“I don’t have to tell you—”
“By renting a pirate ship?” he mocked. “By entering into losing negotiations with a pirate queen?”
“Moag was going to give us supplies.” Rin felt the blood rushing to her face. “And we would have had the money, too, until you assholes showed up—”
“You’re so terribly naive. Don’t you get it? Moag was always going to sell you out. Did you think she would pass up that bounty on your heads? You’re lucky our offer was better.”
“Moag wouldn’t,” Rin said. “Moag knows my value.”
“You’re assuming Moag is rational. And she is, until it comes to great sums of money. You can buy her off with any amount of silver, and that I have in abundance.” Vaisra shook his head like a disappointed teacher. “Don’t you get it? Moag only flourishes while Daji is on the throne, because Daji’s isolationist policies create Ankhiluun’s competitive advantage. Moag only benefits as long as she operates outside the law, while the rest of the country is in such deep shit that it’s more profitable to operate inside her boundaries than without. Once trade becomes legitimized, she’s out of an empire. Which means the very last thing she wants is for you to succeed.”
Rin opened her mouth, realized she had nothing to say, and closed it. For the first time, she did not have a counterargument.
“Please, Rin,” Nezha interjected. “Be honest with yourself. You can’t fight a war on your own. You are six people. The Vipress is guarded by a corps of elite soldiers that you’ve never gone up against. And that’s not to mention her own martial arts skills, which you know nothing about.”
“And you no longer have the advantage of surprise,” said Vaisra. “Daji knows you are coming for her, which means you need a way to get closer to her. You need me.”
He gestured to the walls around them. “Look at this ship. This is the very best that Hesperian naval technology can offer. Twelve cannons lined on every side.”
Rin rolled her eyes. “Congratulations?”
“I have ten more ships like it.”
That gave her pause.
Vaisra leaned forward. “Now you get it. You’re a smart girl; you can run the calculations yourself. The Empire does not have a functioning navy. I do. We will control this Empire’s waterways. The war will be over in six months at worst.”
Rin tapped her fingers against the table, considering. Could they win this war? And what if they did?
She couldn’t help but balance the possibilities—she’d been trained too well at Sinegard not to.
If what Vaisra said was true, then she had to admit this was the perfect time to launch a coup. The Militia at present was fragmented and weak. The provinces had been decimated by Federation battalions. And they might switch sides quickly, once they learned the truth about Daji’s deception.
The benefits of joining an army were also obvious. She’d never have to worry about her supplies. She’d have access to intelligence she couldn’t get on her own. She’d have free transportation to wherever she wanted to go.
And yet.
“What happens if I say no?” she asked. “Are you going to compel me into service? Make me your own Speerly slave?”
Vaisra didn’t take the bait. “The Republic will be founded on freedom of choice. If you refuse to join, then we can’t make you.”
“Then maybe I’ll leave,” she said, mostly to see how he would respond. “I’ll go into hiding. I’ll bide my time. Get stronger.”
“You could do that.” Vaisra sounded bored, like he knew she was just pulling objections out of her ass. “Or you could fight for me and get the revenge you want. This isn’t hard, Runin. And you’re not really considering saying no. You’re just pretending to think because you like being a little brat.”
Rin glared at him.
It was such a rational option. She hated that it was a rational option. And she hated more that Vaisra knew that, and knew she’d arrive at the same conclusion, and was now simply mocking her until her mind caught up to his.
“I have more money and resources at my disposal than anyone in this empire,” Vaisra said. “Weapons, men, information—anything you need, you can get it from me. Work for me and you will want for nothing.”
“I’m not putting my life in your hands,” she said. The last time she had pledged her loyalty to someone, she’d been betrayed. Altan had died.
“I will never lie to you,” said Vaisra.
“Everybody lies to me.”
Vaisra shrugged. “Then don’t trust me. Act purely in your own interest. But I think you’ll find it clear soon enough that you don’t have many other options.”
Rin’s temples throbbed. She rubbed her eyes, trying desperately to think through all the possibilities. There had to be a catch. She knew better than to take offers like this at face value. She’d learned her lesson from Moag—never trust someone who holds all the cards.
She had to buy herself some time. “I can’t make a decision without speaking to my people.”
“Do as you like,” Vaisra said. “But have an answer for me by dawn.”
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or you’ll have to find your own way back to shore,” he said. “And it’s a long swim.”
“Just to clarify, the Dragon Warlord does not want to kill us?” Ramsa asked.
“No,” said Rin. “He wants us in his army.”
He wrinkled his nose. “But why? The Federation’s gone.”
“Exactly that. He thinks it’s his opportunity to overthrow the Empire.”
“That’s actually clever,” Baji said. “Think about it. Rob the house while it’s on fire, or however the saying goes.”
“I don’t think that’s a real saying,” Ramsa said.
“It’s a little more noble than that,” said Rin. “He wants to build a republic instead. Overthrow the Warlord system. Construct a parliament, appoint elected officials, restructure how governance works across the Empire.”
Baji chuckled. “Democracy? Really?”
“It’s worked for the Hesperians,” said Qara.
“Has it?” Baji asked. “Hasn’t the western continent been at war for the past decade?”
“The question isn’t whether democracy could work,” Rin said. “That doesn’t matter. The question is whether we enlist.”
“This could be a trap,” Ramsa pointed out. “He could be bringing you to Daji.”
“He could have just killed us when we were drugged, then. We’re dangerous passengers to have on board. It wouldn’t be worth the risk unless Vaisra really did think he could convince us to join him.”
“So?” Ramsa asked. “Can he convince us?”
“I don’t know,” Rin admitted. “Maybe.”
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. She wanted Vaisra’s ships. His weapons, his soldiers, his power.
But if things went south, if Vaisra hurt the Cike, then this fell on her shoulders. And she couldn’t let the Cike down again.
“There’s still a benefit to going it on our own,” said Baji. “Means we don’t have to take orders.”
Rin