Intrepid by Mike Shepherd Read Free Book Online

that.
    “I gonna have to gussy you up all princesslike?” was Abby’s only question.
    “Nope,” Kris said. “Formal Navy dinner dress. Small medals. Skip the Wounded Lion. He’s seen my ribbons. I’ve seen his. We know who we are,” Kris said, with a smile.
    “I better tell Jack to tone it down,” Abby said, and headed off to do just that. Four hours later, Kris almost regretted going Navy standard tonight. Surely, there was no uglier evening dress than what the Navy put its women in. The skirt hung like a burlap bag. The blouse was uncomfortable.
    “You’re wishing you were in a nice set of petticoats and crinolines,” Jack whispered beside her.
    “Security officers are not authorized to read my mind no matter what the latest new law may say,” Kris shot back, and moved forward. Jack opened the door for her, resplendent in his dress red and blues. A sword and issue sidearm hung from his belt. No such allowance was made for the women, so Kris had her automatic hidden in the usual place.
    Kris was three steps into the restaurant when she spotted Captain Krätz standing up from his table. He was accompanied by a young ensign. She wore formal Greenfeld Navy evening dress that managed the impossible. She looked worse in it than Kris did in hers. Clearly the women haters in Greenfeld’s military had bested their kin on Wardhaven.
    Distracted by the uniform, it took Kris an extra moment to identify the woman in it.
    She almost missed a step.
    Beside her, Jack’s nostrils flared, but he manfully suppressed a snort.
    Kris took a quick glance around the room. It was early, still well lit, and almost empty. But around the captain’s table were four occupied ones. The men at them were in civilian clothes, but there was no mistaking the hard bodies under those clothes, the close haircuts, and the steely look to their eyes.
    Were any of them hers? Kris spotted two women Marines she knew only too well from their doing bathroom guard duty for her. Four Wardhaven Marines, four others.
    Krätz had observed the niceties.
    Kris allowed herself one more second for a glance at the room, not to take in its expensive decor, but rather to note the right-hand corner of the room, where the few other customers were huddled over their food, meticulously not making eye contact with those on the left side.
    Very likely, it would be a quiet dinner. No, very likely the fireworks would be reserved for the main table.
    Secure that her back was covered, Kris focused her full attention on the main table. Krätz, despite a bit of graying around the temple. . . or maybe because of it. . . was magnificent in his formal blue and whites.
    Beside him, somehow made frumpy by Greenfeld formal naval dinner dress, stood Ensign Victoria Peterwald. Ensign!
    Kris didn’t know where to start; she had so many questions.
    Krätz started for her, sweeping her a full bow from the waist. When the young woman beside him balked, it took only a slight tap to her elbow to make clear that She’s a princess, you are not, and this is Navy business, and we will do it my way .
    Vicky chipped off a quick shallow curtsy.
    But her captain stayed in his full bow.
    With a scowl, Vicky curtsied again. Lower. And did not recover, but went a bit lower. Then some more.
    Finally, her head was even with her captain’s.
    Only then did Kris smile and give them a most regal nod of the royal head. “Thank you, Captain, Ensign, but we are in Cuzco space, and I seriously doubt their government recognizes United Sentients patents of ennoblement.”
    “But graciousness is recognized throughout human space,” the good captain said, rising from his bow. “Your Highness, may I present to you my new junior communications watch officer, Ensign Victoria Smythe-Peterwald.”
    “I am glad that we are finally formally introduced,” Kris said, forgetting for the moment the several times they had informally tried to kill each other.
    “It is good to meet you,” came from the ensign, as