“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.”