Cetan gave her an amused look but didn’t comment.
“I can do a mission as well as the next guy,” Allie muttered. She’d made all these arguments and lost, but now that she had a new audience, she felt the need to make them again.
Cetan nodded and pursed his lips. “The next two guys happen to be a Nicve marine and a pirate who grew up running around these stations,” he said with entirely too much amusement.
Allie grunted. Yes, yes. Her skills were best used on the ship, and it annoyed her to no end that her talents fed into their strange division of labor between men and women. “Copta has no more ability than I do with a gun, and less when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting.”
“But she comes off like a ship owner,” Cetan pointed out. “She’s the only one asking about the supplies needed for this new ship you plan to steal.”
“Because she’s logistics.” Allie didn’t point out that logistics was about as far from captaincy or officer material as a person could get. The problem was that she suspected that on family ships, the owners were logistics people.
“It’s ironic,” Becca said. “You’re itching to get out there, and I’m relieved that I finally don’t have to go out with a gun. I’m happy to let Ben do the fighting, and I’m a gunner.”
“You didn’t pick the job,” Allie said. She reached over and let her hand rest on Becca’s knee. She could feel the warmth under her palm and the curve of Becca’s leg, but she didn’t feel any building heat that would make her ask for more. Then again, as often as she’d had sex lately, even her vagina was having trouble keeping up.
Luckily, Shank had the stamina of a teenager—either that or he had a lot of sexual frustration built up. If they hadn’t landed on his family’s ship and stirred up all this crap with Claire, Allie had no idea how long he would have hidden this deep need to submit, but she had to think it wasn’t healthy.
“Did you get to pick?” Becca asked.
“Nope. They gave me a test and shoved me in nav school.”
“Because you’re damn good at it,” Cetan said. “Paya may be acting like a wet cat right now, but she is impressed with your piloting. The rest... Well, she’ll get over herself eventually.” He made a strange face. “In twenty or thirty years.”
Becca cleared her throat, and it sounded a lot like she was trying to hide a laugh.
Cetan sighed and leaned back in his chair. “How long do these three intend to wander around like idiots? No, don’t answer that.” He stood and stretched his back. “I’ll watch on comm, but I’m going to go grab some food. They’re serving their famous potato soup in the galley if you want me to bring you back some.”
“Sure,” Becca said at the same time that Allie gave a firm, “Hell, no.”
Cetan looked at her oddly.
That might have come off a little harsher than Allie intended. “I would love soup, but as much as Anpaytoo hates me, if I spill soup on her electronics, she’s going to cheerfully shove me out an air lock.”
“Ah.” Cetan nodded. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think she’d actually open the outside hatch after shoving you in there.” He slapped her on the arm as he walked out of the crowded communications room.
“I don’t think she hates you that much,” Becca said once the door had fallen closed.
“You always did like people too much,” Allie said. “Trust me, she has a homicidal dislike of me, and part of that is because I’m with her son, but part of that is just an old-fashioned hatred. I don’t always make a good first impression.”
“You did with me.” Becca smiled, but then she dropped her gaze to the floor.
“Yeah, but then, like I said, you like everybody.”
“I just think you two are too much alike.”
“What?” Allie’s voice squeaked a little. “You have got to be kidding.”
“Nope. You’re both confident, and you can speak your mind without getting tripped up on your own tongue every other word. You stand up for yourselves, and you’re good at your jobs.”
“She’s a pirate,” Allie said drily. “She has no respect for Shank and his choices, and she thinks women should stay home with the ship while the men go out raiding.”
Allie took a moment to watch the guys trade a few coins with a junk dealer stationside. Cetan had the right idea going for dinner. At this rate, those three were going to take a century to work their way around to the side of the market where theMonitorhad a stall.
Rumor had it that the dark but occupied berth next to theMonitorwas a small runner ship about the size of theCandiru. That had been a popular size with smugglers who valued speed over cargo space. TheMonitorwas about twice that size, which meant theMitakuye Oyasinstill dwarfed it. Allie was a little shocked that Command had never confiscated Anpaytoo’s ship because it was damn near as big as some of their command ships.
Allie realized the silence had gone on a little too long, and she looked over at Becca. She was a pretty woman with small features and pale, pale hair, but she had an intensity to her that Allie had always found fascinating.
Becca leaned forward and caught Allie’s hand. “Are you serious about Shank? Really serious?” She stared at Allie.
