"Your willingness to accept a subordinate position would give me an intact force of both crewmen and Guardsmen." Curry's lips thinned. "But there will be Technogration, with or without your support. There will be no retrogression back into the Outlanders' hallowed Dark Ages."
"There is no argument—we both want Technogration," Thane said. "We only disagree over who should be in command."
"There is a slight difference in our qualifications. Your present rank was gained by your ability to kill and not by loyalty to Technogration."
"Yes, of course," Thane agreed. "We'll say that I'm a materialistic opportunist while you're a noble idealist. But it's still the same identical whip that we're both going to reach for."
"As I said, I would prefer a peaceful transfer of your Guardsmen to my command. But my crewmen outnumber them almost two to one and they are expendable if necessary." The thin smile came back, almost mocking in its confidence. "You haven't much choice but to cooperate and accept a subordinate role, have you?"
The subordinate role would be very brief; it would end with a blaster beam in the back as soon as the Guardsmen were transferred to Curry's command....
"Try again, Curry. I can't bite on that one."
The smile faded from Curry's face, leaving it icily cold. "That was the only opportunity you'll ever get."
The howling sounded again in the forest and Thane said:
"We understand each other, now. But the Outlanders are unarmed and it may require our full forces to hold off whatever is out there. I suggest a truce until morning."