Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,99
a lift that would take them to a bank of cabins on the second level. “It makes me wonder how many more ships were at the gathering on Dubashi’s base than we realized.”
None of them had possessed a slydar detector then.
“Would you have gone in if you’d known it was twice as many?” Kim asked.
“I was committed. Would you have?”
“I was committed.”
“I am also committed,” Reuben stated, stepping out carefully to avoid clunking her big trunk against the lift doors.
“I’d intended him to be more of a bodyguard than a porter, you know,” Casmir said dryly.
“He volunteered to carry it,” Kim said. “I was in the middle of hunting for a hover cart.”
“I am not lucky,” Reuben said, “but I am versatile and a hard worker.”
“You’re not lucky?” Casmir raised his brows as they walked down the corridor.
“I have been unable to win dried currants in the game of chance.”
“I told him that luck isn’t supported by scientific data,” Kim said. “You had to give me the superstitious crusher.”
“They’re developing their own unique personalities.” Casmir clapped Reuben on the back. “It’s wonderful.”
“If he starts avoiding black cats and throwing salt over his shoulder, I’m going to complain to the manufacturer.”
“Perhaps my lack of luck will benefit you, Scholar Sato,” Reuben said. “An enemy’s fire intended to strike you will be more likely to hit me.”
Kim sighed, but she did say, “Thank you for carrying my stuff for me, Reuben,” when they reached the door to her cabin and he set the trunk down inside. “You are a hard worker.”
Casmir beamed, pleased that she could acknowledge the usefulness of crushers. “I’m surprised you’ve managed to keep so many of your belongings with you for all this moving around. Is that the same trunk you took from the Osprey when you snuck off to avoid Jorg?”
“Yes. Luckily, I’d retrieved it from the Dragon before Bonita left. It’s been there most of the time since I stealthily departed the Osprey for the good of humanity. Scholar Sunflyer also lent me some of her equipment in case of an emergency situation.”
Casmir frowned. “What kind of emergency situation?”
“In case we manage to capture Dubashi’s ship and need to deal with the rockets and their contents.”
Casmir’s frown deepened. “I was hoping that spacing the rockets and blowing them into a few billion pieces from a distance would be an acceptable way to deal with their contents.”
“It will be if you find the opportunity to do so.” Kim looked down at the trunk, her lips quirking in wryness. Or was that puzzlement? “I also received a gift. I have not opened it yet.”
“A gift from whom?”
“An acquaintance.”
“I didn’t think that acquaintance was anywhere near the station.” Casmir wished Rache and his big powerful warship were near the station. And willing to help.
“He’s not. He ordered something local and had it delivered.”
“Maybe it’s a puzzle, and you’ll have something to do during the flight.” Casmir wondered what Rache’s idea of an appropriate gift for a girl was—and if it had involved shopping at the all-fungi gift shop.
“The ship will take off in five minutes,” Princess Nalini said over the speakers. “Prepare for maneuvers out of the asteroid and possible battle maneuvers shortly after. Acting Admiral Dabrowski, please report to navigation.”
Kim’s eyebrows flew up. “They’ve seriously given you that title? I thought it was a joke.”
“I think it’s for the sake of our hodgepodge fleet. Shayban’s people will follow Nalini, but the commanders of the various Miners’ Union and other government ships might not appreciate it if they thought Shayban was in charge of the entire fleet. I guess I’m considered a neutral third party. Which seems odd since the Kingdom isn’t neutral by anyone’s standards, but Dubashi is an enemy to everyone, so maybe this works for them.” Casmir shrugged, since he didn’t truly know why he’d been given the lofty title, however tongue-in-cheek it might be.
Kim’s eyes narrowed. “That might not be it. Did you hear that there are rumors going around about you?”
“Rumors? Did they find out about my Robot Remstar pajamas?”
“It’s becoming widely believed that you are Admiral Mikita’s clone.”
“Oh.” Casmir remembered that President Nguyen had caught that early on.
“It seems that other systems have a better memory when it comes to what Kingdom heroes from three centuries ago looked like.”
“Then they’ll be surprised if they learn I’m only wearing an Admiral Mikita mask for a forthcoming costume party at the university.”
“I don’t think anyone will believe you’re the masked one at this point.”