“So you’re not going to try and expose the fact we’ve lost people and ships based on a lie?” she asked, surprised.

“Well, the Darshik did attack us first,” Jackson said. “We don’t know what the real motivation is for the Ushin right now. Given that they provided you with the coordinates for one of the Darshik’s main star systems, I would have to assume that anything else they’ve done was under duress. The Darshik did open fire on the Ushin ships after you destroyed that Super Alpha.”

“Maybe,” Celesta said doubtfully. “They are aliens, after all, so we have no frame of reference. Hell, we can barely talk to them.”

“We have to accept that we’ve entered a new age for our species,” Jackson said. “We’ve had close neighbors all this time and the further we expand the more we’re going to brush up against them. We’d better figure out exactly what our policy will be for first-contact scenarios from here on out, but in the meantime I don’t think there’s any avoiding an all-out war with the Darshik.”

“Changing subjects to something less depressing, somewhat, how is Jillian taking the fact Marcum conscripted you into this?” Celesta reached for the bottle again.

“About like you’d expect,” Jackson said. “She understands, but she’s pissed. With the twins she also realizes there’s zero chance that she can try and petition to be reinstated herself.”

“Do you think they’ll let me keep my current rank now that you’re back?” she asked, trying to make it sound like a joke. “I’ve gotten used to the pay bump.”

“Sorry, Senior Captain … you’re stuck where you’re at,” Jackson said with a smile. “I’m not coming back to Ninth Squadron. I’ve yet to get an assignment other than I know I’ll be attached to Black Fleet again. Admiral Pitt was adamant that you not be displaced. Hell, knowing Marcum I probably won’t even be commanding a warship. It’s equally likely I’ll be flying the resupply ship and ferrying munitions and propellant to your ships.”

Celesta just nodded, suppressing the shudder she felt at the legendary Captain Wolfe being relegated to flying a cargo hauler. It would be a criminal waste of a needed resource. She was also torn between being relieved that CENTCOM, or at least Admiral Pitt, thought enough of her to keep her in command and wishing to dump the mess into Wolfe’s lap.

“Well then, here’s to being back together again.” She raised her glass. “It’s too bad it had to be another bloody war to make it happen.”

“Together again,” Jackson toasted her before draining his glass.

****

“This is a fucking disaster,” Wellington said, swirling a very expensive scotch whiskey from Earth in his cut-crystal tumbler. Even though he was from Columbiana he preferred the real thing, damn the cost.