It took a full second for what Marcum was saying to sink in.

“This isn’t possible,” Jackson shook his head. “I retired. I’m not subject to recall.”

“The Devil is in the details,” Marcum said with the same oily smile. “Your retirement was under the old Confederacy charter. The Federation has had much more foresight in drafting its new relationship with CENTCOM and Starfleet. It’s also retroactive. Come on, Wolfe … you’re too young to be retired anyway.”

“You think this is funny?”

“No, Captain, I don’t,” Marcum said, his voice hard. “But let’s both face facts for a moment; you’re not a researcher, you’re not a scientist, and you’re a mediocre civilian administrator at best. This project isn’t where you belong and it no longer needs you now that the damn Vruahn machine is talking to your assistants. What you are is a starship captain and, as much as it causes me physical pain to say this, you were a damn good one. At least so far as fighting your ship in a war was concerned.” He stopped himself in what looked like mid-tirade and blew out a slow breath.

“We’re against the ropes again, Wolfe,” he went on. “With the ESA planets breaking away and refusing any contact from Fed-loyal worlds we’re in a bad way. Drafting you back in to take you away from your family isn’t something we would do if we felt it wasn’t absolutely necessary. Arcadia isn’t invulnerable. The Darshik could pop up here just as easily as they did in the DeLonges System.”

“Low blow, but your point is well taken,” Jackson said. “What do you need me for?”

“I’d like you to start analyzing the Darshik engagements,” Marcum said. “If we could—”

“No,” Jackson said, holding up his hand. “I could do that here and, more to the point, the Cube would be faster and better at it than I would be … as it’s already proved if anybody would bother reading the reports I send out. I know that legally I could fight this, so if my conditions aren’t met I’ll simply refuse your orders and tie it up with lawyers so neither of us gets what we want.”

“What are your conditions?” Marcum asked suspiciously.

“I actually have only one,” Jackson said. “If you really think you need to drag me back into service then there’s only one place that makes sense for me to be. You said so yourself: It’s what I am.”