Allen Steele - Spindrift

FEBRUARY 1, 2344HIGHGATE

A leviathan from the ocean of space, the CFSS Robert E. Lee slowly entered the vast sphere of Alpha Dock. Spotlights reflected off its sleek hull as the massive starship glided toward its skeletal berth; when it was close enough, the podlike tugboats that had rendezvoused with the vessel five kilometers from Highgate detached their lines and peeled away, to be replaced by a squad of dockworkers. Tiny figures in hard-suits, they hauled behind them carbon-nanotube mooring cables as thick as their arms. One by one, the workers attached grapples to recessed ports along the hull, then moved away while the vessel was gradually pulled the rest of the way into dry dock.

From the window of an observation cupola, John Shillinglaw watched the Lee return to its home port. Correctionwhat used to be its home port. It had been over a year and a half since the European Alliance and the Coyote Federation signed the treaty that, among other things, had conferred ownership of the shipformerly christened the EASS Francis Drake to Coyote. No one in the European Space Agency had liked losing the Drake ; it was a steep price to pay for continued use of the starbridge it had established in the 47 Ursae Majoris system. Yet the colonials had made it clear that they were willing to destroy that same starbridge in order to preserve their independence, and the ounce of flesh theyd exacted from the European Alliance was an armed starship capable of defending their world.

Damn these people , he thought, observing the dock rats as they pulled umbilical lines to the ship and clamped them in place. Youd think theyd be grateful He had to remind himself that Coyotes history was one of political struggle, and that the colonists had good reason to distrust the governments of Earth. Even so, he couldnt help but grimace as a workers headlamp briefly illuminated the flag of the Coyote Federationthe Ursae Majoris constellation against horizontal bars of red, white, and blueon the forward port side just below the hump of the command center, where the flag of the European Alliance had once been.

Sir? Are you all right? The aide whod been assigned to him floated a little closer, his hands reaching up to grasp the rail running across the low ceiling just above their heads. Is there anything I can get you?