“Don’t do this, Allie. I do not take your orders outside the bedroom. Ben and I have more combat experience, and I will not let myself compromise the mission because of my dick.” The resentment simmered just beneath Shank’s skin, and Allie could feel the air grow charged. Shank was waiting for a fight, and Allie had the feeling if she stepped up and provided it, she was going to lose the most important person in her life.
“I wouldn’t ask you to take my orders,” Allie said softly. “I plan on staying far back and watching your six so you and Ben can get the job done. I don’t plan on telling you how to run the mission at all.”
Shank crossed his arms and remained silent.
“I know I’m the farm girl, the one who doesn’t have as much experience. And I know your culture is all about the women owning the ships and keeping the home fires burning or something. I’m even trying to avoid being brutally judgmental about that. Yes, the attempt is less than adequate, but I’m trying. But I won’t let you treat me like I’m too weak to fight.”
Shank lifted his chin, but he did rest his hands on his hips, which was another sign of an unhappy Shank, so Allie didn’t know if that was an improvement. “You’re not too weak.”
“Then trust me to go with you. I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Shank. If you told me that you wanted to go for a person on the north side instead of this guy, I’d nod and go along. Whether you take handguns or blast stunners or automatic rifles—that’s all up to you. I don’t ever want to tell you what to do because you’re remarkably good at not getting killed. But I don’t want you telling me what to do either.”
Shank took a step toward her and stopped. “I don’t like the idea of you in the field.”
“Yeah, well that’s your mother’s influence. Personally I think our lives will be a lot better if we leave your mother and Claire out of any discussion of our relationship.” Allie held out a hand, and he took it and pulled her closer. He had developed a fondness for that trick, but that was fine. He always waited for explicit permission, so it wasn’t like he was pulling her around like a pet or something.
“Ben and I have more experience,” he said, but his voice was softer.
“I understand that, and I am not asking to take point. I’d call you crazy if you tried to ask me to take it. However, you need backup. You and Ben can’t work the front and watch your six. I’m just saying I’m the best person to watch your six. In case you’ve forgotten, Zeke and Jacqs taught me self-defense and shooting. I may not be ready for an infantry unit, but I can hold my own.”
“I know you can.” Shank sounded intensely unhappy about that.
“When we get the guys back, the four of you can run your shoot-’em-up missions. But don’t shut me out because I’m the farm girl. Farm folk are tenacious sons of bitches. We have to be because life and nature throw a lot at us.”
Shank sighed, and Allie figured she had won. However, she didn’t push it. Shank had really expected her to try to give him orders based on their relationship, and that was a hurdle they were going to have to work through, probably multiple times. It made Allie wish she had spaced Claire.
“You’re staying behind us. You only move in to warn us, or if one of us is in trouble. If both Ben and I are captured, your job is to get back to the ship and run like hell. That SC guy in the brig may be able to help once you’re out of bat space. The SC sound more sympathetic to our point of view than Command will be. Go to my mother. She will put some restrictions on you that are going to burn, including forbidding you to leave the ship, but if you listen to her, she will protect you.”
“No, we are not making contingency plans for losing you. It’s not going to happen.”
Shank pulled back and held her by her upper arms. “It could happen. I want to make sure that if we blow this, if Ben and I can’t pull off this rescue, that we aren’t condemning the rest of you. And yes, I know you’re in this with us. I know that. But I also know that Copta and Becca aren’t fighters. They would take berths on theMitakuye Oyasin, and they would be happy to never set foot off her again. They aren’t like you and me, Allie. They don’t deserve to be stuck here because all three of us hotheads are dead or captured.”
“Copta is less in need of protection than you might think.”
Allie looked over, and Ben stood at the door with several weapons in hand.
“She’s a tough broad,” Ben said with a fond smile, “and that’s not easy to see because she’s quiet. However, if push came to shove, she’d either get herself and Becca out, or she’d put up one hell of a fight. She’s just the sort to avoid trouble as long as possible before ending it as quickly as she can. That said, Shank has a good plan. Honestly, if the trouble out there is too much for the two of us, I’d rather have the only good pilot back here. If you get killed with us, there’s a chance that Copta is going to have to get the SC operative out of the brig to pilot. Too many Command ships are patrolling the border looking for us.”
“If an SC pilot is running the ship...” Shank let his words trail off as he turned away. The stiff lines of his back made it pretty clear he hated the very thought.
“He’ll pilot her straight to SC territory,” Ben finished for him, “and Copta and Becca won’t have a lot of choices. I doubt SC would turn them over to Command, but they’re manipulative bastards, even to their own people. I’d rather see those two with your mother. Now Allie? She could give them a run for their money. Hell, she might like working for the bastards, but not Copta and Becca. SC captains are too mission focused. They don’t think about their people. The captain of my last ship sent her own lover into bat territory alone to negotiate to bring an ambassador into Earth territory, and she did that knowing he would be executed if the mission failed.”
“Sweet people,” Allie said drily.
“They are the ones who stopped the war and saved thousands if not millions of lives,” Ben said quietly. “I served on SC ships because I believed in the missions and the good we accomplished, even when the methods left something to be desired. I just don’t want Copta and Becca forced into something, so if this goes nuclear, get back here, and get those two clear.”
Allie nodded. She didn’t want to even entertain the idea of leaving Shank and Ben behind, but she would. “Just know this: I’m making you the same promise I made Jacqs. If I have to leave, I’m coming back for you. I don’t care if I have to take your mother hostage.” Allie turned and gave Shank a nasty look. “I will come back for you.”
Ben laughed. “Oh, that is one showdown I would like to avoid unless I’m there with the popcorn. Shank, we’d better make sure we come back in one piece.”
“Hell yes,” Shank agreed. “My mother versus Allie—I honestly don’t know who would win, but entire solar systems might be wiped out in the crossfire.”
“Very funny.” Allie poked Shank in the side. “Now walk me through where we’re going and what we’re doing.”
