"This is a council of war, gentlemen. Here is our situation...."
Five Sol-type stars lay within the tender's range. They would visit and field-search each system in turn, regain control of the tender and its crew when found, then wait for Carlyle. Under the treaty they were agents of the settlers' parent system, Sigma-3 Velorum, and bound by its constitution.
"So, gentlemen, it is really intersystemic war. Now the enemy population is about fifty—Captain Glover's estimate, he hadn't time to muster the settlers before we regressed. We have twenty marines and nine spacers. We are outnumbered and must attack prepared positions, but courage and imagination—"
"Won't some settlers be women?" Chong broke in gruffly. "We may not be so overmatched. How are they armed?"
"Body weapons only, sergeant. Nothing heavy. We mustn't hurt women, of course."
Chong coughed and subsided.
"One thing more. Our inspace separation from Carlyle is great enough so that, under article fourteen of Patrol Regulations, our scout is an independent ship. I now declare this ship in full commission."
He took glasses and a bottle of Earth whisky from a bag at his feet and poured drinks all around.
"Stand, gentlemen," he bade them. "To our ship and her christening: gentlemen, I give you G.P.S. Fishdollar's Bane."
The men choked a little on the fiery liquor. Ensign Welnicki wiped moisture from his eyes and looked on them with kindly gravity.