Both the Alliance and Cinnabar controlled multiworld empires which were by now held together by self-interest. The star systems of Cinnabar’s protectorate had no external political authority, but the local magnates could move to Cinnabar and gain a degree of influence over the affairs of the whole Republic. Protected worlds were in a position clearly inferior to that of Cinnabar itself, but with equal clarity they were better off than they would have been if fully independent.
The situation with the Alliance of Free Stars was even simpler: planets that revolted against the Guarantor’s authority were nuked to subsistence level or below. Chief Planetary Administrators were always foreigners, and no warship of any size had a crew with a majority of members from any single planet.
Neither Cinnabar nor the Alliance could be described as a universal democracy, but both systems worked to provide a manpower base sufficient to a large fleet. Kostroma had proceeded in a different fashion in the years immediately following the Hiatus, when those worlds with the ability to navigate the stars had enormous advantages over the neighboring systems they contacted. It was too late to change now.
“Now, we know you can’t talk about the negotiations,” Parzifal said, bending closer than Daniel liked. “Still, you’ll drop a word in your admiral’s ear, won’t you? Imagine a whole Kostroman squadron with you when you engage the Alliance fleet!”
“When I’m next alone with Admiral Lasowski . . .” Daniel said. That would be sometime in her next incarnation if Lasowski had anything to say about it. “I’ll see that the point is stressed.”
In fact, neither Walter III or any responsible Elector of Kostroma would accept a gift of warships which required the vessels to be used against the Alliance. That would be equivalent to dropping Kostroma and its trade into a meat grinder. Kostroma couldn’t be made strong enough to resist all-out Alliance attack, and taking sides in the conflict would guarantee such attack.
What Kostroma needed was exactly what Welcome had sneered at a moment before: a significant upgrade to its orbital defense system. If the Alliance captured Kostroma, most of its ships, even those off-planet, would come as well because the owners were in Alliance hands.
An orbital minefield prevented a quick capture, since a properly laid one took weeks or even months to reduce. No Alliance fleet could remain so long in a hostile system without a base, knowing that Cinnabar would respond with even greater force before the Alliance could capture the planet.
Well, Kostroma’s defenses weren’t ideal but they were probably good enough. And they weren’t the concern of Lt. Daniel Leary, either.
He finished his cup of punch and said, “I see what you mean,” as he prepared to cut himself clear of the trio.
“Say, Leary,” Candace said, putting an arm around Daniel’s shoulders to move him aside. Welcome and Parzifal turned their backs, obviously by prearrangement.
In a conspiratorial tone Candace went on, “Do you think you can get some time clear tomorrow?”
“Umm,” said Daniel. This didn’t sound like an offer to address a prayer breakfast, but he’d learned to be cautious about what he was agreeing to. “That might be possible, yes.”
“My family’s got a fishing lodge on a little island not too far from here,” the Kostroman lieutenant explained. “I was going to visit it tomorrow. The accommodations aren’t palatial, but there are compensations—privacy, for example. Now, it occurs to me that my Margrethe has a friend who might really like to meet a visiting naval officer. Interested?”
He knuckled Daniel’s ribs with the hand that wasn’t around his shoulders.
Daniel pursed his lips. He was able to make his own arrangements, but if circumstances wanted to drop opportunities in his lap—that was all right as well. He grinned. “I’d be delighted to see more of your interesting planet,” he said truthfully.
“I’ll bet you would!” Candace said, punching Daniel again. “At midday I’ll be at your lodgings in my aircar. And you’ll give good hard thought to building up the Kostroman Navy, right?”
“I sure will!” Daniel said brightly as he moved away.
It was hard to imagine anything at all good in the idea, but he didn’t need to say that. After all, Candace was a friend. And getting to be a very good friend, in his way.