''I am the commander of Naval District 41,'' Kris said, letting that Longknife determination salt the words.
''It may get a bit lonely,'' Penny said, glancing around, then settling into a chair at the table.
Kris wasn't going to wait for any more nay saying. ''Chief, activate this station. Let's see what we have here.''
''All of it? I don't think the solar arrays can.''
''If the chief will throw that main switch,'' Nelly said, ''I have developed a plan to activate the security system and other key subsets so we can determine if the station is safe.''
With a scowl at Kris's neckline, Chief Beni went where Nelly said, threw a switch, punched some buttons, and started doing his own version of waking up the station.
''Don't activate the central power station,'' Nelly said.
''We have to,'' Beni shot back.
''Nelly, Chief, you two take it over there and argue among yourselves,'' Kris ordered. ''Penny, Jack, verify that we are alone on this station and it is safe and stable.''
''I have verified that you should be getting right back on that ship that brought you and leaving this station,'' Jack snapped. ''We are what, two, three jumps from Peterwald space since they took down the government on Brenner Pass. Kris, this is not a safe station for you. Not like this.''
But Penny backed her chair away from the table, spun in it and started initializing a workstation, bringing it up as a security monitor. It gave her a quick report of All Clear. She then took it through a slower and more specific survey, ending with her eyeballing several locations around the station. ''Everything looks as good as a place can be that's been powered down for the last, ah, three weeks, at least.''
Jack looked over Penny's shoulder for a minute, doing his own check, lips going tighter as the moments passed. ''Yes, yes, if you aren't bothered by a security system that doesn't ask you for any password when you wake it up,'' he growled, then turned to Kris. ''So, it doesn't look like there are some hungry cannibals hiding out, waiting to roast you for dinner. Still, Kris, ah, Princess, you can't mean to leave yourself hanging out here for any passing ship to take a shot at.''
Jack had a point. A good one, as his usually were. But like most of his good points, it was not what Kris wanted to hear.
She gave him her best optimist smile. ''Isn't there an old Navy tradition that says ‘Don't give up the ship?' ''
''This is a space station,'' Chief Beni said, helpfully, from where he and Nelly were still arguing how much juice they could pull. ''Maybe it doesn't count.''
Kris eyed the young chief. His lower chin… and middle one, too… was quivering. He'd proven he could be plenty courageous when all hell was busting loose. He just didn't believe in going there if he could avoid it.
Kris settled into a chair at the table. Nice simulated wood. Solid. Wide. Jack couldn't get at her without giving plenty of warning. She let the silence fill up. Penny was the first to notice it. She spun her chair around and returned to the table. Chief Beni and Nelly reached some sort of accord, and fell silent. The chief came to the table. Kris actually felt a more concentrated presence of Nelly in her head and on her shoulders. Jack finally double-checked the safety on his assault rifle, laid it on the table, and settled into a chair beside Penny.
''Well, Your Highness, it appears that you want to hold a staff meeting,'' he said. ''Is it to seek advice or, as usual, to let us know what mess you're getting us into next?''
''The usual,'' Kris said with the best perky smile she could manufacture at the moment. Jack didn't look fooled. He kept drumming his fingers on his rifle.
''Look, we've got a Naval District to defend,'' Kris said.
''Does it need defending?'' Penny asked.
That gave Kris pause. ''Of course. How can you say that?''
''Well, just look at it,'' Penny said, slowly turning her chair from one side to the other. The Intel officer was mostly quiet these days. Withdrawn. But she wasn't any dumber than she'd been when she said yes to Tommy's proposal. ''The place has been sitting here unattended and getting along fine. It's been ignored by Earth and Wardhaven since forever, and no one bothered it.'' Penny shrugged. ''I mean, Kris, if you want to have the command, I'm all for sticking with you, but, defend this place. Aren't you getting a little carried away?''
Kris sat back in her chair. No, Penny wasn't dumb… and she'd seen straight to where Kris lived. But she hadn't totally read Kris's mind.
Or Nelly's. Just let us find out what lies behind my new jump points, the computer said, and we shall see who is interested in Chance.
Yes, girl, but we can't go checking out aliens right now.
Yes ma'am, Nelly said obediently. Sort of.
Kris made sure her conversation with Nelly didn't reach her face. Slowly she eyed Jack and Chief Beni. They looked pretty much in agreement with Penny. That was the problem when you worked with people you let become close friends. They knew when you were pulling the wool over your own eyes even before you did.
Kris really did want her own command. Even if it was just quiet Naval District 41. She let her breath out in a sigh. ''Okay, let's start over. Naval District 41 doesn't look like much, but it's mine, see. All mine. I'd like to see what I can do with it. That honest enough?''
''And if a half dozen Iteeche destroyers come loping through the local jump point…?'' Jack said.
''We head dirtside, rouse the locals to guerrilla warfare, and hide in the deepest caves we can find,'' Kris said.
''I can drink to that,'' the chief said, raising an imaginary mug of brew.
Jack shook his head. ''I don't like it, Kris,'' he said for the millionth time.
''You're not paid to like it, Jack,'' Kris answered for the millionth and first time.
''So we're going to just sit here and play target?''
''No,'' Kris cut in, letting her Longknife grin out to play. ''I have no intention of just sitting anywhere. We've got buoys to tend, places to explore.''
You bet, Nelly said with as much of a playful grin as a computer was allowed. I want to see where those new jump points lead.
Down, girl. All in due time.
''You don't have a ship, Kris,'' Penny pointed out. ''Not really. You don't intend to use that cruiser for anything but show, do you?''
Kris had gotten a good look at the Patton, an Iteeche Wars era light cruiser, tied up to the station when the St. Pete was on approach. Her orders were not to commission the ship except for a major emergency. Her orders didn't define what was a major emergency, but after a quick glance at the report on the old cruiser, Kris was pretty sure she'd have to be very desperate to even try to get the reactors going for that old bucket of bolts. The contractors who brought it out had slept in space suits… something about not trusting the ship to keep its pressure up. They'd been only too glad to be quit of the ship. They'd spent the trip out identifying discrepancies, not looking for them, just listing the ones that slapped them in the face. Kris ran the list and quit when it went past four hundred thousand.
Some brilliant type at headquarters had come up with the idea that the people on planets might feel safer in these uncertain times if they had a warship in their sky. Maybe other planets got something better, but clearly Chance had drawn the bottom of the barrel. No, the Patton was not a likely means of transportation for Kris.
Besides, Kris didn't need a full-fledged cruiser to check the Jump Point buoys and do the looking around she had in mind. No, something much smaller would fit her needs very nicely.
''We need a buoy tender. Nice little one.''
Penny shook her head. ''I don't think Naval District 41 is funded for a buoy tender, even part-time. My record check showed it hasn't had one pass through for the last five years, then I quit looking. No way will the Navy assign one to us.''
Kris grinned at Penny. ''So we don't ask the Navy for one. Ever leased a boat before?''