A Matter of Honor

went to the Palace roof where Medart's lander waited. Reaction h

as, this was a space-going vessel of the Imperial Navy, something she'd thought lost to her forever when h

. "Your first time aboard

, Ra

orbit hop, and you'll get a good view from there." He turned to his bodyguard, wh

... this goes across your lap, and these two over your shoulders, all to the

ent hopes of attending the Naval Academy had led her to study anything she could fin

denly have them back- once she'd given the Ranger what help she could, of course-was almost too much to believe. And

was easy at first; she had seen enough holoshows to be familiar with the green sky's darkening, becoming black as they l

to be Ranger Medart's ship. Tiny-seeming at first, it grew

eter in diameter, and massed on the close order of eight hundred million tons. But pictures and statistics couldn't convey the emotional impact of actually seeing one at clos

trols, allowing the beam operator to settle the lander to the deck while hangar doors closed behind them. As soon as his gauges s

er. Precognition was no part of her Talent, though, so she attributed the sensation to her surroundings, familiar from pictures but

she would fit in yet, but she did know she would have to. This ship was going

from the eagle on his collar, Corina knew he was the ship's captain. There were seve

cial assistant. She won't have any formal Navy rank, but I want her quartered in a senior officer's cabin, preferably near mine. Have someone see to that,

urned to Corina. "Before I

3-2048," s

and entered an intra-ship shuttle, on

ok, then turned to one of the offic

old bar for collar insi

tice. Get her a cabin and anything else she nee

th a wide smile. "If you'l

ead. "I appear to be

tch. And you heard the Captain, I'm not standing watches any more, thanks to you. I really do mean thanks-I was supposed to go

od of words, but Sunbeam didn't seem to notic

hchan standards, quite informal, sometimes to the point of appearing rude. But they did not inte

st, then we can eat, if you're as hungr

ngry," she agreed, as they entered one of the elevator-like cubicles that pro

worry about it, Chang handles the intra-ship communication

e voice replied. "

of Irschcha. Ranger Medart wants her ass

is," the ship-comp repl

e us there,

. Is there a

tha

ng o

e not a member of the ship's crew, so until Ranger Medart or Captain Hobison say otherwise, that and comm patches are

d. "Deck Three North, Ring

. "If this was the Academy, I'

go to the Academy when th

fierce expression. "All

her decks are numbered away from that, south being toward the drive pod, north toward the bow. The Bridge is at the center of Deck Zero, fully protected. The rings are numbe

uite by the book, but you're close, and you've got al

o a cool-looking green corridor before Corina replie

t of the first year easier. But don't get used to this-cadet quarters aren't anywhere nea

A panel labeled "Ship's Services" covered one wall above a table which had an L-shaped extension housing a computer terminal and

torage and fabricator were both built into the wall across from the bed. A door in the wall opposite the divider proved to lead to a sm

she was to spend some appreciable amount of time on this ship, it would be in such pleasant surroundings. A yello

m said. "We're in Condition Ye

a battle station, so I would remain here u

here. So unless you need something else..." Her voice trai

to wash it off before now. Excuse me for a moment, please." She left, returning wi

last. "And that'

and hastened to say, "I do not think I should

"He comes back from convalescent leave early, brings you along-wounded-as his special assistant, puts the ship on Condit

talk about it, but no, they do not hurt. The burn just singed my fur a li

what say we go eat? You could have a meal right here, of course," she indicated the service panel, "but it's more fun to eat with others. I usually go

e always talked this much, Sunbeam managed to eat. App

d hit him on the way up to the Chang. Corina Losinj was important, both to the Empire and-on a very personal basis-to a certain James Medart. His hunches were seldom specific, so he did

bison entered. "Ev

all the Palace, your personal code. We should be getting

ss from the man who'd captained his ship for the past twenty years.

an, gray-haired man wearing a Ranger's uniform with the Imperial S

ute. "What is it, Jim? You wouldn't be

h from the probe of Entos and from Corina, watching the E

Order's never given us any trouble before, so they were entitled to their privac

he can, sir, as I said, and that

ions since they're bound to be targets. You're on-scene; do

he and his people haven't left the planet already, they'll

. "This isn't going to look good, especially to the Traiti. I promised them they'd keep their own government so they could stop fighting and join the Empire, an

er one of the only two non-human governments-they may see i

d briefly. "Jim, do you think your hunch that Ms. Lo

, but I'll have to find out about the rest. Check her records, talk to her, see how she thinks- maybe give he

er. But even if she doesn't qualify, I think she deserve

ir. A Life

o reserve that pleasure for myself-here at the Palace, i

hold a Tribunal

ng on this mess. Out." The Emperor's i

n, hmm? From the timing, I'd say this Thark's just been waiting for th

e greedy, out for nothing but power-according to her, Thark's convinced the Order can rule b

ntentions don't make up

t the moment, I just don't know enough to make realistic plans.

But would you really ask her to joi

ize doesn't have anything to do with it. Sure I'll ask her, if I find she's qualified, even if I hate to wish this respons

politics, if

t growing for non-humans. It's a good thing, and it makes this an ideal time for that breakthrough. It'd proba

uld use a bit of vacation about

might as well brief all of us at once; can yo

ou want me to h

she's found Losinj a cabin and taken her to Mess Three.

t be sitting, rather; that noisy group on the far side of the room. He punched in his order- coffee and an

rine Lieutenant was saying. "Dig out a plot, escape from three cop

rt thought. Just the basics, most likely, so they'd let her eat,

eone else said. "That'd get one of us a medal. Sh

hing. "Take it easy! Can't you see

ed. "If I had enough rank, I'd call

rt wondered at times how he'd ever passed the psych tests to become an Imperial officer, with his near-xenophobia. Hmm, this was getting interesting-the anonymous young officer was going through with it, speaking the formula of knighthood as

pitching his voice so th

ushing, as the group noticed

did that well enough I don't see any need to r

s, sir. O

to mean what it seemed to-and yet the Ranger was perfectly serious, no trace of humor in voice or aura. "I

said, stressing the title slightly, as he took

s this what humans called "teasing"? She supposed it had to be; he couldn't seriously expect h

round humans long, she'd get over that! "You'd best finish your lunch, Sir Corina. And g

tion back to her meal, the milk and me

his senior officers. Corina took the opportunity to make a quick evaluation

could read nothing of him . . . as he should

short brunette, four or five kilos overweight but not fat.

ll and muscular, he wore Marine black with silver oak leaf rank

e who seemed uncomfortable outside her own medical center. No

dious looking, he didn't really stand out. Like Sherman, he was un

hite Order. "We're here to find out exactly how much of a threat the Order actually

what information you wish. Perhaps it

pecifically, what is this Talent we hear

he individu

start

epathy, of c

man broke in skeptically.

atisfaction." Corina turned to the Ran

volved; that's what you

fficer's unscreened mind. "You are familiar with the

proof of telepathy than yo

ish to distress you, but belief is essential. I have been aboard only a short time, not

an no

na paused, contemplating. "That appears interesting; I shall have to look into it. To

upted in a near shout. "I'm con

t, and by far the easiest to develop; all of the Order has it, in varying degrees. A mind screen or shield is almost as com

ur without telepathy? It coul

noticed earlier that you, Ranger Medart, and Captain Hob

y, muttering to himself, but Corina's hearing made his words clearly audible

ced herself to say nothing about it, responding instead to the Chief En

reen like that be gene

been attempted. There are those who would consider the electroni

se?" Med

ady mentioned, there is anything one can imagine being done by mind power rather than physical means, though few people have more than one such aspect, and no one has been reported with more than three. The rarest is precognition; I have not heard of an

kinesis?" Gr

btful, Corina decided she had best demonstrate that as well. But the con

the Colonel what I mean? It had best be light; as I sai

ched into a pouch on his belt, pulle

d you put it on t

ating, then the pad rose from the table. Apparently on its own, it circled th

softly, "If the Order can do all that, I'd say

more than I can. Still, their abilities do combine to

"but I doubt if it would be any good against armed, trai

ll, since Colonel Greggson appears unable to accept my word. Although there are many who equal or sur

get half a decade of your best troops tog

sed her. She wondered what she could have done to arous

t said, "then we can meet them in the gym. Do you re

I tried, I could defeat only two, neither of whom had a shield. On the other hand, I have been training with Thark an

is people are top caliber, or they wouldn't be on this ship-and

race's warriors. But I still believe the demonstration necessary; if one who is yet a student can make a respectable sh

aid. "But I don't envy you th

hich meant not discouraging her before she even got started. And she was right; the demonstration, whatever its out

guess about how she felt. Betrayed by her teacher, attacked and almost killed, then drafted and hauled into a whole new kind of life... she couldn't be exactly comfortable about the whole thing, but she was reactin

dn't care to let strangers know just how overwhelmed she felt by the day's happenings. At the moment she was going strict