That brought a lot of muttered responses. ''We were only protecting the girls,'' said the loudest.
''I know,'' Ron said, raising both hands for quiet. ''And I'll have to take these sailors out to their boats and dump them in a couple of minutes.'' The dismay at that brought silence.
''So I'm going to turn all of you loose after we get the sailors out of here. But make no mistake. I know who you are. You do this again, and you will be talking to a commissioner, and not Momma Okaloska, either. If you want to help us keep the coeds safe, talk to Mr. Gasçon about getting an armband.'' From the noise, it sounded like most would take that offer.
Kris turned back to the sailors on the deck. Now a couple of med techs, all male, were walking gingerly among them, looking at noses; looking for other damage. Most seemed minor.
''They're your problem, Commander,'' Ron said.
Now Kris was the one not surprised. ''Listen up. I command Naval District 41, and I rule that station your ships are hanging on to. In a moment, my Marine Lieutenant will pass among you, getting each name and ID. If you show your face on my station, I will lock you in my brig. Don't even think about getting another liberty down here.'' That brought a muttering of wounded innocence, but Kris stepped down hard.
''If the locals see your face again, I won't vouch for you living long enough to see the insides of another liberty launch. Consider yourselves confined to your ships for the rest of this port stay. Lieutenant, establish a permanent record,'' Kris said.
As Jack went down the line, Kris turned back to Ron. ''Just how many reinforcements are you calling for from out of town?''
Ron eyed Kris. ''As many as they can send me. Why?''
''Because I remember Captain Slovo mentioning that all the other ships had left their captains' gigs behind. ‘So they could carry more liberty launches' I think he said. But you can stack three or four light assault craft in the space of one gig.''
''You think the light thingamajigs could carry enough Marines to capture a city's communication center, power plant?''
Kris glanced up and did the attack plan in her head. ''Fifteen to twenty LAC's, five Marines each. Two to a town. How many of your big cities do you think could go silent and you still defend Chance?''
''You know, Princess, there is only one thing worse than having a Longknife at your elbow.''
''Oh?''
''Yeah, not having a Longknife at your elbow when all hell breaks loose,'' he growled. No smile softened his words. But then, Kris didn't expect Ron to smile for quite a while.
''Can you handle getting these sailors out of my sight? I've got some calls to make.''
''Can I coordinate with Gassy?''
''To your and his hearts' content.''
Kris used four busses to move these forty sailors out to the port. She made sure that she had forty guards with them, none drawn from the new volunteers. On the flight line, four from each bus were loaded onto each liberty launch. ''See if you can get a throwing-up kind on each boat,'' she said. The guards were happy to comply.
She called Captain Slovo to tell him he'd have to arrange his own transportation back up. When he tried to question her further, she cut the line. ''Jack, let's get topside.''
Kris flew the shuttle back with only Jack and headed for the Command Center. Chief Odacheke, whom she'd rarely worked with, had the watch. ''Anything out of the usual here?''
''Kind of hard to figure what is usual for this bunch, ma'am,'' the chief drawled, taking his feet off his desk. ''But we do have plenty of sailors out tonight, visiting what you opened. And we have some walkers, trench-coated guys. So far they just walk and look. Don't touch.''
''That might change any minute.'' Kris watched the monitors and drummed her fingers on a work station. ''Your people know they can use their weapons if they have to, don't they?''
''Yes, ma'am, they know that, but I don't think most of them much want to.'' That was the problem with folks that were used to living and letting live. Peterwald's people could change the rules around here in a second, and a minute later these poor folks would still be wondering what was going on.
''You know about the riot dirtside?''
''I watched some of the video. Ugly.''
''Things may get ugly here, too. Or they may not. Would you mind if my lieutenant sat out this watch with you?''
''Not a problem. Extra eyes are always nice.''
''Jack, you keep this watch. I'll relieve you at midnight.''
Jack slipped into a monitoring station. ''I'll call Penny and let her know she's got the four-to-eight watch,'' Jack said. ''Don't argue. We need our sleep tonight ‘cause if all hell don't pop tonight, it will tomorrow, or the next day.''
''Keep your game face on, Jack. You have weapons release.''
Abby went about getting Kris out of social harness as efficiently as she always did. ''I done saw the pictures, gal. The fun's started.''
''Lay out a uniform, and distribute spider silk undies to the team. You have any nice whiz bangs?''
''I might find a few that have fallen down in your luggage.''
''Hunt them up. Tomorrow we rig grenades in the stairwells. I will not have anyone do unto me what I have done unto others.''
''That sounds like a nice way of doing business.''
Kris had Nelly wake her up well before Jack's call, and was showered and dressed when the phone rang. That earned her a glower as she reported twenty minutes before midnight. She slipped into a seat between the old chief, who was briefing Chief Ramirez, and listened as he basically told her, ''Lots of folks wandering around the station. Not a lot of anything going on.''
The old chief of Naval District 41's personnel nodded agreement and relieved Chief Odacheke a few minutes early.
''Marine, how long were you sharing Andy's watch?'' she asked as soon as the chief was gone.
''An hour, hour and a half.''
''You kept a mighty straight face while he was talking. Andy's a good man, but a bit blind when faced with a corkscrew.''
''You mean he sees what there to see, but doesn't draw any conclusions as to what might happen next,'' Jack said.
''What have you seen, Lieutenant?'' Kris asked.
''I've noticed something about those walkers.''
''I did, too,'' Nelly said. ''I was not asleep.''
Kris rolled her eyes heavenward, or in this case, toward the center of her station. ''What did you notice, my fine electronic friend, while this poor body of mine was getting twenty winks?''
''They have checked out all our stairwells, just as I think you expected them to. They have also located all our air ducts and water mains.''
''A water main breaks.'' Kris nodded. ''The stations starts to flood. Everyone is chasing that. Maybe we even issue a call to the ships to send men to help. Even if we don't, people might think we had if the troops charging up the gangplank looked helpful. Behind this a few guys with guns slip into our air ducts. Maybe explosives open the most important stairwells. Great plan. For a Sophomore- or Junior-level course, it might earn a B.'' Kris grinned. ''Not so good against folks like us who teach the postdocs.''
''Let's not get too sure of ourselves,'' Jack said. ''There's lots of ways they could kick this off besides flood—hull breach, fire. What am I not thinking of?''
''I believe your Great-Grampa Trouble once took over a station by hiring the entire computer gang,'' Chief Ramirez said. ''Or was that someone rescuing him. Anyway, it always made me laugh and cry at the same time.''
''What about our information resources?'' Jack asked.
''They're on our side,'' the chief said. ''Also I don't think any of Peterwald's folks have had much luck talking to them.'' She tapped her station, brought up several scenes. ''Not that those walkers don't try to talk to our watch going on and going off. But no one's hung with them for long.''
''I've got Abby going through my or her or whomever's steamer trunks looking for the odd grenade,'' Kris said. ''Tomorrow, I want explosive experts to set up trip wires and booby traps.''