Flagship Read Free Page A

genocide. But it's clear we're not going to get that Republic until we get rid of this one."
    She stared at him for a long moment. "You used to smile a lot more," she said at last.
    "I used to have more to smile about. I can count, you know. I'm asking a force of maybe four thousand men to risk their lives against the most powerful military machine that has ever existed. Any bookmaker would say that if ten of us are still alive half a year from now, we've beaten the odds."
    "Then why do it?"
    "Because somebody has to," replied Cole. "Because all of us—you, me, Bull, Christine, poor Four Eyes—helped create and strengthen this monster. If we don't stand up and say 'This is not what sentient beings do to one another,' who do you think will?" He stared at her. "We've been through this a dozen times. Why bring it up now?"
    "Because we're leaving Singapore Station in two hours, and there's no turning back."
    A bitter smile crossed Cole's face. "If we don't leave, we'll be facing a fleet of eight hundred warships in less than a day." He sighed. "They're just a bunch of soldiers following orders, just the way we used to. If we're going to die in battle, let's do it against the people who give those orders."
    She returned his smile, such as it was. "I thought the object was to make the other side die in battle."
    He suddenly relaxed. "Well, that's certainly the way I'm going to plan it." He took another sip of his coffee. "Don't worry. I don't believe there's anything noble, or even effective, about a suicide attack. I have every intention of winning and surviving."
    "Really?"
    "Really."
    "You're even crazier than the rest of us," said Sharon.
    "There are days I think it's a prime qualification for command."
    Suddenly a scream of triumph came over the ship's intercom. "Got one of the smarmy little bastards!" yelled a familiar voice.
    "Val, calm down and tell me what happened," said Cole.
    There was no response, and he remembered he hadn't touched the spot on the table that would open a communication channel. He placed his finger on it and repeated his statement.
    "A seven-man Class H Navy ship was approaching Binder X," replied the Valkyrie as the image of her face materialized above the table. "It was probably going there for a little R and R. Two of the Octopus's ships blew it apart."
    Cole frowned. "I don't suppose any of it survived?"
    "A few pieces, I suppose."
    "All right," said Cole. "And Val?"
    "Yeah?"
    "Tell the Octopus to pass the word that next time they go after a Navy ship I want them to try to destroy its antenna and then disable it."
    "They're the enemy, right?" said the Valkyrie. "What do you do with the enemy? You kill him! You make the sonuvabitch wish he'd never been born! You—"
    "Shut up and listen to me," said Cole irritably. "We're about to enter the Republic. Any time we can swipe the insignia from a Navy ship, that's one more of our ships that's not at risk when it's spotted. If we can get to their radio before it's destroyed, we can see if there are any new codes, we can learn how to send and respond to messages using the ship's ID, we can appropriate its weapons and give them to some of our own ships, we—"
    "Why don't we just shake their hands and offer to buy all that shit?" growled Val.
    "Are you going to give him my message or not?"
    "Maybe."
    "Maybe?" he repeated.
    "Okay, probably," she said. "What if they spot our ships and shoot first?"
    "If they shoot first, of course we have to defend ourselves," replied Cole. "And 'probably' isn't any more acceptable than 'maybe.'"
    "All right," muttered Val.
    "By the way, what are you doing on the bridge anyway?" he asked. "It's oh-seven hundred hours. That means it's still red shift. That's Jacovic's shift."
    "He's still on the station, trying to recruit some new arrivals."
    "Teronis?"
    "Who else could he recruit?" snorted Val.
    "I hope he gets some," said Cole. "It would make up a little for losing that insignia because he wasn't on the bridge."
    "All