“I can handle this myself.”

“I know you can.”

Tikva has barely stepped out of the shuttle, freshly set down upon a landing pad amongst the Asimi Estate, when she’d spotted the only other Starfleet officer she knew was planetside. Adelinde had come down almost as soon as Atlantis had settled back into orbit, straight to Planetary Defence to work with Commodore Usino to figure out any other tricks they could to defend Betazed for as long as they could.

And instead of being in a secure complex, buried under a mountain and removed from any public maps, she and Betazed’s most senior officer were now here, waiting for her, with what she assumed was a member of house staff a polite distance away, ready to guide them all as needed.

“Lin,” Tikva said quietly, stepping closer to the taller woman. “I’ve got this.”

“I know,” Adelinde whispered back. “I’m just here to deliver cold, hard facts if you want them.”

“As am I,” interrupted Commodore Abbon Usino, a safe distance away, turned so he wasn’t even facing them. Turned so his ear was, in fact, facing them. Now he turned, moving closer to the two women as the hoverchair he was ensconced on hummed away, devoting all its effort to keep Betazed and its smallest moon apart. “Cousin.”

“Please stop saying that,” Tikva pleaded. “I’m not, nor want to be, associated with any family of Betazed. “

Usino’s expressionless façade lasted a few heartbeats before a faint smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Then why did you come to see the matriarch of the Ninth House?” He shook his head ever so slightly. “You want to try and make some sort of appeal to her? To bring the full automation suite for the defence platforms online.” His eyes squinted momentarily. “You can’t try to pull on some sort of family tie, Captain Theodoras, without acknowledging it exists in the first place.”

Tikva drew in a breath, closed her eyes momentarily, focusing on herself before she spoke. “I came because the last round of voting, Nule Asimi seemed the most likely to switch sides. I’m trying to appeal to the most likely candidate in order to give Betazed the best chance of success. Because if we don’t have that grid online, then within two, three days at most, Betazed is going to have Vaadwaur boots on the ground.”

“And your ship will be destroyed, with you on it,” Usino amended, saying the quiet part of the prediction out loud. “Anywhere else, Captain, I’d say you’re making the correct choice. But this is Betazed. Family means a lot. Mistress Asimi’s vote in cabinet was a calculated move to drive you here.”

“Are you saying she’s intentionally risking Betazed all in an effort to force the captain to come and see her?” Adelinde asked. “She’s intentionally risking Starfleet lives aboard two ships.”

“If you hadn’t gone out and confronted the Vaadwaur, you wouldn’t have lost lives.” Usino looked genuinely sadden at that statement. “Losses I’m so sorry for.”

“And the Vaadwaur would have gotten cocky and come to your front door,” Tikva challenged.

“Certainly. At which point the matriarchs would finally have made the correct decision. Or, failing that, I’d have ignored all of them and done what is best for my world and dealt with the consequences afterwards.” Usino’s chair raised slightly so that he was at eye level with Tikva. “Captain, you are being played by your grandmother. Coming here, appealing to her, is playing her game. She is unwilling to reach out to you, so she’s forcing situations where you have to reach out to her.”

“The Meto Institute,” Tikva stated.

“If I had known earlier then a few days ago myself, I’d have said something. But my branch of the family is very minor and far removed from politics.” Usino was apologetic as he settled back to his normal height.

“We need the votes now, not when it’s convenient. Because I can’t trust that a collection of,” Tikva stopped herself, sucking in a breath to stop the deluge of insults that were about to spill out. “That a collection of politicians all busy trying to one-up each other in the face of an invasion will actually make the right decision at crunch time.”

“Then you really only have two options ahead of you,” Usino said. “Play the mistress’ game, where she holds the advantage and your opening move is to give her more of what she wants, or don’t play her game.”

Seconds passed as Tikva stared into the middle distance, thinking about what to do. Her eyes slid off the massive estate house, not taking it in, just looking in that direction. She pondered which course of action to take. But she was already here. She’d already come to the estate. To leave would be a misplay if she had to do more in the future.

“As much as I’d love to just walk away, hell, to quit the system and force your leaders to actually turn on the defences that you built for your world, I have my duty. And that duty compels me to get them to act before it’s too damn late to do so.” Tikva rolled her shoulders back, tugged at her tunic, then offered the best smile she could to both Adelinde and Usino. “She wants to play games? I can play games.”

As she stormed towards the house, the help quick in Tikva’s wake, trying to direct her, Adelinde and Usino proceeded in her wake. “This is going to be interesting,” Adelinde declared.

“Oh?” Usino asked, his chair rising higher to a more comfortable height with the taller woman.

“I’m trying to figure out which is going to be the more interesting political situation for the captain. A Betazed matriarch who is her biological grandmother with decades of experience manipulating people, or a planet full of Romulans with numerous differing political beliefs who asked her to mediate the formation of their post-Imperial government.”

“Oh, this,” Usino chimed in. “Definitely this.”

The Sitting Room, as they had been advised when they entered, was on the sunny side of the house. At least at this time of day and season. The weight of ages bled from the walls of the room, the whole house stinking of old, rich history going back centuries. Expansive windows and doors were open to a balcony, letting in the beautiful day.

Nule Asimi was already present when the party had arrived, sipping quietly at a cup of tea. She’d wordlessly waved to the only other seat in the room, any other furniture absent. Gaps around the room hinted at couches and chairs, but no evidence made the existence a certainty.

The invitation was obvious and Tikva had taken it, sitting herself down, waiting for a butler to pour a cup of tea, before the man waited for a signal and then departed the room. The only thought that Tikva had on the entire exchange was that Fightmaster could have done it better.

The thought caused her to give the room a quick sweep, just in case her shadow had slipped in behind her at some point without her noticing.

And then she turned to Nule Asimi, offered a polite smile, picked up the cup of tea, sipped at it, set it down, then folded her hands across her lap and just stared at the older woman.

She could see the resemblance to her mother. To herself as well. The nose, the chin, the eyes. But this woman lived a life away from the elements, whereas she had grown up in the Mediterranean, enjoying the outdoors and blessed by long hours in the sun. And then there was something in her eyes as well. Something far more calculating than she’d seen, even in her paternal grandmother.

And she hoped quietly she’d take after her Giagiá as she aged, avoiding going grey for as long as she could.

Silence then settled over the room as Nule Asimi didn’t speak, neither did Tikva, both women opting to wait, to let the other go first. A minute turned into two, then five. She could sense Usino’s growing impatience behind her, Adelinde’s strong resolve as well. She wanted to keep playing at this, to drag time out, but she couldn’t.

So the first round when to Nule Asimi as Tikva broke the silence.

“We need you to change your vote on the matter of the planetary defence grid AI,” she said, calmly as possible, taking care to enunciate carefully and not be misunderstood.

Nule took her time as she set her own cup down, having nursed the cup the whole time. All slow, controlled acts, dragging out time as long as she could before she locked eyes with Tikva and uttered a single word. “No.”

“Why not?” Tikva had wanted to shout it out, but barely managed to stop herself from saying it through gritted teeth instead.

“Because I don’t just yield because some Starfleet officer has come to my home and told me what to do,” Nule said.

“You are right, that was rude of me,” Tikva conceded. “Would you be amenable to changing your vote, Matriarch, on the matter of the planetary defence AI?”

“Why?” Nule’s expressionless face was an equal to the emotional blank wall Tikva was getting from the woman. “Betazed isn’t under a direct threat at the moment. I am not terribly interested in inviting a potential for a repeat of Mars unless there was no other choice.”

“But there isn’t,” Tikva said.

“There are two Starfleet vessels in orbit as we speak, yes? Responsible for the defence of Betazed and doing an admirable job of it so far.”

“Not for much longer,” Tikva said, and this time through gritted teeth. “The situation is going to rapidly change and when it does, my ships won’t be around for much longer.”

“We’ll consider events as they occur,” Nule said, her gaze shifting slowly to a bird just outside on the balcony.

“Ma’am, a moment.” Commodore Usino slid nigh-soundlessly across the floor towards the two seated women and stopped immediately as Nule levelled a gaze on him that could have stopped a Klingon charge.

“This doesn’t concern you, dearest cousin,” she said to him. He merely nodded before sliding back to where he had been beside Adelinde. The matriarch of his extended family, the head of the house, had spoken after all.

“What would it take for you to change your vote?” Tikva asked. The second round had just gone to Nule Asimi with that question.

Nule’s smile was wicked. “Many years ago, my third daughter, such a wilful creature, had been promised to a dear friend’s son to solidify an alliance. To elevate the standing of my house considerably. To reshape politics on Betazed for generations. But she decided to shirk her responsibilities and flee, opting for matters of the heart over matters of family.”

“I’m not here to talk family politics,” Tikva flatly stated.

“All politics is family politics,” Nule snapped back. “You want me to change my vote? To endanger Betazed? To save your ships?” Nule waited till Tikva nodded yes. “Then you will accept your family obligations. Obligations your mother abandoned when she fled her home and refused to return to like she should have.”

“Excuse me?” Tikva blurted out. “What?”

Nule rolled her eyes, head following slowly behind. “Don’t be so naive. You are a member of this family. Even estranged and as uneducated and unskilled as you are, you still hold potential. Potential to right the wrongs of the past.”

Tikva just blinked at Nule for a few moments. She could read between the lines and it was ridiculous. And then the insults were there as well. The woman just couldn’t help it. But she had to remember Betazoid’s valued direct and ernest truth.

“You want me to do what? Marry someone I’ve never met purely for some political exercise?” Tikva finally blurted out.

“Oh, not all at once. A few years of engagement, then marriage. A child eventually as well to solidify the arrangement.”

“Okay, we’re done here,” Tikva nearly shouted, hands on chair arms, pushing her to her feet rapidly.

“Aren’t Starfleet officers supposed to do whatever they can to protect their charges?” Nule asked, smiling like she had a perfect trap. Using Tikva’s own self-assigned obligations to force her to Nule’s will as well.

“Without compromising themselves,” came a near-whisper from the back of the room. Adelinde stepped forward, hands clasped behind her back, confidence oozing with each step as she approached. Whereas Usino had stopped under Nule’s glare, Adelinde just ignored it, continuing till she was at Tikva’s left side.

“And you are?” Nule asked.

“Please, Matriarch, you already know,” Adelinde said, contempt lacing her words in such a direct challenge that shocked Tikva. Adelinde was quiet, reserved, save for off duty or when she was fighting Klingons, spearing Borg or chasing down separatist kidnappers. “You are attempting to blackmail a Starfleet officer, to force her, under duress, to agree to actions she wouldn’t agree to in normal circumstances.”

“How dare you,” Nule started, only to be cut off.

“How dare you,” Adelinde growled.

“Commander,” Tikva finally barked, finding her footing during the brief exchange. Her one word stopped everything. “That’s enough.” She honestly wanted to let Adelinde continue, but as a captain, she couldn’t afford the diplomatic blowback.

“Aye, Fleet Captain,” Adelinde responded, not taking her eyes off of Nule.

Tikva waited just a second, then turned her attention to Nule. “We’re done here. I’m sorry we wasted your afternoon, Matriarch. I do hope you make the right decision before it’s taken away from you.”

“If you change your mind, I’ll still be here, granddaughter mine.” Nule reached for her teacup again, as if she and Adelinde hadn’t been moments away from shouting each other down. “But next time, leave the help on your ship.”

Both women headed for the door out of the Sitting Room without a word. But just before closing the door, Tikva spun around, speaking to Nule, the older stateswoman once more looking out the window. “Mother was right. You are a manipulative, political, heartless woman who only uses people. If you ever want to speak to me again, it’ll be your decision, because I certainly won’t be trying to.”

“I don’t think I can come up with any ways that could have gone worse,” Usino said as they approached the parked shuttle, the three of them having proceeded through the house and most of the grounds in complete silence. “Outside of a surprise Jem’Hadar attack.”

“Been there, done that, got the t-shirt,” Tikva quipped.

“What?”

“Battles of Leonis and Deneb,” Adelinde answered. “And yes, you are right. Did you suspect the matriarch was going to make such demands?”

“No,” Usino said. “I suspected she’d want time, maybe some media coverage. Rebuild bridges, mend ties, try and elevate the house in the media with ‘favoured granddaughter leads defence’ and all. Not political marriages at the exact worse time to try such idiocy.” The man was angry. Disappointed. Sad. “I’m sorry, cousin.”

“I’m not your cousin,” Tikva grumbled.

“Anyone who tells the matriarch off is a cousin of House Usino,” he said, offering a smile. “I should go back in there, see if I can’t smooth any ruffled feathers. And see if I can’t sway the matriarch to change her vote.” A few pleasantries and he was hovering away, back towards the house.

And then Tikva and Adelinde both turned to face each other. There was no awkward attempt by both to speak first, just an offered wave of the hand by Adelinde to let Tikva go first.

“As your captain, I’m disappointed in your behaviour back there and should write you up on report.”

“Agreed,” Adelinde said. “It was unprofessional, and I was out of place.”

Tikva then stepped closer to the taller woman, looking up at her. “Speaking not as your captain, thank you. Stopped me from screaming a tirade, flipping a table and storming out of there in a fit.”

Adelinde’s professionalism slipped. A wry smile, a wink, the sparkle that just appeared in her eyes. “Was kind of the plan. Interrupt you before you did anything regrettable, get a chance to sink a few barbs into Matriarch Asimi.”

“Kinda screwed things up back there, huh?”

“Little bit.”

“Probably for the best. Don’t have to worry about her ever trying to reach out to me ever, ever again.”

Adelinde nodded in agreement, casting a quick look at the estate house. “Not even a nice house.”

“Oh, tacky as hell!” Tikva agreed, spinning back to the shuttle. “I mean honestly, what do the Asimi’s think they are, the French nobility?”

“I was thinking Regency England,” Adelinde said. “Or the Russian Aristocracy.”

“Oh gods,” Tikva said with a laugh. “Please, please! Let’s go back to the sanity of the ship. Least there the badguys are actively trying to shoot us.”