Rissa and Tregare by F. M. Busby

then Bernardez took the Hoover."
    "It will be one of your ships?"
    "If he makes rendezvous on time, it wil. But the big thing -that advance schedule, that Bernardez gave me-it's for the next batch of ships UET
    was building, to send to Stronghold.
    Number, names, equipment-and, timing. Stronghold has that information by now, you see." He paced back and forth across the kitchen once, then sat again. "There's eight ships planned; that's why eight's my favorite number. Because we get there first-names and in-signia painted to match what Stronghold's expecting-they welcome us with open arms-for just long enough!" He grinned.
    "But the men's names-surely they will not fit?" "How could UET put out a roster, years ahead? Half the crews were runny-nosed kids when they sent that schedule."
    Her eyes widened. "Yes, I see it-the long view, again. But what if you have fewer ships? " He shrugged. "So we say the schedule went sour this time; it's happened before. If I have fewer ships they'll run jammed, with all the combat people I can crowd aboard. But I don't think I could get enough-equipped and supplied-into less than six. And I'm still worried about maybe having to leave a ship here, in case the Shrakken come."
    "But I thought you did not expect a battle." "I don't, but it pays to be ready." His face flushed; he thumped a fist against his knee. "That time I was at Strong-. hold-I scouted it, best I could. And it won't have changed much-they'd done a major expansion, not long before. And Rissa-it's not as hard a nut to crack as you might think." He paused, so she nodded and said, "Tell me." "The ships in port, the defense and communication centers -those we have to wrap up fast, so no word gets out. The rest we can mop out at leisure, with as little fighting as possible. Offer amnesty, the rank and file aren't apt to make a fight of it."
    "And then?"
    "Come on now. Think a moment-you'll see it." She scowled a moment; then her forehead smoothed. "Of course! You sit-the spider in Stronghold's web-as more UET ships come and are taken and no word goes back to Earth. Until-"
    "Until we have enough to challenge UET on Earth itself!" Now he talked faster. "The crews we capture-both at first and later-enough will come over to us that we can send ships UET stil thinks it owns, anywhere we wish. To Earth, even, and get a toehold on UET's home grounds. So when we go there in force, maybe UET's defenses won't work quite the way they expect, the way they'd work right now. You see?" He paused. "How do you like it?"
    She smiled. "I think UET wil come to regret training you in the way they did. It is a fine plan! And-I suppose you have already thought of this, for it is a consequence of the long view-your newer recruits wil help compensate for any ad-vancements UET has developed during the years you fore-shortened in space."
    "An analogy from the edge you had in personal combat, here?" She nodded. "But UET's not that progressive. Except for the weapons they added-and those have stayed pretty standardized-the main differences between the first ships they built and the latest I've seen are matters of interior design-convenience. So far, that is-I've got my fingers crossed, there."
    "And I, Bran. But what is the timing factor you men-tioned?"
    "We have to reach Stronghold ahead-but not too far ahead-of the UET ships they expect. To be sure of that, my ships have to leave here, armed and supplied, in less than two hundred days. If they're not ready-at least six-the whole kite comes down, and we have to start over, or forget it."
    "I see. No wonder you become impatient, waiting for word."
    "Too true, Rissa. And eight ships is my top hope-unless one just happens to come here, that I can persuade to join up or let me buy control. And damned soon, now."
    "Eight? I know of three-oh, yes, the Hoover!"
    "Al right-there's No Return. I was landed-fake insigne -on The Islands, a UET world that's mostly water. It's where I bought up that load of women, in fact. Not