Eagle (Jacob Hull) by Kindal Debenham

commanding officer like that would have treated you with any kind of respect, not with the feud between Kenning and me. I was halfway tempted to pull strings to get you reassigned, but I didn’t know if that would just make things worse.”
    Isaac inclined his head slightly. “That was kind of you, Sir, but I was fine. I can take care of myself.”
    “Obviously.” Jacob snorted derisively. “Now Irving’s not only resigned, he’s recommended you for another promotion. To command the ship he’s leaving behind. Somehow, you’ve also managed to convince Captains Yurigrov, Tamashi, and Horner to agree, even though you’ve never served under any of them, and even though all three of them are solid, Federalist stock under Kenning’s thumb. Am I going to hear about their resignations soon as well?”
    Isaac frowned. “That’s unlikely. Yurigrov might eventually have to go that way, but Horner and Tamashi mostly just needed to see the error of their ways—and maybe a few interesting tidbits I happened to dig up. They’re no good to me dirtside.”
    The cold, calculating tone dug straight into Jacob’s heart, and he stared at Isaac. “You’re blackmailing them. Forcing them to recommend you and then resign. What the hell do you think you’re doing, Isaac?”
    “What has to be done.” Isaac’s tone was flat and lethal now; anger glittered like a knife blade in his eyes. “The officers you’ve mentioned were not good men, Jacob. They weren’t even capable officers, except maybe Horner and Feras. Do you know what Captain Irving said to me the first day I arrived on the Kay ?” He continued before Jacob had a chance to respond. “Here comes the grieving widower. Let’s see how long he lasts.”
    Isaac gestured to where the rest of the officers had been sitting. “They were trying to drive me out of the Navy, Jacob, or to use me as a weapon against you. Some of them figured I would be a decent target because I was close to you; others thought I’d be vulnerable because of what happened at Tiredel.” For a heartbeat, Laurie’s death hung between the two of them, and Isaac drew back. “They deserved what they got, Jacob, and worse besides. If they resigned, it was because I gave them the option—which means I gave them more of a chance than that bastard gave Laurie.”
    Jacob rocked back on his heels by the venom in Isaac’s words. “You can’t just tear through the fleet like this Isaac. One day it will catch up with you. You’ll end up in the brig. At best, you’ll be court-martialed and thrown out of the Navy.”
    “What happens, happens.” Isaac grinned. The rest of his expression made that baring of teeth macabre. “Of course, once I’m no longer in uniform, I might be able to take a bit more direct action against them. Wouldn’t they hate that?”
    “Isaac, please.” Jacob stepped forward. “You have to stop this. It won’t bring her back.”
    “No, it won’t.” Isaac’s words grew harder, more clipped. “She’s gone, and I can’t change that. I know.” Then his fingers slowly clenched. “But what I can do is make sure nobody else in this fleet has to go through that again. Kenning might have resigned, but he’s still has friends throughout the Navy. Between him and his brother, they have enough pull to cause whatever kind of trouble they want, and they’ve been doing whatever they please for a while now. Now it’s my turn, Jacob, and whether they end up getting me or not, by the time I’m done they’ll wish they’d never laid eyes on me. I promise you that.”
    In the ensuing quiet, Jacob searched Isaac’s eyes, looking for some sign of hesitation or remorse. He found none. There was only that unshakable intensity, that lethal hatred, which had haunted his eyes whenever David Kenning was mentioned. Then Jacob grunted. “You’re going to end up regretting this, Isaac. Kenning is a threat—if anyone knows it, I do—but this isn’t the way to fight back. It may end up