Let's Make a Deal (Bob and Nikki Book 11), стр. 46

me, but feeling his hand in the rescue handle on the back of my uniform didn’t do anything for my state of mind. As I had feared, Natti came down the ramp being held prisoner by some fellow with a knife to his throat. I heard a couple of our Squirrel-derived rifles go off, and the elbow on his knife arm looked quite a bit less functional. He dropped the knife, and Natti ran toward our Marines. Niner-Deuce called out, “Exit the ship with your hands up, slowly.” I didn’t understand why his lips didn’t match his words, until I looked down and saw that my badge was running. His answer was rifle fire from inside the ship. Several flash bangs went flying through the hatch and into the ship. They were followed closely by Marines. Shortly, they began marching out prisoners. I looked at Andre, and he nodded. I went into the bay, and found Natti. “Good morning, Ambassador. Thank you for providing my boys with a little exercise.”

“Morning, Bob. I see now why your people call you Asshole. A little exercise, you say? It seemed like more than that to me.”

“I can see how it would, you being the guest of honor and all.”

“Thankfully, this was the only ship they took over, this time.”

“Is Snappi okay?”

“He’s fine, they just put him off the ship before we came across.”

“That’s strange, I didn’t get a message from him that your ship wasn’t friendly.”

“I better call, and send someone to make sure he’s alright, then. I didn’t think they did anything to him, but maybe I didn’t see everything.” He got out his comm, and called his ship. It took him a bit to get ahold of someone who knew what was going on. He talked with them a minute, and hung up. He said, “They stunned him before we left, so he couldn’t warn you. They expect him to wake up soon.”

“As long as he is okay. Will he be joining us later?”

“The plan was for him to sit in on the negotiations again today. Do you mind waiting for him to wake up and get over here?”

“I don’t know if I can stand to put off starting something that is so much fun, Ambassador.”

“Yeah, I’m having a great time, too. It has to be done, though.”

“Suppose you’re right. Don’t suppose you know if the Emperor sent another fleet or not, do you?”

“Even if I did, it would be my neck, to tell the infamous monkey. That was why your ship left, to stand watch, in case he did?”

“Busted.”

“What do you propose to do, until Snappi shows up?”

“I hadn’t thought about it. You have anything you’d like to see, while you’re aboard?”

“I’m supposed to try and get a look at your main guns, and launch bay four was also mentioned.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but even if I tried, my crew would keep me from showing you those. My Chief Engineer would have my guts for a new seal on the power core, if I took you to launch bay four. That’s where she has her playhouse.”

“What does she have hidden?”

“Danged if I know. I haven’t heard what she’s working on for a week or so. I know a couple of ships that operate out of that bay, but I’ve got no idea what the current project is.”

“Don’t you worry what might be going on down there?”

“I trust Scotti. When I need to know, I will.”

“You are different from our Captains, that’s for sure.”

“Still learning. I doubt I’ll ever be quite like your fellows, though. We have some new rifles, would you like to come down to the armory, and try one?”

“Let me guess. Based on our tech, and better than anything we have?”

“It has capabilities yours don’t, at the very least.”

“Sure, I’ve already been humiliated once today, let’s go for round two.”

“Hang on, I need to let my crew know where they can find me, when the Emperor’s fleet shows up.” I commed Topper. “What’s up, Boss?”

“Andre has the situation well in hand. I’m headed to the armory, to show the Ambassador Nunya’s new carbine.”

“You still think the Emperor is going to send us a nasty surprise?”

“I haven’t seen anything that makes me think otherwise, yet.”

“We’ll keep an eye out, then. You’ll be heading back if it hits the fan, won’t you?”

“Sure thing, Topper. Let me know as soon as Sally sees anything headed this way.”

“Will do, Boss.” We got to the armory, and Jackie greeted me with, “Hi, Boss. Who’s your friend?”

“This is Ambassador Natti Dressi, of the Oak Empire.”

“Pleased to meet you, Sir.”

“You as well. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Jackie. What can I do for you gentlemen today?”

I said, “I was going to demonstrate one of Nunya’s carbines for the Ambassador. The rifles his people carry don’t rock and roll.” She wandered off to get a carbine, with strains of ‘Your Momma don’t dance, and your Daddy don’t rock and roll’ trailing behind her. She came back with a rifle and a box full of magazines. “Anything else you need, Boss?”

“You have some eye protection handy?”

She handed me a couple of pairs of shooting glasses. We wandered back to the rifle range, and I showed Natti how the gun worked. After I covered the basic functions, I said, “If you push this down farther, like this, that’s the happy switch. Your stuff doesn’t have one of those.”

“Could you show me what you mean, Commodore?” I called up a moving target, and walked fire onto it.

He asked, “How do you shoot so fast?”

I replied, “I don’t. The weapon keeps shooting as long as I hold the trigger down. Nunya’s mods to keep the recoil down really help with keeping it on target while