Kris Longknife 13 - Unrelenting

by Mike Shepherd

  “What I am attempting to do here is to smother the fire. To take its air away.”

  “But do you have time for that?”

  Kris scowled. “That is the problem. But if we keep driving the worker bees to produce but give them little honey, they get less interested in their work. They make mistakes. Maybe intentionally. More likely just from exhaustion.”

  “Yes. It is interesting that our greatest powers now are the ones that looked to their industry and their people more than just building up their warriors. Now they have more people, more industry, as well as more warriors. Strange how that happened,” the feline said slyly.

  “Yes. They took the time and now they have the power. Now, if the alien space raiders will just leave me time for this.”

  “Yes, that is the heart of the problem.”

  Kris continued to rove the room. She had hoped that the plan would come together. Instead, the discussions in the room drew more heated. She actually had to impose herself between two women before they came to blows. Then two men.

  “Okay, we’ve done enough for an afternoon,” Kris announced to the room. “Let’s take a break. Go to your own corners. I mean that. Those of you having problems with others, get out of each other’s sight. There are plenty of places to eat on the Wasp and the station. Get out, get some food in you. We will continue in three hours. Next time, we’ll use the Forward Lounge.”

  I THOUGHT YOU DIDN’T WANT TO SCARE THE DINERS, KRIS.

  I DON’T, NELLY. YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO COME UP WITH A CLOSED OFF, SOUNDPROOF ROOM IN THE LOUNGE.

  YES, KRIS.

  31

  So Kris found herself going to supper in the Wasp’s wardroom, and being followed by half the Navy from the meeting.

  “Kris, we’ve got to talk,” Admiral Kitano said.

  “I’m next,” Admiral Benson added.

  “I guess that makes me last,” Captain Drago said.

  “You’ll all wait while I get a message off,” Kris snapped.

  “I’ll get you something to eat,” Captain Drago offered, and led the other flag officers off while Kris settled at a table.

  “Nelly, get me Phil Taussig.”

  “Phil here,” came a moment later. “We’re about to shove off. You’re going to miss telling us good-bye.”

  “Can you stand down?” Kris asked.

  “You don’t want us gone?”

  “Sorry, but I may be asking you to take the lucky winners of a raffle contest for a few slots home.”

  “I heard you’d been shot at and were rethinking things. I didn’t know it would impact me.”

  “I’m afraid it does.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell folks to stand down and give half the crew shore leave. How long do you think this will take?”

  “A couple of days, maybe,” Kris admitted. “I’m putting several things on the table. If I’m lucky, you may become a whole lot less appealing. I won’t know until a few of my chickens come home to roost.”

  “I like my chicken fried,” Phil said. “If you’re done, I got some fast shuffling to do.”

  “Longknife out,” Kris said.

  Captain Drago returned with a salad, of the sort that relied heavily on Alwa leafy greens, nuts, and berries. He also had a tall glass of chocolate milk.

  “You are a darling,” Kris whispered, reaching for the milk.

  “So I’ve been told,” the Wasp’s skipper said with a smile, and headed back to get himself something. Admirals Kitano and Benson settled in on either side of Kris.

  “Kris, you’ve got to put a stop to this,” was Kitano’s opener.

  “Why?” Kris said, getting a nice forkful of greens headed for her suddenly ravenous tummy.

  “We’ve lost another buoy at that crazy system. Three of the eight are gone.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Likely a week ago, but I only got the word as you were closing down that meeting. I figured I should tell you first rather than dump it out there in front of everyone.”

  “Thank you,” Kris said. She munched her salad as she mentally called up the system. Four suns in crazy orbits. Several dead, rocky planets in the middle of that mess. Several huge ice and gas giants well back from the suns following totally weird orbits. Why would three aliens take a sudden interest in that system?

  A rallying point, she thought, answering her own question.

  Ice giants provided plenty of good reaction matter. Likely some had interesting moons. Just what a space rover might call a rich environment.

  “Do we know the type of ship and reactors that dropped in?” Kris asked Kitano.

  “The sensor people just finished analyzing the data,” Nelly said. “The signature of the ship matches the third ship that was observing our last system battle.”

  “Likely all three have agreed on where to get together to gang up on us,” Kitano snapped.

  “Likely,” Kris agreed, munching more of her salad.

  “So?” Kitano left hanging.

  “So, we still don’t know if this is an advanced guard or just scouts. Nelly, all three were single ships, am I correct?”

  “Yes, Admiral. Three ships of three different patterns.”

  “We need to know more about them and about that system. Nelly, how long will it take a base ship to get to us from there?”

  “Do we assume single jumps through twelve systems or a faster approach?”

  “Can they go faster?” Admiral Benson asked.

  “Two-gee acceleration and 20-rpm spin can get them here in five jumps,” Nelly said.

  “Hmm,” Kris said. This just got more and more complicated.

  “Admiral,” Kitano said. “We can’t ignore this.”

  “I’m not ignoring it. I’m thinking.” Kris took another bite of greens and found it surprisingly tasty. Since Cookie had set himself up at a restaurant on the station, that couldn’t always be said of wardroom meals.

  Captain Drago returned with an interesting dinner. It looked like liver and onions, but it smelled like nothing Kris could remember. She chose not to ask any questions.

  “How are you liking Cookie’s salad?” Drago asked, opening his napkin.

  “This salad is from Cookie’s place?” Kris said.

  “He knew you were having a bad day and sent over the salad just for you.”

  “Nelly, send Cookie a thank-you from me.”

  “Done. He says great. He’ll try and have more salads for you whenever you’re on board. He says he can do it if I’ll just give him some advanced notice.”

  “Nelly!” Kris said.

  “You like the salad, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Kris had to agree.

  “So much for operational security,” Admiral Kitano groused.

  “My neck is stuck out as far as yours,” Nelly pointed out. “I know when to keep my mouth shut and when I can trust people to make a salad and keep their mouths shut.”

  “I side with Nelly on this one. If I can’t trust her to protect me, whom can I trust?”

  “Why do I feel like I’m being ignored?” Kitano asked the overhead.

  “I’m sorry you do,” Kris said. “I’m not ignoring you, I’m thinking about every word you said while minor things keep my mouth moving on things I don’t have to think about. Now, what do we know about that system?” Kris said, eyeing her chief subordinate.

  “Not a lot,” Kitano admitted.

  “So, let’s change that. Please send a force out there to support our survey and buoy tenders. Survey the system in depth and outpost it for at least three more systems out.”

  “And that would do what for us?” Kitano asked.

  “It would give us more warning when the base ships start moving in, assuming that is the whole idea here. I’m betting that they won’t just show up in system, form up together, and start sweeping in toward us. If I’m reading the way those ‘Enlightened Ones’ work, they are pretty much gods in their own domain. Put three of them in the same system and there’s going
to be fur that needs petting, and heaven help the one that pets the other one wrong.”

  “You’re guessing,” Kitano pointed out.

  “Yes,” Kris said, taking another forkful of greens, this time with extra berries mixed in. “Yes, I’m guessing, but I’ve been to their holy of holies. I’ve read the brags they post and the snide remarks some ships add to others’ boasts. I don’t think these folks play well together. They don’t have to.”

  “What if the three we’re facing are children ships?” Admiral Benson asked. “Spawned off the same mother ship?”

  Kris tried munching her salad and chewing her lip at the same time. Fortunately, one was figurative. “I don’t think so. At least one of the warships had eight reactors. Even the two that had six reactors had different signatures from them. No, I think we’re dealing with those that just happen to be in the area.” Kris eyed her supper guests. “Tell me, did any of you settle down right next to your folks?”

  “We’re on the other side of the galaxy, for Pete’s sake,” Amber Kitano said.

  “I rest my case. Some ‘Enlightened One’ gets his own ship, he’s going to go in the opposite direction from the old mother ship.”

  “You betting the farm on that?” Amber said.

  “As has been pointed out, I can’t keep people on the edge of terror every minute of their lives. I’ve got to let up before they fall apart. Or start shooting at me. I’d rather manage this a bit than have things crumble when I least expect it. If . . . no, when the aliens start causing trouble, we’ll change. But for now, we’ve batted three out of the park. We will take a break.”

  “So we do nothing,” Kitano said.

  “No. We dispatch Betsy Bethea with Task Force 4 to survey that system.”

  “Those flakes,” Benson put in.

  “I don’t think the ships from Hispania are flaky. And I think Bethea is perfect to see what the ships from the Esperanto League are good for. Put them through their paces. Add in the Kamoi Maru, Activity, and Cherryleaf to drop off buoys the next three systems out, and we’ll have a deeper picket line. You want to send Bethea her orders, Admiral?” Kris asked.

  “Well, it’s something. Not enough, but something.”

  “It gives us more time to get ready when things start going to hell,” Kris said.

  Amber settled down to attack her hash and beans. Kris eyed Admiral Benson as if to say, You really want to be next?

  “Bad day. Maybe I ought to come back tomorrow.”

  “You think it will be better? Especially if I don’t have Jack to bring me milk and toast in bed before I get up?”

  “Hmm, you have a point. Okay, can I protect some of my work bosses from being hijacked by Pipra’s moon factories? If they start offering land grants, I’ll have my own people grousing.”

  “So we offer them land grants, too.”

  The retired and unretired admiral rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I’ll have to figure out a way to let folks have time off dirtside. I’ve been working two shifts, ten hours a day, six days a week. I’ve brought in Alwans to work with my crew. Learn the ropes as it were. I expect I’ll lose a lot of them to the moon,” he said slowly, thinking it through as he spoke.

  “How much will you have on your plate if we cut back ship work?”

  “But you said you wanted to up armor all your ships.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted it tomorrow.”

  “Good point. So, I’m hearing you’ll get us land grants, too, and put up with one shift a day until things pick up.”

  “One twelve-hour, seven days a week to be followed by seven days off.”

  Benson chuckled. “Tough, but there’s land in it.”

  “I’m promising a lot of land. I may need to talk to the Ostriches. Make sure they know what they’re getting into. By the way, will any of your crew want into a lottery for a ride home?”

  “They knew what they signed up for. I suspect the land and some time to enjoy it will take a lot of the rough out of their backsides.”

  “You going to offer land to the Sailors, too?” Admiral Kitano asked.

  “My first answer is I don’t see why not. My second answer is I better talk to some Alwans before I give away their land.”

  “Kris, how are you going to decide who gets what land?” Nelly spoke for the first time. “Without water, land is worthless.”

  “Thank you, Nelly, for the complications,” Kris said.

  “Everything comes with some,” Benson said, almost under his breath.

  Kris finished her salad and stood. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to tend to a few personal matters before its back to the Coliseum and the lions.”

  Her subordinates allowed her to dismiss herself, and she headed back to her quarters. Nelly had managed to return her night quarters to some semblance of their normal size; Kris collapsed on her bed and slipped into a gentle nap.

  32

  “You awake?” brought Kris awake, muzzy brain and all.

  “Is it time?” Kris asked the overhead.

  “About that,” Abby answered. “You want some milk?”

  Kris took a survey of her stomach and found it good. “Nope. Nelly, send a second thank-you to Cookie and tell him that salad was not only good going down, it was nice to wake up to.”

  “Done,” Nelly said.

  “He promised me some ginger cookies for tomorrow morning,” Abby said.

  Kris considered several answers, and decided, “Thank you, Abby, but you don’t have to.”

  “You’re my boss, Kris. One of the best bosses I’ve had in a long line that included a few real stinkers. I like to think of you as a friend as well.”

  “A friend who owes you her life,” Kris added.

  “Well, that too. Still, I want to take care of you.”

  “Thank you. It seems I need taking care of,” Kris said, ruefully.

  “I don’t see a problem with that. How’ll you take care of the baby when it comes?”

  “I don’t know,” Kris admitted.

  “You’ll need a nanny.”

  “I thought that was one job you’d never want.”

  Abby dismissed that with a wave of her hand, the one not holding the milk. “Getting that pregnancy notice in my mail raised some strange thoughts.”

  “Hmm,” Kris said. “I haven’t approved the removal of any birth-control implants, Abby. I wasn’t planning on approving any. You want an exception?”

  Abby made a face. “I said I had interesting thoughts, not that I went stone-cold stupid.”

  The two women enjoyed a laugh.

  “On second thought, I’ll take that milk,” Kris said. It was locally grown, not powdered milk from across the galaxy, and someone had gotten it to just the coolness Kris liked.

  “You want a fresh uniform?” Abby asked.

  “I guess so. This one went through the wringer before I slept in it.”

  Her maid helped Kris up, efficiently aimed her toward the shower, left her with a nice fluffy towel, then retreated to get her uniform ready.

  Kris showered quickly, toweled off, and felt a hundred years younger. Abby greeted her with, “I got you a clean set of spider silks.”

  “You think I need them up here on my own ship?”

  “This morning, did you think you’d need them down on that beach? Don’t lie to me. I’ve lain on the same beach or one just like it with nothing on but a smile.”

  Kris slipped into the silks, then into undress whites.

  “I have an extension added to the Forward Lounge,” Nelly reported. “It’s big, walled off from the rest, and has glass-covered walls and tabletops. You should be able to break up into smaller groups.”

  “Good, Nelly. Do you have enough computing power to run all that glass?”

  “I was about to suggest that Sergeant Bruce and Cara attend tonight’s planning session as well as keeping Jacques in attendance.”

  “Do they want to come?” Kris asked both Nelly and Abby.

  Abby ans
wered. “Steve will go anywhere I do. He’s been getting more interested in what I’m doing. Cara thinks this planning stuff is more fun than computer games.”

  “It is,” Nelly said.

  “So you’ll have six of your kids there,” Kris said.

  “Seven. I’ve talked Chief Beni into coming, or maybe Captain Drago ordered him,” Abby said.

  “That leaves out only Jack and Professor Labao,” Kris noted.

  “Jack’s Sal is working with Granny Rita and Ada,” Nelly said. “There is no way I’d include Professor Labao. He and my daughter that he only calls ‘computer’ have gotten quite unmanageable.”

  “So, you’re happy with the attendance?” Kris said.

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s go find some agreement.”

  “Agreement the Alwans will approve,” Abby pointed out.

  “You think they’ll push for more consumer goods?” Kris asked.

  “Wouldn’t you if you suddenly saw more available?”

  “But they have to earn them. It’s only for those working with us.”

  Abby raised an eyebrow. “You sure some don’t see this as their fees for letting us use their land?”

  Kris’s smile got evil. “How eager are Ostriches for us moving down there?”

  “Good Lordie, but I see trouble rising,” Abby declared.

  Then they walked into the extension to the Forward Lounge.

  Nelly had outdone herself. It was spacious, secure, and quiet, although it seemed like everyone was talking at once.

  It was also crowded.

  Two dozen were in Kris’s initial meeting. Fifty plus had returned from supper.

  “Nelly, you better double this place,” Kris ordered.

  In a blink, the room was three times its size. “I think we’ll need the extra room, Kris, to keep tempers down.”

  “No doubt,” Abby agreed.

  Staff Sergeant Steven Bruce was there on the Navy side. From the looks of it, Admirals Benson and Hiroshi had brought half their estimators. They were intent on hard estimates to rearmor ships as well as feeding in the numbers for repairing those banged up during Kris’s last battle.