Disclaimer in Part One.
Chatper Six: Just a Little Job
When they came out of the airlock in the morning, Rafe was loitering by the airlock. "So where are you going?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Breakfast," Beka answered, reaching past him to tap the controls. "Where are you going?"
"The same." He fell into step beside as she started to walk. Tyr retreated to his usual position when there was a third person with them, a step or two behind Beka. Rafe ignored him. "I thought you didn't like breakfast."
"I don't. Tyr insists, though, that `as long as you are carrying, feeding, or in any way caring for our child, you will set a good example', which means eating three squares a day, or the equivalent, and I'm actually inclined to agree with him, for the time being."
Rafe looked between them. "Dad never took that much care with our food."
"Tyr isn't flash-fried half the time and doing deals the rest," Beka said quietly, watching as Rafe winced. She had gotten used to that fact about her father not very long after she'd gotten hooked. Making peace with that particular demon had been a required activity. "He's a Nietzschean. They look out for their families. Besides, I appreciate it; he's taking better care of me than I ever did." A laugh accompanied her last statement, but not a very convincing one.
"With regard to food, you need someone to look after you. You don't eat enough," Tyr put in.
"I do, Tyr, you just got pricklier about it after I got pregnant."
"I became more concerned when you became solely responsible for our child's health as well as yours."
During the conversation, Rafe fell behind Beka, while Tyr moved up beside her. Now her brother watched as the argument continued.
"You make it sound like I'm some ditz that insists on starving herself. I can manage to keep us both fed."
"Yes, but you tend to think of eating more as coffee and no breakfast, neither of which are good for you, let alone the baby."
"I've cut down on coffee and I've started eating breakfast more," Beka defended, "which I'd do even if you weren't involved!"
Tyr blew air out through his lips impatiently. "Why wouldn't I be involved?"
"Um, not to interrupt, but..." A very annoyed Beka swung around to glare at Rafe, and she knew Tyr was doing the same. He shrank slightly, but kept his ground. "How often do you two fight?"
Beka though for a second, tallying up the answer. "About once or twice a week," she answered. "Why?"
"This makes the second or third fight since I've been here, that's all."
She shrugged. "Keeps life interesting. Coming?" and swung into the mess hall that they'd reached during the argument.
*****
Several minutes later they had gotten their breakfasts and sat down when Rafe asked, "Why do you have the same shifts so often?"
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Tyr countered quietly.
Beka grinned at Tyr's comment, but lay down her fork long enough to explain, "After we got married, Dylan started to coordinate our shifts so we could spend as much time together as we want. Sometimes one of us will get a really awkward shift, but only when it's really necessary. It'll probably stay the same after the baby comes." She noted Rafe's wince at the word "baby" with amusement, then intercepted Tyr's look. "I know, I know. Eat." She put fork to food with a will; she was hungry anyway.
She knew Rafe had stopped eating and was regarding her and Tyr with an appraising gaze. "What?"
He smirked. "You said you'd be up to the occasional jaunt. How about one worth an imperial?"
Beka leaned forward, interested. "How long, where to, and do we need the Maru?"
Rafe echoed her movement. "A month, tops, including transit. Rochester Drift. We'll definitely need it. And, you, my straight-laced baby sister, can relax- it's not illegal."
"That's good." In contrast to their intent positions, Tyr leaned back in his chair. "What will we have to do?"
"`We'?" Rafe regarded him blankly. "What do you mean, we?"
Tyr regarded him impassively. "You honestly think I would let any pregnant wife of mine go on a month-long trip without making sure there was someone along I could actually trust? There is no one I trust more than myself."
"You don't trust me? I'm hurt." He feigned injury and offense.
Beka decided to intercede. "I'm wondering the same thing as Tyr: what is the job?"
"It's just buying something off someone and selling it to a certain other someone," Rafe answered, his eyes starting to glitter.
"How is a straight-up resale going to net an imperial?"
"We have a very ignorant seller. If you're uncomfortable, I could do it myself, if you'll lend me the Maru. I just can't get that far with the shuttle."
"No, you are not taking my ship without me along," Beka said sharply.
Rafe just stared at her and shook his head solemnly.
"What?"
"With that tone, you never have to worry about the kid disobeying you."
"It comes from spending too much time with you and Harper. And Trance, too." She smiled, then turned her attention back to the important issue. "So I don't trust you alone with the Maru, Tyr doesn't want me going without him, and I want in on all this. So I'll see if I can get Dylan to let us all off for a month." She looked down at her plate. She had cleaned it without realizing it.
*****
Beka leaned on the desk. She had invited herself into Dylan's office, hoping that he'd be distracted by work. "Dylan, mind if I ask you something?"
"Sure," he mumbled, preoccupied with the flexi in front of him.
"Tyr and I need a month off and unlimited access to the Maru, no questions asked."
"Sure..." he muttered again, before what she'd asked registered. "Wait- a month?"
She sighed; she'd been hoping that he'd just authorize it and forget. "Yes, a month. Rafe, Tyr and I have a job set up."
"Where to and is it legal?" Dylan put the flexi down and reverted to full Captain mode.
"Rochester Drift, and yes, it's legal, otherwise Rafe wouldn't have asked me to do this."
"No."
"It's my ship."
"It's called going AWOL."
"Dylan!" She sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk, irritated. "All I need is a few weeks off duty. Tyr, too. We'll be back before you know it."
He offered up a protest. "What about the baby? You're four months along. A lot can happen in a month. Trance will want to keep track of the progress. And in your case, the risk-"
She cut him off. "There's always a risk. It's just a little higher in my case, but not enough to worry about. Besides, there are doctors at the drift. It's one of the better ones."
The captain tried one more time. "The New Nietzschean Alliance could start to cause trouble. What will I do without two of my senior staff?"
Beka shrugged. "The same thing you always do- improvise." She smiled. "So, can we go then?"
Dylan waved his hand in her direction as if bestowing a blessing. "Go, but be back as soon as you can. And be careful!" The last words were shouted at her back as she left.
Outside, Tyr and Rafe leaned on either side of the door, eyeing each other suspiciously. They still hadn't gotten over their mutual distrust. They snapped their attention to Beka when she came through the door and beamed triumphantly at them. "Gentlemen, we leave in the morning!"
****On to part 7.
****