“It’s a fine ship, captain, and your crew has done an excellent job getting it up and running.”

“Thank you, Navarchos,” Lauryna said. “I won’t say there haven’t been challenges, but we’ve tried to document them; hopefully Captain Carey won’t have as many when the Prince Antero leaves drydock.”

“It’s a new class of ships, it will take time to work out the idiosyncrasies,” Lemm said.

“And it’s a class named for Navarchos Bass,” Lauryna added. “There were always going to be idiocyncrasies. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Lemm paused as they reached a junction in the corridors; a right turn would take her to the quarterdeck and her tender. “Lauryna,” she said, “did you receive the package I sent you?”

Lauryna smiled. “I was glad to see you’re carrying on the tradition. But 9-year-old Royal Berry Schnapps…you didn’t have to spend that much on me, ma’am.”

“Oh, yes I did,” Lemm said. “Aerti would’ve wanted you to have the very best, and not just because he took the Gyfjon from you. I do as well. But I was wondering…if you might be willing to share just a glass of it with your fleet commander.”

Lauryna knew she had to show her surprise at this, but she nodded. “I’d be happy to. We’ll head back to my quarters. Would you like me to kick Izzy out?”

Lemm nodded. “I hope she won’t mind.”

“She should be getting ready for her rotation anyhow. And she’s used to it.”

* * *

“So what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Loona said. “Sorry, go back to bed.”

“Look, I know you’re not always gonna be able to come back with me,” Aisell said, “but I also know the difference between ‘Something came up that must be dealt with now’ and ‘Loona’s in a mood.’ You’re in a mood. What’s wrong?”

Loona grimaced. “If I wanted a wife, I’d marry you.”

“Sorry, you’re gonna get this even from your fuck buddy. Is this about Darren? I know, we all pushed you to bring him on board, but if you really don’t want to….”

“I called him, earlier tonight,” Loona said. “Told him to expect Rixie’s call.”

“Oh,” Loona said. “Sedgi was okay with it?”

“Better than I am, really,” Loona said. “Pane’s a soldier at heart, she’s always happy to have another gun. She was the one who argued the Acolytes were worth forgiving and forgetting over. And she’s probably right.”

“No probably about it,” Aisell said. “Look, I know you have to worry about things more than I do, but I told you, Darren….”

Loona laughed, a bitter, sharp retort. She was quiet for a good minute, before she said, “You know, they estimate that Aerti and Niall took out half a billion Insectoids when they blew the hive ship.”

“Okay,” Aisell said. “I mean, good, right? If they had to die, I’d want them to take out as many as they could.”

“Billions more have died since the war started,” Loona said, ignoring Aisell’s editorial commentary.
“Billions of sapient beings. I know they’re bugs. But still…billions and billions of sapient beings have died. And they died on my orders.”

Aisell said. “You don’t feel bad about it, I hope.”

“No,” Loona said. “I don’t. And that…that terrifies me.”

She turned to look out the window, over the street that split her residence from the legislative building. “The Insectoids don’t even seem capable of resisting us at this point,” Loona said. “Destroying them all…destroying them all is an achievable goal. If they stay this fractious and disorganized it could be done within a decade. Xenocide of half a trillion sapients. And I’m fine with that. I’m sleeping well.”

“You should be,” Aisell said.

“Should I?” Loona asked. “Maybe. They have killed millions of our people over the centuries. Tens of millions if you count humans as ‘our people,’ and…they are my people, if not ours. But in just a few months, we have killed billions. I have killed billions. Perhaps they have killed more over time – we cannot know if they have faced down other species. But by any measure…no leader, in the recorded history of any known species, has ordered more people killed than I have. No leader, in the recorded history of any species, has seen her military carry out those orders with the terrifying competence of our alliance. I’m capable of doing that, and not caring about it. No…no, I care. I’m glad of it. Proud of it.”

Loona’s voice had dropped just above a whisper. “Aisell, there is part of me that wants to not just ignore, but reward Darren for taking up arms against the Empire. That wants to suggest to him and Pryvani that there would be value in having the humans well-armed in case the Empire should turn on them again. And part of me that would like to shower Tribe Maris in government contracts, and put a Rixie’s in the legislative building, and intimidate Tannhauser Gate University into granting Nonah the doctorate of fine arts that she deserves. And the way I keep myself from doing that is by believing in the laws, and the rules, and in the ethical standards I’ve held myself to. Which means I can’t just forgive Darren. Because if I do, knowing what I’m capable of….”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” Aisell said. “’What you’re capable of’ is defending the Empire, Loona, and defending Earth while you’re at it, and you’re gorram good at it. But you aren’t a monster. If the Insectoids sent an ambassador tomorrow to ask for peace you’d hear them out. You aren’t bloodthirsty, and you aren’t attacking them just because you thought it would be fun. If they’d stayed on their side of the border you’d have kept our soldiers on our side of the border and you would have been fine with it.”

“Yes, but….”

“But nothing. You are ethical. You always have been. Annoying so, I remember trying to negotiate for some contracts for Tribe Maris, and you basically steered me to the proper channels, you gave me nothing more than you would have given anyone else. You got me an audience, nothing more. I had to close the deal on my own.”

“I couldn’t, I….”

“You’re ethical! Yes, and I love that about you!” Aisell said. “You’re an honest politician. You really do believe in Protecting our People and Protecting our Worlds. Which is why you shouldn’t be afraid you’re gonna yield to temptation and become some sort of combination of Garba Gleebo and Adolf Hitler.”

“You know about Hitler?” Loona said, turning in surprise.

“Luke told me about him,” Aisell said. “Evil little bastard. He wanted to kill people because they didn’t fit into his Master Plan. You just want the bugs to leave us alone. You planning to invade the Slook Concordance? Or execute Federationers who helped Cesil? Shoot a few Tusola for sport? Of course not.”

Loona shook her head. “I’m just worried that if I bend my principles for Darren, it will be easier to bend them the next time temptation comes my way.”

“Maybe,” Aisell said. “One of the things Tol-Bot has taught me is that no strategy, no matter how well-conceived, ever survives the first five minutes of the first round. There’s no rule that shouldn’t be bent sometimes. You just have to bend them carefully, and not forget why they were there in the first place, and if you find out they’re starting to break, you stop.”

Aisell threw her arms wide. “You and I both know why Darren did what he did, and you and I both know that if you were still a journalist you would have been cheering him on. That doesn’t mean you’re gonna sell hypernova bombs to Equality Now!, for Emperor’s sake, it just means that you’re capable of seeing that yeah, the Empire was awful to humans forever, and Darren and Niall and Earth couldn’t just take us at our word that it was all fine now! So they didn’t, and luck had them test the Acolytes on Tau Ceti, and that same luck meant that you made it back to me from that battle. And gorram right, that’s worth a reward.”

Loona smiled. “So I’m not wrong to think that Darren and Niall weren’t doing anything remotely like what Cesil was?”

“No, ‘cause they weren’t,” Aisell said. “They didn’t want Avalon to secede. They wanted to be a part of the Empire. They just wanted to be able to protect themselves if the Empire turned out to be lying to them. And the proof of that is what happened at Tau Ceti. Darren turned the Acolytes over to Aerti right away, from what you told me.”

“He did,” Loona said.

“Well. That’s the difference.”

“I still can’t praise him officially,” Loona said. “Officially, he still has to resign.”

“Well, yeah,” Aisell shrugged. “Pretty sure Darren gets that. But if you want to shake his wrist in private, go ahead. And don’t worry that the next thing you know Darren will be leading your personal kill squad. You don’t want a personal kill squad. You don’t want to kill anyone. Not even the bugs – because as much as you say it doesn’t bother you, it does. I remember you coming to visit me just to cry by my rock about how much it bothered you. You hate that they forced you to kill them. But they did, and so you are. But don’t ever think that you’re the one with blood on your hands. They were gonna kill ten billion humans on Earth. If not for you, and Aerti, and Niall, and Darren…they would have succeeded. And we both know, they wouldn’t have worried about it for a New Trantor minute.”

“No,” Loona said. “No, they wouldn’t.”

“You do. And that’s why you’re better than they could ever be. Now,” Aisell said, grasping the political leader of the Empire’s left hand, “come back to bed. Please.”

“If I wanted a wife,” Loona said, swallowing hard, “and I thought you wanted a wife…I’d ask you to marry me.”

“I know,” Aisell said. “And as long as we both know that…there’s not a document or a registry that matters more.”

“Thank you,” Loona said. “I will come back to bed.”

“Good,” Aisell said with a grin. “And maybe, in a little while, you’ll get some sleep.”

* * *

Lauryna had given Izzy enough of a heads-up that she was dressed and ready to go when she and Lemm arrived. “Sorry to ask you to move, Iz,” Lauryna said as she entered the apartment they shared.

“It’s fine. I was just about to head over to check on the status of the human quarters. I know, we may never get our acolytes, but we want to be ready. Besides, Navarchos,” she said, nodding to Lemm, “I think you get to barge into my quarters, and not just because of the comets. You owe me a bit of payback.”

“If I really want to pay you back, captain. I’ll call up Senator Carey, and we’ll visit when you’re just out of the shower.”

Lemm delivered this deadpan; you would have to know her very well indeed to catch just the barest hint of a smirk.

Izzy broke into a wide grin. “Yeah, well, nobody wants to see this just out of the shower anymore, but you do it if you want to.”

“I suspect Capt. Gwenn disagrees. But it would only truly be payback if I was able to sneak in, and you would probably notice me.”

“Probably, Navarchos,” Izzy said. She then wiped the smile, came to attention, and said, “Permission to depart, ma’am?”

Lemm nodded. “Dismissed,” she said. Izzy gave Lemm a clean salute, which Lemm returned. She then walked over to the personal transport vehicle, entered it, and without even complaining that it was a hamster ball, took off for H deck.

“You’re lucky, Lauryna,” Lemm said. “She’s a fine officer. As good as any in the fleet.”

“And that’s not even why I’m lucky to have her,” Lauryna said. “Do you want your drink on ice?”

“Neat, please,” Lemm said, as Lauryna dug out a bottle, and poured two glasses of faintly-glowing red alcohol. She handed the glass to Lemm.

“To absent friends,” Lemm said, raising her glass slightly.

“Prosest,” Lauryna said, mocking the gesture. They both took a sip, and Lemm gestured to the small table in the kitchenette.

“Like I said before, captain, it’s a fine ship. And you’ve done an excellent job getting it ready. But I don’t want you to get too comfortable here.”

“Ma’am?” Lauryna asked.

“The Faederon VI and the Col I are both under construction. We are pushing as hard as possible to get the Faederon VI out of drydock within 15 months. Assuming it doesn’t explode on launch, it will be commissioned one year from now as the flagship of Ishaytan fleet. Praetor-Imperii Lagvul has already ordered that the Aspis will serve as flagship for Ishay fleet when it is formally organized in ten months. We will need four flag officers in short order, officers who can command a fleet and win this war. You will be one of them.”

Lauryna took a deep breath. She knew better than to question, or argue, or beg off. In peacetime, a captain had the luxury of signaling that she was quite happy in the worry seat, that she was not really interested in moving up beyond two stars. But this wasn’t peacetime, and if they wanted to put a comet on her collar, they were going to.

That didn’t mean that she looked happy, and Lemm gave her a slight smile. “I believe that was my reaction when Aerti asked me to leave the Eku. And Aerti claimed it was his reaction when Grand Navarchos Zyn asked him to give up the Gyfjon. Captaining a starship is…it’s a wonderful job. But I will promise you that you will find fulfillment in the CIC of a carrier. Indeed, you will be a much better fit as a fleet commander than I am, I think.”

Lauryna had been listening to Lemm carefully up until that point, but she found herself involuntarily interjecting with, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You’ll be a fine Navarchos, Lauryna.”

“Not that,” Lauryna said. “I don’t know if I will be or won’t be, but I know you, and you’re every bit as able as Aerti Bass was, and that makes you a much better fit than just about anyone in the fleet.”

Lemm gave a wan smile, and said, “I’m not Aerti.”

“No, you’re Lemm Tam. You…you two have different styles. But gorram, they both work. Especially when you guys were teamed up, but even when you aren’t….”

Lauryna put her glass down, and put her hand on Lemm’s hand. “Lemm,” she said, “I had the honor to have you put a boot up my behind when I was a buttersquare, and I had the honor to serve with you when I was ops and you were the exec under Aerti. And I’ve been serving as a captain in Gama fleet, talking to you as adjutant and fleet commander, for a long damn time. I learned how to be a leader from everyone I served under, but the ones who I’ve really tried to be like, the ones I really wanted to emulate, were Ammera Tam, Aerti Bass, and you. All three of you taught me that the best way to lead is to be yourself. I can’t be as tough as you or as funny as Aerti or as detailed as Ammera. But I can do what all of you did, and that’s care about the people who I command, before anything else.”

“That sounds good,” Lemm said. “But Lauryna…Aerti was a unique officer. And….”

“Lemm,” Lauryna said, “I know you well enough to know that you’d never so much as hint at this if it wasn’t panicking you. Let me tell you something an old exec told me a long time ago, when I was going through line training: ‘You wouldn’t be in this room if you hadn’t earned your way here. There are other officers who could fill this role. The people above you have put you in this room because they believe you are capable of succeeding. It is up to you to do so. Because if you do not, you will disappoint me, and you do not want to disappoint me.’”

Lemm gave Lauryna a crooked grin. “I could always deliver a threatening message.”

“Still can,” Lauryna said. “And still do, from time to time, and every captain in this fleet will hop to it when you do…because we do not want to disappoint you. And you, Navarchos…you have never, never disappointed me, and I don’t think you’re capable of it. If you tell me that the best thing the Bass can do is warp into a black hole…all right, I’ll question that. But if you reiterated it, I’d give the order, because you will always do your best to steer us right.”

“And then sometimes I’ll frak up, like First Contact.”

“You, me, and Arna share that one,” Lauryna said. “Can’t think of many people I’d rather be wrong with.”

Lemm sighed. “Lauryna…I don’t mean to burden you with this. But there aren’t many other officers in this fleet that would hear me out…and still want to warp into a black hole for their unsteady commanding officer.”

“Unsteady? You’re the steadiest person I know. But you’re just a person, like all of us. You do a good job trying not to show it, but those of us who are your friends…we don’t need you to hide it for us to trust you to the end.”

Lemm raised her glass once more, and downed it. “As I was saying, before I got off on my tangent…there are discussions about how things will be handled. My suspicion is that one of the adjutants will be promoted to take over Ishay fleet, with you and LerDrrntr promoted to fill the open adjutant positions. I have requested, should my suspicions prove correct, that you would serve as my adjutant. But wherever you go, and whatever you do, I have no doubt that you will be a credit to the captains you have served under, and to this fleet.”

“I hope so, ma’am,” Lauryna said. “But with due respect, I have also learned from the Navarchoses who have commanded me. Grand Navarchos Zyn, yes. But mostly Aerti Bass…and you.”

Lemm nodded, and sighed. “Again, I am sorry to burden you with my fears.”

“Friends look out for each other, whatever the chain of command. And then, when we’re done…we put the uniforms back on, and then I say, ‘Ma’am, I appreciate you letting me know that I may be up for a promotion, and I would be honored to serve as your adjutant should that opportunity present itself; I will say that should LerDrrntr take on that role, you will find her to be an exceptional officer and colleague as well.’”

“Of that I have no doubt. And captain…you have most certainly earned this.”

“I know, ma’am,” Lauryna said. “Now, whatever happens, know that I will do my best. I do not want to disappoint you.”

Lemm smiled tenderly. “Lauryna Gwenn…you are not capable of disappointing me.”