“You wanted to speak to me, Captain?” Sakaki said as the doors closed.

“Yes, Sir. I would like to clarify a few things with you, before we get any further into this crazy situation we are in.”

The Admiral raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

“For one, I would like to know if you intend to command the strike fleet from your bridge, or mine.”

“I thought I explained that already,” Sakaki said. “Given the importance of the mission, I feel we should both be in the same room. Is there any reason you feel otherwise?”

“Yes, Sir, there is. For one, if the bridge takes damage in battle, you would still be able to command the Fleet and possibly even move your flag to another ship should that be necessary. The Admiral’s bridge is specifically designed for that purpose.”

“I see. Is there anything else?”

Rostov sighed and sat down in his chair. He didn’t need to, as the zero-gravity environment on the Pegasus’ bridge tower meant that his muscles rarely got tired. But there was a kind of psychological benefit from sitting down, even when you didn’t need to.

“Sir,” he began, “do you know how I got command of the Pegasus?”

Sakaki remained standing. “I know, Captain. I was on the board that recommended you.”

“But you, personally, didn’t, am I correct?”

“That is true. I and some of the other admirals had certain… reservations about giving you a command of this importance.”

“Was it because of my accident?”

The Admiral frowned. “Your honor and heroism were never in question, Ilya,” he said quietly. “Our concerns were more of a personal nature. I believed that you would have difficulties in projecting an aura of command authority. You know as well as I do that the Captain’s most important job is to be a strong, unflappable presence to inspire confidence in his crew.”

“Do you think I don’t know that, Admiral?” Rostov said, trying to keep the shakiness out of his voice. “Do you think I don’t see the crew’s reaction whenever I falter, whenever I take a single unsteady step? This is precisely why I find it difficult to have you hanging over my shoulder all the time! How can I project an aura of command authority when you don’t have the confidence to give me that on my own bridge?”

Sakaki bowed his head slightly. “It was not my intention, Captain, to diminish your authority in any way. My concerns were with the safety of this ship and this fleet.”

“With all due respect, sir, the safety of this ship is my primary concern. If you do not believe that I have the ability to effectively command this vessel, then I strongly request that you relieve me of duty immediately.”

Admiral Sakaki looked shocked. “Nobody was talking about relieving anyone from duty!”

“Then if you are not willing to relieve me, sir, you must give me your complete trust in the command of this vessel. A Captain’s authority over his ship must be absolute, or it means nothing! Surely you understand this?”

The Admiral’s mouth opened silently, then closed again. “I… I understand, Captain. I offer you my humblest apologies for any loss of face you may have endured. Your concerns are noted, and I will move my command to the Admiral’s bridge at your request.”

Rostov sighed again, but his tone was very different from before. “Thank you, Admiral,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I appreciate that very much.”