Confluence

CHAPTER FIVE: EAN LAMBERT

Ean and Rossi fixed as many of the damaged lines on Confluence Station as they could, and the twenty linesmen Ean had been training came out the next day to finish off. Abram came along as well.

Ean listened to the trainees’ work.

“There isn’t much more I can teach them,” he told Abram. “They know how to listen now, and how to sing the lines straight.”

“That’s good,” Abram said. “There’s a push to train more. We’ve every world in the New Alliance scouring for suitable linesmen for you to train.”

Singing to the lines wouldn’t be a secret much longer.

They suited up so that Abram could inspect the damaged areas.

“Some worlds have agreed to leave their trained linesmen here to help you,” Abram said. “Provided they can train others from their own world.”

“Hernandez?” Hernandez was a ten. She had spent so much time around the eleven ships, she’d have problems if her home world of Balian took her away.

“Of course,” as if that was a given. It probably was. Admiral Katida of Balian would like her own personal ten knowing everything that went on. “You lose Tai.” Tai was the chief engineer on the Lancastrian Princess. Ean had never expected him to stay. “Chantsmith will stay on the Gruen.”

Chantsmith had always defended the Gruen. “I’m glad.” The Gruen would be happy.

“At least this attack has galvanized those councilors and admirals who were uncertain before. They’re seriously looking for line crews.”

Finally.

“We’re also training paramedics from the various worlds to work with line-related problems. You’ll work with a mix of experienced and inexperienced paramedics for a while.”

“So when does the Confluence get its crew?”

He could tell from the way Abram paused that he wouldn’t like the answer.

“It doesn’t. Not initially. They’re still arguing over who should crew it.”

“It’s not fair the other ships get crews—and captains—while the flagship doesn’t. Besides—” He broke off.

“Besides?” Abram looked wary.

“I promised it was next.”

“I can’t get you a captain, Ean. Not the way we got Kari Wang. This one will take all the politicking—and more—that the first one didn’t.”

How was Ean going to tell the Confluence that? “The lines won’t wait forever. Lines need people.” The more permanent crew a ship had on board, the more aware a ship became. The Eleven was markedly different from the lonely ship they had found in the outer depths of space all those months ago. “How are they crewing the other ships if they’re not crewing the Confluence?”

“We’ve promised every world a ship of its own, provided they agree to remain on permanent loan to the New Alliance fleet.”

That would take some politicking of its own, for there was a range of ships. Fleet carriers, which were the largest outside the eleven ships and had smaller one- and two-man ships on board. There were twenty of them. Patrol ships, smaller than the carriers and not as heavily armed, but some of the weapons were massive. Then there were sixty smaller, faster combat ships with lighter weapons and bigger engines. Lastly were the scouts, which carried six people.

Every world would want the larger ships though many of them were damaged. One of the fleet carriers and two of the patrol ships would have to be rebuilt before they could take crew.

What did the aliens do when their ships were damaged so badly? What could cause that sort of damage, anyway?

It was good to know that the ships were getting crew, but the flagship needed crew as well. “Why don’t you make each supply a crew member for the Confluence as a condition for getting its own ship?” The Eleven had a full linesman and a single-level linesman from each world; the Confluence should have the same. “Two crew. A single and a full.”

Abram smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. I may be able to get you a crew even if I can’t get you a captain.”

They arrived at the internal air lock that blocked off the more damaged areas of the station. Once through the air lock, the still-intact passages gave way to a structure of struts and clear plastic, separating the inside from the outside.

Ean’s stomach flipped queasily. Sure, he knew that there was nothing except space outside a ship or station, but he’d rather not see it. Not an empty black expanse like this.

Abram looked around. “That freighter did some damage.”

Yet Confluence Station wasn’t majorly distressed about it. Even though the lines were damaged, and their station manager was still in the hospital, the station song was more of fixing things and of everything under control. The Lancastrian Princess would have been distressed if its “Ship”—Captain Helmo—was missing.

“Do you think only ships, and not stations, bond with their captains?” Ean asked.

“Do you?”

“No.” Although both Piers Wendell and Jita Orsaya believed that going through the void increased the bond between ship and captain, and Ean knew his own link with the lines expanded every time he went through the void. “Maybe. I don’t know.” Ean would still have expected some recognition from Confluence Station that its “Ship” was damaged.

Captain Helmo called at midnight to say he was returning to Haladean space. Fergus and Commodore Vega were on the bridge with him.

Ean already knew one person was missing. “Is everyone—”

“There is a line-security issue I need to discuss with you, Linesman,” Vega said over the top of him. “Make yourself available on the Lancastrian Princess at the earliest opportunity.”

“A security issue?”

“At the earliest.”

He could get subtle—and not so subtle—hints.

Ean let Fergus sing them in, while he checked the surrounding lines to ensure there were no ships nearby. This was a sanctioned jump, ordered in the name of a freighter half the galaxy away, but Gate Union knew by now that the New Alliance was buying jumps on the black market. How could they not?

Ean trusted the Eleven fleet ships to stop any intruders, but Captain Helmo wasn’t as trusting as he was. It was Ean’s way of reassuring Helmo that everything was all right. Maybe one day, Helmo would believe it enough to jump cold.

The galaxy would turn into a black hole first.

He went out to the shared common room, where Ru Li and Gossamer were on duty. “I need to go to the Lancastrian Princess.”

“Now?” Gossamer asked.

“There’s a problem.” Vega might have wanted him to wait until morning, but she had said at the earliest.

Ru Li sighed and went to wake Bhaksir.

“If it’s line-related, couldn’t you fix it from here?” Gossamer asked.

If it was line-related, he could have. “Vega said a line-security issue. And to make myself available, at the earliest.” Besides, he wanted to know what had happened to Radko.

Bhaksir came out with Hana. Hana rubbed sleep out of her eyes. Sale came out from her room.

Guilt swamped Ean. He looked at the growing crowd of people. “It can probably wait until morning.”

“Ean,” Sale said. “Once you’ve asked for something, don’t weaken your position by saying it’s not important.”

“Besides, it’ll be good to have Radko back,” Bhaksir said.

Except Radko wasn’t back, and her own team leader didn’t know that yet.

Jumps weren’t permitted close to other ships. They waited in the shuttle for the Lancastrian Princess to come in closer before they went to meet it. If human ship lines developed to the level of the alien ship lines, there would be no need to jump so far out. If they could jump as accurately as the Eleven had earlier, they’d simply jump directly into position.

Ean listened to the chatter of the ships as they waited. Abram was going out to the Lancastrian Princess as well.

Bhaksir and Hana listened to the Lancastrian news feeds—no longer in real time although still more current than they had been—switching between channels when something bored them. Ean hadn’t kept up with Lancian news. He didn’t plan on keeping up with it, either.

Some of the news was about the war. Gate Union had attacked the mining colonies at Aratoga.

“At least it’s a change from the usual complaints about how restrictions on jumps are harming the New Alliance world economies,” Bhaksir said. “Wait,” as Hana poised to flick the channel again.

The reporter was the striking woman Ean had seen on the news vids earlier, Maxine Oroton. On-screen behind her was a picture of Michelle, wearing a formal blue jacket encrusted with jewels. Her dark hair was swept up in an elegant chignon, and she wore a tiara glittering with more jewels.

“News in from the palace,” Oroton said. “His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Yu, has announced the betrothal of his oldest daughter, Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Michelle, to the Factor of the Lesser Gods.”

The image changed to display a man—equally formally dressed—with cropped black hair and a wide, sensuous mouth.

He looked—to Ean’s prejudiced gaze—like a man who thought a lot of himself.

“We go now to Professor Ghyslain, to tell us about the Worlds of the Lesser Gods.”

The image crossed to a man standing in an open area, long coat streaming in the wind. A massive castle filled the screen behind him. “I’m standing here in the capital of Aeolus, the largest and most populous of the Worlds of the Lesser Gods.”

He had a booming voice that didn’t so much compete with the wind as quell it. “The building behind me is the Factor’s primary home. This is where Her Royal Highness Princess Michelle will reside after her marriage to the Factor.”

Michelle had four and a half years left on Haladea III before she went anywhere. New Alliance council members were elected for a term of five years.

“Professor Ghyslain, can you tell us more about the people and the worlds Her Royal Highness is marrying into?”

“Of course. There are ten Worlds of the Lesser Gods. They’re in the Redmond sector.” A galactic map filled the screen. Six worlds were highlighted in the center. “These are the Redmond worlds, which we all know.” The image moved to the top right corner and zoomed in to an edge of the sector. “These are the Worlds of the Lesser Gods. They are named after ten of the gods in Greek mythology. That’s an Old Earth mythology,” he added. “Aeolus, Asclepius, Amphitrite, Dionysus, Hebe, Hellas, Maia, Nemesis, Pan, and Persephone. Named, I might add, because the first three worlds discovered personified these gods.”

Ean had never heard of them.

“Aeolus is the god of winds, and as you can see, this place is most definitely windy. Asclepius is the god of healing. It was on Asclepius that we discovered the restorative compounds so vital in regeneration. Amphitrite is the goddess of the sea, and that world is totally covered in water.”

The overlay disappeared, and the image returned to Ghyslain.

“The worlds are relatively new and unknown. They are 150 years old, and most of their trade to date has been with Redmond, so this political marriage is a major step up in galactic power for them.

“They have a lot in common with Lancia, in fact, and a lot to offer us. Like our own world, a single family has ruled since humans settled there. The leader of that family—of the whole ten worlds—is known as the Factor. His full title is the Factor of the Lesser Gods.”

“And when her Royal Highness marries the Factor? What is her title?”

“She doesn’t take a title,” Ghyslain said. “She becomes the Factor’s partner. She will retain her own titles at home, of course, and on other worlds she will still be known as Lady Lyan, but on the Worlds of the Lesser Gods she is a commoner, at the command of the Factor in all things.”

The Factor sounded like someone Michelle should avoid.

Even Maxine Oroton looked a little nauseated. “Her Royal Highness is a working royal. I cannot see her accepting that.”

Ean liked Maxine Oroton a lot better, suddenly.

“I am sure our princess is willing to do what needs to be done for the good of the New Alliance.”

Ean couldn’t imagine Michelle giving up on her duties or ceding power to a husband.

Oroton seemed as unconvinced as Ean. “The Worlds of the Lesser Gods have been closely associated with Redmond until now. Why do you think they seek an alliance with Lancia?”

The wind was so strong, Ghyslain’s smile was almost pasted on. “Emperor Yu is famous for initiating political alliances that benefit Lancia, and a pact with the Worlds of the Lesser Gods certainly will be that. Particularly as Lancia requires only fourteen votes on the New Alliance council to gain a majority. I am sure His Majesty must be considering that.”

So would the rest of the council, many of whom were worried about Lancia already. Ean could name three worlds immediately that would look askance at this. Probably more.

“It’s perfect timing,” Ghyslain said. “Some months ago, Redmond and the Worlds of the Lesser Gods had a falling-out. Redmond stopped supplying pelagatite, which is essential to manufacturing on the Lesser Gods worlds. The Factor had been sounding out Gate Union—”

“Aren’t Redmond and Gate Union allies?” Oroton asked.

Ghyslain laughed. “Of course, but there’s no love between those two, and both of them will use any political clout they can get. Anyway, it’s too late, for His Imperial Majesty stepped in. For, you see, the only other known pelagatite mine is on Lancia.”

If you asked Ean, a world—or worlds—so dependent on one mineral was not a stable world or a rich world.

“The mine under Settlement City? Wasn’t that closed down years ago?”

“It was, yes, but it may be viable to reopen it, especially if Lancia is prepared to mine it at a loss in order to bring the Worlds of the Lesser Gods into the New Alliance. And it’s already being rumored that the marriage agreement is dependent on the Factor’s bringing his worlds across. This could be counted as a coup for Emperor Yu, who single-handedly brings ten worlds into the alliance, while strengthening Lancia’s position and power.”

The unemotional words went on.

Ean watched Bhaksir and Hana, both of whose faces lost all expression as they listened. Radko sometimes went blank-faced. Usually when she didn’t want people to know what she was thinking.

It was a pity they were in the shuttle. On ship, Ean could have worked out how they really felt about it.

After seemingly forever, the Lancastrian Princess came into range, and their shuttle moved toward it. They docked just after Abram did.

Abram waited for Ean. Since Vega was pacing in Michelle and Abram’s workroom, Ean went with him. Ship mood was anxious. Ean sang to the lines as he walked, but it was nothing he could fix. Should he ask about Radko? Maybe not right now. It didn’t feel like a good time.

Helmo joined them outside the workroom.

So far as Ean knew, Vega had never been in Michelle’s workroom since her introductory tour, and while Helmo talked to Michelle a lot, he often did it from the bridge. Yet Michelle wanted them here. She felt safe here. That came through on line one.

Michelle should feel safe anywhere on the Lancastrian Princess. Was this about her impending marriage?

Michelle settled onto her couch with a sigh. “Where do I start?”

There were no preliminary explanations, and she didn’t treat Ean as if he shouldn’t be there. Ean sat down quietly in his regular seat, as if he had every right to. Abram had a regular seat as well, but he didn’t sit there today. Instead, he sat beside Michelle, leaving Helmo and Vega to sit on his couch.

“One month ago, my father sent a delegation from Lancia to help on the council. He does that all the time,” she said to Ean. He was the only one who didn’t know that, for everyone else nodded. She looked around at the others, so the next bit was for everyone. “He wanted Sattur Dow to head the delegation.”

“Not exactly a smart move, politically,” Vega said.

“No,” Michelle agreed.

When Ean was a boy, Emperor Yu had gifted Sattur Dow with Settlement City. Dow had given the residents two days to get out. On the third day, he’d sent in demolition crews. By nightfall, the city was razed. Those people who hadn’t got out in time were dead. The rest had flooded in as refugees to the slums at Oldcity, where Ean lived, causing turf wars that lasted years.

It would be a kind of justice for all those people Ean had known if Yu kicked Sattur Dow off that land now so they could reopen the old mine under it. Especially since he’d spent billions of credits in the intervening years building a factory on it.

“Naturally, we told him he couldn’t come,” Michelle said.

She rubbed her hands together as if they were cold. It was an uncharacteristic movement from Michelle, who could normally keep her feelings hidden when she needed to. Ean could hear through the lines that this next bit was important. “Then my father called me home.”

“To talk about Dow?” Ean asked. Or to talk about her forthcoming marriage?

Vega said, “I recorded the feed if you’d prefer me to show it.”

“Thank you. I would.”

They watched in silence as Emperor Yu accused Abram of treason, then attempted to trump that by telling Michelle she was to marry the Factor of the Lesser Gods. They sat silent a moment longer after it finished.

Abram blew out his breath. “I knew there were rumors about a blowup regarding pelagatite, but I cannot see the Worlds of the Lesser Gods allying with Lancia and the New Alliance over it. Not unless there’s something in it for them. Something big.”

Maybe they thought the New Alliance would win the war and wanted to be on the winning side.

“The Factor has a smooth tongue,” Michelle said. “Even so, my father isn’t normally taken in by clever words.”

“Not unless he has plans of his own,” Abram said.

Like gaining an extra twenty votes in council for Lancia. “We heard about the engagement,” Ean said. “It made the news.”

Michelle made a face. “I would have preferred more time to sort that out privately. However, that’s not my concern. My father is paranoid. I have seen how he acts when he believes someone is undermining his power. He starts to worry aloud whether that person truly supports him. He starts to believe his own questions. I have seen other people, good people, destroyed for that.”

And Yu was questioning Abram now.

“He’s getting really bad advice,” Vega said.

“And Settlement City,” Helmo said. “Why give that away when he’s already promised Michelle? He has to compensate Sattur Dow then.”

“As to that,” Vega said, and her look at Ean was veiled, “I expect it’s an excuse. I imagine he’s promised Dow one of the alien ships. Or access to it, anyway. If you won’t let Dow come here as part of a business delegation, he has every right to come here to see his wife. Her Royal Highness isn’t the only one who was betrothed yesterday.”

She glared around at them all.

“He’s also remarkably well informed, for he knew exactly whom to target.” Her glare stopped at Ean.

What had he done?

“Radko,” Michelle said.

At first, Ean didn’t understand. Then he did. “Are you saying Radko is to marry Sattur Dow?” The ship lines sang with his incredulity.

Helmo winced.

“Worryingly well informed,” Abram said.

Yu had no right to tell Radko or Michelle whom they were to marry, and Sattur Dow was not getting anywhere near Radko. Not if Ean could prevent it.

“Where is Radko?” Ean asked.

Vega glared at him again. “Spacer Radko is on special assignment. Organized two weeks ago. I’m trying her out for a team-leader position.”

Two weeks. “She didn’t tell me she was on special duties.”

“She didn’t know about it until last night, Ean,” Michelle said. “You should pretend you both knew about it.”

“When will she be back?”

“When this business is over,” Vega said. “Not before.”

If Ean had anything to do with it, it would be over soon.

“So what do we have?” Abram counted them off. “A plan involving Sattur Dow and access to the linesman. A plan to bring votes into the New Alliance by allying Lancia with the Worlds of the Lesser Gods. Are they related, do you think?”

“My father always has many plans on the go.”

“Probably not, then. And we have Emperor Yu starting to question my abilities as admiral.”

“Because you’re not doing what he wants you to,” Vega said.

Abram worked for Lancia, and anyone who had listened to the lines would know that. Except Yu, it seemed.

Abram blew out his breath. “Misha, unfortunately, you’ll have deal with the fallout from the Lesser Gods. I’ll help where I can, but you’ll get the brunt of it.”

“It might even be a good thing,” Michelle said. “A base that close to Redmond might give us a chance to strike at them.”

Close was only relative when you were talking distances in space.

“Or it might simply make the Lesser Gods an immediate target,” Abram said, and Vega and Helmo nodded. “Take them out before they have the New Alliance behind them.” He blew out his breath again. “If I were the Factor of the Lesser Gods, I’d be asking Lancia for protection, just in case.”

“Have they?” Vega asked.

Abram shook his head. “Which is worrying in itself.”

Redmond was building ships based on alien technology. They were building weapons based around the same. Kari Wang had been testing them, back before her world, Nova Tahiti, had defected from Gate Union to join the fledgling New Alliance.

The Worlds of the Lesser Gods were pastoral worlds. If Redmond chose to attack them, they wouldn’t stand a chance. Even if there were only six Redmond worlds to the Lesser Gods’ ten.

If Gate Union chose to help—not that Redmond and Gate Union were working much together at present, but they were still formally allied—the fight would be over even faster.

“What about Dow? If he wants access to Ean, he’ll find a way to get out here.”

Vega looked as sour as Ean had ever seen her. “You have already denied him access to Haladea III. There is only one place he can come.”

The Lancastrian Princess.

“I must host him when he comes,” Michelle said. “He is a close friend of my father’s.”

“I can deal with Dow,” Vega said. “If Radko’s not here, he has no access to Lambert. But it would be better if Lambert wasn’t on ship at the same time at all. They can’t help running into each other. Lambert will have to remain on Confluence Station.” Vega had always wanted Ean off the Lancastrian Princess, but right now, she looked as happy about it as Ean was.

“I’ll put Orsaya in charge of the confluence linesmen’s security,” Abram said. “She’s got Rossi there as well, so she has a reason to own it.”

“Let’s hope we get Ean back,” Michelle said. “She’ll love to have Ean under her charge.”

Everyone laughed, and the sudden relaxation of tension emphasized just how much there had been in the room beforehand.

The worry soon flooded back as little eddies of song—different tunes for different people. Vega’s worry was about the ship and how she would make it secure. And about Ean, which was unexpected. Then, she didn’t know Orsaya, who didn’t ally herself with Lancia—she was part of the other main power group in New Alliance politics—but was line obsessed. Orsaya would look after Ean. She wouldn’t give away line knowledge if she could prevent it.

Helmo’s worry was centered around Michelle, and line eight was strong.

Abram’s worry likewise had a lot of Michelle in it, but it was normal Abram, only stronger. Ean took that to mean these were the things Abram normally worried about. Like keeping Lancia strong, keeping Michelle safe.

Michelle’s worry was a swirling crescendo full of the sound of Abram, so loud it almost drowned out the others.

“Bhaksir’s team will stay with Lambert, of course,” Vega said.

Abram nodded.

“Everyone in Sale’s teams will need to stay on station as well because if he can’t get Ean, that’s who he’ll try next.”

Abram nodded again.

At least Ean wouldn’t be totally alone although he wasn’t sure how Bhaksir and Sale would take the news that their temporary relocation wasn’t as temporary as it had been.

Michelle blew her breath out in a manner reminiscent of Abram. “Any suggestions for what we do about the Worlds of the Lesser Gods? The New Alliance will see this as a power grab by Lancia, which it is. We are not going to make friends with this.”

They didn’t mention the other issue. Emperor Yu and Abram. Ean knew they weren’t going to.

Everyone went silent for a moment. Even the ship went quiet.

“Emperor Yu has already made news of the engagement public,” Vega said.

Through the lines, Ean heard the green snap of Abram making a decision. “Give them something else to think about. Something they’ve been asking for a while. Let’s send the Eleven on a mission.”

“Is she ready?” Helmo asked.

“When is ready? We won’t send her into a full battle situation. Not yet anyway. A skirmish somewhere, a small battle to show the power of the Eleven.”

The song of the Lancastrian Princess lifted. There was hope in the tune now.

“Gate Union attacked the mining colonies at Aratoga two hours ago. The Aratogans are defending,” Abram said. “As you can imagine, they’re severely limited with the jumps they can get.”

Fighting a war when the enemy controlled the jumps was no way to win. The Gate Controllers would deny any New Alliance jumps direct from Aratoga to the war zone. The Eleven didn’t need a controlled jump—at least, Ean was sure it didn’t—but no one was prepared to test it. Maybe this time Abram and Kari Wang would let him do it.

“And how do we get a jump for the Eleven?” Vega asked.

“We don’t,” Ean said. “We trust that the Eleven won’t jump into space occupied by another ship.”

Silence greeted his words.

“We switched the Eleven and Confluence Station yesterday. That’s a tiny jump window, compared to what we usually have.”

“We also knew where both ships were,” Helmo said. “I won’t risk a cold jump. Kari Wang won’t either.”

Marcus Helmo was not a man who scared easily, yet he had a deep-seated fear of jumping cold. That fear was starting to freeze the Lancastrian Princess lines right now.

“They’ve done it before. If you listen to your ship, you’ll be safe,” Ean said to Helmo.

“Can you guarantee 100 percent—absolutely 100 percent—that we won’t jump into another ship?”

Could he? If he was wrong, he condemned everyone on the Eleven to death. He didn’t want that. “We need a jump, then.”

Abram bought jumps on the black market. It was an expensive business, and fraught with danger, for eventually the Union of Gate Worlds would realize what the marketeer was doing. There was always the worry that this time, the jump would be a setup, and they’d be sent into another ship, or into an asteroid.

Abram checked his comms. “The only one I have in the next two hours is close to Roscracia.”

Two hours. Abram planned for them to go right now.

Michelle managed to laugh. “That would go down well. Why, hello Admiral Markan,” for Roscracia was a populous Gate Union world, and home to Markan, who headed the Gate Union war effort. “We’re just dropping by to get a jump.”

“Actually”—Abram’s eyes gleamed—“it might work. Are we likely to be refused a jump from Roscracia? Especially if Ean taps into one of the military ships there and uses that to request it.”

It was even safe, for they knew Ean could control the lines on other ships.

“You are certifiably crazy, you know that.” But Helmo was grinning. “It’s insane enough to work.”

Abram reached for his comms.

“Might I remind you,” Vega said. “You are taking our only level-twelve linesman into the heart of enemy territory. A member of Her Royal Highness’s personal staff. Someone from whom that same enemy recently tried to get information.”

“They’ll only be there long enough to get another jump,” Abram said. “The jump window we have is for a civilian ship. It won’t be anywhere near the warships.”

The captain of the Eleven came up on the comms.

“Captain Kari Wang, we are deploying the Eleven to the incident at Aratoga. Linesman Lambert will accompany you. We’ll send you a situation report and plan of action. Execute it as soon as the linesman is on board.”

“Not that I like losing our twelve,” Helmo said. “I would prefer Lambert stayed here.”

At least Helmo thought Ean was part of the Lancastrian Princess crew.

Vega had taken out her comms as well. “Bhaksir, you and your team are assigned to active duty on the Eleven. Protecting Linesman Lambert. Prepare to move out in five.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Through the lines, Ean heard Bhaksir call up the rest of her team on Confluence Station and relay those orders.

Ean stood up. When they made decisions around here, they moved fast.

“Ean,” Abram said. “You know what you have to do?”

“Use another ship’s comms to book a jump.” It would be so much easier to jump to Aratogan space. He forced himself not to rub his palms down his sides. He wished Radko were here. It wasn’t a hard job. He’d listened in to other ships’ comms before. He’d stopped them firing on the Lancastrian Princess.

“Choose a military ship, if you can. They’ll get jumps fast.”

Ean nodded.

“And don’t, whatever you do, sing the enemy ship into the fleet.”

“I’ll try not to.” He couldn’t promise something like that.

Sale, Bhaksir, and Craik had discussed at length how lucky they’d been with Wendell and Gruen. Wendell had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and his home world of Wallacia had branded him and his crew traitors. Wendell had no love for either side, but the New Alliance let him keep his ship, and that was the most important thing to him. As for Gruen—she had left the Roscracian military after Admiral Markan had refused to get back her captured ship. They wouldn’t be lucky a third time. If Ean sang a Gate Union military ship into the Eleven’s fleet and they kept the captain on, he’d be singing a spy into their midst.

“Thank you.”

Michelle stopped him. “Take care.”

“You too, Michelle.” And Ean smiled at her. “Everything will work out.” He didn’t mean just the upcoming battle, which he deliberately wasn’t thinking about.

“What happens if Lambert mucks up?” Vega asked.

The smile in Abram’s tone was reflected by a red-mint-cinnamon spurt of amusement from Michelle. “Ean can be unconventional, but he usually manages.”

At least it had stopped that awful worry that had been circulating through the ship earlier.

Abram opened his comms again. “Galenos here. Get me Admirals Orsaya, Katida, and MacClennan.”

They were the other admirals in the Alien Affairs Department of the New Alliance, which was the department in charge of the alien ships. Abram would have to get their agreement to run this trial. Or did Abram, being in charge, decide, and just tell them?

“Battle.” The song of the Eleven was pleased. “Fight.”

Sometimes the ships seemed a little bloodthirsty to Ean. He forgot they had been warships.

And behind all that, the thread of a sad whisper from the Confluence. “If we had a crew, we could fight, too.”