Kris Longknife: Redoubtable

Chapter ThreeKris's vacation ended abruptly next morning.She had paused outside the bridge coaming to let a tiny bit of nausea pass. This spell was the shortest she remembered, and in a moment she expected to march across the bridge to her station, swinging her cane with a jaunty air.All she needed was a few seconds' rest.The speaker on the bridge crackled to life. "Freighter Mary Ellen Carter, vent your reactor to space and prepare to be boarded. Do this our way, and no one gets hurt. If you don't, we'll kill you all."Captain Drago's response was not at all appropriate for pirate ears ; or princess's either. The captain vented a long string of four-letter words ending in "Where is that bloody Princess Longknife when I need her?""Here," Kris announced, as she entered the bridge, cane and legs moving with purpose, aiming for her battle station at Weapons with all speed and only a touch of light-headedness she tried to ignore.The petty officer second class at Kris's station kept the targeting crosshairs on the now self-proclaimed pirate ketch ; and her finger well away from the firing button.That was Kris's business."Do something about that," Captain Drago said, waving a hand at the forward screen that the pirate now filled. "And don't let them make a mess on my ship.""Will do, Skipper," Kris told the contract ship captain, slipping into the seat just vacated by the petty officer. Kris had gotten just enough of a glance at the pirate to answer the question she'd had about the ropes and cordage crisscrossing the balloot.At the moment, three or four dozen space-suited cutthroats used the ropes as handholds, tie-downs, or wraparounds for their legs. The space suits had been painted up with frightening sights. Tiger mouths roared, skulls gaped, and heads dripped blood and gore from their cut throats.Kris knew this was deadly serious, but she had a barely controlled urge to offer the pirates candy and tell them their Halloween costumes were worth all the work they'd put