Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,123

porter.”

“Crushers—” Reuben checked the corridor before closing the door, “—are sophisticated defenders of human beings, not porters.”

“What’s going on, Mother?” Kim didn’t mind the company, but she felt self-conscious about opening Rache’s gift with someone besides Reuben in the room. Especially someone she was related to.

“I decided to check on you. Tork left to work on something with Casmir.”

“Oh.” Kim wondered what. Something to do with the slydar detector? “I was just taking some anti-nausea medicine.”

“I do not miss that part of being human.” Her mother settled on a bunk, using the sleep sack to anchor herself.

“I can imagine not.” Kim shifted so that her body blocked what she was doing and untied the ribbon and opened the box. The contents were not made from fungi—or at least she was reasonably sure.

She drew a sword with a long, single-edged curved blade—a katana. It was a real blade to match the wooden bokken she’d been carrying with her when all these space adventures first started and when Rache had first captured her and Casmir. The metalwork was beautiful, and she wished she were somewhere that she could perform a few katas. As it was, it was too dangerous to have out with the ship apt to start up maneuvers again any second.

After carefully tucking it back in the box and securing it with straps, she pulled out a note. It wasn’t handwritten—it couldn’t have been Rache’s writing even if it had been—but it held his words.

Kim, thank you for the gift of the story last time we met. I do not believe you’ll find this effective against men in combat armor, but perhaps you’ll enjoy an authentic blade with which to practice on your journey home. There is a Kingdom refugee on Stardust Palace who happens to be a smith—he was pleased to have someone to make this for. I understand he usually gets requests for decorative khanjali daggers from the sultan’s overly monied children and relatives. Also metal candlesticks and planters.

She snorted softly.

He hadn’t signed the note—or had the creator of the gift do it—for obvious reasons. He’d probably used some fake identity and account to purchase it. Understandable, but she found herself wishing for another confession of love. Though maybe it was her turn to say it back. Maybe—

Kim? A message from Casmir popped up on her chip. We think we’ve found Dubashi.

Here?

Here. He’s well-protected, so I don’t know if there’s any chance that we’ll be able to get to him—odds are more in favor of us getting blown to bits by these mercenaries—but in case we’re extremely lucky and figure out how to board his ship with a few dozen crushers… are you game to hunt for and disarm those rockets?

Yes. Nerves fluttered in Kim’s stomach, but she nodded to herself. She had wanted to be useful. This was her chance. I’ll rest much easier knowing that virus can never make it home.

Me too. I’ll keep you posted.

Kim chewed on her lip. He hadn’t sounded optimistic that they would get a shot at Dubashi. Even though she wasn’t up in navigation, she could guess from how much maneuvering they were doing and how often they’d been hit that things weren’t going to plan.

Though Kim was almost positive Rache was near the gate and maybe already out of the system, she sent him a message.

David, thank you for the gift. I just had the opportunity to open it. If I get a chance to stab an enemy who isn’t wearing combat armor, I will take it.

In case you’re still in the system and have been wondering where Dubashi is… he’s here. At Stardust Palace, egging on all of these mercenaries. I doubt you’re close enough to help, and I know you have your own mission, regardless. Kim didn’t let herself add anything that would have condemned his “mission.” He already knew how she felt about it. But if you have any way to help from afar, I am not too proud to ask for that help. If you are already gone from the system, then… my best wishes. If I survive this, I will write another story for you. I trust you will survive long enough to receive it.

I… She debated on the closing, on adding the logical words. But would they be true? She wasn’t sure. Would it be a lie if she added them? She wasn’t sure about that either. She lifted the lid of the box to run her hand along the beautiful blade again. A