“So if we stay close enough to the planet, we should be able to get a good sensor look at anything coming close enough for a pickup.” Harris nodded. “I can work with that, Skipper. Staying stealthed that close without being picked up ourselves won’t be easy, even against Silly sensors, but I think we can hack it as long as we keep the wedge strength down.”

“And if we catch her that deep into the system, there’s no way she’ll be able to outrun us back to the hyper limit,” McClelland put in.

“Exactly,” Ferrero agreed.

“Question, Skipper,” Llewellyn said. “Do we want to intercept her inbound, or outbound?”

“Um.” Ferrero rubbed her chin, frowning thoughtfully. “Outbound,” she decided. “We could nail the ship on either leg, especially if Commander Reynolds’ information about her already having slaves on board is accurate. But I want Chalmers, too, if we can get him. And our best shot at that is to intercept ‘Sittich’ when she has slaves we know are bound for his ‘recreation’ habitat.”

“Understood.” Llewellyn gazed at the system schematic for a few seconds. “It’s going to increase our exposure to the Sillies’ sensor platforms, but not by all that much. And I hate to say it, but I’d really prefer to intercept her as far from whatever defensive systems Zoraster may have as we can. Chalmers would have to be a lunatic to fire on a Manticoran warship, but given the official penalties for slaving even here in Silesia, I’d just as soon not tempt him.”

“I’m glad you’re thinking that way, Bob,” Ferrero told him. “On the other hand, you’re talking about Silly weapon systems.” She chuckled nastily. “I almost wish he would be stupid enough to try to nail us with that obsolescent crap. Shawn’s missile crews could use the exercise!”

· · • · ·

“Have you been informed as to the content of this note, Mr. Ambassador?” Elaine Descroix asked coolly.

“Only in the most general terms, Madame Secretary,” Yves Grosclaude, the Havenite ambassador to the Star Kingdom, replied. It might strike some that having any discussion with an ambassador from a nation with which one was officially still at war was… unusual, because it was. But Secretary of State Giancola had argued that more direct contact at a somewhat higher level than the teams deadlocked on the actual treaty negotiations would be helpful. In Descroix’s opinion, there was some doubt as to just who it would be helpful for, but High Ridge had decided that it would be a fairly innocuous concession which would play well in the court of public opinion. Which was how Yves Grosclaude had become Haven’s officially accredited “special envoy” (accorded the “courtesy” title of Ambassador solely as a gracious gesture towards the Republic, of course) to the Star Kingdom of Manticore.

As always, he and Descroix were punctiliously correct.

“And were you informed as to when Secretary Giancola anticipates a reply?”

“No, Madame Secretary. I was simply instructed to request a formal reply at the Star Kingdom’s earliest convenience.”