Captain's Share (Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, #5)

by Nathan Lowell

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife. However, a man of good fortune, in the company of a wife, may find himself questioning that truth—or at least its universality.

“Yes, well, just remember the little people on your meteoric rise to fame and power, Ms. Dagostino.” She laughed in reply. “Aye, sar, but I’m pretty sure meteors don’t rise, sar. They fall. That’s what makes them meteors and not asteroids.” “Makes you wonder where the phrase came from, doesn’t it, Ms. Dagostino?” “Yes, sar, it surely does, but I’ll leave such idle speculation to my betters and superiors, sar.”

Good behavior wasn’t a luxury in the Deep Dark—it was a survival trait—and the unit of interest was the ship, not just an individual crew member.

“Ms. Thomas, it’s been my experience that nobody respects an office if they cannot find it in themselves to respect the officer who fills it. Furthermore, that officer cannot simply demand the respect due the office without demonstrating that he or she deserves it.”

If experience taught me anything, it was that feeling like I had things under control was usually the first symptom of a complete and utter lack of understanding.

“Just keep an eye open for the murthering scum, Skipper.”

“We try to fix what we can, heal where it’s possible, and keep moving, though, right?”

“You can’t improve reputation by focusing on reputation, Avery. You always earn it by your actions.”