superior. “You starry‑eyed humans simply havent been out in the galaxy long enough yet to take such basic realities at face value.