Kitty walked toward Wallace's office, information in hand about possible negotiation tactics they could use not just with the G'Kar, but ideas to present to the G'Kar on negotiating with the Mullurans. She had no doubt that the fight was already wearing down the Jem'Hadar. Suddenly, as she announced herself and entered, she picked up on his emotions. His eyes met hers and she knew what he was thinking. He was thinking she had no business being there. That she was a risk . . . a mistake from Starfleet. Carefully, she took a breath and forced a smile on her face and a calm persona of her actions. Being a diplomatic officer, you learned never to show your true feelings.
"I have some ideas I wanted to discuss with you before we reach the G'Kar, Captain. These are different plans on how to negotiate with them for their help. What they may ask of us and what we may be willing to provide," she explained as she handed him the PADD.
"Thank you, Commander," he said as he glanced at it and then put it on his desk.
"You're not going to look at them, so that we can discuss them now?" she asked, trying hard to keep the emotion out of her voice.
"Right now, Commander Mallory, I am busy with other reports. I will get to this one in time," he said.
"Well, Captain, I certainly hope you get to them before we reach the G'Kar," she said, not a hint of emotion in her voice though some could be seen brewing in her green-brown eyes.
He looked at her, his own anger building.
"I know what you think of me, Captain. You think just because of my troubled past that I have no business being here as a negotiator. Well, you're wrong. I am the best negotiator there is, otherwise I wouldn't have been sent to a war zone. Starfleet wouldn't risk creating a bigger disaster with someone not capable of handling such a delicate situation . . . You, might want to think about that, sir," she said.
Wallace looked pensive for a moment. "You have far more faith in Starfleet than I, Commander. Look at the pathetic excuse for a Science Officer they sent me! I've seen enough bonehead mistakes made by rear-echelon people to last ten lifetimes!"
"May I speak freely, Captain?" she asked, looking at him coolly.
"By all means!" Might as well get it out in the open!
"I've seen plenty of Captain's make bonehead mistakes to last till the end of time. As a matter of fact, in two separate instances I was called in on, there were signs of impending wars due to ill taken actions on the part of the Captains. One in the Taldaran Sector and one in the Genos Sector. Both of which I had to stop . . . And not without some fancy maneuvering."
Their eyes met and both seemed to be staring each other down.
"Are you questioning my judgment, Commander?" Wallace growled. "How dare you come aboard my ship and presume to question my ability to handle this situation! Your comments border dangerously on insubordination!"
"You have been questioning my judgment since I stepped aboard your station. Don't deny it, Sir," she said as she sensed his ready objection to the truth, but allowing a calm to come over her. "I know for a fact you have. And Starfleet entrusted me with this assignment, if I might respectfully remind you of that, Captain." All emotion was gone from her as she stood before him almost at attention.
"And so they did. Do you really realize what's at stake here, Commander?" Wallace asked, staring her in the eye. "Both the Son'a and the Mullurans, with their Jem'Hadar proxies, have killed innocent Federation colonists in cold blood! In the case of the Mullurans, the Federation's been set up for a fall," he said, his mind still trying to assess the fallout from the Kelly incident. "We may not get out of this one without a fight! And I have to be ready for that. So far they've shown no interest in negotiating, and quite frankly I don't see how you or any other Federation diplomat can make a difference."
"Its because all you know is fighting, Sir, not to be disrespectful. It's what you were trained for," she said. "However, I have had extensive training as a diplomat, and if there is any chance that I can find a way to end this with as little blood spilled as possible, then that's what I'll do. IF I can . . . If they are unwilling under any circumstances, then you can take over and blast them all to Kingdom Come. But I am thinking of our people out there . . . So many have already died. You don't want to add to that, if we don't have to," she added with certainty.
Wallace thought for a moment of the scores who had already been killed or maimed over the past few months, and thought of what an expanded conflict with the Mullurans would do to the Federation. Were the Mullurans the only enemies the Federation faced, then they would be no challenge to the might of Starfleet. But the Federation had many enemies, all of whom would take advantage of a shift in resources to a protracted fight in the Briar Patch. He'd seen reports that factions among the Klingons were seeking to initiate hostilities with the Federation. The Romulans, while currently pursuing détente, could just as easily change their stance given the opportunity. The Ferengi, the Orion Syndicate, unreconstructed Cardassians, half a dozen Gamma Quadrant races...for that matter, the Borg could still make an appearance. The last thing that the Federation needed was a full-scale war!
"All right, Mallory, I'll give you your chance, and I'll see your recommendations. But I still don't trust these people. The minute they show any sign of a failure to come to the table in good faith, then I unleash the hounds," Wallace said at last.
"Fair enough, Captain. But first, lets get the G'Kar to the table . . . Between them and us, we might very well get the Mullurans to negotiations, and possible end all of this . . ."
"'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,'" Wallace quoted. "A reasonable strategy--it worked for years when we played the Klingons and Romulans against each other. Of course, you realize that the G'Kar aren't exactly pacifists either."
"So I've read," she replied. "If the Mullurans won't negotiate then we might have a fighting partner . . . maybe they wouldn't be able to handle getting hit by both of us . . . " she said, her mind working on all sorts of possibilities, though the peaceful solutions always coming to mind before violence.
"But if the G'Kar decide to go after us as well, then what are our options?" Wallace asked.
"Admirals Zultok and Stelk have authorized a task force to assemble at Starbase 732, the next-closest base to the Briar Patch, to provide the heavy iron we'll need to get through a combined fight with the G'Kar and Mullurans. One Sovereign-class, five Galaxy-class ships, and eight Defiant-class, plus a division of Marines. Given the combined capabilities of Starbase 732 and SB901, we've got logistical support for this task force for six months. The estimates that Razek and Deveraux were able to assemble from the intelligence data indicate that the Mullurans at any rate should either withdraw or open good-faith negotiations well before then." Kitty replied. Just because she'd been sent in to negotiate did not mean that Starfleet wasn't taking the Briar Patch seriously. She looked at Wallace. "How does that sound as a just-in-case-plan?" she asked with a hint of a smile.
"A good initial response," Wallace said. "Keep in mind though that the Mullurans have roughly 700,000 personnel under arms at the moment. The combined assets you list add up to maybe 30,000. That's better than a 20-to-1 disparity. This task force will work for the time being, but if we're faced with a drawn-out campaign I hope they show more of a commitment than that. There is the small matter of public opinion as well. Do the people of the Federation want a drawn-out fight in a remote sector after having fought the Cardassians, the Dominion, the Barien, and various Borg attacks in the past ten years?"
"The Federation is willing to protect it's people and its assets, Captain. I have been assured of that," she said. "But I believe this has a good chance of not turning into a full scale war."
"We'll see how much they're really committed should you not be successful, Commander. But for God's sake--and ours!--I hope you are."
"Just have some faith in me, Sir . . . I know how to negotiate when people are at the table," she said. "Sometimes I know how to get them there as well . . . But you have to trust me, Captain . . . I can't, in good faith, do my job with a Captain that doesn't believe in my abilities." She looked him straight in the eyes, her green-brown stare gazing at him intently.
"We're putting a lot in your hands, I hope you realize this," Wallace replied evenly. "Quite frankly I'm tired of seeing civilians getting butchered, and I'm willing to give your way a try. But don't question my judgement again! I still have overall command in this sector, and I am accustomed to being heeded and obeyed!"
"You'll have that, Captain. Just realize that my personal past has never reflected on or interfered with my job. It never will because my job comes first. It is the most important thing in my life to help save lives and to give people better lives. If, I myself, felt that I was a danger to any negotiations I would have asked Starfleet to send someone else here. But this is my life. This is who I am, and it's what I am good at. All I ask is that you refrain from judging me based on my personal past and start judging me for the merits I have in my record."
"Agreed," Wallace said, suddenly realizing the times he had been judged similarly over the course of his career. Hoisted on my own petard...suppose I had that coming. "Let's see if you can live up to your record here," he said, nodding. "Despite what you may have heard, I am willing to try and talk this thing through. If you'd been here over the past six months, you might understand why I'm a bit skeptical."
"I've read the reports . . . They aren't pretty," she agreed. "But I think some of this might have been deception on the part of the Jem'Hadar as well. Perhaps we can get the Mullurans to see that, if that's what has happened here. There is always hope, Captain. Without it, there's no future . . ." A darkness entered her eyes, but was gone just as quick. "And I will do my best to live up to my record. I hope that I end up surprising you by exceeding it." She smiled for the first time since entering his office.
"Very good. I'll review your recommendations. As you know from your agenda there will be a staff meeting at 0930 tomorrow; let's have a pre-meeting at 0830 to discuss preliminaries. Let's make absolutely sure this goes off right!"
"Thank you, Sir. That's sounds good," she replied, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Dismissed," Wallace said, turning back to his other work.
As Kitty left, Wallace groaned. First Deveraux, then Tarik, now Mallory--and Garek isn't doing much to discourage any of this! Has my entire senior staff lost its mind?
As Kitty walked out of the office, she felt that she had finally made some progress with Wallace. He finally realized what he had been doing to her and was ready to work with her. But he was still unsure of her. At least it wasn't as blatant in his mind anymore, she thought. She decided that maybe it was time to go back to her quarters and review more material. She had work to do for the meeting in the morning