Free The Rise of Earth by Jason Fry Page B

Cybeles, they’d say that’s the customer’s business.”
    â€œSo they build ships. Why does that make them the key to everything?”
    â€œBecause Earth is offering Cybele a contract to build warships for its fleets. That could lead to a supplydepot. And then a naval base.”
    â€œA naval base that would be on our side of the Kirkwood Gap.”
    Vass looked grave. “That’s correct.”
    â€œAnd we can’t match what they’re offering.”
    â€œNo, but we don’t have to. Cybele wants to keep its independence. Its leaders know they risk losing it by making a shipbuilding deal with Earth. So we can win by offering them a deal that’s good enough to outweigh the risks.”
    â€œAnd what deal is that?”
    â€œRaw materials. We’re trying to negotiate a deal, but it’s off the table if Cybele takes the shipbuilding contract. So Earth is trying to make its offer impossible to refuse by throwing livres at the Cybeleans and demonstrating its power—but without sending warships across the Kirkwood Gap and risking a war. That’s how we wound up with privateers flying Earth flags, and commissions for our own privateers.”
    When Tycho shook his head, Vass flashed a surprisingly boyish grin. “Now throw in the Securitat and Earth’s intelligence agencies and a whole pack of diplomats. An interesting situation, wouldn’t you say?”
    â€œThat’s one word for it,” Tycho said. “What’s the Securitat doing on Cybele, then? You said they wanted to fight the Ice Wolves.”
    â€œFor now, we’re working together—President Goddard has ordered them to support our mission on Cybele.”
    â€œAnd are they?”
    â€œYou don’t approve of the Securitat, do you?”
    Tycho realized his expression must have betrayed him. “I don’t like the way they use people. It’s dishonorable. I prefer to see my enemies coming. They’ll shoot at me, but at least I’ll get a chance to shoot back.”
    â€œYour enemies?” Vass asked, his bright-blue eyes narrowed. “Do you put the Securitat in that category?”
    Tycho felt his cheeks flush. “You don’t approve of them either. You just said you disagreed with them.”
    â€œThat’s frequently true. But we have the same goal—to defend the Jovian Union and its citizens. And the Securitat believes in that as passionately as my colleagues in the Jovian Defense Force do. The Securitat’s efforts have saved many lives, Tycho. Without them, we might now be caught between two enemies, each emboldened by the other’s strength.”
    â€œThat doesn’t make their methods okay, though,” Tycho said. “At least not to me.”
    Vass looked down at the table. Outside, something clanked in the passageway.
    â€œThe Jovian Union needs the Securitat. It can do things the Defense Force can’t—things we like to imagine we wouldn’t do,” he said quietly.
    The clanking noises stopped. Tycho held up his hand, but Vass wasn’t finished.
    â€œThe thing about the Securitat is they’re an organization trained to learn secrets, ferret out threats, and eliminate those threats without anyone knowing,” the minister said. “The danger for a group like that is it canstart seeing threats everywhere, and turn secrecy to its own—”
    Huff Hashoone strode into the cuddy. Vass looked up at the half-metal pirate, eyes jumping from Huff’s blazing artificial eye to his forearm cannon, which had stopped spinning and was now pointed in Vass’s direction.
    â€œWhat’re yeh doin’ in here, Tyke?” Huff growled.
    â€œSpeaking with our guest,” Tycho said, putting his mug down. “Mr. Vass, this is Huff Hashoone, my grandfather.”
    Vass stood and extended his hand. “Captain Hashoone,” he said. “It’s a pleasure. Your reputation precedes