out that plan if he has the rank, and, the vessel to do it. I claim that right, under Article 26 of the Standard Regulations!"
65 "Don't quote Regulations to me!" snapped Morn, "I know them as well as you do."
66 "Then abide by them!" screamed North.
67 "You're out of line, mister! " Morn screamed back.
68 "But I'm right!" North answered, "And you know it! It's my place. It's my mission. You have to abide by Regulations!"
69 Morn sat down. "Yes, I do," he snapped, "but by my Mother's World, I don't have to like it!"
70 Gray Mountain sat through this exchange, bewildered. He knew full well how close Morn and North were. This was not merely two Officers arguing over a mission. It was two friends, each trying to keep the other out of danger. He would have tried to take the mission himself, but he didn't think either North or Morn would go for that.
71 Morn straightened in his seat. "All right," he admitted, "I can't stop you, but at least I can minimize the loss. You take only a first line crew, and only volunteers."
72 North nodded in agreement. He would not mind leaving nearly two-thirds of his crew behind.
73 "Also," continued Morn, "we'll remove our personal effects from both vessels, mine, and, yours.
We'll leave one leap destroyer out here with the worst of the wounded. If the rest of us don't make it out, it will retreat, taking our personal effects with it. Because this time, I'm giving orders that we do not retreat.
74 If North fails to knock that thing out, the rest of us press the attack and finish it, no matter what the cost. It'll take us nearly two days to get into