His bunk was small, the mattress hard, and the walls thin enough that having a private room didn’t count for much. Having slept for days already, he felt no need for rest. Indeed, he doubted that physiological need still applied to him. His mind, as always, had taken the lead over his other apertures and was currently halfway to the peak of nine, slightly ahead of his domain.

  In the past, not needing sleep hadn’t prevented him from partaking. Now, though, it seemed almost impossible to reach the comfort of slumber. The only time he got close, he startled back to full awareness, convinced he was back in the big fall on Terra.

  To not waste the night, Hector began to train the Shuttle Technique. His aura and domain would likely take the longest to improve, so it made sense to get started with the exercise that worked both of them in tandem. That technique also had the advantage of requiring a lot of his attention, making it hard for him to dwell on unpleasant thoughts. His energy reserves had been stuffed halfway to full after his advancement, ensuring he had plenty to dedicate to strengthening.

  Amy, the unrated crew member assigned every menial task on the vessel, announced breakfast was ready after switching on the light in the main bay. Which led to everyone filing down to the dining room.

  “What do you think the meat chunks are? Not meat, right?” Zelda remained unenthusiastic about Jinn food.

  “Chewy stuff,” Ajax said.

  Conrad replied with a more serious response. “It’s a fungus engineered to grow proteins with the exact amino acid profile our bodies need. The only thing suspect about it is that a vessel of this size won’t have a biological reactor. Everything you eat is going to be packed with preservatives to prevent spoilage. It’s not bad for your health, but you’re going to miss fresh flavors.”

  The Sage of Conflagration’s entrance brought silence. The man, back hunched as always like a wolf with its haunches raised, moved to stand next to Hector and ate directly off a serving plate, scooping some of the solids from the pan directly to his mouth with his bare hand. “I don’t like the name Dragonbane,” he said.

  “You can still call me Hector if you like. I actually prefer it, honestly.”

  The Sage didn’t appear to be listening. “You make cosmic energy.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Conflagration licked his fingers and palm clean, wiped everything dry on his uniform, and wandered away muttering to himself. The tension in the room dropped immediately. Piercing opened his mouth like he was about to make some wisecrack, but then glanced towards the retreating form and shook his head instead.

  Following the meal, Esther consulted a small notebook. “Riley, it’s your turn on dishes. Ajax is on pots and pans.” The named individuals began gathering up the items from the table and carrying them into a back room.

  Esther pulled out a pen and looked to Hector expectantly. “The vessel is understaffed, so we’re helping out where we can. Should I add you to the rotation?”

  “Sure,” Hector said. “Why are we understaffed, though?”

  Persuasion answered. “About two-thirds of the crew were willing to join the cause. The rest were abandoned on an unempowered world that has infrequent contact with Terra. They’ll get home eventually and they shouldn’t be considered traitors of Mercom.”

  “Is everyone else on this ship doomed, then?”

  “Everyone who remained is willing to accept great personal risk for the greater good.” Persuasion gestured around the table. “Just like the rest of us. We didn’t sign up to party.”

  Piercing snorted. “No one told me partying was an option.”

  “It’s not,” Persuasion clarified. “The options are win the war or lose everything.”

  The hatch to the dining room clanged open and Captain Devin entered. “The Lord Platinum arrived at dawn. We’re set to meet her in an hour.”

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  When all eyes turned to him in expectation, Hector froze. He wasn’t sure what they wanted. Fortunately, Darius answered that question by asking one of his own. “How do we enter the meeting? We shouldn’t look weak.”

  Hector’s eyes darted about before settling on Esther. Though she never had a tactical role in Miracle Squad, she was the person in his social group who made things happen. She raised a brow at being put on the spot, but did throw out an opinion. “Hector should be in front, obviously. They’re here to meet him. Place Conflagration and Captain Devin on either side. Then we have the big three powers represented. The rest of the retinue can come in behind. Maybe center Ajax in the back to make it a little more picturesque. If that even matters.”

  “I will stand to the side for a clear shot with my chaos bolt,” Darius said.

  Piercing sucked in a breath. “I’m actually going to copy girly-man. I need an unobstructed line between me and my targets.”

  Esther shot a stern look to Hector. Her message made it through: get Piercing under control. The hostility between him and Darius may be an established pattern by this point, but that didn’t mean the overly personal digs were permitted. At the same time, they didn’t need to create any new resentments leading into a fight.

  He cleared his throat. “Can we keep things professional before missions?”

  After a moment, Piercing gave an ironic bow. “Absolutely, Lord Dragonbane.”

  “Glad to hear it. Does everyone like the plan? Any questions or objections? No?” Hector studied his friends. “Thank you all for your help. This is all very new to me. I’m used to sitting on the back of a rover and converting miasma, not plotting how to intimidate Lords.”

  There were some polite laughs. Then Captain Devin stepped forward. “Retinue, at this time please clean yourselves up and dress for action. The best way to assure peace is to be ready for war. Lord Dragonbane, if you have a moment to discuss strategy?”

  His retinue scattered to follow the order. When the room was mostly cleared, Captain Devin nodded towards Persuasion and gestured for the door. “I would appreciate it if you ensured the Lord and I remain undisturbed, Sage.”

  Persuasion ceased her attempts to fade into the background and followed the others. That left just the two of them. Captain Devin shut the hatch and turned to face Hector, arms crossed. The cyborg studied Hector without any indication of his true thoughts. “You have been placed in a situation you don’t yet know how to navigate. That much is obvious. It is to your credit that you seek counsel. Moreover, I appreciate that you choose to follow the model of a servant leader.

  “However, you must learn to embody your position. You are a Xian Lord, Hector Thoreaux. The embodiment of power in human form. That you lack the requisite level means that you must learn to project greater authority than your peers. You may engage with your retinue in whatever way you decide appropriate while alone, but in public you command and they obey. It would be better if you were seen to suggest and they zealously carried out your will.

  “When you are thrust into a situation you do not know how to handle, best practice is to select a couple of subordinates and retire to discuss with them before making a decision. Tell everyone else to remain in place while you confer. The appearance of power often counts for as much as the power itself. If you appear weak, fearful, or indecisive, you will find hurdles placed before you at every turn.”

  Hector nodded along as the captain lectured him. “I understand.”

  “Are you certain you do? Hector, I am only a captain, yet Major Samuel defers to me in most matters. Those who don’t understand the importance of presence might assume that the respect I’m shown is due to my elite status or combat prowess. I tell you now that it is my bearing that engenders his esteem. You don’t have to emulate me. You have your own brand of charisma that works in your favor. What you must learn to do is project your authority.

  “You are the Lord Dragonbane. When you speak, people listen. When you deliberate, people wait. When you decide, people obey. By all means, allow your retinue to function as a network of friends when you are aboard the cruiser. The moment we step outside to negotiate with the Lord Platinum, though, you present yourself as a force capable of reshaping the multiverse.”

  The captain nodded sharply to conclude their conversation and reopened the hatch. “Keep all of that in mind. The Lord Platinum has been a reliable ally of the Coalition and her death would be unfortunate.”

  Persuasion had been waiting outside and her eyes widened at the bit she heard. “You’re not planning violence, I hope? Foresight was certain this would be a safe meeting.”

  Captain Devin’s gaze revealed nothing of his thoughts. “Violence always remains an option.”

  “I see. That’s very ‘warrior philosopher’ of you, Devin. Hector – don’t kill our benefactor. She agreed to provide you a fortune in elixirs. Not a small fortune, either. If I understand correctly, the amount of resources you are about to receive is equivalent to buying a private island on Maya or a mega yacht on Terra. This type of gift is exclusive to the ultra wealthy.”

  The words hit hard. He’d not put much thought into what he was receiving. Not only would resources provided by the Lord Platinum be expensive and effective, they would also be sourced in the least ethical manner possible – with the price of each elixir the sacrifice of an unwilling victim.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t think refusing was an option. The stakes were literally everything. A peak nine body would make him effectively immortal, barring things like schism beams, Sage attacks, and hostile Lords. He’d just have to accept the stain on his morality in favor of the greater good.