"You're right that it's complicated," she said slowly. "My contract with Belinta, to deliver the cargo that was aboard when your people boarded us, was a personal contract, not a Vatta Transport contract -within my discretion, but not committing the company to it. The company would honor it, had I been unable to fulfill it, but that's not the case. However, this ship is presently owned by Vatta Transport, and her crew-barring those I picked up here on Sabine Prime-are employees of Vatta Transport. So that portion of the settlement which pertains to the death of a crewman must reference Vatta Transport, Ltd. I can, as a Vatta captain, make a valid contract in the name of the firm-including a death settlement-but that is in

a different category from contracts for carriage." She paused. "I feel that the contract should cite a specific amount as death settlement for Gary Tobai-that is the part of the contract which must be with Vatta Transport, Ltd., rather than with me."

"It doesn't now, but it could," Colonel Kalin said. "I presume you

would then want a separate transfer for that amount?"

"Yes. It would make clear to the company that I consider the rest of the contract a personal one."

"Let's talk to Major Harris," the Colonel said. His eyes glazed slightly-his implant, of course. Ky wondered how much he depended on it in combat situations. His gaze returned to her. "He says that makes sense; he suggests one hundred thousand credits as the amount, and says a handwritten emendation, initialed by both of us, will be adequate."

That was about right, Ky knew. On Slotter Key, the standard scale of compensation for unintended death was graduated by age and expertise, but 100,000 covered most cases. "That will do," she said, mentally subtracting 100,000 from the total payment. It still left enough for the repairs she needed. She took the hardcopy of the contract, flipped through the pages, and wrote in the margin an addendum specifying 100,000 credits compensation for the death of crewman Gary Tobai, signed it, and slid it across to Kalin for his initials.

"Send that to Captain Furman," she said. "He is the senior Vatta captain here, and he will be best suited to receive funds due the company. I've already sent Major Harris the account information for my part."

Kalin cocked his head at her. "Captain, I begin to believe you are devious as well as competent. It almost sounds as if you're about to leave Vatta Transport..."

"No," Ky said. But her voice carried little conviction. She hadn't had time to think about it, and yet... Vatta offered her security, security and ease-as long as she stayed in the narrow lanes they advised.

Kalin leaned back. "You know, Captain, with your background- and considering your performance-you might be better suited for something other than a glorified truck driver."

"I seem to be suited for getting into trouble," Ky said, looking down at her hands. "Exactly." Kalin nodded. "You get into trouble, but then you get out of it-you survive, and you even prosper. You're not cut out for boring monotony. Just being thrown out of one military academy doesn't preclude going into the military, you know. We might even hire you." He grinned at her.

"Hire me?" Her gaze came back to him; her heart pounded. She could feel the heat in her face. "Why would you hire me?" "Let's see..." He ticked off points on his fingers. "One of my senior NCOs said you handled the boarding well; she wasn't surprised to find out you had a military background. You didn't panic when you woke up in a military sick bay-and yes, though you had meds in your system, I've seen people panic with those same meds onboard. You accepted the challenge of carrying an overload of passengers, and you coped with every emergency they supplied, including a mutiny. You can make quick decisions-and more important, the right quick decisions. You aren't squeamish. And you can kill at need."

And enjoy it came the response she did not want to reveal. For one moment she imagined herself in a Mackensee uniform, commanding a real unit... working up to command a real ship, a warship.

"I have a cargo to deliver," she said, trying to push that vision aside.

"I promised them." "Then you have to do what you promised," he said. He said it the way she felt about it, as much a fact as 9 x 3 = 27. "But think about it, Captain Vatta. If you ever change your mind and want to apply, get in touch with me." His gaze unfocused again, then refocused on her. "There. I've instructed Major Harris to make the transfers. That should be complete in a few minutes. I know you'll be busy working on repairs, but you'll be welcome aboard my ship, if you care to visit while we're here. Just call over and we'll set up a time. The officers usually meet for a half hour about 1800, before dinner."

Go aboard a warship again? She wanted to, and she was afraid that her desire showed in her expression. "Thank you," she said. "It will depend on how the repairs go..."

"Of course. It's been a pleasure, Captain Vatta." His handshake was military-firm; his expression the one she would like to have seen on her father's face, instead of that worried concern.

When Colonel Kalin left, she still had to face meetings with Sabine Prime officials and Captain Furman's representative; she didn't look forward to either.

Sabine Prime had sent a woman with the title of "Second Assistant Secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs." Unlike the ISC representative, Gillian Favor was a vivacious young woman who waved her hands a lot when she talked.

"We have several issues, Captain Vatta," she said. "I suppose you know that we are charged with administering the Universal Commercial Code, so we have to report on your handling of the passengers assigned you by Mackensee and the incidents which resulted in the deaths of... er..." She looked at a list. "Captain Paison, his mate, Captain Kristoffson, and your two crewmen. Then we also need to know what, if anything, you knew about the plot to blow up the ansibles before you left this station."

"I knew nothing about it-my first knowledge of the attack came when I tried to make an ansible call and the ready light didn't come on, and then the standby light went out."

"Oh, my. We certainly hadn't known you were making a call at the

time. Do you have the records of that?"

"No," Ky said. "My communications equipment, including the stored records, was damaged in the mutiny that occurred."

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, let's see. Now, you have some kind of records of the trip, don't you? The court will want to establish whether or not your agreement with the mercenaries qualified as 'cooperation under constraint' or not, and whether the treatment you accorded the passengers was in line with the UCC."

"Yes, I have those records. Do you need them in hardcopy, or do

you have a filedump where I can send them?"

"A filedump will be fine, Captain Vatta. Thank you. And let me just say, I am so impressed. I really admire you-"

"Excuse me?"

Favor's smile was brighter than ever. "I mean, I always wanted to

go out in space and have adventures, but I didn't know how... My family's always gone into government service. I really admire someone who goes out and does things."

Ky opened her mouth to say it was nothing much, and adventures weren't as much fun as they were made out to be, but Favor rattled on.

"I mean, I've been to the adventure resorts and things, you know, with mountains and snow and all that, but space... it really is different. When I think about you, all alone out there in the empty dark and cold and all and running out of food, it just gives me the shivers. I mean, I know I could never do it." That finished on a note of near smugness. She was clearly absolving herself of the need to move out of her own comfort zone.

"I suppose not," Ky said, instead of the half-dozen other things she wanted to say. She hadn't intended the sharp tone, but Favor stopped rattling and looked at her.

"I suppose you think I'm silly," Favor said.

"No," Ky said. "But I didn't get into this for the adventure."

"Really? Why did you, then?"

It was a reasonable question. "My family trucks cargo in space

ships," Ky said. "Like yours goes into government service."

"You mean-they just expected you to? It wasn't that you wanted

to get away, get out into space, see other planets?"

She did not want to talk to this person about her past, about her dreams. "Pretty much," Ky said instead. "And for the most part, it's not all that exciting. Seeing other planets, sure. But the rest of the time it's just business."

"Oh." Favor looked disappointed. "I suppose, if you're used to it-"

"Right." Ky was tired of this detour. "If you don't need anything else, I have other appointments, and it's getting late-"

"Oh. Of course, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-I was just interested, it

sounded so exciting-"

When she had twittered her way out, Ky shook her head. "I'm probably not being fair-"

"To think she's a fluttery featherhead? Possibly not, but she's a

good imitation." Quincy had come onto the bridge, and now shook

her head.

"And I still have to cope with Captain Furman." Ky let the resentment come into her voice there. Quincy looked at her.

"Didn't you apprentice on his ship?"

"Yes. It was not a happy experience."

"Apprenticeships rarely are. What's wrong? Is he still treating you

like a child?"

"Yes. You saw part of it. He's going to want to drag me back home like a trophy failure..."

"You need something to eat," Quincy said. "Garlan, go get her

something to eat." Garlan nodded and left the bridge.

Ky started to say You're not my mother, but her stomach growled and she realized she was feeling hollow."All right," she said, sinking back into the seat. "I am hungry."When they were alone, Quincy leaned forward. "Ky-is there more to that message your father sent?"

"Yes," Ky said. She felt her muscles tense and tried to relax. "Said he was sending a new implant out with a Vatta ship. I suppose that's Furman." She could hear the sharpness in her own voice. "I don't want to go back. I don't want to let Furman take our cargo to

Belinta. It's my job-my contract-and I'm quite capable of doing it."

"I agree," Quincy said.

"And I don't need the implant," Ky said.