Chapter 4
“You only have the authority that others believe you have.”
Joseph Buckley, the day after he was appointed president of the SMOG Combine and two days before his assassination.
Third Consolidation War
Location: Canova Insystem, Station 1
Standard Date: 04 30 632
Allen Jackson-Cordoba’s screen came live without any warning. “Seven ships just came through the Parthian jump,” Debra Massingale reported.
There were only two ships in orbit around Canova. The construction ships left as soon as they got word about the destroyed fort, and the Jackson-Cordoba ships were starting to leave before that. The two ships in orbit were one insystem tug that wasn’t even jump capable, and one free trader that wasn’t owned by the JCTC.
Allen Jackson-Cordoba, the chairman of the Canova System Government Corporation, took the news calmly enough. It wasn’t as though this was a great surprise. He didn’t have any sort of force to meet the incoming fleet. Station One was a reasonable fort, but it was in orbit around Canova 2, and the incoming fleet could launch rock after rock until they overwhelmed the station’s defenses and he knew it. Everyone knew it, from Debra Massingale to a sko fisherman in the North Caribbean Sea down on the surface.
The ships made a stately approach. They came through in formation. The three leaders first, followed a few minutes later by the four other ships individually. That suggested that the three lead ships had more practice. No big surprise. Allen recognized the other four, the Fly Catcher and the ships Bonafortuna, Bonoforumo, Bonanegotia. That was a fair chunk of the family’s ships, and Allen wondered if they would ever get them back.
Location: Pandora, Canova 2 Orbit
Standard Date: 05 06 632
It was days later that the fleet came out through the last jump and made their demands.
Allen protested, more for the record than out of any hope that his protests might have any effect. “No. The Canova government doesn’t recognize this as an act of war. It’s piracy, nothing more, Captain Cordoba-Davis.”
“You’re mistaken, Allen,” Tanya said, smiling at him over the comm. “Besides, how do you think Barbra Canova is going to react? You know she has always maintained that the Jackson-Cordoba acquisition of Canova System was illegal.”
“Barbra Billingsley has no legal standing in this matter. She isn’t even a real Canova, just the widow of Philip.”
“That’s your version. Hers is that she is the legitimate heir to all the Canova property in Canova System and that Philip’s sale was coerced.”
“The Canova Supreme Court has already ruled that her suit was without merit.”
“Somehow, I think they’re going to reconsider.” Tanya smiled again and the screen went blank.
✽✽✽
Tanya took a sip of her coffee. Then she looked over at Jenny in the “owner’s chair,” a new seat on the bridge of the Arachne and smiled. “Arachne, can you find me Barbra Canova?”
It took a few minutes, then the screen lit up. Barbra Canova was one hundred fifteen years old and looked it. Even by pre-genetic-modification standards, she looked like a woman in her eighties. Her hair was white and thin, and her face was lined and parchment white. She didn’t seem particularly inclined to their view. “What difference does it make whether it’s you Davises or the Jacksons who take over?”
“I’m not here for the Cordoba-Davis family, Mrs. Canova. I’m here for the council of clans of Parthia.”
“What right do the bugs have to invade my system?”
“The government of your system invaded Parthian space and put up a fort blocking their jump.”
Tanya and Barbra spent some time going over who did what to whom, and who was responsible. Then Jenny Starchild came on the comm and talked about what happened to her family when the Drakes imposed a change of government. “I don’t want to see that happen here,” Jenny finished.
“Are you—” Barbra stopped before asking outright if they were threatening to bombard the planet. “What do you want?”
“We want this settled with the least bloodshed possible,” Jenny said. “But the council of clans will not allow Parthia to have its access to the wider universe controlled by Canova or the Jackson-Cordobas. Admit it, Mrs. Canova, your family weren’t any more fair in their dealings with the council of clans than the Jackson-Cordobas were with you.”
The old woman locked eyes with the young girl, and it was age that yielded. She looked away, then back, and said, “What do you want?”
“We want— We need a presence here in the system. On Canova 2 and in the Canova system. Forts and colonies. So that no one can lock us on Parthia.”
“You’re not a bug.”
“I’m a recognized clan with both human and Parthian breeders.”
Clearly intrigued, Barbra asked about that, and that led to more discussion.
The court that—under the guns of the Jackson-Cordobas—determined that Barbra had no standing to sue since she wasn’t by blood a member of the Canova family, suddenly experienced a change of heart.
And Barbra was negotiating to become a member of a Parthian clan . . . and bring half the territory in Canova System with her as a dowry.
Location: Pandora, Canova 2 Orbit
The table in the lounge was full of food and surrounded by people. Including Professora Stuard, just arrived from Parthia, Goldgok, King Edward Allen Golden Franklin, and several members of Danny’s crew. The large bulkhead screen was split, showing Janis Tecumseh from the Warchief, and Tanya on Arachne’s bridge.
Danny stared in shock for a moment, then said, “Rosita, that is perhaps the stupidest idea you have ever launched. I have no desire to be the king of Canova or the chairman of the board or whatever other title you want to stick me with.”
“That’s what makes you the perfect candidate! That you don’t want it means we can trust you with the power,” Professora Stuard said.
“Oh, bull shit,” Danny said. “I don’t believe that, and neither do you. People, as a rule, like doing what they’re good at. Finding someone who doesn’t want the job is the first step to finding someone who will suck at it. What you need is some sort of balance of power, not a clockmaker on the throne.”
“Clockmaker?” Eddy asked, from his seat next to Goldstok, a Parthian neuter female and new crew member.
Danny shook his head in mock disappointment, “Louis the Sixteenth of France. He wanted to be a clockmaker. He did such a good job as king that they chopped his head off. And his wife’s and son’s. I’m not volunteering, and I’m not going to be drafted. And it ain’t because I’m lazy.”
There was a sound from the Pan then, and Danny grinned. “Well, not just because I’m lazy.” But then his face became serious again. “No. The real reason I’m turning you down is because I want you to succeed, and the absolute best recipe for failure I can think of is to take someone who honestly doesn’t want the job and stick them with it, all the novels in history notwithstanding.”
“Who then?” Professora Stuard asked. “We can’t use the Parthian council of clans. It will have to be an independent polity. What about Tanya?”
Danny considered, but it was Sara Electrum who said, “No. As admiral of the fleet, maybe, but not the government. The alliance between the Jackson-Cordobas and the Cordoba-Davises is going to be stretched enough. Besides, Tanya really isn’t much better suited to heading a civilian government than Danny is. A dictatorship, maybe, but not a government.” She grinned at Tanya’s image.
Tanya looked at Sara for a moment, then very deliberately stuck out her tongue.
Danny laughed, then looked at Sara. “You?”
“No, but not for the reason you’re thinking. I could do it, but there are just two clans of humans that are recognized by the Parthian council of clans. And that means there are just two choices. Danny or Jenny.”
“Jenny is twelve! That’s why I suggested Danny,” Professora Stuard said. “You don’t think I was swayed by Cybrant propaganda, do you?”
Danny gave her a seated bow. The notion that Cybrants were supermen and the natural masters of the universe was the cornerstone of the Cybrant belief system. They were genetically engineered humans, carefully designed and culled for the features that their parents felt would improve the species. Danny was a Cybrant Gold Line—the top of the heap. He was designed to be the natural lord of the universe.
Problem was, Danny didn’t actually want to rule the universe. It was way too much work. Additionally, few people in the wider universe were aware of all the Cybrants were doing. The Wood lines, for instance, were designed to be slaves.
“So what if she’s twelve?” Sara shrugged. “The Starchild Clan has three breeders now. Four, if you count John, and more if you count all the human crew of the Arachne, which I do. You give Jenny a regency council until she grows up. That gives the Parthians a say with, but not control over, Canova’s new royal house. It also fits well enough with the clan structure. The breeders don’t actually run things, at least not usually. Besides, they did the whole regent thing back in pre-space history. Ask Eddy. Once we get Franklin back, he’ll be king, and he’s only sixteen. He’ll have to have a regency council too. And Jenny has been negotiating with Barbra Canova to join her clan as a senior breeder.”
“When did that happen?” Danny asked.
“Just a few minutes ago,” Sara said. “Apparently, it was Jenny’s idea. She wants land for her breeders to have birthing pools.”
“I’m sold,” Danny said. “If Jenny is playing that sort of political move now, she’s the one to do it. I think a council is a good idea, and with Barbra Canova as one of Jenny’s breeders, it will have connections into the Canova power structure.” Danny looked around. “We’re basically agreed then? Jenny Starchild is going to be the pirate queen of Canova.”
Rosita Stuard looked at him, then laughed. The truth was what Sara Electrum had said. The only two candidates who were acceptable to the council of clans were Danny and Jenny. And it was the council of clans that would be providing most of the forces needed to hold Canova, not to mention the industrial base.
“That is good, because it’s not entirely up to us,” Goldgok said. “The Kiik want their child clan to be the senior clan. They concede that the Cordoba Combine won’t allow a Parthian government over a human system, but a clan that has both human and Parthian breeders would, they feel, be good enough.”
“I’m not sure that the Cordobas are going to agree,” Danny said.
“They might,” Tanya Cordoba-Davis’ thoughts came over the fleetnet. “The great families aren’t going to be thrilled with the Jackson-Cordobas. For that matter, they aren’t going to be thrilled with my family either.”
Tanya didn’t seem overly upset by that, Danny noted.
“That’s only part of the problem,” Janis sent. “Like I said on the news, the bugs have a perfectly legitimate cause bellum, but that doesn’t mean they have a justification for installing their own government. The Cordoba rules frown on imposed governments. Unless it’s one of theirs, that is.”
“That’s a good point, Janis. Do you have any suggestions?”
“Recognition,” Janis sent. “It’s time honored. The more governments you have recognizing you, the more legitimate you are. That goes all the way back to Old Earth.”
“So by the time the Cordoba Combine gets around to noticing, the new government of Canova will be recognized by what?”
“By the legitimate government of Franklin,” Eddy said.
“By the government of Cybrant,” Sara offered.
“By Parthia, since the council of clans will have to recognize it,” Goldgok said.
“And by Skull System,” Janis added.
“Do you have the authority to do that, Janis?”
“Yep. I’m the official ambassador to the Parthian system, with plenipotentiary powers.”
“You might have mentioned that,” Danny said.
“And by a grand stockholder in the Combine,” Tanya sent.
“Is that enough?” Danny asked.
What came back was a firm “maybe.”