Intrepid

''We have the boy's father aboard. I have no qualms about photographing a man. We have run it through a computer program to take the years off his face. Captain Drago?''

''Yes, Your Highness.'' He spoke into his commlink, and a short while later Sulwan Kann, in a Navy lieutenant's uniform, brought in a large envelope for the captain. He handed it to Kris. ''As you requested.''

Kris opened the envelope. There was an enlarged photo of Prometheus and a similar-size reworked photo. It looked amazingly like Lucifer, his son. Kris handed off the photos to Jack, who took them to the colonel.

''Colonel, I have personally met the young man you are hunting. That reworked photo is almost a perfect image of him.''

''You have met the young madman?'' A dozen indictments lurked behind those words, starting with high treason.

''He was a guide when I first visited his world. I did not see him the second time. His father says he had already left.''

''Ah, yes, there is the matter of the father. You will turn him over to us for questioning.'' That wasn't quite an order. More like the assumption of someone who'd never been told no.

''No. He is on board in our care,'' Kris said, switching to the regal plural. ''We are satisfied from our own questioning that he knows nothing more than what he has told us.''

''You are in Peterwald space.'' Was that a slip, or was the fiction of Greenfeld so quickly overshadowed by the man?

''You are on a Wardhaven ship,'' Kris said, standing up to her full six feet and looking down a good two inches on the colonel. ''And you will depart from it now.''

Kris would not have believed that the Marines behind the State Security team could get stiffer, but there was a silent click in the air as they did. The young security captain broke his attention to glance around, worry breaking through his mask.

At the door, Gunny appeared, pistol now at high port.

The colonel held his ground for a moment, then seemed to shrink. ''Your embassy will hear of this. I will go now, but I expect to return soon.'' With a large army hung unsaid.

The colonel did a smart about-face, and started to march out. Captain Krätz rested a hand on his shoulder as he went by. ''I have had dealings with this woman before. I'll stay behind and see if I can't wangle her out of a trifle more.''

''You can give her the spanking she deserves, but get that man,'' the colonel snapped, then continued his march out.

The others in State Security black were soon herded out. When the tread of Marine boots grew distant in the passageway, Kris relaxed. ''Lights, Chief. It's too dark in here to think.''

The lights went to full. The bulkheads gleamed gray again. And without an order given, chairs were hurriedly pushed in by sailors and Marines.

Kris's staff collapsed into the chairs and found themselves staring at each other. Kris had a very puzzled team … that now included a captain from her sworn enemy.

Oh, and his daughter.

Vicky settled into the chair at her captain's right hand. He'd taken the seat at the foot of the table, opposite Kris. ''Have you really come here to save my dad's life?'' Vicky asked.

''I don't see much choice in the matter. If your father is killed anytime soon, Lucifer and his team will paint my fingerprints all over the plot. Propagandists will demand I either stand a kangaroo trial here or war. Since I don't think King Ray would hand me over for a show trial, it looks like war.''

''You don't sound all that sure about your king,'' Captain Krätz said, a knowing smile on his face.

Kris made a face. ''Let's just say I don't want to find out. Grampa Ray has tossed me into a lot of messes, sink or swim. I'd prefer not to see how I could manage on Greenfeld.''

''I wouldn't want to take my chances with what passed for a justice system back home, either,'' Vicky said. Then changed the subject. ''How do we stop this devil boy from killing my dad?''

Captain Krätz was shaking his head. ''I don't see that he has any chance of getting close to the First Citizen.''

''I agree,'' Kris said.

''Now, hold it,'' Jack said, half out of his seat. ''You dragged us out here to stop devil boy. I like her choice of words. But now you say he ain't likely to kill anyone. Kris!''

Kris just shrugged. Since Captain Krätz made no effort to talk, she explained. ''Lucifer and his Xanadu team are fish out of water. They're hicks with hayseed in their hair. They can hardly open their mouths without getting arrested. No. There is no way they'll get close enough to Peterwald to kill him.''

''And we're here because …'' Jack said, sounding very tired.

''Because,'' Captain Krätz said, ''they will be captured. Under interrogation, they will mention your Kris. If anyone kills Ensign Victoria's dad, the trail is set to lead straight back to Kris. Heads, they win. Tails, you lose.''

Jack settled back into his chair, eyed the overhead, and muttered a long stream of curses.