Free Eagle (Jacob Hull) by Kindal Debenham Page B

building his own fleet as well.”
    “Is that so?” Jacob failed to find the humor in it. “Is he pretending I’ve got aspirations to overthrow the Union? And, let me guess—he and his unregulated militia are the only thing that can stop me.”
    Despite the bitterness in Jacob’s words, Smithson still grinned broadly. “Got it in one! Actually, he doesn’t think you’ll overthrow the Union. He just believes you’ll be the nasty, tyrannical sword the Union will use to crush the reasonable opposition to the central government’s crazed demands.” Smithson gestured to the compartment around them. “In fact, he’s used this ship as a prime example. Why do we need dreadnaughts, he asks, if we are not planning on bombarding any planetary surfaces? Wouldn’t cruisers be more cost effective? What possible plans could an aspiring military leader have for such a machine of war?”
    Jacob grunted and turned to Leon. “How big of a problem is this militia force going to be, aside from the supply issue? There haven’t been any reports of military action near San Marcos lately.”
    Leon shrugged. “There hasn’t been any need for such action. The ships at San Marcos are still technically under the limit established by the Union Arms Regulation Act—and they’ve at least committed to the defense of the Union on paper. There’s no sign of piracy or other crimes either. The San Marcos fleet is just as legal as the Reefhome Defense Force.”
    “Yet you still see a problem.” Jacob did not allow any questioning tone into his words.
    The officer sighed. “Yes. Carmichael is a rash person. He’s a bully, one who doesn’t like being told he has limits. Once he has a real armed force behind him, he’s going to act with even less restraint.” He eyed Jacob carefully. “I don’t need to tell you what happened the last time a world in the Union decided to rebel.”
    Jacob nodded slowly. The last world had been Rigannin, and that world’s treachery had led both to its own destruction and the act of sabotage which had nearly destroyed the Wolfhound on its shakedown cruise. He could still remember clearly the blasts that had nearly crippled the destroyer, the faces of Morris and Schroder as they tried to kill him, Commander Smith’s last words. If there was anyone who remembered the consequences of divisiveness and rebellion, it was Jacob. There was no way he was going to allow such a catastrophe to happen again.
    He turned his attention back to Smithson. “Do you want me to hold off on the operation until we deal with San Marcos, sir?”
    If the question surprised Smithson, the High Seat concealed it well. “No, Admiral. If we move too directly against Carmichael, there would be no way to avoid a full-fledged civil war, and I fear the number of casualties on both sides would render the effort useless.” A warped sort of grin twisted Smithson’s features. “Besides, that kind of move would justify their fears about your motives, would it not?”
    “I honestly don’t care much about what subversives think, High Seat.” Jacob leaned back in his chair. “But I can see your point. I will try to avoid direct confrontations with them if I can manage it.”
    Leon was still frowning at the tabletop. “I agree with you, Admiral, but I can’t help but feel we should do something. Millions of civilians died last time; can we really let that happen again? Especially given where they’ve decided to set up shop!” When Jacob gave him a questioning look, Leon reached over to the controls and shifted the projection still hovering above them. “Here is where San Marcos is located, Sir. Tell me what you see.”
    An image of the border appeared, this time focused in close to the area around San Marcos and Tiredel. Both systems were close to the edge of Union territory. In fact, as Jacob leaned in to study the picture, San Marcos actually seemed much further beyond even the border systems usually avoided by major settlements due