Annihilation (Star Force Series) by B. V. Larson Page B

them,” I said. “But they can’t have a scanner small enough to fit on their person which would be capable of reading much about our fleets.”
    “What about weapons, Kyle?” Sandra asked. “What about assassination?”
    I shrugged. “The moment they cross into our space, we’ll do a body scan and make sure they’re clean. Remember, they aren’t nanotized. They won’t be much of a match for our people, even if they’re armed. But don’t worry, I’ll keep them under guard anyway.”
    I could tell none of them were really happy about it, but the decision had been made, and they all knew it. I wasn’t known for changing my mind when it was made up, so they quickly gave up trying. Still, I could tell they were unconvinced, except possibly for Kwon.
    “All right,” I said. I was annoyed with them, but I managed to keep my irritation out of my voice. “I know you all think I’m making a rash move. But the stakes are very high. Let me explain my own thinking: We need to reconnect with Earth. The possible benefits for Star Force and all humanity are immeasurable. We could become trading partners, and inevitably there would be immigration. We need people out here. There are barely forty thousand humans in the Eden System, not enough to fill these lovely worlds for a thousand years. Most importantly, this is a chance to ally with Earth for the next round with the Macros. Every member of our species must come together to stand against the machines. Divided, we’ll fall eventually.”
    Jasmine leaned forward, frowning. “I think our primary worry is Crow himself,” she said. “We all know him. We know what he’s capable of. I think he’s grown worse and worse as time has passed. He’s become a megalomaniac. I was there, Kyle. I’ve seen him as Emperor Crow.”
    “I know Jack Crow very well. I agree, he’s not the man I flew with in the beginning—or maybe he is, but he has changed for the worse. Still, we’ve always been able to come to some kind of arrangement in the past. I’m willing to give him another chance.”
    No one met my eye.
    “So,” I said, clapping my hands together loudly. “Let’s get to the details. How are we going to pull this off?”
    Slowly, they came around to helping me solve this part of the problem. Involving them in the minutiae and taking their suggestions on details helped massage damaged egos. I’d overruled them all, and I knew that could cause sour feelings. I had to give them something to fuss about.
    In the end, the plan they came up with was simple and clever. I contacted Miklos to set things up.
    Boarding the cruiser Lazaro , Sandra, Kwon and I flew back to the battle station. I’d left Captain Sarin behind in the Thor system with her carrier and most of the fleet. When we reached the battle station, I transferred over to the new carrier ship, the Defiant . It was the third ship to bear that name in Star Force. Miklos had named it himself, as was customary.
    Miklos stood on the massive hangar deck when I came out to meet him. It was amazing. There were rows of fighters and cylindrical launch tubes through which they could be deployed. When the fighters launched, they didn’t use their primary engines. Instead, they were propelled out using gravity repellers in the tubes. The technology was impressive, because the hangar deck itself was pressurized. The tubes also acted as air locks, and the released gas helped launch the tiny ships that much faster.
    “Spacious!” I said while touring the hangar. “This is the first time I’ve boarded one of these motherships. I never got the chance to inspect Captain Sarin’s Gatre .”
    “The ships are essentially identical,” Miklos said, “but I have made minor improvements in the design of Defiant .”
    “I’m impressed,” I said as we traveled down a long echoing passage that traveled along the spine of the ship.
    We soon reached the officer’s quarters. These chambers were simple steel cubes with nanite-laden