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That’s what it is
here, Nova. You’ll only make it worse for yourself by reporting
it.”
    “ I am not putting up with
this!”
    “ Then get a transfer out of this pit.
What are you doing out here, anyway?”
    Nova dropped her forearm over her eyes.
“Bellac wasn’t exactly on my dream sheet. I want to get to Targon.
I need the creds for that. And places like these are the fastest
way to get them. I knew it’s a pit. Just didn’t think I’d have to
watch out for our own people, too.” She moved her arm again to peer
at the doctor. “Did they get to you?”
    “ They tried. I made some noise about a
few cases when I first got here. Some comments were made. I got the
message.” She sighed. “I’m not a soldier, I’m not an officer, and
I’m not a pilot. I’m probably a coward. Once I have a few more
points I’m out of here, too. Back to Siolet where they know how to
run a military hospital. I stitch them up when they lacerate
themselves and I don’t get in their way. You’re a target and
they’ll keep at you until you know your place.” She fussed with her
recorder and did not look at Nova. “I’ve seen it again and again.
Sometimes I think this place is more like a prison than a military
base. You get along or you get out, one way or another. Not
everyone gets hurt, but it’s the main routine. They don’t have the
smarts to find other ways to make your life intolerable.” She
tipped her head toward the door. “I had a chat with Lieutenant
Tonda earlier. Somehow I don’t think you’re the sort that’s easily
intimidated. Admirable, but not likely to make your tour here all
that much fun.”
    Nova grimaced. “Not exactly a vacation, so
far, anyway.”
     
    * * *
    “ Whiteside! Step in here.”
    Nova nearly jumped off her metal bench when
the base commander stepped into the hall to bark at her. He ignored
her salute and returned to his cramped work room. When she followed
she saw that she was alone in here with him. No other officer was
there to take her deposition, no Doctor Soren, no peer witness to
the proceedings. Just Major Trakkas, looking like he wished she’d
never come onto his base.
    “ Sir,” she said, standing stiffly
beside the data console where he had taken a seat. The rest of the
room was lost in murk and clutter.
    The Centauri officer scrolled through a few
screens of information before turning to look at her. She ground
her teeth when his violet eyes travelled slowly all the way down to
her boots before moving up again. “I read the reports, Whiteside,”
he said.
    “ They were filed three weeks ago, sir,”
she pointed out. Three weeks of lewd remarks, speculating glances
in her direction, whispered conversations, hostile looks and
outright ostracism by some of her fellow soldiers. The only time
she had felt at ease at all was among her wing, in the air, doing
her job. The major finally summoned her only after, reluctantly,
she had asked Captain Dakad to move the case forward. At least
Beryl was on a mission to one of the Rim towns and she had not seen
him since the night of the attack.
    “ I know what day it is, Lieutenant,” he
snapped. “This is a war zone. I have more burning issues than
figuring out why you can’t keep your door closed at
night.”
    She gasped. “Sir?”
    He waved his hand in a dismissing gesture.
“What do you want, Whiteside?”
    “ What do you mean? Captain Beryl
assaulted me. Raped me.”
    “ He says you asked him into your room.
That you like it rough.”
    Nova felt her anger rise and reminded herself
to stay calm. The last thing that would help her now was to give in
to her temper. “You know that isn’t what happened,” she said
evenly. “No matter what he told the rest of the base.”
    He observed her for an uncomfortably long
time. “You think it’s your job to stir things up here, Lieutenant?
Wave protocol and policy under my nose when I have hundreds of
Shri-Lan crawling like lice through civilian zones? We can’t tell
the