(eng) Mike Resnick - Starship 02 by Pirate

Author:Pirate [Pirate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Cole sat in his cramped office aboard the Teddy R, facing Forrice, Christine Mboya, and Sharon Blacksmith.

"You're the Captain," Forrice was saying. "You can promote or demote anyone as the mood takes you, but we've got a lot of people who've risked their lives for you, who can never go back to their families, and they're going to resent making an outsider our Third Officer."

"She knows more about piracy than the rest of the crew put together," said Cole. "And she saved my life."

"Maybe it's slipped your memory," said the Molarian, "but there isn't a person aboard this ship who hasn't saved your life-or do you think you just walked out of the brig on Timos III on your own?"

"I know how I got out," said Cole. He paused and stared at Forrice. "Do you remember a month ago I told you that Slick was the most valuable member of the Teddy R because his symbiote enables him to function without air or physical protection in the cold of space, and on chlorine and methane worlds, for hours at a time?"

"Yes."

"Well, he's now the second-most-valuable member. This woman knows every friendly planet, every rival pirate, every place to unload the kind of cargo we're going to be stealing. She's a walking encyclopedia of piracy-and if that's not enough, she's commanded her own ship."

"And lost it," noted Sharon.

"I didn't say she was perfect," replied Cole. "I said she was valuable. She's got another virtue, too."

"What is it?" asked the Molarian.

"She can beat the shit out of you and any five crew members you pick to fight on your side."

"Just a minute," interjected Christine. "Before we go into raptures about her, let me make sure I understand the situation. She's not with us permanently. She's just here until we hunt down her ship and take it away from this Hammerhead Shark and his crew."

"Which also happens to be her crew," added Sharon.

"That's right."

"And then she leaves us and goes back to her own ship?" continued Christine.

"After we split up the Shark's loot," said Cole.

"What's to stop her from screwing up all our instruments and then turning her weapons on us?"

"I trust her not to."

"I don't mind you putting your life in her hands," said Forrice. "But I object to you doing the same with mine and the rest of the crew's."

"I appreciate your objections," said Cole. "But I've explained my reasons. She's our Third Officer. I'll stay in charge of blue shift until we finish debriefing her, but then I'm going to turn it over to her."

"And what will you do?" asked Christine.

"What I always do, but this time I won't have to do it in a constricted time frame." He looked from one to another. "Just remember: Every time I've ever taken any action aboard the Teddy R it's worked out to our advantage."

"That's why we can never go back to the Republic," said Forrice sardonically.

"That was your action," said Cole. "I didn't escape from the brig. I was broken out."

"I still don't like it," said Forrice.

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