Engaging the Enemy (46 page)

“I'd rather we were brilliant from the start,” Ky said. “And we have a few weeks to get that way before we get to Ciudad.”

“You're not giving up.” Jon Gannett made it a statement, not a question.

“I don't give up,” Ky said. There was a moment's startled silence, then she went on. “And since going at it the wrong way nearly got us all killed—”

“Not your fault,” Martin said.

“Joining up with Andreson when she made it clear she would insist on command was my decision,” Ky said. “But I can't undo it; what I can do is not make that mistake again. So—let's use the time we have to figure out how our three surviving ships can convince potential allies that they should join us. I think having a good organizational plan in place and some tactical analysis should help with that.”

“Yes, ma'am, that should help a lot.” Hera Gannett, normally quieter than Jon, beat him to it this time. The others nodded.

“And then,” Ky said, “when we have the allies and the plan, we will hunt those scumsuckers down and blow them all away.” She grinned at them, one after another, and, one after another, they grinned back.

By Elizabeth Moon

T
HE
D
EED OF
P
AKSENARRION

Sheepfarmer's Daughter

Divided Allegiance

Oath of Gold

T
HE
L
EGACY OF
G
IRD

Surrender None

Liar's Oath

P
LANET
P
IRATES
(with Anne McCaffrey)

Sassinak

Generation Warriors

Remnant Population*

T
HE
S
ERRANO
L
EGACY

Hunting Party

Sporting Chance

Winning Colors

Once a Hero

Rules of Engagement

Change of Command

Against the Odds

The Speed of Dark*

V
ATTA
'
S
W
AR

Trading in Danger*

Marque and Reprisal*

Engaging the Enemy*

S
HORT
-
FICTION COLLECTIONS

Lunar Activity

Phases

*Published by Ballantine Books

Engaging the Enemy
is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

Copyright © 2006 by Elizabeth Moon

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

D
EL
R
EY
is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

www.delreybooks.com

eISBN: 978-0-345-49100-8

v3.0