help finance us at the start."
"Only the start?"
"Only the start," repeated Cole. "Until I need every last ship, we'll still let you and David line up some mercenary work and take your commissions. Also, I'll give you salvage rights to any ship we destroy."
"I want something more," said the Duke.
"Name it."
"On any world that you free from either warlords or the Republic, I want Most Favored Nation trading status."
"You're not a nation; you're a space station."
"A space station with almost eighty thousand permanent residents, half a million transients, and more black marketeers than I think you realize. They are my partners, or they soon will be if they want any slice of these new markets. Do we have a deal?"
"As long as you don't strong-arm anybody or abuse the privilege, we have a deal."
The Duke extended his hand, and Cole took and shook it.
The word was passed that every member of Cole's fleet was to assemble at the theater at 1200 hours the next day.
"I'm as sorry as anyone about what happened, Wilson," said Sharon as they had dinner at the Home from Home that evening. "But you can't just go to war with the Republic. They've got something like three million ships."
"More," said Cole.
"And we've got sixty."
"Less."
"Well, then?"
"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Everyone will have a chance to voice an opinion then." A waiter brought their food to the table. "Now enjoy your meal."
They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Finally Sharon pushed her plate away.
"This is silly!" she declared. "You're talking about facing millions of ships, and you expect me to make small talk!"
He smiled. "I thought Val was the one who couldn't obey orders."
"Are you ordering me not to talk about it?"
"I'm asking you not to," said Cole. "Two million beings were incinerated. Tonight we'll mourn them. Tomorrow we'll talk about avenging them."
"It's crazy!"
"It's necessary," he said. "You don't think they're going to stop with Braccio II, do you?"
She looked surprised. "Why shouldn't they?"
"Because they didn't get what they wanted: our location."
"I hadn't thought about that," she admitted. "All right, Wilson. Tonight we mourn."
"Thanks."
They finished their meal, and Sharon returned to the ship while Cole took a few minutes to look at the theater where they would be meeting the next day. Then he, too, went back to the Teddy R. He felt restless, but he didn't want to socialize with any member of the crew, because he didn't want any questions about the upcoming meeting. He settled for going to his room, selected a mindless musical holo, and watched it until he fell into a dreamless sleep.
He awoke feeling fully rested, then realized he'd fallen asleep in his uniform. He took a Dryshower, changed outfits, went to the mess hall for some artificial fruit juice and a cup of coffee, sat in splendid isolation as his crew studiously avoided him—Sharon had evidently warned them off—and finally, half an hour before the meeting was to begin, he took a tram to the station and walked to the theater.
Fifty captains and crews filed in, along with the crew of the Teddy R. He had designated four seats in the first row for Jacovic, Christine, and Val, his First, Second, and Third Officers, and David Copperfield. The remainder of the first two rows was reserved for the captains of the other ships.
When they were all seated, Cole walked out onto the stage.
"I'm sure you all know that Commander Forrice and Ensign Jacillios were apprehended by the Navy of Braccio II and tortured. Both preferred death to revealing any information about the Theodore Roosevelt. They were our comrades, and we honor their sacrifice."
He paused for a moment, then continued. "Some of you may not know what happened yesterday. The Republic sent six military ships to the Braccio system. One of them evacuated just two people from Braccio II—a survivor of our conflict with the Endless Night and the citizen who informed the Navy of the presence of our two
"Only the start?"
"Only the start," repeated Cole. "Until I need every last ship, we'll still let you and David line up some mercenary work and take your commissions. Also, I'll give you salvage rights to any ship we destroy."
"I want something more," said the Duke.
"Name it."
"On any world that you free from either warlords or the Republic, I want Most Favored Nation trading status."
"You're not a nation; you're a space station."
"A space station with almost eighty thousand permanent residents, half a million transients, and more black marketeers than I think you realize. They are my partners, or they soon will be if they want any slice of these new markets. Do we have a deal?"
"As long as you don't strong-arm anybody or abuse the privilege, we have a deal."
The Duke extended his hand, and Cole took and shook it.
The word was passed that every member of Cole's fleet was to assemble at the theater at 1200 hours the next day.
"I'm as sorry as anyone about what happened, Wilson," said Sharon as they had dinner at the Home from Home that evening. "But you can't just go to war with the Republic. They've got something like three million ships."
"More," said Cole.
"And we've got sixty."
"Less."
"Well, then?"
"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Everyone will have a chance to voice an opinion then." A waiter brought their food to the table. "Now enjoy your meal."
They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Finally Sharon pushed her plate away.
"This is silly!" she declared. "You're talking about facing millions of ships, and you expect me to make small talk!"
He smiled. "I thought Val was the one who couldn't obey orders."
"Are you ordering me not to talk about it?"
"I'm asking you not to," said Cole. "Two million beings were incinerated. Tonight we'll mourn them. Tomorrow we'll talk about avenging them."
"It's crazy!"
"It's necessary," he said. "You don't think they're going to stop with Braccio II, do you?"
She looked surprised. "Why shouldn't they?"
"Because they didn't get what they wanted: our location."
"I hadn't thought about that," she admitted. "All right, Wilson. Tonight we mourn."
"Thanks."
They finished their meal, and Sharon returned to the ship while Cole took a few minutes to look at the theater where they would be meeting the next day. Then he, too, went back to the Teddy R. He felt restless, but he didn't want to socialize with any member of the crew, because he didn't want any questions about the upcoming meeting. He settled for going to his room, selected a mindless musical holo, and watched it until he fell into a dreamless sleep.
He awoke feeling fully rested, then realized he'd fallen asleep in his uniform. He took a Dryshower, changed outfits, went to the mess hall for some artificial fruit juice and a cup of coffee, sat in splendid isolation as his crew studiously avoided him—Sharon had evidently warned them off—and finally, half an hour before the meeting was to begin, he took a tram to the station and walked to the theater.
Fifty captains and crews filed in, along with the crew of the Teddy R. He had designated four seats in the first row for Jacovic, Christine, and Val, his First, Second, and Third Officers, and David Copperfield. The remainder of the first two rows was reserved for the captains of the other ships.
When they were all seated, Cole walked out onto the stage.
"I'm sure you all know that Commander Forrice and Ensign Jacillios were apprehended by the Navy of Braccio II and tortured. Both preferred death to revealing any information about the Theodore Roosevelt. They were our comrades, and we honor their sacrifice."
He paused for a moment, then continued. "Some of you may not know what happened yesterday. The Republic sent six military ships to the Braccio system. One of them evacuated just two people from Braccio II—a survivor of our conflict with the Endless Night and the citizen who informed the Navy of the presence of our two
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