Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,46
Casmir asked.
Bjarke frowned at him.
Casmir spread his hand. What? It remained an act of theft if they didn’t.
“You’re not authorized for anything. Sir Bjarke…” Ishii rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm. “I don’t know. Prince Jorg was the one who had access to the king’s coffers. The warships have already been out here longer than planned, and without access to the systems-wide banking database, we can’t withdraw or even prove that we have funds to pay for things. We’re barely finding ways to get supplies for our ships. Just try to smooth-talk him into giving it to you. It’s what you do, Dabrowski.”
People had developed some odd notions about what his secret powers were. Smooth-talking robots was what he did.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Casmir said.
“Good. Keep him from doing anything too stupid, Bjarke.”
Bjarke frowned. “I’ll try.”
Why did he sound so skeptical that such would be possible?
“Ambassador Romano and I will be spearheading the collection of troops and ships in the system, taking up where Jorg left off,” Ishii continued. “Captain Timmons of the Raptor is the senior-ranking Kingdom Fleet officer in the system, but he’s working on the gate. I’ve got Romano with me, so we’re the new flagship for the Fleet apparently. We’re going to do our best to put together an impressive number of ships to take home in one swoop.”
Casmir almost mentioned all the mercenaries that had been stuck in the system and that it would be easier to hire them than form new alliances, but if Ishii didn’t have money for supplies, he didn’t have money for mercenaries.
“Which brings me to my next question.” Ishii had been focused on Bjarke instead of Casmir, but his gaze shifted, and his eyes closed to slits. “Do you know anything about the gate and why it’s inoperable?”
“Er.”
“You’re a horrible liar.”
“All I said was er.”
“That was enough.”
Casmir pushed his bangs out of his eyes—he needed a haircut. Maybe Zee would do it.
“Speak,” Ishii added.
“I know the astroshamans were responsible for taking it down. I don’t know how they’re doing it or how long it will last. Or even where they are.” Casmir didn’t point out that Moonrazor had done it at his request.
“Do you have a contact for any of them? We need it fixed.”
“Might I point out that as long as the gate is closed, Odin is safe from Dubashi and his bioweapon?”
“But we can’t get back home to help with the blockade. You saw the news showing Odin being bombed, I’m sure. Zamek City included. That’s your home. You must care.”
“Of course I care. My parents and all my friends back home are there. I’m just pointing out that it would behoove us to find and capture Dubashi and destroy his virus-laden rockets before opening the gate.”
“If you have a plan for doing that, I’m listening.”
Casmir kept himself from saying er again. Barely. “If we can borrow Shayban’s slydar detector…”
Ishii nodded. “That’s why we want it. Dubashi and Rache. The sooner we can get it, the sooner we can hunt them down.”
Casmir doubted the slydar detector would be such a simple fix. It probably helped with detection close up but didn’t make it possible to spot a ship on the other side of a star system. But if Dubashi was near the gate, waiting to get out, then it might be possible to use it to find him. And wouldn’t Rache soon be in the same spot if he meant to go after the king?
“I’ll do my best,” Casmir said.
“Don’t forget to chat up the astroshamans too. Whoever you have to schmooze so we can go home.” Ishii closed his eyes. “And so news can get home. King Jager needs to be told… what he needs to be told.”
After Ishii cut the comm, Casmir leaned forward and gripped the back of Bonita’s pod for support.
“That comm wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be,” Bjarke said.
He only felt that way because Ishii hadn’t singled him out as someone Romano wanted shot.
“I suppose it would have been worse and more demanding if Romano had been with him.” Bjarke looked at Bonita. “Do you mind taking us to the palace?”
“It’s not like I can leave this system,” Bonita said, not with rousing enthusiasm.
“At least you’re back on your own ship.”
“There is that. On my own ship with twenty hulking crushers.”
“At least crushers,” Viggo spoke up, “do not slam the lavatory stall doors.”
“I hope our knights are past that now too.” Bonita shot Bjarke a