Cobra Alliance

Trofts, is what started the war.'

D'arl started to speak, reached instead for a comboard resting on a low table beside his seat. 'I don't think I know the reference,' Jame said.

'It was a minor double star system the Dominion thought might be worth a mining development,' D'arl told him. 'But according to this, the initial probe took place almost ten years before Silvern was hit.'

'Yes, sir,' Jonny nodded. 'It took the affected demesnes that long to convince the others a war was necessary.'

For a moment D'arl gazed at the comboard, fingers drumming on the chair arm. 'You're implying the Committee's been blind for the past thirty years.' His tone was less accusing than it was thoughtful.

Jonny shrugged. 'The Trofts would hardly have advertised what they probably saw as a major military disadvantage. And any dealings since then on a planetary scale or less really would look very similar to how the Dominion does things, too. But the indications were there, if the figures the Troft Ship Commander gave me are correct. Do you have the number of representatives the Trofts sent to the peace talks after the war?'

D'arl busied himself with his comboard. 'They had—let's see: twenty-six Senior Representatives. Another eighty-four aides and support personnel came to Iberiand with them.'

'Twenty-six. What size team did the Dominion send, about ten?'

'Twelve—and I remember Committe H'orme complaining at the time that that seemed top-heavy.' D'arl's eyes met Jonny's. 'Twenty-six Troft demesnes?'

Jonny nodded. 'One each from the border demesnes, the only ones whose territory would be directly affected by any settlement. But then a year later you began negotiations for the rights to the Troft Corridor, which I estimate affected eighty or so additional demesnes.'

D'arl was already punching keys. 'One hundred six Senior Representatives,' he said, shaking his head slowly. 'Eighty more, exactly.'

'There were other indications, too,' Jonny said into the silence that followed. 'The Ship Commander who let us go obviously felt entitled to disobey his orders when he had sufficient reason to do so. And even during the war I was captured by a local officer who kept me alive almost certainly against orders. You may remember me telling you about that one, Jame.'

The younger Moreau was frowning. 'I remember... but I don't buy your explanation. This wide-open autonomy between demesnes is bad enough, but if you run it to upper military command level, too, you're going to wind up with complete anarchy.'

Jonny shrugged. 'I frankly don't understand it myself,' he admitted. 'The Ship Commander tried to explain how a graduated system of respect or obedience based on an individual's past record kept their society running smoothly, but it still sounds like magic to me.'

'All right,' D'arl said abruptly. 'Assume for the moment all this is true. Then what?'

Jonny turned back to face him. 'Then avoiding a war becomes simply a matter of removing the issue the demesnes are uniting over. Specifically, allowing them to close the Corridor.'

'Out of the question.' D'arl's voice was flat. 'Official Dominion policy says the Corridor stays open or the Trofts pay heavily for closing it.'

'Dominion policy isn't carved into bedrock,' Jonny countered. 'The purpose of that threat was to protect Aventine from attack. Fine—but right now we have a better chance of surviving without your protection; and if loss of contact with you is the price, we're willing to pay it.'

'Are you, now,' D'arl said. 'And what happens when your machines and electronics start breaking down? Aventine hasn't got an extensive enough technological base to maintain things for long.'

'No, but the Trofts do. We can undoubtedly trade with them as well as you do.'

'Our trade has been extremely minimal, for intelligence purposes only—'

'Oh, come on,' Jonny snorted. 'We both know what I'm talking about. Practically every one of your licensed carriers routinely stops off for trade en route to Aventine. Why else do you think the Corridor demesnes have put up with the arrangement all these years? They get goods and information that they would normally have to buy—with heavy tariffs, no doubt—from their brother demesnes.'

D'arl had a sour look on his face. 'As it happens, we've been trying to come up with a good way to end that clandestine trade for years.'

Jonny spread his hands. 'Well, here's your chance.'

D'arl sighed. 'Governor, you still don't understand the political realities here. The Committee has taken a stand; we cannot back down without a damn good reason.'

'So make one up,' Jonny snapped, his patience beginning to fray. 'You're a consummate politician—surely you won't let a little matter of truth stand in the way of what you want.' D'arl's brow darkened, but Jonny rushed on before the other could speak. 'Aventine doesn't want war, the Trofts don't especially want war, your own people don't want war. Is the Committee so hell-bent on fighting someone that not even that will stop them?'

'Jonny!' Jame snapped.

'It's all right, Moreau, I'll handle it,' D'arl said. 'Governor, I'll take your recommendation to the Committee tomorrow. That's the best that I can do.'

'A Committe with your experience?' Jonny scoffed. 'You can do better than just playing court reporter.'

'I can push any solidly-based, politically plausible reason for closing the Corridor,' D'arl bit back. 'You've yet to give me anything that qualifies.'

'You want a good political reason? Fine; I'll give you one right now.' Jonny stood up, dimly aware that his anger was near to overwhelming all control over it. 'What do you think the Committee would do if a visiting dignitary from