Free Flagship by Mike Resnick Page A

fired, the bartender sent out a distress signal that people were shooting at each other, the Navy picked it up, and a moment later the tavern and all seventy-one of its customers and employees were vaporized.
    Every ship, whether business or pleasure, was inspected, released, then inspected again in the next system, and the system after that. Anyone who didn't give the Navy the answers they wanted, or who didn't give them fast enough, or clearly enough, or often enough, was incarcerated without appeal.
    Loyal alien worlds, longtime members of the Republic, were suddenly viewed with suspicion. Terrified ambassadors—Cole's messages had passed through channels and had leaked within an hour—insisted on Navy escorts. Private ships became convinced that other private ships were in the employ of the notorious Wilson Cole, and began firing on each other.
    "I should have thought of this a long time ago," remarked Cole as the most recent reports came in.
    He was sitting in the mess hall, where he had been joined by Sharon, David Copperfield, and the Platinum Duke.
    "You know, we may win this conflict without firing a shot," said David.
    "That's the best way to win a war," replied Cole.
    "I hear that the Seventh Fleet is being recalled to defend Deluros," said the Duke. He chuckled. "Against us!"
    "It all seems to be going smoothly now," said Sharon, "but pretty soon they're going to notice that we're not attacking them, on Deluros VIII or anywhere else."
    "Sure we are," said Cole with a smile. "And they can prove it. After all, haven't they already destroyed two hundred of our ships, and pretty much decimated five planets that we've used as bases?"
    Sharon shook her head in wonderment. "Who'd'a thunk it?" she said in bemused tones.
    "My friend Steerforth," answered David promptly. "No one but an Englishman would be this subtle and this brilliant."
    "David, give it a rest," said Cole. "I've never even been to Earth."
    "Stop contradicting me!" demanded David irritably. "Of course you're British! If you weren't, you couldn't have thought of this."
    "Why don't you just agree with him?" suggested the Duke. "That is, if you want to discuss another subject anytime in the next few weeks."
    Jacovic's image flickered into existence. "It's official, sir. They've pulled back the Seventh Fleet, and there are rumors that they'll soon be recalling the Fourth to bolster their planetary defenses as well."
    Cole frowned. "That doesn't make any sense," he said. "If they call back the Fourth, they're ceding the Matheson Sector to the Teronis."
    "Evidently they're more afraid of you, sir," suggested Jacovic.
    "They can't be that incompetent," said Cole. "We're not that lucky." He paused and considered the situation. "They've been pouring men, ships, money, everything into that sector for fifteen years. Now they're just going to walk away because of a threat from one ship?"
    "They don't know how many ships we have, Wilson," said Sharon. "The only thing they do know is that they sent three hundred ships out to Singapore Station last month, and none of them returned." She paused. "They don't know that it was touch-and-go all the way, and that we lost close to two thousand ships."
    Jacovic's image faded and vanished.
    "It just goes to show you," said the Duke. "Never underestimate the power of fear."
    "I know Admiral Garcia," replied Cole. "And if there's anything in the galaxy she's afraid of, I'm not aware of it, and neither are you."
    "Then why do you suppose they're reacting like this?"
    "I don't know Egan Wilkie," said Cole. "I suspect this is being done on his orders, not hers."
    "You know," said Sharon, "this just might convince him to sign a truce with the Teroni Federation. If he decides he can't fight both the Teronis and the threat from within, he might choose to fight the latter."
    "It's not going to happen," said Cole firmly.
    "Why not?"
    "First, this can't last. They've got to figure out pretty soon that we haven't fired a shot yet. And