A Matter of Honor

riptions as a combat practice module, its walls opaque from the inside. To her dismay, there was an audience; off-duty crewwens lined the gym wall

as by far the most dangerous. The pale-eyed, dark-skinned blonds from Subsector Sandeman were the product of major genetic engineering, particularly their warriors. They had a number of advantages over standard humans, but the only ones she needed to worry

o need to defeat her; she would do it to herself. Calm and control, as Valla and Thark h

ve stunners, not blasters, so... Sir Corina... won't be hurt."

ermination under his scorn. "No, thank y

. "Get off her back, Colonel," he said. "You can join

You've just gotten word of an intruder, probably armed, and you're checking the ship." He turned to Corina, touching a control beside the module's entrance. When the walls turned

lit into two pairs, with the fifth person keeping several meters behind to back up whoever needed it. Her best bet, if they separated widely enough, was to take out one pair and the backup, then th

n unpleasant shock. Three were totally unshielded, and Dawson's screen was so weak it would offer him no protection-but the fifth had a shield as tight as any she'd ever felt. She shook her head in brief amazement. Four shielded humans in the p

she learned from Dawson that he was the Sandeman-was coming down the main corridor. There was no way she could defeat them conventionally, but she had known that from the begi

to make visual contact unnecessary, she wasn't sure she could concentrate well enough without it. Considering the circumstances, however, it was

n, then his loss of consciousness. It was easy to repeat the process with the unshielded three, and it was good to know that her training had been so effective-but

He stopped just short of the cross corridor, then entered swiftly, in a crouch, his stunner ready to fire-but he was looking to his left, away from her, and that gave her t

ve advantage, Sir Corina," he said. "With abilities and reflexes like that, y

Sandeman ethnocentrism, and knew he meant his words as a compliment, so she said, "You do me honor, warrior. I

owers that were only legend until you

ave painful headaches when they wake,

ked up the powerpack, replaced it in the stunner, and

cour

remove the power-pack from my stunner? I would have e

s, and saw Ranger Medart approaching. When he joined t

tly against his mind; were it weaker and this not an exercise, I could break through, injuring or killing him. However, even the best shield does not protect from physical effects, so I was a

at what sounded like she might be attempting mild humor. "If

ed the corridor facing right instead of le

"You can go back to whatever you were doing, L

Nevan bowed to C

quickly and with so little apparent effort. Her demonstration didn't make the actual threat any worse, of course; it just made the magnitude of that threat a lot more apparent. The White Order was a small group comp

ld be wearing the badge. It was a demanding job, but he enjoyed the challenges, and so would she if she had what it took-which he found himself hoping she did. "That

milk he offered. He had sounded quite somber when he had mentioned the demonstration, and had been silen

ny thought to what you're going to do with your li

nger. I suppose I will return to my original ambition, which was to attend the Imperial Military Academy; being

e of ideas on that line myself, so I'm naturally curious, but I don't need to know right this second. You'r

ve about her future?-but all she said was, "I than

I've seen." Medart seated himself, taking

quiet life. Afterward, I received training in how to use it, as well as going to tertiary school. Though my Talent was late in developing, it was

nking more about things like how you get along with your f

ary, was supporting me until my initiation, as well as providing tuition for my advanced schooling. I remain grateful for that, despite what I now know of them. My

out othe

t I have trouble associating with others, because I do not. More and more, however, I find myself reactin

d to maintain impartiality. "Don't let it," he advised. "I feel the same way most of the time myself;

. "I did well enough to receive conditiona

Test Week on my worst enemy. Emperor Chang, query the local

p replied. "It may tak

will be fine

ecided she had to ask. "Why

, at least for now, and I need to know

han normal about a simple assistant-especially when he had mentioned having a couple of ideas about her life-plans.

l Sunbeam up here, get her to take you to supper, then both of you relax for the evening? We can talk more once I've gone through

o hours on the sleep machine gave him the equivalent of a good eight hours' rest, though, and by 0100

her and making plans for the day. First thing to do was check her records, then report his finding

accomplished its mission; the slot held a hard copy of Corina's records, complete with

nly flaw he could find was in her psych profile; it showed a lack of self-confidence. Medart wondered at that, because she certainly didn't

itting in one position too long. His next step, he decided wi

nications mode. It was 0800 by ship and Palace time; the Emperor would be in his office

e appeared within five seconds. "Mo

e but not spectacular-her teachers attribute it to boredom from lack of challenge, even in the advanced classes-and she's a generalist. Independent work is widespread and good; she did one paper on Imperial administration that should

smile. Then he turned serious. "How many potential Rangers are we m

would miss, even on Irschcha. Anyone with the right personality pattern is certain to try for the Academy, and that degree

much we can do about that, though. You're sa

he demonstrated them very convincingly yesterday afternoon." Medart described the previous day's exercise in fu

said. "If Chang made a

idn't order one, but somebody

ercises taped for analysis, Range

ou. Meda

s attention returned to Medart, he echoed the Ranger's headshake. "I see what you mean, Jim.

of self-confiden

over that. Ask her to think it over, at least. It's possible

y. We need to get more information from her, and we also have to do some planning. H

she lived in, she's probably still asleep; that'll give me a chan

talk to you again a

t half reading it and half sunk in thought. Her lack of self-confidence was the real problem, all rig