“What about Centauri IIIs defenses? Have you no fleet to protect your own? Gral asked.

Before an annoyed‑looking Ambassador Li could respond, Minister Soval stood, holding one hand out to preempt the discussion. “My government dispatched several Vulcan Defense Force vessels to Alpha Centauri III yesterday to reinforce the systems defenses. Like Starfleet, we have heard nothing conclusive from our vessels, as yet, regarding the outcome of the engagement. He sat back down, tucking his hands into his robe sleeves.

So much for Vulcans not being able to lie,Samuels thought, suppressing a sly smile. Even if Soval believes what hes saying, that only means that somebody higher up on Vulcan must have lied tohim.

Samuels saw Gardner and Black exchange inscrutable looks in response to Sovals words. He also noted that at least one of their subordinates had surreptitiously pulled out a datapad and was quickly entering something into it with his stylus. He sincerely hoped that the aide was merely researching the veracity of Sovals claim, rather than leaking something to the press; hed seen enough “Worlds at War?headlines during the past week to last several lifetimes.

“So we have missing or incommunicado Vulcan andStarfleet ships at Alpha Centauri, and we already know what happened with Enterprisenear Tezel‑Oroko, Thoris said. “What has become of the Calder II outpost?

Minister al‑Rashid shook his head again. “We have not heard all the details as yet, but the final, fragmentary transmissions Starfleet received hint that the entire outpost was probably destroyed.

“By whom? Gral demanded. “Or what?

“The scientists at the outposts apparently couldnt transmit any clear visuals of their attackers before the hostiles jammed their central transmitter, al‑Rashid said.

Grethe Zhor rose to her feet, scowling in evident anger as she crossed her arms beneath her triple bust. “I realize that I am one of the two newest inductees to this council, but I find I must question whether all the effort Draylax has expended in order to join this group can be justified. During the past week, there have been nearly a dozen smaller attacks that can be attributed to this same unfolding pattern of aggression, whether on the part of the Klingons, the Romulans, or perhaps even some never‑before‑seen alliance of the two. Almost allCoalition worlds and their colonies have been affected in some manner by these assaults.

“Yesterday, threesuch attacks occurred in or near Coalition space, she said, continuing with rising passion. “Starfleet was unable to stop any of them Znoc,Captain Archer fled with Enterpriselike a frightened childand the Vulcan fleet may have just proven equally useless at Alpha Centauri. We need to decide beyond all doubt and debate whothe aggressor is, and then go after that aggressor. All of our endless equivocating and discussion will only result in more death. More destruction.

Samuels watched the Draylaxian in silence, a few of her words sticking in his craw as she paused to pound her hand on the conference table in an effort to emphasize her point. “In case some of you have not been paying close attention, we are alreadyat war. An enemy has attacked us, and continues to do so even as we argue. It is already long past time for us to begin fighting back.

Sensing that the tension in the room was about to erupt, Samuels pounded his gavel loudly against the central lectern, breaking through the rising mixed gabble of assenting and dissenting murmurs.

“Ambassador Grethe Zhor is right about many things, he said. “However, I must object strongly to her characterization of Captain Archers actions. If the Romulans were indeed attempting to capture one of our most advanced starships, then he had no choice other than to withdraw as he did. Of course, given the admittedly ambiguous circumstances near Alpha Centauri, it may already be too late to get that particular horse back into its stable. For all we know, our mutual enemy may already have gained control of Starfleet, Vulcan, andKlingon technologies.

Samuels watched Soval flinch ever so slightly in response to his conjecture; he wondered if the idea truly hadnt yet occurred to the stoic Vulcan foreign minister, or if the Vulcans were simply hiding their knowledge that the worst had already occurred. As usual.

Samuels clenched his jaw tightly for a moment, grinding his back teeth slightly before he resumed speaking. He hated having to say what he was about to say, and had felt the words coiled in the pit of his stomach, like poisonous snakes preparing to strike.

“Circumstances force me to suggest that this Security Council may not be the most effective venue for many of the decisions that will have to be made in the very near future. I move that eachof our worlds prepare to convene a council of war immediately, with full input from each of our militaries.

Even as he said the words, the Council members all began getting to their feet, gesturing and shoutingmostly in agreementand Samuels wondered if this moment, rather than the signing of the Coalition Compact, might turn out to be the one for which history remembered him best.

God help us all,he prayed silently, closing his eyes in the forlorn hope of shutting out the tumult that had erupted in the Coalition Council Chamber, if only for an instant.

It was one thing to threaten war, to give speeches and to debate the merits and pitfalls of interstellar conflict. But even given historys inescapable lessons about the all‑too‑frequent necessity of going to war against aggressors, Samuels knew that hedid not want to lead humanityso recently unified and at peace with itselfinto a brand‑new age of conflict out there.

Just as he knew from those around himthose allies whose worlds and governments and societies and cultures and families were threatened with annihilationthat before the week was out, they wouldbe at war.

As always, none of the Vulcan diplomats spoke at all before they reached their heavily guarded consulate, and the interior chambers that they kept shielded from both listening devices and sensor scans.

Once inside, however, it was Solkar who spoke first. “How soon should we inform the Coalition Council about what became of our ships at Alpha Centauri? he asked.

Soval crossed to his desk, near the central wall of the pentagonal chamber. He decanted a vessel of TRukh spiced tea there, and poured some of the glowing orange liquid into a glass. “We are still investigating precisely what happened, and how it happened. The optimal time to inform the others, of course, would be sometime prior to theirdiscovery of the same truths.

LNel paced, agitation clearly showing on her smooth, unlined face. “Which depends on the status of Columbia,which our fleet reports as having been relatively undamaged at the time of their withdrawal from Alpha Centauri.

“Calm yourself, LNel, Soval said, calling upon his well‑honed Syrrannite disciplines to filter all emotion from his being as he spoke. “The commanders of those vessels were under strict orders to destroy evidence of any Vulcan involvement in the Alpha Centauri attacks, and to attempt to deploy countermeasures designed to prevent the Romulans from gaining any further access to our technology. They were notcharged with safeguarding Starfleet vessels after the Romulan threat had been neutralized.

“And what will happen if Columbiahas fallen into Romulan hands in spite of the efforts of our fleet? LNel said, clearly still struggling to calm herself. “They have already shown themselves quite adept at seizing control of both Vulcan and Klingon technology, our countermeasures notwithstanding.

Soval stared into his glass, then took a sip of the spiced liquid, feeling it burn his tongue as he swallowed. Finally, he answered.