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'Believe what you like. What do I care?'

Dooley headed back to his ship, which looked like a fat fuel tank with fins and several cargo pods welded to the sides. The affronted Roamer quickly loaded it with non-essential trade items - seafood and concentrated kelp extracts - and took off.

Before the first batch of new traders had departed less than a week ago, Willis had done a random inspection, just to make sure that no weapons or explosives were being smuggled in or out. The Roamer pilot looked agitated during the impromptu check, and the EDF searchers had uncovered a small valuable stash of reef-pearls that weren't on the manifest. Willis had let the embarrassed pilot go with a stern warning. As far as she was concerned, reef-pearls didn't have any more strategic importance than a bunch of fish steaks, and her leniency had earned her goodwill with the Rhejak natives. Since then, a few ballsy traders had cautiously ventured back, despite the Manta cruisers standing guard overhead.

Willis was sitting back in a deck chair, watching Dooley's overloaded ship lumber into the sky when Conrad Brindle contacted her on the command channel, interrupting her peaceful state of mind. 'Admiral, I have welcome news. General Lanyan just arrived - with your Juggernaut.'

'The Jupiter? Here?' She sat up straight, and the chair creaked a complaint. 'What does the General want? Why weren't we informed he was coming?'

'He wants to speak with you, but he doesn't sound too pleased.'

'He can tell me what's chafing his crotch when he gets here.' She went into the raft-base's communications shack. A bank of monitor screens displayed transmissions from surveillance satellites in orbit. The ten Mantas continued to patrol around Rhejak, primarily for show. On the screens she saw the Juggernaut cruise in at top speed, like a whale being chased by harpooners. 'Yes, indeed, something is chafing the General,' she muttered to herself.

The trajectory of Dooley's cargo ship changed as it reached 4he edge of the atmosphere. The Roamer pilot transmitted wildly. 'What's that Juggernaut doing here? Did you Eddy bastards trick me?'

'It's a new arrival, son. He's my commanding officer.'

'Roamer vessel, stand down and prepare to be boarded,' came a curt transmission. 'Your cargo is forfeit, and you'll be placed in custody.'

'What the hell?' Willis turned to her fresh-faced comm officer. Get me Lanyan on the horn right now.'

Gaunt Dooley, already frightened, changed course erratically and accelerated in the opposite direction from the ten Mantas on-station. Already at full speed, the Jupiter streaked right past the Mantas toward the small Roamer ship. 'Leave me alone!' Dooley transmitted, his voice cracking. 'By the Guiding Star, I've got authorization. I--'

Without any warning, the Jupiter opened fire. Willis watched the blip on the trajectory screen wink out as multiple jazers vaporized the cargo ship. For a full five seconds, she couldn't find words. Finally she hammered the transmit button and yelled into the pickup. General, what the hell are you doing? That was a civilian operating with my explicit permission!'

Lanyan's smug face crystallized on the screen. Good thing I was here to intercept. That man was clearly a Roamer agent - an enemy combatant.'

'Enemy combatant? He was a trader carrying a load of cargo! I watched the kid load the damn thing myself.' She felt sick.

'Did it slip your mind that we're at war with the Roamers?

My orders come directly from Chairman Wenceslas - as do yours. I'm transmitting a vidloop summary of my recent mission to a rebel colony world named Usk. The Hansa's position has changed from one of leniency to one of unification, which will be rigorously enforced if necessary.'

'I don't recall the Chairman ever having a policy of leniency,' Willis said.

But Lanyan had already begun broadcasting images from the Usk pogrom, which conveyed far more threat than any lecture could. She saw the EDF soldiers, the swooping Remoras,