She spent the next two days checking out the changes to her station, and began to wonder what was taking Penny so long to rent a boat. Penny must have had the same feeling, because when Jump Point Alpha spat out a ship, it sent out a quick message, ''I'm back,'' and took off at one and a half g's for the station.
Kris and Jack were at the pier when the good ship Resolute docked. It wasn't much to look at. Maybe three thousand tons built around an internal hold, crew and ship facilities, and tie-downs on the outside of the hull for containers. It was in need of paint. Scars showed where the ship had met the pier not nearly as smoothly as it did this time.
Kris rode the escalator down the several hundred feet to the dock area, and ran into Abby leading ten steamer trunks toward the elevator. Kris watched Jack count them, and frown as he came up with the expected number. Maybe Kris truly was in for a quiet tour. Or Abby's wonderful crystal ball was not in the know. Then again, Kris had been neck deep in plenty of pain when the count on Abby's trunks was only twelve.
''I'll put these away,'' Abby said as she passed Kris.
''I reserved the room next to me for you.''
Penny showed up a few minutes later with Captain Bret Drago. A bit theatrical in gray slacks, a red silk shirt open at the throat, and a drooping mustache, he walked his ship like he knew every weld and chip in it and smiled confidently as Penny introduced the commander of Naval District 41 as his new client.
The smile died. ''You look familiar. Have we met before?''
''I doubt it.''
''I never forget a lovely face and you are surely one of the loveliest I have gazed upon. Tell me, when you are not a young lieutenant commanding a Naval District, what name do you go by.''
Jack rolled his eyes; Kris glanced at Penny. She shrugged. ''Nelly gave me a credit chit on a holding company. Didn't have a name. I think Nelly wanted to make it hard to trace.''
''You got that right,'' came from above Kris's collar bone.
''And you have two voices. I must confess, I prefer the one with lips attached.''
''Ever met Lieutenant Kris Longknife?'' Jack said dryly.
''You aren't one of those Longknifes, are you?'' The mustache took an extra droop. So did the bushy eyebrows.
Kris came to attention, clicked her heels together, and smiled. ''Her Highness Kristine Anne Longknife, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, at your service, Captain.''
Alarm sparked in two dark eyes as Captain Drago turned to Penny. ''You said this was a simple contract. Just jump buoys, transportation. You didn't say anything about fighting.''
''And we won't be doing any righting,'' Kris assured him as they walked to the escalator. ''I need to check out some buoys, recharge or replace them. I want to do some scouting around this system. Nothing at all dangerous.''
''Says a Longknife,'' Captain Drago said gnawing his mustache.
''That's what I said.''
''And everyone knows a Longknife's word can be taken to the bank,'' Jack said, following right behind them.
''Word on money. Yes. But if problems arise?'' Drago asked.
''We'll blow up that bridge when we come to it. I find it only makes things more difficult when you blow them up before you come to them, don't you,'' Kris said.
''Mother warned me there would be contracts like this.''
New Chicago did take-out, so Kris ordered it in to the wardroom. They were enjoying Greek salads while Abby finished unpacking, and Kris debriefed Penny on the ship.
''The Resolute was in port and available. I ran a background check on the crew. They passed.''
''I'm glad you did,'' Kris said. ''If you hadn't, Jack would not let me set foot on the boat until he did one.''
''I'll need to run my own,'' the Marine pointed out.
''I'm not staying cooped up in this station five minutes longer than I have to,'' Kris shot back. ''They're going out to tend buoys and I'm going with them. I need to feel a ship under my feet, Jack. I need space time.''
''I need to check these guys out.''
''Check out the background Penny got, then tell me why it's not good enough. And you better have a good reason.''
Penny shot Jack the report; he spent the rest of the dinner with his nose in his reader. Kris brought Penny up to date on the vets turning the Patton into a museum ship and the extent that the station was customized, which brought up the general situation. Penny shook her head after that part of the debrief. ''They are the original ostriches with their heads in the sand.''
''And they've gotten away with it for three, four generations. And it's not as if they haven't been encouraged to be that way,'' Kris said, surprised she was defending them.
''Just how cute is this Ron fellow?''
''He does dance nicely. I'll have to take you down to meet him. Maybe Jack will let me go down without him if you agree to watch over me. Huh, Jack?''
''Not until we settle his Peterwald connection,'' the Marine said without looking up from the background checks.
Later he did look up. ''I guess you could get some space time with this crew. You're going spacey hanging around here.''
Kris exchanged a demure glance with Penny. The woman was working hard at swallowing a smile. Clearly, the female was the smarter of the species.
Chapter 4
The Resolute had a spacious hold that could be pressurized to work in. Kris found a dozen ancient jump buoys in storage near the hub. The Resolute's crew made easy work of getting half of them aboard. They were away from the station, leaving Penny in charge, well before noon.
Jack insisted on going. For some reason Abby did, too… which did not cause Jack to smile. Chief Beni slipped aboard at the last moment. ''Someone needs to help with reloading the software, checking the old code.'' He may also have heard of the reputed culinary prowess of the Resolute's cook.
That left Kris and a very inquisitive Nelly on the bridge as the Resolute headed for Jump Point Beta. The buoy there was not responding to radio checks, and, since this jump point led, via just two more jumps, to Peterwald's new holding on Brenner Pass, it was Kris's first concern.
But not Nelly's. Kris's computer was all eyes, ears, and whatever a computer could be checking on the navigation readouts. I see it! My jump point is there! I think it may be orbiting that gas giant. Could that be why no one noticed it before?
Kris eyed the navigator's board. She had to in order to keep her concentration. Having an excited computer dancing around inside her skull was… difficult. It reminded her of little brother Eddy. He got so excited at his sixth birthday party. Kris wasn't joking when she said she could tie a string to his toe and fly him as a kite. Poor, dear dead Eddy.
Kris put Eddy aside. Once he'd been the only death she mourned. Now, he was one of so many. What did Grampa Trouble say—''If you live, they add up. If you don't. Well, you join them. They'll wait for you. Trust me girl. They'll wait.''
Kris concentrated on keeping her head on while one excited computer did her best to blow it off. Yes, Nelly, I can see… whatever it is.
It has to be my jump point.
It doesn't look like a jump point.
Yes, it is different. But it is a jump point.
Kris tried not to be too obvious eyeing the nav computer. The Resolute's navigator was to the captain's left. Sulwan Kann was a dark-haired, petite woman almost to the point of being miniature. After getting a good look at the possible third jump point out of the Chance system, Kris backed away and divided her time between nav and the rest of the bridge. The controls were laid out to a standard format. Navigator, captain, helmsman. No need for weapons or defense. The Resolute was a standardly built ship, nothing as expensive as smart metal here. No ice to ward off lasers. Right, Kris, she is a merchant ship.