''Captain Santiago asks that you wait for her here while we get under way. She'll visit you then,'' he said and left.
''They ain't exactly killing the fatted calf,'' Abby observed. She pulled out a reader. Jack did a security check, satisfied himself a Navy destroyer was safe, and produced a reader of his own. Penny and Tom found a quiet corner where they proceeded to put their heads together and not violate Navy regs on excessive displays of public affection. That left Kris prowling the wardroom. It was larger than the Cushing's. Newer. Just as clean with the usual public readers and the usual subscriptions.
She and Nelly ended up playing acey-deucey. They'd been under way for over an hour when a woman of medium height and brown, graying hair ducked into the wardroom. The three strips on her blue shipsuit's shoulder tabs told all she ruled here. After collecting a cup of coffee, she joined the table where Kris and Jack sat with Abby. Penny and Tom surfaced from each other's eyes to gather with them.
''I'm Commander Santiago, and the Halsey is my ship. King Raymond asked me to take you to Hikila, and I'm setting a 1.25-g course for there. I hope that won't bother you. Being a destroyer, we're short on space. I'm bunking all three of you ladies in my in-port cabin. You two men will be in a cabin across the passageway from them. Any problems with that?''
Kris shook her head. Jack said, ''No.''
The woman eyed Kris for a moment. The JO who'd first led them to the wardroom ducked his head in. ''You called, ma'am?''
''Yes, Roberts, show these people to their staterooms.''
''This way, folks,'' the cheerful JG Roberts said.
As the others made to leave, Santiago said, ''A moment alone, Princess.''
Kris waited.
''I don't know what you were expecting this trip, but let me tell you what you'll get. A trip. Fast. Efficient. Nothing more. I won't have any of my crew getting messed up in whatever it is you Longknifes are doing. Enough good sailors have died for your legends. This Santiago and my Halsey will not contribute any more bodies to the list. Understand?''
''Perfectly,'' Kris said, suppressing shock and rising anger.
''Stay away from my crew.''
''I'm not going to stir up a mutiny.''
The commander snorted. ''They wouldn't follow you. My crew's too good for that. No, Princess, I don't want you making it any harder for them to do what I tell them to do. To follow my orders when I leave you high and dry if you mess up. Understand, Princess, I will not pull your chestnuts out of the fire, and I won't have my crew doing it either.''
''I'm going to Hikila to hold the hand of an old friend of my grampa while she dies. I'm not going to start a war.''
''Yeah, right. Just so long as you understand, if, no, when you do, you will be on your own.''
''Am I dismissed, Commander?''
''Yes, Lieutenant.''
Kris marched for the door. ''One more thing, Longknife.'' Kris turned. ''My daughter will be applying to the Academy this year. For three generations every Santiago that applied to the academy had a letter of recommendation in their file from Ray Longknife.''
''Yes,'' Kris said. She knew Grampa Ray did that, part of what bound the Longknifes and Santiagos together.
''My daughter will not have anything from a Longknife in her folder. You Longknifes have battened off our blood long enough. It stops with my generation. She takes her turn on her own.''
''I'm sure she'll earn her billet,'' Kris said. ''On her own.''
It was going to be a long trip even at high-g cruise.
4
The Halsey's gig edged away from the destroyer, where it lay tied up to Hikila's space station, and dropped toward Nui Nui. Kris had a good view of the planet from where she sat behind the two pilots. All she saw was water, water, and more water. The main continent, called the Big Island here, was about the size of Earth's Eurasia, but was well south of the gig's nose.
It was good to be away from the Halsey. Kris had joined several officers and the Marine detachment in their daily jog around the decks and up the ladders. The Sergeant of Marines was a friend from the Typhoon, Corporal, now Sergeant, Li.
The next day, Santiago joined the exercise routine.
To please the skipper, Kris kept old-time reminiscence to a minimum and just did the workout.
Meals in the wardroom were also fully chaperoned by Commander Santiago. Again, Kris was invited to the Captain's table, but it was quite different from her time at the head table on the luxurious liner Pride of Turantic. Kris let Santiago set the topics for discussion and followed, as most everything proved out of bounds. From the way the officers started conversations and accepted being cut off, Kris suspected the table topics had never been so nonhistorical, nontactical, and non-current events. No one crossed the Captain's wishes twice.
Kris was looking forward to a meal where most of her life was not a forbidden topic.
The gig descended along a long line of islands spread out from a larger one. As Kris got lower, she could see the islands were wrapped in verdant greens, usually topped by volcanoes. Some still seemed active. Most islands were encircled by reefs and a dazzling blue ocean. No wonder this planet had been the choice of the descendants of Pacific Islanders from old Earth for the place to rebuild their lost life.
The gig splashed down in a large lagoon and was quickly greeted by flower-draped rowers in outrigger canoes … and a power tug for their tow. ''You want to ride in with us, or with the locals?'' the gig pilot called back.
''The canoes are an honor,'' Penny told Kris.
''I figured as much. Can you open the hatch safely?''
The copilot did. Kris managed the transfer from bobbing gig to bobbing canoe with success, if not grace. Her whites were draped with leis by a lovely young woman wrapped in a sea green sarong. Soft yellow and pink flower tattoos wrapped around her arms and shoulders to disappear beneath her own leis.
''I am Princess Ha'iku'aholo. My friends call me Aholo.''
''I'm Princess Kris Longknife. Kris to my friends.''
''And I'm Jack,'' Jack said, making the transition from modern shuttle to wooden boat. He, too, got flowers for his effort.
Their outrigger pulled away, and another took its place at the shuttle's door. Penny and Tom got the same treatment. Kris expected ever-prim Abby to pass, but the woman hiked up her gray A-line dress to show well-shaped legs to her approving boatmen and stepped aboard the third canoe. She also got flowers, though from the fellows. They shoved off from the gig with a shout from an oarsman on Penny's canoe, which Kris took for ''last one ashore is a rotten egg,'' because all three outriggers took off like a shot from a gun for the white, sandy beach. Half-meter waves helped them along, aided by the wind at their back. This had to be anyone's idea of paradise.
Abby's canoe won, but there was no rancor. Kris wondered how her white shoes and pants would take to the water and sand, but she was not about to be carried ashore. She stepped out to find that the sandy section where they'd landed had been grouted or hardened, the beach, too. They walked ashore with the sand giving a bit, but not much. Paradise with high tech.
''My mother's grandmother's heart longs to see you,'' Aholo said and motioned Kris to a small electric cart, much like one used on space stations. This one was open to the breeze, had seats all around, and a colorful fish-print awning to provide shade. The princess took the driver's seat and offered Kris the passenger side. The rest of the team took others, except Abby.
''I'll wait for our luggage.''