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�Do you remember your first leader, Mertz?� Horrace asked and leaned back in his chair.
�Yes,� Whitney replied sadly. �He was killed nearly a year ago at the beginning of the overthrow.�
�He told me once that he�d never want to fight you in a fair fight,� Horrace said. �He wanted you to be in charge if anything happened to him.�
Whitney stared at him with surprise. �He did?� She then looked down. �Frazer is a much better leader than I could ever be.�
Horrace suddenly leaned forward with anger in his eyes. �Frazer is a nitwit! When�s he going to do some serious damage to this town?�
Whitney cocked her head. �You mean the space port?�
�That�s what needs to be destroyed,� Horrace snapped. �As long as that space port exists, the aliens will be able to detect the rebels as they approach. Without their crafts, they�re nearly defenseless.�
�Frazer said it was too dangerous when we�d suggested it,� Whitney announced. �I don�t know that we�re ready for it.�
�Who�s that talking?� Horrace demanded. �You are Frazer?�
Whitney stared at him a long moment.
�Do you know what a mission like that would mean to the rebels? Put a few crafts out of circulation and your friends can move in and wipe the town clean.�
�If we all went in there armed, we could drop that entire operation to its knees, so to speak,� Whitney said. �The rebels would only have to deal with the ground troops.�
Horrace smiled with satisfaction. �Now you�re talking like a leader.�
Whitney sank into thought. She looked at Horrace and smiled. �Thank you. I�d better go home and plan this. I think we can actually pull it off.�
�That a girl,� Horrace cheered. �Go get them, Kid.�
Whitney stood then looked at Horrace and tilted her head. �Tell me--how did you know so much about our group?�
Horrace smiled gently. �Mertz was my grandson. He told me a lot.�
�He was a good leader,� Whitney said. �I was proud to serve under him.�
�I appreciate that,� Horrace replied. �I�m just grateful he straightened himself our before his death. He died for a good cause and not while doing some illegal dealing as I thought he would. Amazing how this takeover changed some people, don�t you think?�
�I guess it has,� Whitney replied softly.
