Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,25

repairing the freighter had encountered Tristan. Neither Ishii nor anyone else on the Osprey had mentioned him. The ex-knight was proving to be good at hiding.

“I left something on board, and I need to get it. If there’s going to be a battle, Captain Ishii might release the tow ship. I can’t leave this item to be snatched by pirates or scavengers.” While Asger spoke to the soldier, he sent a message via his chip. Tristan, are you over there?

“What item?” The soldier eyed his armament suspiciously.

“A pertundo like this one.” Asger patted his weapon. “I was ordered to get it from an ex-knight on Stardust Palace Station. I did so, but it’s still on the freighter. My superiors will bust me if I fail at that simple mission.”

I’m here, eating Captain Lopez’s food, practicing combat maneuvers with an antiquated robot Fit-1000, and listening to her ship complain that nobody is mounting a rescue mission.

I’m trying to come over there to help. I’ve met an impediment.

“Do you have permission from the captain to get it?” the soldier asked.

“I do not.” Asger put a hand on the soldier’s shoulder, not too worried since he was only armed with a stunner. “But I’m going over there. You can step aside and let me pass, or you can be thrown aside and let me pass.”

“Sir Knight.” The soldier wore a mulish expression, and Asger could guess what the rest of his response would be.

He was about to lunge in and hurl the man to the side when a clank came from the airlock hatch. The soldier jumped and glanced back as it opened. Asger took advantage of the distraction and snatched the stunner out of the man’s grip.

The hatch opened, and Tristan stood there with his pertundo in hand. He was wearing a borrowed galaxy suit instead of armor, but he still managed to look strong and intimidating. All that work with the Fit-1000, no doubt.

The soldier swore and backed away from them. “I’ll have to report this to my superiors.”

“I expected nothing less,” Asger said.

“You won’t be able to uncouple that ship and fly away without someone on the bridge working the controls. You’ll just be stranded over there.”

“We’ll see about that,” a new voice said from the corridor. Asger’s father had arrived.

The soldier looked bolstered as the senior Asger walked in. Believing he had backup? Not likely. Asger’s father also wore his armor and carried his pertundo, in addition to toting a full pack on his back. Determination stamped his face.

“I’ve been ordered to keep anyone from going to the freighter,” the soldier told him.

Asger’s father flicked a finger toward the man. “Ishii knows we’re taking it. Go check with him.”

“I—” The soldier paused, his eyes going glassy as he accessed his chip. “Oh.” He looked at Asger. “Why didn’t you say you had permission, sir?”

“Recent development.” Asger raised his eyebrows at his father.

“I decided to try negotiations rather than brute force,” his father said.

“And that worked?” Asger stepped aside as his father approached the airlock chamber and looked toward the exit to the bay, expecting Casmir and Kim to show up at any second. “I thought you were also in questionable standing for having helped Casmir with his last scheme.”

“With Jorg, yes. Ishii knows he was on course to get his fleet annihilated by a bunch of moon defenses and dozens of mercenary ships. And he knows we derailed that. Also, I promised him we’d ram an enemy ship with the freighter if things got desperate for the Chivalrous.”

“Aren’t things already desperate?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Asger sent Casmir another note as his father passed into the airlock tube. It had sounded like he wanted to come along, but maybe he’d been detained. Or thrown in the brig. He tried Kim.

Give us a few minutes, was her terse reply. Then go if we can’t make it.

Do you need help?

Not as much as Qin and Bonita. I heard Ishii is bringing Casmir to sickbay. I’m guessing he had a seizure.

That answer didn’t reassure Asger, and he almost headed back into the warship to help, but what could he do to assist with a seizure? And Kim was right. Unless someone was pointing a rifle to Casmir’s head, he wasn’t in as much danger as Qin and Bonita.

Though worried, he followed his father and Tristan through the tube and into the Dragon’s cargo hold.

“You brought back knights, Tristan,” came Viggo’s voice from a speaker.

“Yes. I believe we’re going to try to rescue the captain and