the ships demanding they join in exterminating Kris and her ilk.
You do good at a hard job, you get an even tougher one for your reward.
So long as they are sniffing around on this side of the galaxy, they aren’t finding humanity or the Iteeche.
Kris knew her job. Everyone here was a volunteer.
Hopefully, Kris Longknife would figure out a way for them to survive their job as the stalking horse for one hell of a monster.
And I’m going to do this while my body concentrates on what evolution has made my most important traditional contribution to the human race—producing a healthy child.
Oh, joy.
16
The meeting broke up shortly after that with orders to expand the picket line past the huge system the aliens seemed interested in. Captain Drago walked in quickly as the admirals and commodores were leaving. Most of those in the know stepped aside for the flag captain. He might be only a captain, but they knew he pulled more than his weight. A lot more.
“How’s the new ship?” Kris asked.
“Much like the old one. Oh, Admiral Benson asks that we go easy on the old girl. Or young girl. He’d dearly like to replace some of our other lost ships rather than keep replacing your flagship.”
“No doubt you will keep that in mind the next time you get her all dinged up.”
“Per your orders, Your Highness.”
“That’s hitting below the belt.” Of all people, Drago knew how much Kris hated being “Your Highnessed.”
“Does Benson think he’s got the new crystal armor right?” Jack asked. Kris could count on him to think of her safety first, second, and last.
“Yes. I’m taking the Wasp out tomorrow for a test. We’ll let the new Endeavor plunk away at us with her 5-inch battery for a bit. If everything works, we’ll back off and let her hit us with her old 18-inchers. If they don’t faze her, we might let L’Estock have a shot at us with a battery of 20-inchers.”
“Don’t get carried away,” Kris said. “We can’t afford to put you back in the yard. We got dinged and broken ships from this latest shoot. And we need to redesign the armor backing for the Earth ships with crystal armor.”
“They can use the same design the Wasp has backing up her crystal belt,” Drago said. “I told those Earth skippers thatthey were way too optimistic about heat transfer, but would they listen to one of us hicks from the Rim?”
“They’ll listen now,” Jack said.
“Who’s next on my list of torturous meetings?” Kris asked.
“Pipra just came aboard,” Drago said.
“Pipra Strongarm is waiting in your day cabin, Kris,” Nelly reported. “Your desk and other personal items have arrived from the Princess Royal . Oh, and Dr. Meade wants to know when you will have time for her today.”
Kris sighed. It had been easy to find time for the doc on the ride back. Hell, Kris had even considered taking up knitting little booties, only to discover there was no yarn aboard.
With a smile, Kris went to do what Longknifes always did.
What they had to do.
17
“I hear you’re pregger,” Pipra said the moment Kris walked into her day quarters. “Are congratulations in order, or are you going to take care of this problem?”
“Is the news all over?” Kris tried to growl, but she was grinning too much. “And I will be taking very good care of this little problem for the next couple of months until I can drop him or her in daddy’s hands and let him try his hand at taking care of the little stinker for a while.”
“That’s the attitude, girl,” Pipra said, poking the air with her fist.
“So, if it’s not too much of an invasion of privacy, how many unplanned pregnancies are there on the civilian side of things, and what are the chances of your joining me among the plural?”
Pipra made as if to watch fast balls whizz by her head at light speed. “You slipped two by me real fast, didn’t you, mother?”
“A gal can try.”
“There’s no chance of my joining you. I was part of a
You do good at a hard job, you get an even tougher one for your reward.
So long as they are sniffing around on this side of the galaxy, they aren’t finding humanity or the Iteeche.
Kris knew her job. Everyone here was a volunteer.
Hopefully, Kris Longknife would figure out a way for them to survive their job as the stalking horse for one hell of a monster.
And I’m going to do this while my body concentrates on what evolution has made my most important traditional contribution to the human race—producing a healthy child.
Oh, joy.
16
The meeting broke up shortly after that with orders to expand the picket line past the huge system the aliens seemed interested in. Captain Drago walked in quickly as the admirals and commodores were leaving. Most of those in the know stepped aside for the flag captain. He might be only a captain, but they knew he pulled more than his weight. A lot more.
“How’s the new ship?” Kris asked.
“Much like the old one. Oh, Admiral Benson asks that we go easy on the old girl. Or young girl. He’d dearly like to replace some of our other lost ships rather than keep replacing your flagship.”
“No doubt you will keep that in mind the next time you get her all dinged up.”
“Per your orders, Your Highness.”
“That’s hitting below the belt.” Of all people, Drago knew how much Kris hated being “Your Highnessed.”
“Does Benson think he’s got the new crystal armor right?” Jack asked. Kris could count on him to think of her safety first, second, and last.
“Yes. I’m taking the Wasp out tomorrow for a test. We’ll let the new Endeavor plunk away at us with her 5-inch battery for a bit. If everything works, we’ll back off and let her hit us with her old 18-inchers. If they don’t faze her, we might let L’Estock have a shot at us with a battery of 20-inchers.”
“Don’t get carried away,” Kris said. “We can’t afford to put you back in the yard. We got dinged and broken ships from this latest shoot. And we need to redesign the armor backing for the Earth ships with crystal armor.”
“They can use the same design the Wasp has backing up her crystal belt,” Drago said. “I told those Earth skippers thatthey were way too optimistic about heat transfer, but would they listen to one of us hicks from the Rim?”
“They’ll listen now,” Jack said.
“Who’s next on my list of torturous meetings?” Kris asked.
“Pipra just came aboard,” Drago said.
“Pipra Strongarm is waiting in your day cabin, Kris,” Nelly reported. “Your desk and other personal items have arrived from the Princess Royal . Oh, and Dr. Meade wants to know when you will have time for her today.”
Kris sighed. It had been easy to find time for the doc on the ride back. Hell, Kris had even considered taking up knitting little booties, only to discover there was no yarn aboard.
With a smile, Kris went to do what Longknifes always did.
What they had to do.
17
“I hear you’re pregger,” Pipra said the moment Kris walked into her day quarters. “Are congratulations in order, or are you going to take care of this problem?”
“Is the news all over?” Kris tried to growl, but she was grinning too much. “And I will be taking very good care of this little problem for the next couple of months until I can drop him or her in daddy’s hands and let him try his hand at taking care of the little stinker for a while.”
“That’s the attitude, girl,” Pipra said, poking the air with her fist.
“So, if it’s not too much of an invasion of privacy, how many unplanned pregnancies are there on the civilian side of things, and what are the chances of your joining me among the plural?”
Pipra made as if to watch fast balls whizz by her head at light speed. “You slipped two by me real fast, didn’t you, mother?”
“A gal can try.”
“There’s no chance of my joining you. I was part of a
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