Star Trek: ALL - Seven Deadly Sins Read Online Free

Romulan space. As presented to the Praetor and the rest of the Senate by D’tran, the settlement was intended to demonstrate that the disparate governments could work together and reap benefits from such willing collaboration. Even now, a Romulan diplomatic cadre, as well as a group of scientists and colonists, was preparing for transport to the arid world that had been chosen for the historic, if atypical, endeavor.
    Toqel had her doubts that the venture would succeed; however, she had chosen to keep such opinions to herself.
    Leaning forward in his chair, Vrax said, “With all of this in mind, I’m confident that you’ve given the matter sufficient thought to formulate an approach that will serve us in the event these various high-minded undertakings should prove less than successful?”
    “Indeed I have, my Praetor,” Toqel replied, stifling an urge to smile. She already had discussed this matter in his private chambers, soon after her promotion to Senate proconsul in the wake of her successor’s retirement from military service. It was during this privileged conversation that Vrax had given her authorization to conduct further analysis to determine the feasibility of the plan she would now explain. While she had yet to make significant progress, the Praetor had decided that the time was right to present her ideas to the Senate for consideration. “Though we have agreed to meet with the Federation and the Klingons in an attempt to broach a peaceful accord, prudence demands that we continue to ready ourselves in the event such efforts fail.”
    As she spoke, Toqel moved from where she stood before the dais, pacing from side to side and crossing before the assemblage of senators, making eye contact with each member of her audience. “Extended analysis of both Starfleet and Klingon starships indicates that from a tactical standpoint, we are at best evenly matched. Our cloaking technology gives us some advantage, but as we have seen from recentand costly examples, it is not a full-proof measure. Despite our advances, the technology must be further improved.”
    “It’s my understanding,” Levok said from where he had resumed his seat on the dais, “that a new generation of the cloaking technology is currently in development.”
    Toqel nodded. “Quite correct, Senator. However, our studies have shown that in order for the cloak to achieve true stealth, the new prototype requires more power than can be generated by the majority of our vessels. New classes of ships are also being designed and a few are even under construction, but a test craft will not be ready for some time.”
    The last words caught in her throat, but Toqel was able to maintain her composure even as she thought once more of her daughter, Sarith, who had commanded one of the very vessels that had proven inadequate to the task of providing for its cloaking device’s demanding power requirements. Her ship, the
Bloodied Talon,
had been dispatched to a distant region of space known as the Taurus Reach, in which the Federation had taken an unusual interest. Sarith and her crew had been ordered to determine what had attracted such attention, not only by Starfleet but also the Klingons and the Tholian Assembly. In the midst of its investigation, the
Talon
had suffered massive damage after being caught in the shock wave of a planet destroyed by a heretofore unknown weapon, the nature of which remained the subject of much consternation within and beyond the boundaries of the Romulan Empire. Adrift in space and with no reasonable hope of rescue, Sarith had eventually been forced to destroy her own ship once it became obvious that its presence had been detected by a Klingon battle cruiser.
    Might she and her crew have avoided that fate? Toqel had pondered that question more than once, wondering perhaps if Sarith and her crew could have found a way to survive until rescue arrived, had the
Bloodied Talon
been equipped with a more efficient cloaking device. As a