Page 185 of Commander’s Mate

“High worker mortality,” she repeated. “That’s how they write people dying?”

“Yes,” Tivid said quietly.

I looked at the map hovering over the table.

“We go to Breskaa.”

Degatu nodded. “After Halor resupply is complete. Dreadnought Eight has answered our encrypted signal and can rendezvous ahead of us.”

For the first time since the ruins of Farseek, the mission had a direction that was more than anger.

We had names.

We had a place.

We had people waiting.

Chapter Thirty

Zared

The Consortium's first demand had been blunt: return the ships, surrender the records, submit.

When that failed, they changed tactics.

They learned quickly that threats worked poorly on men who had already lost their homes.

So they tried generosity.

Tivid received the proposal through three relays and one private commercial channel.

That alone made it suspicious.

He displayed it in tactical.

Degatu read the first paragraph and laughed.

Not pleasantly.

Pyrr leaned over the table.

“What are they offering?”

“Reconstruction assistance,” Tivid said.

The room went silent.

That phrase could still do what weapons could not.

Farseek needed everything.

Power-grid components.

Medical facilities.

Seed stock.

Shelters.