''I'm fine, but this is not working. They blew through our locks like they were hardly there.''
''So I noticed,'' Kris said.
''Oh, and this eye-candy gambit,'' the gal said, looking down at where her first two buttons were undone. ''I might as well have been in a nun's habit,'' she said, redoing her buttons.
''I'll tell Commander Steve of your observations,'' Kris said.
''Better you than me,'' she said, and went back to her work.
In her Command Center a minute later, Kris found Steve on the commlink to the Patton. ''We need all the machinists and mechanics you can loan us. We've got to install physical bar locks on every critical door. And we'll need your kids to stand behind them and only open them when they're told to. Yes, I know that's going to be boring, but these folks brought pick locks that go through our security like it's not there. Yep, just ask Marilyn. She's the one that couldn't keep four guys at her desk for two minutes. Yes. Marilyn. You talk to her but get me those mechanics to install the bar locks and people to unlock them.''
''Sounds like your crew don't always do what you want them to do even when you're the one telling them,'' Kris said.
''Yeah, that was part of what I was keeping a secret. Around here, you give an order and wait to see what the vote is.''
''Can you bar lock the doors?''
''I've already messaged a lockout to all the networked locks. Every door on this tub is deaf, dumb, and making rude noises at anyone trying to get it to open. I can make a specific exception from here, but…''
''Talk about micromanaging,'' Penny grumbled through a smile.
''Talk about losing control of the situation,'' Kris said. ''How are our four doing on their walkabout? Any more come out?''
''It looks like a new four are leaving the flag, probably to replace the four you just spanked. I'm watching them closely,'' Penny said. ''The first four just seem to be walking from pier to pier looking the place over and going on.''
''Just the six their ships are using?'' Kris asked.
''No, all eighteen. At this point, they've gone past the amidships shops and are now at Pier 51.''
''Probably looking for one that doesn't have as many auto guns,'' Jack said. ''Maybe park a landing craft full of Marines outside that pier and charge up an unguarded landing area.''
''They all have their allotted four guns,'' Steve said.
''So they will report,'' Kris said. ''Any more nanos out?''
''Nothing new reported,'' Penny said.
''Keep the nanos spread out wide. They could use the shuttle bay to send some in or some other odd place. Expect anything.''
What Kris didn't expect was a call from Hank.
''Hi, lover girl,'' he said for an opener as his perfect face came up on-screen.
''Hi, Hank, all services coming through fine to your ships?'' Kris said, staying business.
''Could use a bit more electricity, but I understand your reactor just came on-line a few minutes before we docked. If you want, I can keep an extra trickle up on our reactors, lower our demand on you. Of course, we'd want a discount on our bill if we did,'' he said with a salesman's grin.
Kris glanced at Steve's board, the reactor was at 100 percent. She refused the urge to cut her visual; that would make her station look less than 4.0. She schooled her face and voice to friendly, something the Prime Minister's Darling Daughter had learned early, and said, ''Thank you, Hank, but I think I've got that problem solved. The Chance Service District has let me know that they won't be allowing any discounts this month.''
Hank's mouth moved several times as she spoke, but she managed to keep the words flowing so syrupy smooth that he failed to break in. When she finished, he seemed to boil for a moment before snapping. ''It's Commodore, Lieutenant. Commodore,'' he repeated, waving the sleeve of his blue uniform at her.
''Fine, Hank, fine,'' Kris said. ''Commodore. Is there a reason you called me? I'm rather busy just this moment. We seemed to have a sudden infestation of nanos. Oh, and some of your crew were wandering around and didn't read the signs about which parts of the station are public and which are secure. Do I need to resend the standard instructions on that, Hank?''
''Commodore.''
''Right, Commodore.''
''No, no need. Everything is fine.''
Which did not tell Kris anything about the state of his nanos. But then, that was not something she planned to ask.
''If everything is fine, I'll talk to you later,'' Kris said, and made to hang up.
''Don't hang up, Kris. I called to tell you that the locals are putting on a bash of some sort for me and my crew. But then you might have heard about it.''
''I'd heard they were planning something to entertain your crewmen,'' Kris lied with a straight face.
''They also have arranged a ball in my honor. I'm told it will be the height of the social season.'' Kris made nice noises.
''Anyway, I wondered if you'd like to ride down in my barge. Bring your whole command with you.''
''Why Hank, I'd be glad to.''
''Commodore,'' he corrected.
''You can't call the Commander of Naval District 41 ‘Kris' and expect her not to be on a first-name basis with you, Hank. But, yes, I'm glad to accept the invitation for the ride. When should I be there?''
Hank said eight o'clock, which took him out of the game of who was what rank, and Kris rang off before he could get back to it.
''That boy is a twit,'' Penny said.
''Over his head,'' Steve agreed.
''Neither of which makes him any less dangerous,'' Jack muttered. ''Why are you riding in his scow?''
''It saves me having to steal it this time,'' Kris said, her face now struggling to stay as straight for her team as she had kept it for Hank. The entire room, Jack excepted, broke up.
''I'm glad the rest of you are enjoying this, but I repeat, why are you offering yourself for a ride in the barge of a guy who would just love to lock you up and throw away the key?''
''Because he wants to and he can't,'' Kris said. ''Face it, Jack, neither he nor I can do something that actually harms the other. A lot of people may die before this whatever-he-thinks-he's-doing is over, but the last thing I want is to harm him. And the last thing he can do is kill me.''
''I seem to recall several attempts to capture you and serve you up naked for a long and deadly torture session for Hank's-old man,'' Jack reminded Kris.
Kris shivered at the memory. ''Yes, I can't seem to forget them either, but those were all done below board, by other folks that would give Henry Smythe-Peterwald the Twelfth all kinds of deniability about his fun. Sending a squadron on an official port call with his own son and heir commanding is totally up front. And everything about it has to be played that way. No, Jack, the safest place for me tonight is in Hank's barge. Trust me, any shuttle that doesn't have him and does have me is in extreme danger of developing a bad case of the sudden blowups.''
As Penny listened, Kris could almost see the Intelligence Officer's brain spinning through all the options. ''I think she's right, Jack. So, Kris, are you actually going to ride down on the barge or develop a last minute case of being elsewhere?''
''I probably will go along for the trip down. Steve, I may need a ride home, in case my official ride runs out of gas, turns into a pumpkin, you know how that can happen to a girl.''
''I have a daughter,'' he growled. ''I'll want to make those arrangements in person. No telling what the nanos planted on our comm lines before we scorched them.''
''You do that. Oh, and Steve,'' she said as he headed for the door. ''In my early wanderings around the station, I noticed that I command a rather full armory. Jack and I field stripped a couple of weapons and found them in good shape. Would you mind having some of your contractors do a full maintenance workup on everything in the armory?''
''Did it the first day I was back up here, Princess. I may not have been sure I trusted you with those guns, but I sure didn't want to need them and find out they aren't good to go.''