Page 152 of Commander’s Mate

“She asked for space,” I said.

Degatu nodded. “Then let her have it.”

He looked at the blank screen.

I scowled.

He said nothing.

“No.” His expression hardened. “We received a formal transmission from Halor. Governor Guryon confirms payment upon Kyanna’s return. He also requests detailed accounting of all rescued persons not included in the original contract.”

“Requests or demands?”

“Both, in the way politicians manage to make demands sound like courtesy.”

“And now they are on our ship, consuming food, water, space, medical resources, and political attention.”

“They are not cargo to be inventoried for his convenience.”

“No,” Degatu said. “They are people. Which makes the situation more complicated, not less.”

“I think Guryon would have paid for his daughter and pretended not to know about the rest.”

Anger moved through me, familiar as breath. “Then he can choke on our accounting.”

“We need his money.”

The Farseek Dreadnoughts were powerful, but power did not feed refugees. It did not manufacture endless medicine. It did not bribe informants or buy fuel from ports that valued neutrality only until someone offered better payment. We had ships, warriors, grief, and stolen time. We did not have a functioning homeworld economy.

The Consortium had made certain of that.

“Send him numbers,” I said. “Not names.”

Degatu’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“That is legally inconvenient.”

“So is selling people.”

A faint smile touched his mouth and vanished. “Agreed.”

“Enter,” I called.

The door opened, and Lieutenant Pyrr Avantu stepped inside carrying a data slate. He glanced at Degatu, then at me. “Commander. Admiral. We have a supply request from the conference room.”

Degatu looked amused.

I did not.

“Harper Avery,” Pyrr said. “She requested garments sorted by size, privacy screens, female hygiene supplies, sleeping allocation, destination lists, and written assurances regarding rescued-person status.”

Written assurances.

Gods.

Pride hit me so hard that for a moment I could not speak.

Pyrr continued, “She also appears to be creating a registry of names and needs among the rescued.”