Jirik put on a confused expression. "What do you mean, 'both missions'?" he asked suspiciously.
Cony laughed. "Really, Captain, Who do you think had you buy and smuggle that battle comp software and those weapon specs? We needed them, of course, but that little deal was largely a test. A test which you passed very well. Your willingness to accept the deal, and your success in carrying it off, are the reasons that we're talking now."
Jirik shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Yeah, well, we're talking, all right," he groused, "but you sure aren't saying much. Why don't you just.tell us what's on your mind?"
Cony held up a hand. "In a moment, Captain. Are you sure that you wouldn't prefer to continue this discussion in private? I'm sure that Mr. Fergson will excuse us."
Jirik smiled sourly. "Your caution is a bit late, isn't it? If I had kept the smuggling deal secret from Bran, you just told him all about it. But, don't worry about it. Bran knew all about it. I tell him everything."
Cony flushed. "I'm afraid that you're right, Captain. It was careless of me, and I apologize." He shrugged. "If you don't object to Mr. Fergson's presence, we might as well get on with it."
"During your time on Boondock, I'm sure that you heard of Ran Atmos, and his work." Cony sat forward, and his voice took on an intensity that it had previously lacked. "You're probably also aware that we rimworlders take Dr. Atmos' predictions seriously. Very seriously indeed. The Empire is going to fall, and while some of us are content to let that happen and then try to pick up the pieces, a lot of us feel that simply sitting on our asses for two hundred years isn't enough. If the Empire is simply allowed to fall without hindrance, billions will die; but even more importantly, much of mankind's knowledge will be lost with it. We won't permit that to happen. I won't permit that to happen!"
Bran stirred. "Even if it's true that the Empire is falling, what can you do about it that you're not already doing? You're breeding and training a cadre of outstanding people. You have one of the premier universities in the galaxy, and one hell of a library, as we can testify; though I'm not sure why you located them on a high-gravity planet. Anyway, it seems to me that if civilization is going to fall, it's going to fall from the outside inward. Interstellar trade would decline, gradually isolating the outmost systems; isolation would lead to a decline in the standard of living, perhaps even a decline sliding into barbarism, as the trappings of civilization disappear. As I understand it, you're accumulating knowledge so that, as the Empire or Alliance leaves systems in isolation, your people can move in to prevent that decline." he shrugged. "If you accept the decline and fall of the Empire, and perhaps even the Alliance as fact, then what you are doing is practical and laudable. And profitable. So, what's the problem?"
A new respect for Bran warred with the fanatic brightness in Cony's eyes. "But, don't you see? Think of the billions who will die before we can get to them! Think of the irreplaceable knowledge that will be lost! The Art! The Music! The Literature!" He waved a dismissal. "Oh, sure, we're training all sorts of techs. Scientists. Engineers. But where are the philosophers? The artists of all types? The dreamers? There's more to preserving civilization than just keeping the machines running. No, we have to get there before the riots start. Before the libraries are sacked. Before the veneer of civilization is lost!" Cony was warming to his theme, launching into an obviously often-delivered speech. "Don't you see, philosophy and the arts are some of the most fragile components of a civilization, and yet they virtually define that civilization? When a society is in trouble, philosophy and the arts are some of the first things to be abandoned as excess baggage in the interest of survival; and, once lost, they are one of the least replaceable. No, we can't wait! We must be ready now! We have to be ready to move in on threatened planets before they're abandoned!"
"Sounds to me like you're talking about invading and conquering them," Jirik commented dryly.
Cony waved his hand in dismissal. "Yes, I've heard that before. And technically, I suppose it could be.described that way. But the people of those worlds don't have the benefit of Dr. Atmos' foreknowledge to guide them. We have to help them before they lose their precious heritage We can't waste a lot of time trying to educate them until after we've preserved their civilization. So, yes, you could say that we're planning to invade unwilling planets; and we'll probably have to do so with violence. But, we must help them, despite themselves, if necessary!"
Jirik chuckled. "And what do you think that the Alliance and the Empire are going to be doing while you're off conquering systems for their own good? Sitting on their hands? The first time that you take a swing at another system, you'll have Battle Cruisers knocking on your your door, and not gently, either!"
Cony looked irritated. "Pah! We're not planning to just climb onto a bunch of rim tramps and go a-viking, you know! We've planned this very carefully. Every step is carefully calculated with all possible contingencies considered. Within five years, we'll control the governments of every rim world. Then, we'll petition the Alliance council to grant us secession and independence. If they agree, well and good. If not, we'll have to fight for our independence!"
Jirik chuckled again. "Yeah? And what's to keep the Empire Fleet from coming out here and slapping you down?"
Cony shrugged. "They may not find that as easy as you might think! Did you think that we hadn't anticipated that possibility? You've seen our rim tramps. Picture one of them, outfitted with heavy lasers and particle beam weapons. Fast, maneuverable, and deadly. Now, multiply that picture by several hundred. Admiral Kedron defeated an entire Empire battle fleet with them and armed mining boats, and there's no reason we can't do the same! Do you still think that they couldn't give even a Navy Battle Group trouble?"
Jirik's face turned thoughtful. "Maybe. If the attack could be coordinated, and if you could get there before they bombed one of your rim worlds back to the stone age." he shrugged dismissively. "You're damned lucky that I'm not an Alliance agent. You'd find yourself standing trial for treason and sedition before you could blink. Anyway, what's all this got to do with us? We're just traders, and we're not even rimworlders. You want some more stuff smuggled?"
Cony looked smug, but the gleam of fanaticism was still in his eyes. "You've put your finger on both our problem, and the essence of my proposition. As for the possibility that you might be an agent, we'll be taking precautions; but, to return to the subject, what this has to do with you is what you put your finger on a moment ago. We have the means to arm the rim tramps and the asteroid mining boats, and we have the tramps and boats and the loyal crews. The main remaining problem is communications and coordination; or, in military terms, Command and Control. To support the array of battle comps and the extensive communications equipment required, we need a vessel much larger than a rim tramp. We want to either hire your ship and crew, or buy the ship and hire you to captain her."
Jirik laughed aloud. "Do we look like mercenaries? Hell, man, the Lass is no combat vessel! Oh, I admit that almost a century ago she was built as a combat hauler, to carry supplies and weapons to ground troops, but, crap, that doesn't mean she's a warship! And, sure, I did my time in the Alliance Navy, but I got tired of that crap and resigned years ago. Besides, none of my crew has combat experience!"
Cony didn't smile. "Few of our people do have any combat experience, Captain, but that doesn't mean that they won't fight well when the time comes. As for the Lass, we don't want her for a warship. We want her for a Command and Control vessel. Oh, we'll arm her, of course, but a C & C vessel isn't expected to fight. It's too valuable for that. What we do need is a vessel her size, and an experienced captain, and maybe crew, to man her."