Read Online Kris Longknife: Tenacious (Kris Longknife novellas Book 12) by Mike Shepherd - Free Book Online

fighting caliber. That’s just the way it is on Alwa Station.
    “Now, are there any more questions?”
    As Kris expected, there were none. “Then enjoy yourselves. Take a break, for, oh, the next hour. Work on upgrading the ships to Alwa Station standards will begin at 0800 tomorrow morning. Your first training sortie will be in three days.”
    “You’re going easy on them,” came from somewhere among the U.S. contingent.
    Kris ignored the comment and walked over to where Commodore Miyoshi was talking with Commodore Zingi from Yamato. They bowed to her, and she returned it.
    “Is the situation as, ah, challenging as you say?” the newcomer asked.
    “Which do you mean?” Kris asked, letting a smile play on her face. “The alien fleet, the prospects of the planet below being plundered down to bedrock, or our own food situation?”
    “Ah, so it is all of it,
ne
?”
    “All of it, but do not doubt us, we have made great strides. Commodore Miyoshi can tell you all about it. By the way, Commodore, you will need to see where you can scrounge up a pair of rear-admiral shoulder boards. Your promotion will be announced tomorrow.”
    “
Hai!
Good for you,” Commodore Zingi said.
    “Does that mean I will be the one stuck showing these old sticks in the mud from Yamato how to do a real fighting man’s job?”
    “Old man, you . . .” And the conversation took a turn into a language Kris only dimly remembered from her time on Musashi and had never much understood then. She bowed her way out of what she took to be some good-natured ribbing and continued her way around the room, stopping wherever she spotted a soon-to-be rear admiral and letting him or her know the good news while answering any questions the new arrivals had. Most of them were rather silent although several thanked Kris for not ending the war before they got in.
    Those who had been out with Kris just quietly shook their head. They would learn, no doubt, soon enough.
    When Kris passed close to the merchant sailors, she got called over by two captains. “You’re definite about us not going back?” one asked.
    “You want to try it unescorted?” Kris asked back.
    That got heads shaking. Still, one muttered, “I’ll try anything. Once.”
    Kris frowned and went on. “Are you willing to swear on all you hold sacred that you’d drop your reactor containment if you are attacked? That’s what every one of our warships has done when it was disabled. The aliens shoot up survival pods. We haven’t given them any ships.”
    Several listeners blanched at that.
    “Didn’t any of you notice that no one came back from the last shipment out here?” Kris asked into their silence.
    “I told you the pay was too damn good,” someone said, elbowing another in the ribs.
    “The pay out here is as good as we can make it,” Kris said. “Folks working the mines, shipping the ore down here, and working the moon factories get the best of what we’ve got, right alongside the fighting crews. Right now, there’s not a lot of extra to go around, so it’s rationed. That may get better when the next crop comes in. If any of you have any experience fishing or farming, you might want to ask for a transfer.”
    “Farming is
real
work,” one youngster said. “I got off the family farm and aboard ship as soon as I could.”
    “Well, we’ll eat better when that hard work gets done,” Kris said, and, with no further questions, made her way to the door. Jack was waiting for her there.
    “I was wondering if one of them might take a swing at you,” he told her.
    “So was I. I’ve gotten away with being the bad girl for so long, I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be called on it.”
    “You’re no worse than you have to be. Now, speaking of being bad, I’ve always wanted a
vice
admiral in my bed. I figure one of them must know some really kinky tricks.”
    “Don’t I wish,” Kris said with a happy sigh.
    “Let’s go see what we shall see,” said Jack