Princess Kris Longknife is Viceroy, repesenting the Royal United Society to the alien Alwans. She commands a battle fleet in orbit and leads a major industiral effort to support that fleet. She's got a lot of people working with her . . . and they'd like some vacation time. Better yet, they'd like a stake in the planet Alwa that they're defending. They want homesteads. That means land, and Kris Longknife is very sensitive to her own Native American roots. No way will a bag of beads be traded for an islant while she's in command.
Thus, Kris finds herself negotiating with the Kicking Birds who don't want money and don't really need anything. Problems loom large when someone takes a pot shot at her.
But it's all must another day at work for Kris Longknife.
These four chapters were cut out of Kris Longknife - Unrelenting when the book went long. Now you can enjoy this 7,600 word story.