Enough was enough. Allie stepped up and took the gun out of Kev’s unwilling hand and gave it back to Ben. “We aren’t asking you to do anything but keep quiet, Kev,” she said gently, saving her glare for Shank. “We’re family, and we have to take care of each other, but that doesn’t mean we all run out and act like idiots.”
Ben holstered his weapon and draped an arm around Kev’s shoulders. “Come on. You need to head back to your own quarters.”
Allie wasn’t sure that having a Nicve marine hanging on you counted as reassuring, but at least Kev was walking. For a second, she thought they might have to carry him after he passed out.
“Anyone else?” Shank asked.
Karney took a step forward. “I understand why you want to go, but I have a family and kids. I can’t take that risk.”
Shank nodded, and she headed for the door.
“I’m in the same situation,” Mukti said. “If you need anything, and I mean anything from tampering with a few nav signals to stealing some maps, I can do that, but I can’t take off. My kids deserve better, especially now that the war is over and they expect me to be coming home. I have grandkids I’ve never even seen pictures of.” She sounded so damn apologetic.
“I wouldn’t ask you to give up the pleasure of changing diapers,” Shank said, his grin warm as he reached for her hands. “And we can do this without putting you in any danger. After all, your next assignment may be with a captain that’s actually sober.”
“That’d be a change,” she said with some humor. She looked around the room. “Good luck,” she told everyone, and then she turned and followed Karney out.
Ben still stood at the door watching. If Little showed up, they were going to need a good excuse, because the man did like to gossip.
“Are they going to tell anyone?” Copta asked. She was a small woman who always wore a black scarf over her hair, for religious reasons, she said. Allie would have guessed her for the first to run for cover, but she was still standing there.
“Doubt it,” Ben said. “People you’ve fought next to, walked through the fire with, you don’t turn on them that easy.” He had a haunted look in his eyes.
“And that’s the reason why I’m going to have to say I’m out,” Neira Daygik said as she stood. “I’m hopeless with anything that even approaches stealth or fighting or pretty much anything else.”
“You’re a great tech,” Allie said, but she couldn’t disagree about the rest.
“And if you had a ship, I’d be a great help,” Neira said with a smile. “Unfortunately you’re going to have to do some running and fighting first, and that is where I would be a bigger danger than anyone Command sent after you. As someone who loves every self-destructive, suicidal soul in this room, I’m going to have to help you by not being there to trip you.”
Shank reached out and caught her hand. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, and Allie felt a flash of jealousy. She hadn’t been jealous since she was fourteen and her hormones hadn’t settled down yet. Touch was part of being human. She’d never had a problem sharing lovers before, and she didn’t even have any evidence that Neira had found her way to Shank’s bed. Still, Allie could feel that quick hate rolling through her.
Of course, if Neira had gotten into Shank’s bed, it wasn’t sharing as much as him moving on. Allie had been fourteen the last time a lover dumped her. She frowned. Shank hadn’t dumped her though.
Forcing her thoughts back to whatever plan Shank had in his head, she set the rest of her tangled feelings aside. She could have a breakdown later.
“You guys take care,” Neira said as she headed for the door. Copta grabbed her hand and held it a moment, and Ben gave her a hug as she left. Allie looked over, and Shank had a serious look on his face.
“Okay, so this is the group that’s willing to try and get our guys home.”
Copta seemed ready to faint, but her lips were pressed together in a thin line. Ben grinned, an expression she didn’t see on his face very often, and Becca moved to his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and grinned even wider.
“Oh boy,” Allie said as she considered them as a whole. They were in so much trouble.
