Victorious

“Not qualified? Read your own record, man. Independent command under the most difficult circumstances, and you succeeded where no one else could have.” Navarro glanced at Admiral Timbale this time, who nodded back at the senator. “You didn’t do what you could have done, Captain Geary, but we assume there will be attempts to force that issue. Giving you this rank should satisfy those who want to see you with more formal power and help defuse the threat to the government.”

Timbale nodded again, firmly. “I believe you are correct, sir. The fleet’s personnel will see this as a recognition of their concerns and needs.”

“Thank you, Admiral. So, Fleet Admiral Geary, are you going to take these from me?”

Given the significance of the issues Navarro had brought up, Geary felt guilty that the primary thing filling his mind was not that he felt deeply inadequate for the position. His main worry was, in fact, a purely personal thing.

Rione was watching him and spoke evenly. “What do we need to do to get you to accept this rank, Captain Geary?” He looked at her, knowing that she knew about his greatest concern and wondering if even Rione could cruelly taunt him because she knew that. But her next words showed a different reason for her question. “Perhaps if it wasn’t permanent?”

He latched onto that like a drifting sailor thrown a lifeline. “Yes. A temporary appointment to that rank.”

“ ‘Temporary’?” Navarro asked in astonishment. “How long do you envision that being?”

“Until . . . the end of the war. When the war ends, when I bring the fleet back with its missions accomplished, I will relinquish the temporary rank, relinquish command of the fleet, and revert to my permanent rank of captain.”

Admiral Timbale stared at him. “You do realize that to the rest of us anything based on the end of the war is permanent.”

“Not to me, Admiral.” Geary gave Navarro a pleading look. “Can I put that condition on accepting the rank? Formal conditions? A promise from the government?”

Navarro thought, then made a why-not gesture. “Certainly. I’ll have it entered in the official record. When the war ends, and when you return the fleet to Alliance space, you will immediately revert to the permanent rank of captain and will also relinquish command of the fleet at that time.”

Geary had a moment’s hesitation, wondering why Navarro had given in so easily. In his experience, people had not been willing to let Black Jack Geary walk away from the things for which they needed him. But he couldn’t refuse the government’s orders when it had already agreed to conditions he hadn’t had any right to demand. “Very well, sir.”

Navarro held out his hand again. “Then take the insignia, Captain. Excuse me, take the insignia, Fleet Admiral.”

Geary let the gold supernovas drop into his hand, then just stared at them.

Rione stepped closer and folded his hand around them. “Let your captain help you put them on,” she murmured.

“It’ll make her happy. This wasn’t my idea, but once it was raised, I argued strongly in its favor.”

Navarro smiled at Geary. “Good luck, Fleet Admiral. It’s a very odd thing. I’ve gotten used to being regarded as a low form of life who cannot be trusted to act in the best interests of the Alliance. Now I find myself hoping I won’t let you down because you really do believe that I’m more than that.”

ANOTHER mental weight fell from Geary as his shuttle accelerated away from Ambaru station, the Marines relaxing in the back. If not for the insignia in his fist, he would have felt light-headed, but the gold supernovas anchored him as firmly as if they had the gravitational pull of real stars.

“Sir?” the pilot called back. “Dauntless is requesting routine passenger ID and status. Are you still . . . uh . . .”

Geary realized that he and Rione hadn’t told anything to anyone yet. “My apologies. Yes, I’m still the fleet commander.”

“Thank the—! I mean, thank you, sir!”

“She’s going to tell the entire star system,” Rione murmured.

“I’m sure an official announcement will be made soon anyway,” Geary replied with a shrug.

“That’s not all they’ll be announcing, Captain Geary.” She leaned back, eyes closed, apparently relaxing.

The comforting hull of Dauntless eventually loomed close, then all around as the shuttle docked with an extra twist and spin as if the craft itself were exuberant. Geary led the way off again, smiling as he saw Desjani waiting at the bottom of the ramp. She nodded to him, smiling back briefly, then Rione came into sight, and Desjani’s mouth twisted slightly as Geary saluted the sideboys drawn up to render honors to the returning commander of the fleet.

“Here you are,” Rione announced, when they reached the end of the ramp. “John Geary, returned safe and sound, not a scratch on him.”

Desjani kept her eyes on Geary. “You’re to remain in command of the fleet? For how long?”

“Until my mission is done,” he replied.

She knew what that meant, and Desjani’s eyes lit up. “Welcome back aboard, sir. When do we leave?”