Uhlis paused, long enough that a discreet rustle indicated uncertainty among the other students. "But the ensign did something right. Two things, in fact. He stayed alive, when it might have been easier to die. And he worked through his post-capture trauma properly, as his reactions just now proved."
A hand shot up on the far side of the room. "Sir—I don't understand."
"Lieutenant Marden, I presume?"
"Yes, sir."
"Kindly identify yourself next time. And haste, in this course, can get you killed. When you don't understand, wait. Be still. Listen. You might learn something that will save your life."
Everyone was very still; Esmay found it hard to breathe. Even Brun had gone immobile, she noticed.
"But since I was going to explain anyway, I will now. Ensign Serrano could, no doubt, have changed his captors' decision to keep him alive, by being too much trouble, while not able to escape. From my understanding, having reviewed his debrief, he had no real opportunity to escape. Therefore, his duty was to stay alive, if possible, by not driving his captors to kill him. This he did, enduring physical abuse without losing control, making no threats, being as passive as possible. Second, he cooperated fully with remedial therapy. Some rescued captives cannot face what they consider the shame of such therapy; although they cannot evade a minimum requirement, they do not cooperate, and do not receive the benefit of it. Ensign Serrano, by all reports—and of course most of this is confidential, so I have only the output summary—cooperated completely, and his therapists were convinced that he had no residual psychological deficits." Another pause, which no one interrupted.
"Some of you, no doubt, thought I was being rough on Ensign Serrano—sarcastic, critical. I was. I was testing for myself the validity of the therapists' report, before putting him through the trauma of this course, where any unresolved issues might make him a danger to himself and others. He passed my test. The rest of you . . . we'll just have to see about." Uhlis turned to Barin. "Ensign Serrano."
"Sir." The back of Barin's neck was no longer flushed.
"Congratulations."
"Sir." Barin's neck reddened again.
"I presume you've all read the introductory material for this class," Uhlis said. His gaze scanned the classroom. Esmay had, as usual, read beyond the introductory assignment, but she judged from the uneasy shifting of some classmates that they had not. Uhlis glanced down at his display. "Lieutenant Taras, please explain the legal difference between military capture and hostile seizure."
Taras had been one of the wigglers, seated two down from Esmay. She rose to her feet. "Sir, military capture is when a unit surrenders, and hostile seizure is when they're caught off-guard."
"And the legal situation?"
"Well . . . one is surrender and one is—being caught."
"Inadequate. I assume you did not read the assignment, is that correct?"
"Yes, sir." Taras looked deservedly wretched.
Uhlis looked along the row. "Lieutenant Vericour?"
Vericour stood. "Sir, I read it, but I am not sure I understand—I mean, it's clear when someone is kidnapped from a space station while they're on leave or something, as compared with the surrender of personnel from a damaged ship."
"Suppose you were sure that you were facing a situation of hostile seizure: what would be your legal position?"
"Sir, the Code says that I am to attempt escape by any means possible, assisting others to escape—"
"Yes . . . and what obligation do your captors have toward you?"
"If they're signatories to the Otopki Conference, which the Benignity of the Compassionate Hand and the Guernese Republic are, but the Bloodhorde are not, they are obliged to provide adequate life support and medical care . . ."
"Well enough. Lieutenant Suiza—" Vericour sat down, and Esmay rose. "Please define Ensign Serrano's situation in terms of the legal issue I've raised."
"Sir, although Ensign Serrano was captured on board a Fleet vessel, his situation is more like a hostile seizure than military surrender. Since the Bloodhorde are not signatories to the Otopki Conference, they acknowledge no obligation to captives under any circumstances, but Familias law still holds them responsible."
"Very well." Uhlis nodded; Esmay sat down, and he turned his attention to someone else. In a few minutes, he had determined exactly who had read the assignment, and who had not—and who was inclined to be hasty or foolish. Brun was one of the latter, not to Esmay's surprise. Uhlis had just called on her, and found that she had not read the assignment either, and had told her it was even more important for her than for the others.
"I don't see why," Brun said. Uhlis looked at her, a long considering look.
"Even a civilian, Ms. Meager, is expected to abide by the basic courtesies of the class. Please request permission to speak, and identify yourself, before blurting out your ignorance. Better still, listen a little longer and see if you can learn on your own."
Brun's neck reddened, and Esmay could see the tension in her shoulders. But she said nothing more, and Uhlis turned to someone else. Esmay could not relax no matter whose behavior was under his harrow; she almost regretted choosing this class, except that Barin was in it.
Esmay's next class was just down the hall. Barin was there when she came out of the door. "Lieutenant—good to see you again." His eyes said more. Esmay felt a warm glow, as if she'd stepped into a spotlight.
"Morning, Ensign," she said, being just as formal. She could feel Vericour's interested gaze on her back. "Glad to be off old Kos?"
Barin grinned. "They tell me they'll put me on a line ship after this—assuming I pass all the courses." In his tone was the confidence of someone who always passed his courses.
"You passed the hardest, back on Kos," Esmay said seriously. "And Uhlis knows it."
"I would have preferred things in the opposite order," Barin said. "Training before performance—though you did the same trick with command, only better."
Brun appeared suddenly at Esmay's side. "Hi there—introduce me, Lieutenant Suiza, to this most attractive young ensign. Unless, that is, you're keeping him for yourself."
Barin flushed, and Esmay could feel her own ears heating up. With an effort, she forced a smile onto her face and said, "This is Ensign Serrano . . . Ensign, this is Brun Meager." She didn't have to give a pedigree; everyone knew it.
"You must be Admiral Serrano's grandson," Brun said, practically shoving in front of Esmay. "I heard a lot about you—do you have a few minutes?"
Esmay didn't—it was time for her next class. She ignored the desperate look Barin gave her and abandoned him to his fate. If he couldn't handle one dizzy blonde . . .
But she had trouble concentrating on tactics, for the first time in her life. Brun was beautiful, in a way she had never been beautiful, and she had that ability to attract almost anyone. Even Esmay had liked her, in spite of disapproving; it was impossible, it seemed, to stay distant from her. Naturally she would like Barin—charming, handsome, talented—and naturally Barin . . . she yanked her mind back to the lecture, and realized that Vericour had noticed her distraction, which made it even worse.
She made it through class after class, dragging her attention back again and again from the thought of Barin and Brun. If this was what love did, she told herself grimly, no wonder they cautioned officers against it. Back on Kos it had seemed simple: her feeling for Barin made her stronger, more confident, happier—and her performance had soared. But that was the first burst of feeling . . . this was something else, not helpful at all. Was he having the same problem? Would loving her destroy his chances to be the officer he could be? She tried to think what her therapist would have said, but none of the phrases she remembered helped at all.
At the evening meal, she was hunched morosely over her tray when a chair scraped at her side.
"Lieutenant?" It was Barin. She felt something clench and release in her chest.
"Ensign," she said. She felt like crying; she choked that fee
ling back. "Barin—how was your first day?"
"Interesting," Barin said. He was grinning at her in obvious delight. "You're looking good. When Uhlis started in on me, I wasn't sure what to do—but then I figured out what he was driving at."
"I could have clobbered him," Esmay said, startling herself with the fierceness of that. Hunger returned, and she took a bite of bread as if it were Uhlis's flesh.
"No—" Barin paused for a spoonful of soup. "He was right, and I did make an interesting demonstration for the class. I would bet they don't have someone like me in every class—unless they import them especially." He looked thoughtful a moment. "I wonder if that's why I got this course. It's just devious enough—" He shook his head. "But you—I hear you've been taking one course on top of another. Are you getting any sleep at all?"
She felt her ears going hot, even though she knew it was an innocent inquiry into her health. "I'm doing fine, as long as I don't do much but study."
"Oh, I wasn't going to interrupt you," Barin said. "I know this is important to you. I just hoped—"
"I know," Esmay said, into her roast beef. "I'm just—you know it's been awhile."
"Ah." Barin ate some peas, then something orange that had probably started life in the squash family. "I saw you yesterday, when I came in. Going to some class—seems like you're getting along well with the other officers."
"Trying to," Esmay said. "All that you told me about the difference in cultures—it helps. Though I still catch myself about to apologize or explain far too often."
"Glad to be of service," Barin said. "I was going to ask—"
"Well," said a voice from overhead. "I hoped to find my favorite ensign for a dinner companion, but he's already engaged—"
Esmay nearly choked; Barin turned. "Hello, Sera Meager . . ."
"Brun. Nobody calls me Sera Meager or Ms. Meager but people who want to keep me from doing things. You don't mind if I join you, do you? I promise my watchdogs will keep a respectful distance."
"Of course," Barin said; he stood while Brun found a seat across from Esmay, exactly where Esmay did not want those clear blue eyes.
"How did the exam go?" Brun asked Esmay, with apparently genuine interest. "Administrative Procedures, wasn't it? Sounds deadly boring to me. Forms-filling, isn't it?"
"A bit more than that," Esmay heard herself say, with unmistakeable coolness in her voice. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Forms-filling is part of it, but then you have the decisions of which form, and to what office it should be sent. Filling it out correctly doesn't help if you've sent the wrong level of form, or sent the right form to the wrong office."
"Deadly boring. My sympathies. I hope my heckling you that morning didn't hurt your performance."
"No," Esmay said. "I did all right."
"All right being number one in the class. Don't hide your light, Lieutenant," Barin said.
"Good for you," Brun said. "Though I can't see you as a forms-filler, I suppose into every life a few forms must fall."
Esmay could not stay annoyed, not with that combination of interest and goodwill beaming at her from across the table. "I thought it was boring," she said. "But—it was a requirement."
"So you topped out. What I'd expect. Are you sure you won't come into Q-town, the both of you, and celebrate?"
"I can't," Esmay said. "The Tactics final is in two days, and our workgroup is studying tonight and tomorrow night."
"Well, then, Ensign—do you have a final coming up?"
"No, but—"
"Then you can come, surely? If you're not in Lieutenant Suiza's Tactics class, then she's not going to be spending time with you—not that she'd cradle-rob anyway."
"I'm hardly an infant, Brun," Barin said, before Esmay could say anything. "But yes, I'll be your escort . . . since your watchdogs will be along to ensure my good behavior."
Esmay watched them go with feelings not so much mixed as churned. She did have a Tactics study group meeting, but she had hoped for a few more minutes with Barin, in which she could ask him about his interpretation of the rules governing personal relationships between officers not of the same rank, or in the same chain of command. He had grown up in Fleet; he was used to the rules. If he thought there was nothing wrong, there probably wasn't anything wrong.
* * *
Barin eyed the Speaker's daughter as they walked through to the base gates. Dangerous waters, he told himself. Professional officers did not mix with Families; the shadowy aura of Undue Influence brooded over any such liaison. Still, common courtesy to a guest of the Fleet demanded that he accompany her . . . and her security detail.
He would much rather have talked to Esmay. They had things to discuss . . . and anyway, she looked tired, strained, and he wanted to help her, ease that strain. She had been trying so hard for so long; she was on the right track now, but . . . his fingers twitched, imagining the softness of her hair, the way he could soothe the tension from her neck.
"So . . . you knew Lieutenant Suiza on the Koskiusko?" Brun asked.
"Yes," Barin said, brought back abruptly from his reverie.
"Is she always so . . . stiff?"
"Stiff? She's hardworking, professional—"
"Dull," Brun said. But her mouth quirked.
"You can't mean that," Barin said.
She grinned at him. "No, I don't mean that. But I wanted to meet her, talk to her, and she's always so . . . so upright and formal. Not to mention that she never seems to stop studying. She's at the top in just about every class—what more does she want?"
"What any of us wants," Barin said. "To be the best." He was aware of his spine growing slightly more rigid, and wondered why.
"It's so different," Brun said, in a thoughtful tone. "I've been around Royal Space Service officers for years, and they're not like all of you."
Because they weren't really military, but that was not something to say when Brun was being trailed by six of the Royal Security's finest.
"I don't know why all this is necessary," Brun went on. "Professional competence I can understand, but the rules are ridiculous."
Barin managed not to snort. "What rules are these?" he asked instead.
"Oh, you know. All this formality in class—standing when the instructor enters, and saluting all the time, and everything divided by rank."
"There are reasons," Barin said vaguely; he didn't feel like explaining millenia of military tradition to a privileged civilian who was in a mood to dislike it anyway. "But if you don't like it, why did you come?"
"Admiral Serrano recommended it. Over my father's objections, in fact. She said I would benefit from the chance to develop my special talents in a controlled environment."
"That sounds like a quote," Barin said.
"You know Admiral—oh, that's right, you are a Serrano. So you also know Heris, I'd imagine?"
"Admiral Serrano is my grandmother; Commander Serrano is one of my cousins." No need to go into that.
"Well, then, we'll be friends," Brun said, taking his arm in a way that made him distinctly uncomfortable. "Now let's go have some fun."
Barin thought longingly of Esmay, hard at work no doubt in her quarters.
Chapter Three
Brun had developed a habit of stopping by Esmay's quarters every day or so, for what she termed "a friendly chat." Esmay did her best to be polite, though she resented the time it cost her, and even more the fact that Brun seemed to consider herself qualified to comment on everything in Esmay's life.
"Your hair," she said, on one of her first visits. "Have you ever considered having it rerooted?"
Her hair had been an issue since childhood; before she could stop herself, she had run a hand over it trying to smooth it down. "No," Esmay said.
"Well, it would probably help," Brun said, cocking her own gold head to one side. "You've got quite nice bones . . ."
"I have quite a nice lot of work to do, too," Esmay said. "If you don't mind." And was not sure which was worse, the insults or
the casual way Brun slouched out, apparently not the least offended.
One evening, she arrived with Barin, who made some excuse and left, casting a lingering glance that Esmay wished she knew how to interpret.
"He's nice," Brun said, settling herself on Esmay's bunk as if she owned it.
"More than nice," Esmay said, trying unsuccessfully not to resent Brun's proprietary tone. Just what had Barin and Brun been doing?
"Handsome, courteous, clever," Brun went on. "Too bad he's only an ensign—if he were your rank, he'd be perfect for you. You could fall for him—"
"I don't want to 'fall for' anyone in that sense," Esmay said. She was uneasily aware that her ears felt warm. "We're colleagues—"
Brun cocked an eyebrow. "Is Altiplano one of those places where no one can talk about sex?"
Her ears felt more than warm; her whole face burned. "One can," she said between clenched teeth. "Polite people, however, do not."
"Sorry," Brun said. She didn't look, or sound, very sorry. "But it must make it hard to talk about people, and to people. How do you indicate . . . preference?"
"I had none," Esmay said. That sounded bad, even to her. "I left my home world quite young," she added. That wasn't much better, but she couldn't think of anything that would help.
"Mmm. So when you met attractive young men—or women—you had only instinct to help you." Brun buffed her fingernails on her vest, and examined them critically. "And they say the men are the inarticulate ones."
"You—that's—rude."
"Is it?" Brun didn't sound concerned; she sounded arrogant. "If it seemed so to you, I'm sorry. I didn't intend it that way. We don't have the same rules, you see."
"You must have some," Esmay said. Whatever they were, they didn't match Fleet's—or Altiplano's.
"Well . . . it would be rude to discuss the grittier bits with someone who was not a friend—or while eating."
Despite herself, Esmay wondered what Brun might mean by "grittier bits."
"And," Brun went on, "it would be rude to comment on someone's genetic makeup as revealed in their—I'm not sure what term wouldn't offend you. Body parts? Equipment?"
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