That did give Kris pause. She glanced at Jack. “As my security chief, are you going to object to my risking an unfortunate encounter with the headsman?”
Jack shrugged. “As the man who lost his heart to you, I’ll admit that my gut is in an uproar at the thought. As your security chief, I’m conflicted. As you so often point out, it’s a risk, but it’s a calculated risk. Me, I think all this talk of crimes against humanity is just that, cheap political talk. I have a hard time believing anyone who hears your side of the story is going to give that cheap talk any value.”
Jack paused, then went on, “I’m also sick and tired of being shut up in a corner, or run around on a short leash. Maybe I’ve caught part of this Longknife thing you have, but I say damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead.”
“That’s talking like the man I could love,” Kris said through a grin.
“I thought I was the man you loved.”
“You’ll pardon me. We’re coming up on a burn, so I can’t give you the kiss you deserve, man that I love,” Kris said with a smile.
“The story of my life, past and future,” Jack said.
Kris did the required burn, then did manage to plant a kiss on Jack’s cheek. Essentials done, she turned back to the problem chewing on her backside.
“Nelly, can you get me a channel being monitored by the Mutsu?”
“I have it dialed in. I had nothing else to do while you two were smooching.”
“I’m planning on you having a lot of time on your hands, Nelly. Get used to it. Put me live on the Mutsu’s guard channel.”
“You’re live.”
“Imperial Musashi Battleship Mutsu, this is Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife. Do you read me?”
“This is Mutsu’s communication center, we read you Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife on our emergency guard channel.”
“Longknife, here, please patch me through to the officer of the deck.”
“Wait one,” the comm tech replied crisply and professionally.
“This is Commander Morishita, OOD of the Mutsu. Who am I addressing?”
“Commander Morishita, this is Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife, Royal U.S. Navy. I request permission to dock a shuttle in the Mutsu and come aboard.”
“Oh,” only held a hint of startlement. “Wait one.”
“Do you think, Kris,” Jack said, “that poor fellow knows the full extent of the ‘Oh my God’ that you just dropped in his lap?”
“You know, Jack, I don’t think he does.”
Kris watched the timer as it counted out a minute. Then another. Then a third.
The timer was coming up on four when the comm line came awake.
“This is Captain Miyoshi of the Imperial Musashi Battleship Mutsu. Who am I addressing?”
“This is Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife, sometimes styled as Princess. I request permission to dock a shuttle on your command and come aboard.”
“You do, do you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I have a JAG officer at my elbow shouting no in about forty-seven different ways. Can you give me one reason to overrule him?”
Kris paused for a moment. No doubt he saw her as nothing but trouble, and rightly so. Just what call did she have on him?
“I request permission to come aboard in the memory of all the courageous men and women of the Musashi Navy who died following my orders.”
That brought a long pause. Kris was now coming up on High Wardhaven station. Soon, she’d have to brake into the parking orbit trailing the station by fifty klicks. Once she did, every laser on the station would fix her in its sights.
“Come on, Captain,” Jack muttered.
“Mutsu to Longknife,” the captain said, breaking the silence. “Let’s make sure that we understand ourselves. You are wanted for high crimes on my planet. If you board my ship, you will be surrendering yourself for judgment by my people.”
“I understand that, Captain Miyoshi.”
An exasperated “Damn” slipped onto the net. No doubt it was not intended for general consumption.
“Then we will do it your way. Landing officer, set an approach beacon. Marines, to the landing bay. I will meet you there, Commander Longknife.”
“Thank you, sir. Would you please advise High Wardhaven station that I am on approach to you.”
“Huh?” was followed by a click and a long moment of silence that was finally broken by a “You bastard, Longknife! You didn’t tell me that you’d been forbidden permission to approach the station.”
“It may have slipped my mind, sir.”
“I just bet it did. Well, we’ve advised the station that we have set a landing beacon for your use. It’s up to you to persuade them not to shoot you out of space when you cross the fifty-klick line. Good luck to you. Mutsu out.”
“You know, Kris,” Penny said, “I really don’t think he likes you.”
“I might have allowed another important relationship to get off on the wrong foot,” Kris admitted.
“Just like every other one of them,” Jack muttered.
“Hijacked shuttle, this is High Wardhaven approach control. You are approaching your parking orbit. Begin braking.”
Kris clicked her comm. “High Wardhaven, this is Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife in the Longknife family shuttle. There has been a slight change of plan. I am authorized to approach and dock with the Imperial Musashi Battleship Mutsu.”
“Approach to hijacked shuttle, I have been informed of no such change. Be advised, every laser on the station is tracking you. Enter the controlled space around the station, and we are authorized to use deadly force.”
“Longknife to approach, I hear you, but I have the Mutsu’s beacon showing on my board and am on approach to it.”
“Don’t do it, Longknife.”
“I am doing it. Longknife out.”
“Don’t you just love it when Longknifes play chicken?” Penny said.
“Yeah,” Jack said, “but this time it’s Longknifes playing chicken with a Longknife. This may be a first.”
“Fifty-click boundary coming up,” Nelly said, “in five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one.”
Kris noticed that everyone on board was holding their breath, herself included.
“We just passed the forty-nine-klick mark,” Nelly said.
Everyone started breathing again.
“Approach to Longknife, you are authorized to dock with the Mutsu. Deviate from that flight path one inch, and we will fry you.”
“Last message received and understood. We will comply. Longknife out.”
Kris was a good pilot; today she was meticulous. Nelly plotted a glide path that would intersect the Mutsu as it rotated around High Wardhaven station. Kris hooked the wire on the first pass, and the battleship reeled them in like a caught fish.
Locked down in the Mutsu’s hangar bay, Kris and Jack went through their postflight check carefully. It wouldn’t do to break anything on Grampa Al’s shuttle. Kris certainly didn’t want anyone who checked after her to question that the shuttle’s antimatter was not fully safetied. It was a good five minutes before she pushed her seat back from the controls and unstrapped herself.
“I don’t think we should keep the captain waiting any longer than we have to,” Penny said.
“I just hate perp walks,” Kris muttered. “I hope they skip the cuffs this time. I don’t like bracelets on the best of days.”
“Quit delaying, Kris,” Jack said. “Look on the bright side. At least this time, you’ve got friends with you.”
Kris chuckled. She stood, adjusted the fall of her poorly tailored and smelly brown uniform, and headed for the hatch. Jack and Penny followed.