This story covers the arrival of a fumble-fingered techie who isoppressed by his sergeant and ends up working for Dtimun in theHolconcom. Dr. Madeline Ruszel saves an old Cehn-Tahr soldier fromcertain death at the hands of a Rojok, and his inability to lead his kehmatemer,a bodyguard unit from the imperial Cehn-Tahr Dectat, puts Madeline incharge of the troops to lead them into battle against a superior Rojokforce. She and Dtimun square off after an unexpectedly tenderinterlude, when he replaces her aboard the Morcai with a younger, lessexperienced medical specialist and open war results. Ruszel will end upback in the Amazon Division as a captain, leading a commando missionthat may end her life.

Genre: Science Fiction