"I am about to record our first official message to the Federation's Assembly, and I wish you to witness this communication as it is recorded. I suppose--was he permitted himself a bleak smile his-comt this is an historic moment, but that is not why I wish to share it with you. I wish to share it because of who you are and what you will shortly be called upon to do.

"We represent many worlds and many ways of life.

We spring from a single planet, but the diversity among us is great. We do not even agree upon the nature of God or the ultimate ends of our ongoing evolution. Yet we agree upon this: what has been done to us is intolerable, the systematic looting and manipulation of our economies and ways of life by others is not to be endured, and no government has the right to abuse its citizens as the government of the Federation has abused us. And ff that agreement is all we share, it is enough. It is more than enoughas your presence in your ships, as your willingness to wear the uniform you wear, demonstrates. We may not share the same view of God, but before whateeaer God there is, I am proud to speak these words for you, and humbled by the cemmitment you and your worlds have made to support He looked down at the concealed terminal built into his desk--not that he needed it; what he was to say was written in his heart and mind as surely as in the memory of his computer--then glanced up once more.

"Some of you will recognize the source of these words.

Many may not, but, I think, no one has ever said it better--comand their use may help the Federation's citizens to understand our motives despite their present government's self-serving misrepresentation." He drew a deep breath and faced the pickup squarely, forcing his shoulders to relax. When he spoke once more, he appeared completely calm. Only those who knew him well saw the anguish which possessed him..

"When in the course of human events, it becomes neo-essary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the Galaxy the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and the usages of justice entitle them, a decent respect for the opinion of all races requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." He drew another deep breath, his voice rumbling up out of his chest, powerful and proud and defiant, yet somehow reverent as he spoke the fierce old words, newly adapted to changing circumstances.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all sentient beings are created equal, that they are endowed with certain ttnalienable rights, that among,, these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The survivors of the coming battles might see that recording many times in the course of their lives, yet never again would they see and hear it as it was made. They were joined with Ladislaus Skjorning, floating in the heart of a crystal moment, temporarily outside the bounds of space and time. Never before had so many men and women so intimately charged with the defense of a cause been joined in the moment of its annunciation; perhaps it would never happen again. Yet for all that they shared it as it happened, few could ever recall hearing the exact words Ladislaus spoke. What they remembered was the strength of his deep voice, the emotional communion as he forged words to hold their anger and frustration and their inarticulate love for the government they could no longer bey. The heard the list of abuses not with their ears, but vath their souls--and they knew, knew now in their very bones, that the breach was forever. They could not return to what they had been, and in that instant of unbearable loss and political birth, the Terran Republic's Navy was forged on the anvil of history as few military oreaong, anizations have ever been.

@u.. We must, therefore," Ladislaus went on, drawing to the close of his message, "acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation, and hold you, as we hold the whole vf the sentient races of the Galaxy, enemies in war, in peace friends.

"Now, therefore, the representatives of the Republic of Free Terrans, in general congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the Universe for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and authority of the good people of these worlds, solemnly publish and declare that these united worlds are, and of right ought to be, a free and independent nation; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the Legislative Assembly of the Terran Federation, and that all political connection between them and the Terran Federation is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a free and independent state, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do."

He stared into the pickup, his face carved from stone, and behind his eyes he saw the crumpled body of Fionna MacTaggart--the final, unforgivable indignity to which the Fringe Worlds had been subjected -comandthe closing words rumbled and crashed from his thick throat like denouncing thunder.

"And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." "A nian can die but once; we owe God a death. his William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II in what she was The new eranso O Fringer, the furious personnel to Figures Admiral officer to joined her, been so plained why she commodore, at such a Lt ngbo Fortu as well, know her as had been time the self at the OFFENSIVE nv was five hours out of Novaya Rodina orbit e Li Han stood beside Captain Tsing Chang dp car, her face tranquil, and worried over abo. ut to discover about her crew. publican Navy was desperately short of vet-sixty percent of the Fleet which had been hly ninety percent had favored mutiny, but ting had produced casualties so severe the avy found itself with less than half the trained aan its captured ships. bere even worse among the senior officers. gara was, so far at least, the most senior e over to the Republic. Others might have ut the carnage on most of the flag decks had beme none of them had survived. Which ex-s indecently rapid promotion... and also d herself wearing two hats. She might be a but experienced Battle Fleet skippers were mium that she had to double as CO of the t that she minded that!

Hah didn't well as she would have liked, for Petrovna ecently busy on Novaya Rodina, splitting her the Convention and her new command, but ely graying woman had certainly proved herttle of Novaya Rodina. Her choice of Jason

Windrider as her chief of staff only strengthened Han's respect for her. She felt no qualms about going into action with Commodore Petrovna on her flank.

The car stopped on the command bridge, and the officer of the deck stood as they stepped out. The other watch-keepers stayed seated as per her standing orders.

Some captains preferred for their bridge crews to indulge in all the ceremonial rituals whenever they came on the bridge; Han preferred for them to get on with their jobs.

"Good afternoon, Exec," she said to Commander Sung.

"Good afternoon, sir. Commodore Tsing." Han shook her head mentally at the titles.

She was commodore of BG 12, but also Longbow's captain. For squadron purposes, she was properly addressed as "Commodore,"" but when acting as Longbow's CO, she was properly addressed as "Captain." Just to complicate matter further, Tsing was now a captain--but there could be only one "Captain" aboard a warship, so Tsing was properly addressed as "Commodore," since courtesy promotions were, by definition, upward.

Thus there were occasions on which they would both properly be addressed as "Commodore,"" but only Hah would ever be addressed as "Cap-rain," which meant that from time to time a "captain" outranked a hiscommodore" aboard Longbow..ationot surprisingly, Sung, like most of her crew, took the easy out and addressed her only as "Sir" unless there was absolutely no alternative or it was completely clear which hat she was wearing.