“Are things always like this around the princess?” Katsu asked.
“Nope,” Abby said. “You’re catching her on one of her better days.”
Katsu studied a piece of fish tempura and seemed to be rethinking his bargain of the afternoon. But by the time he put it in his mouth, he looked less inclined to run for the dock.
At breakfast the next morning, Captain Drago reported that the deal had been done. The ship now had a sufficient line of credit to draw on.
“My contact asked me to remind you that the line of credit is the Wasp’s, not yours. It will be audited, and it will be my neck on the block if the bean counters don’t agree with the charges.”
“Since I am of late only too familiar with having my neck too close to the chopping block, I will try to take it easy on yours,” Kris assured him.
Kris had hardly gotten a bite of her bran muffin when Nelly interrupted her. “Kris, I have a message from your brother. It’s highest priority, and he sent it in the clear.”
Kris sat up straight. “What does Brother have to say?”
A holo of him appeared on the table before Kris. “You were right about Grampa Al. He and several other kings of industry and trade are collecting a fleet of fast merchant ships at star system M-688. Inspector Foile is brilliant; I couldn’t have done it without him. Father has ordered a squadron of heavy cruisers out to chase them down and is sending me for political clout. However, they’re scheduled to leave their collection point soon.”
The date he gave was way too soon.
“Kris, we think these ships can do up to two gees acceleration, and who knows how many revolutions, right or left. If we don’t catch them before they head out, we may never. I know I can’t get there before they take off. I hear a rumor that you have a new ship. A new model. Can you get to system M-688 before they jump out of it?”
Kris turned to Captain Drago. “Can we?”
The skipper tapped his commlink. “All hands to battle stations.”
Then he turned to Kris and smiled. “Let’s get to my bridge, where these things can be done properly.”
61
Captain Drago settled into his command chair. Kris took her usual station at Weapons. Penny slipped into her chair at Defense.
“Guns, what’s our status?” Drago asked into his comm-link.
“Locked and loaded. Get me out of space dock, and I’ll show you what we can do.”
“We’ll likely do that very soon.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Drago tapped off and tapped back on. “Engineering, how soon before we can get under way?”
“If you give the order, Skipper, I can start heating up the reactors and be at full power in three hours.”
“Start feeding your dragons, Manuel. I want to be clear of the dock in four hours.”
“It will be so.”
“What about the scientists and crew?” Kris asked.
“Those that are here, like you, spent the night aboard,” the skipper shot back to Kris as he rang off and punched for a new line.
Kris had spent the night in her new quarters. They were very familiar and also very strange. With the exception of the mattress on her bunk, everything was Smart MetalTM. Even the cushion on the station chair at her desk was the stuff. She’d given the springs a good once-over; they were metal, and they were soft.
Stranger and stranger, this ship that was now hers.
“Cookie,” Captain Drago snapped. “Have you placed your orders for supplies?”
“Put them all in before breakfast this morning. Enough food to feed the whole crew of the old Wasp. Delivery should start in thirty minutes. Why?”
“We sail in four hours. Can you get it all aboard?”
“On the old Wasp, I’d say you were joking. This new one . . . I just might be able to get it all on board and stored away in some fashion. Could I have that nice boy, Katsu-san, help me move the stuff around?”
The nice “boy” had followed Kris to the bridge looking for all the world like a dazed puppy. Now he beamed, “I can do that. No problem,” and was off at a gallop.
“What will we do about the vacant crew slots?” Kris asked. Sulwan Kann, the Wasp’s navigator since forever, had found a guy at High Chance and stayed behind when Drago and most of the crew shipped out.
“Yes, what are you going to do about your vacant crew slots?” A familiar voice said from the main bridge hatch.
“Captain Miyoshi!” Kris exclaimed. “What brings you to these parts?”
“My ship sensors report that your lasers are all charged. and your reactors are powering up. The powers that be tell me that your captain here has a full line of credit and is in the final process of fitting out. ‘Very strange behavior,’ say my superiors. ‘Go find out what is going on,’ I am told. So, what is going on?”
What Kris thought was going on might be nothing at all if some of her more basic assumptions turned out not to be true. Captain Miyoshi’s visit might just pull the rug out from under her.
Kris began slowly to see how much rope she had and if it would be enough to hang herself. “Captain. I was told the Wasp was a gift to me and mine. Does it fly the U.S. flag or Musashi’s?”
“Good question. Could it fly the Longknife flag?” Captain Miyoshi asked.
“Don’t even think that, sir. I about got my hair cut all the way down to my throat because some folks claimed I’d gone pirate. What colors do I fly?”
“Captain Drago?” the Musashi captain asked.
“Last night I was provided with a complete set of papers for a U.S. Navy ship. I am prepared, however hastily, to commission this ship as the U.S.S. Wasp.”
“I believe my superiors can accept that. Now, why all the commotion?”
“We need to be someplace very quickly,” Kris said.
“And like so many things about you, Commander, you are less than forthcoming with details.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but yes.”
“But wherever you are going, you will need a navigator.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The assistant navigator on the Mutsu would do very well I think. She should be along in an hour. What other positions do you need filled?”
Captain Drago shot him a list. Captain Miyoshi studied it, then nodded. “I will send it along to my XO. They should all be here within an hour. Some wives and husbands will be unhappily surprised, but they knew the problem when they married Sailors.”
“I don’t want anyone drafted against their will,” Kris said.
“I’ve noticed that about you, Commander. Don’t you think the sight of this ship fitting out has not caused talk along the docks? The men and women who will be joining you packed their seabags several days ago.”
The main bridge screen lit up. Kris found herself facing a young commander. “Ahoy Wasp, I am Abe Toshio, commanding the Sakura. I see that you are making final preparation to get under way. Where are we going?”
Kris glanced at Captain Miyoshi. He grinned. “I will be joining Commander Abe on the Sakura. I have been made commodore of Frigate Division One. My orders are rather vague. What did you say in court? ‘Follow your movements and look out for the interests of my Imperial master.’”
“Something like that,” Kris said. Then she turned to Drago.
“What kind of atom laser do we have aboard? We won’t be going anywhere if it’s a standard model.”
“I didn’t leave Wardhaven without a Mod 12 in my seabag. Big seabag. If I’m not mistaken, the Sakura is also equipped with the latest.”
Any atom laser below the Mod 12 could not sense the new “fuzzy” jumps that had been critical to the old Wasp’s survival.