[Donatra] "Keep your enemies closer"

[Robyn Orfitelli]

~Keep your enemies closer~

Romulus

Senate building

Proconsul Teranas watched silently from just inside the door while Donatra read the report. Her eyes skimmed across the lines, then back, growing darker as she committed each one to memory. With a silver flash the display changed, following the movement of the Praetor's eyes and providing a new page for her to read, then changing back as her gaze shifted once more, so she could read it all again.

Six minutes had passed since he had arrived and handed her the report, and she hadn't spoken yet. The lights had been off when he had found her already partway out the door, and the antique desk lamp she'd hastily lit barely reached her feet, leaving only the dim light of the tablet to banish the deep shadows on her face.

Eight minutes. Teranus cleared his throat.

"I know," Donatra said, and with a click, the glow disappeared. "They are waiting."

===========================

"I am setting aside the previously distributed agenda," Donatra announced as she and Teranus strode into the senate chamber. She tapped the panel in front of her, bringing up a holographic rendering of Romulus that floated before the 30 members of the Senate. Four bright dots glowed on the planet's surface "You have on your consoles the report I received 10 minutes ago, with the details of four bombings within the last twelve hours." She waited for the murmur to subside before she resumed. "This represents a significant escalation since the solitary event on Vulcan one week ago."

"You believe they are related then?"

"Of course they are, Velal," Vice-proconsul Pardek said disdainfully before Donatra could answer. "Small plasma charges transported into a highly public and crowded location and detonated remotely....and somehow, in each location, the explosion just happened to go off in the specific area that was most densely occupied at that moment."

"That suggests the presence of at least one informant on the ground," Donatra said, nodding in agreement with Pardek's conclusion. The man could be both stubborn and rude, but he was also very sharp, and she relied on him to garner support from the senate in strategy-related matters. "The limited scope and simplicity of the charges is curious," she added. "In each case, there were less than 100 casualties."

"The bomb itself may be simple, but the detonator represents highly intricate and expensive technology," Teranus noted. "That may be the most telling comparison between the five bombings, since the first occurred at a highly publicized event, while the most recent four were merely in public locations, not tied to anything in particular."

Donatra raised her eyebrows. This was the difference between Teranus and Pardek. Her Proconsul was a career politician, and remarkably adept at convincing people to do what he wanted without them even realizing it, but his ability to strategize was laughable. "That is not entirely true," she said politely, magnifying the maps of the four locations and displaying them side by side. "Each bomb was detonated within a 5 kilometer radius of a building tied in some way to the Federation. The first was near, although not inside, the Consulate, and these two--" she pointed at the earliest and latest bombing locations, "were near housing complexes. Note that they occurred in the morning and evening."

"When they would likely be traveling to and from work."

"Exactly. This last one was detonated at roughly the same time as the first, in the Dinar district." She waited to see how fast they would recognize the significance. Not surprisingly, Pardek was the first.

"One of the largest cells of the reunification movement was housed in that district."

The room erupted again, and Donatra let them talk, listening to as much as she could at the same time. Her grasp on this senate remained tenuous--she may have been the one to reinstate them this time, but nobody had forgotten her previous attempt to overthrow it. Only time would banish Shinzon's memory. For now, better to know what they thought and tailor her words accordingly.

"Who is behind it? The Vulcans?"

"And how exactly would that be logical?" Pardek sneered the last word. "Perhaps I am missing something, but why would the Vulcans be opposed to us forming political ties to the Federation? Please, do explain."

"Who knows why those imbeciles do anything, Pardek. Perhaps they are threatened by us and do not wish us near their borders." 

"They are members of the Federation--"

"And if the Federation itself is behind this?" Senator Leraak's voice, though quiet, cut through the chatter.

It was time to speak up. "I have considered that, Senator," Donatra admitted, "and I find it unlikely. While our agreement has given them certain information about our compromised military position, the Federation is also not in a position to begin a conflict."

Leraak smiled through half-lidded eyes. "An open conflict, yes. But subterfuge and terrorism...what better time for that?"

Donatra grit her teeth, trying to remain composed as the hall erupted into conversation. Leraak was slimy, a holdover from the Senate Kaidalin had dissolved, and a likely supporter of the woman, as well. Donatra had no evidence with which to prove it, however, so when she had reinstated the Senate, the woman had retained her rights and position along with the others. She resisted every policy Donatra tried to enact, every attempt to return the empire to glory based in honor rather than the basest of treachery. She was smart, though. She never offered overt resistance, preferring instead to raise questions that led the others to challenge the Praetor's ideas.

"Were there any Federation casualties?" She asked casually, not even looking at Donatra. 

"Six. Five injured, one dead"

"Such a low number," Leraak said, "for bombs located so close to their areas of the city. How fortunate for them."

Donatra seethed silently. She had already thought through all of this, of course. The Federation could well be involved, and they should exercise caution until they had gathered more information. But there were other, more likely candidates--Kaidalin's former supporters had been defeated but not obliterated. But Leraak knew that. 

"There are remnants of the rebel force to consider as well, Senator," she said with all the reserve she could muster. 

"Oh but of course, Madam Praetor. They are indeed the most likely candidates. I merely sought to explore all avenues. Where the safety of our citizens is concerned, I would never wish to cut any corners." Leraak smiled. They both knew she had won--the seed of doubt was planted. "Perhaps it would be prudent to detain the highest ranking officials. Certainly if there is any chance they are involved, we must restrict all communication with Starfleet."

"That might be the most prudent course." Teranus shot Donatra an apologetic look. He agreed with her suspicions about Leraak, and often endeavored to offer a middle course, to mediate the damage the woman did. "It can be within their homes, with their families if applicable, where we can explain that it is for their own safety. We already implemented a temporary communications blackout immediately after the first bombing; if we continue to restrict off-planet messages, while reinstating local communication methods, we can buy time to monitor their actions and learn more."

"And if Starfleet inquires after them?"

"The we will at least know more than we do now."

Donatra looked from Teranus to the rest of the senate. There was nothing to be done. 

"They will be afforded every courtesy," she snapped. "Meeting adjourned."