Victory Conditions (48 page)

Rafe ran a finger down her face. “A fair question. We both won, but different things. I can’t leave ISC yet; there’s too much to do, too many people who depend on me. And Stella was right about one thing—you aren’t meant to be an executive’s wife. Your fleet needs you as much as my people need me.”

“I don’t want to leave this,” Ky murmured.

“Nor I. But we both know we will.”

“But not tonight,” Ky said. “And there are plenty of limes in the cooler.”

Rafe looked at her. “My dear admiral…you’ve never seen what I can do with a
pear
…”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Former marine ELIZABETH MOON is the author of many novels, including
Engaging the Enemy, Marque and Reprisal, Trading in Danger,
Nebula Award winner
The Speed of Dark,
and
Remnant Population,
a Hugo Award finalist. After earning a degree in history from Rice University, Moon earned a degree in biology from the University of Texas, Austin. She lives in Florence, Texas. Visit her at
www.elizabethmoon.com
.

Also by Elizabeth Moon

THE DEED OF PAKENARRION

Sheepfarmer’s Daughter

Divided Allegiance

Oath of Gold

THE LEGACY OF GIRD

Surrender None

Liar’s Oath

PLANET PIRATES (WITH ANNE MCCAFFREY)

Sassinak

Generation Warriors

Remnant Population
^*1

THE SERRANO LEGACY

Hunting Party

Sporting Chance

Winning Colors

Once a Hero

Rules of Engagement

Change of Command

Against the Odds

The Speed of Dark
^*2

VATTA’S WAR

Trading in Danger
^*3

Marque and Reprisal
^*4

Engaging the Enemy
^*5

Command Decision
^*6

Victory Conditions
^*7

SHORT-FICTION COLLECTIONS

Lunar Activity

Phases

Victory Conditions
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth Moon

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House

Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

DEL REY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Moon, Elizabeth.

Victory conditions / Elizabeth Moon.

p.   cm.—(Vatta’s war)

eISBN: 978-0-345-50482-1

1. Life on other planets—Fiction. 2. Space warfare—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3563.O557V53 2008

813'.54—dc22      2007034795

www.delreybooks.com

v1.0

FOOTNOTES

^*1
Published by Ballantine Books
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^*2
Published by Ballantine Books
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^*3
Published by Ballantine Books
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^*4
Published by Ballantine Books
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^*5
Published by Ballantine Books
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^*6
Published by Ballantine Books
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^*7
Published by Ballantine Books
Return to text.