“So under the circumstances, Admiral Draskovic, any violence your sense of authority may have suffered as a consequence of my attitude leaves me completely unmoved. You and I both know that the only reason my personnel requests are ‘impossible to meet’ is that you chose to deny me the traditional prerogatives of a station commander out of a petty sense of spite. I can’t prevent you from abusing your authority in that manner, Admiral. But if you choose to continue to deny my requests, then I’m very much afraid you’re going to have to inform the First Lord that it will be impossible for me to accept the command after all.”

Draskovic had opened her mouth to snap back, but she closed it with an abrupt click at Honor’s last sentence. Her emotions spiked suddenly, and a cold flash of trepidation burned its way through the heart of her fiery anger. Shock was also a part of that spike—disbelief that Honor should so contemptuously drag the cynical political calculation and manipulation at the heart of her assignment to Silesia out into the open. Things simply weren’t done that way, and sheer surprise momentarily paralyzed the Fifth Space Lord’s speech centers.

Honor tasted every nuance of Draskovic’s reaction, and the vicious pleasure it gave her surprised her just a bit, even now. But she allowed no sign of that to cross her face, either. She simply leaned back in her chair, watching Draskovic as the other woman grappled with the fact that she was willing to call the combined bluff of the Government and Admiralty alike.

“I—” Draskovic started to speak, then stopped and cleared her throat.

“I don’t care for your tone, Your Grace,” she said, after a moment, but her voice was much weaker, almost lame. “Nor do I agree with your so-called analysis of this… situation. And I’m not prepared to overlook insubordination and insolence from anyone, regardless of who they are or what their accomplishments may be.”

“Fine.” Honor stood, lifting Nimitz in her arms. “In that case, Admiral, I’ll remove myself from your presence before I give fresh offense. Please be good enough to inform Sir Edward that I must regretfully decline the command of Sidemore Station. I hope you’ll be able to find some other competent officer to fill the position. Good day.”

She turned and started for the door, and the combination of fury, consternation, and panic blazing up from Draskovic was like a forest fire behind her.

“Wait!”

The single word popped out of Draskovic almost against her will, and Honor paused. She turned in place, looking at the Fifth Space Lord, and arched her eyebrows in polite question. Muscles bunched in Draskovic’s jaw as she clenched her teeth so tightly Honor could almost hear them grinding from five meters away, but Honor said nothing. She only stood there, waiting.

“I… regret any… misunderstanding which may have arisen between us, Your Grace,” Draskovic got out at last, and each word was like pulling a barbed splinter out of her flesh. “It’s apparent that tempers have gotten… out of control here. I regret that, also. The fact that you and I do not agree politically and have had our public policy disagreements shouldn’t be allowed to impair our professionalism as Queen’s officers.”