released to the press."
"What do Board of Inquiry findings have to do with you? You said you weren't even on the Perry when it suffered the damage."
"The BOI is why I haven't been able to come home since we arrived back on Earth. I had to be available for the hearings."
"Hearings for what? Did you do something illegal?"
"Um— no. But it's complicated. Come into the living room and sit down. I'll tell you everything."
Seventy-two minutes later, Sydnee wrapped up her story. Her mother had listened attentively to every word and somehow refrained from asking any questions until she was done.
"So, you shot two men aboard a diplomatic ship that had been attacked by rebels and disabled. Then you landed on a planet where rebels were living and attacked them in order to destroy their weapons. Then you fought them in a ground battle when they came after you, but in doing that, they killed the Marine in charge. Then you had to take command, and two more Marines were killed. Then you killed a rebel officer who was trying to kill you with a missile, you stole a Clidepp tug, and two fighters pursued you and tried to kill you. Then after reporting to your ship, you returned to the planet and were attacked by a giant sea monster. After that, you took command of a rebel destroyer and attacked another rebel destroyer that was attacking the Perry . Then aboard the Babbage , you put down an insurrection by rebels that broke out of their prison hold. Is that about it?"
"Pretty much. Except— I, um, injured my arm when we collided with the rebel ship."
"How bad?" her mother asked anxiously.
"Nothing to worry about. It's all healed now. It was just a dislocation at the shoulder joint. But they're going to give me a Purple Heart because it happened during battle. And, um, they're also going to give me an SC Star and a Bronze Comet medal for the other stuff I did."
Kathee Deleone sighed and shook her head sadly. "And here I thought you'd been safe and sound during the past year. You told me all you were doing was checking passports and inspecting cargo."
"That's the way it began. It all changed when a rebellion broke out in the Clidepp Empire. Until then I thought I'd die of boredom."
"You can't die of boredom, sweetheart, but you can die if someone shoots you or blows you up." Her mother sighed loudly before adding, "I'm almost sorry I begged Curtis to make sure you didn't go to Region Two. You were probably in more danger in that backwater sector."
"What? You begged Curtis to change my posting? Momma, how could you?"
"I'm sorry, honey. I was so fearful you might be killed in Admiral Carver's war that I couldn't stop myself."
"It wasn't Admiral Carver's war, Momma. She didn't want it any more than you."
"You can say that, but she's always right in the middle of any fight."
"That's because she's the best military strategist and commander we have. Smart political and military leaders have always put their best people in charge when war is forced upon us. I can't believe you begged Curtis to change my assignment."
"I did it for you, honey."
"Well, please don't do it for me again, Momma. I'm not a child anymore."
"I'm sorry, dear. I won't do it again. Are you going back out to that same border area, or are you going to try to get posted to Admiral Carver's command?"
"I can be more useful at the Clidepp border than in Region Two. I believe we're about to get overrun with war refugees. The GA Senate has ordered us to turn them back if they haven't been issued visas."
"That's inhumane. They're only trying to escape the war."
"We don't make the rules. I understand their plight and sympathize, but I can also see the plight of the planetary leaders who fear they won't be able to assimilate millions and millions of new immigrants. Immigrants need jobs, which in turn establishes incredible competition for available positions and lowers the wages of the entire workforce. A flood of immigrants always brings a flood of new or previously
"What do Board of Inquiry findings have to do with you? You said you weren't even on the Perry when it suffered the damage."
"The BOI is why I haven't been able to come home since we arrived back on Earth. I had to be available for the hearings."
"Hearings for what? Did you do something illegal?"
"Um— no. But it's complicated. Come into the living room and sit down. I'll tell you everything."
Seventy-two minutes later, Sydnee wrapped up her story. Her mother had listened attentively to every word and somehow refrained from asking any questions until she was done.
"So, you shot two men aboard a diplomatic ship that had been attacked by rebels and disabled. Then you landed on a planet where rebels were living and attacked them in order to destroy their weapons. Then you fought them in a ground battle when they came after you, but in doing that, they killed the Marine in charge. Then you had to take command, and two more Marines were killed. Then you killed a rebel officer who was trying to kill you with a missile, you stole a Clidepp tug, and two fighters pursued you and tried to kill you. Then after reporting to your ship, you returned to the planet and were attacked by a giant sea monster. After that, you took command of a rebel destroyer and attacked another rebel destroyer that was attacking the Perry . Then aboard the Babbage , you put down an insurrection by rebels that broke out of their prison hold. Is that about it?"
"Pretty much. Except— I, um, injured my arm when we collided with the rebel ship."
"How bad?" her mother asked anxiously.
"Nothing to worry about. It's all healed now. It was just a dislocation at the shoulder joint. But they're going to give me a Purple Heart because it happened during battle. And, um, they're also going to give me an SC Star and a Bronze Comet medal for the other stuff I did."
Kathee Deleone sighed and shook her head sadly. "And here I thought you'd been safe and sound during the past year. You told me all you were doing was checking passports and inspecting cargo."
"That's the way it began. It all changed when a rebellion broke out in the Clidepp Empire. Until then I thought I'd die of boredom."
"You can't die of boredom, sweetheart, but you can die if someone shoots you or blows you up." Her mother sighed loudly before adding, "I'm almost sorry I begged Curtis to make sure you didn't go to Region Two. You were probably in more danger in that backwater sector."
"What? You begged Curtis to change my posting? Momma, how could you?"
"I'm sorry, honey. I was so fearful you might be killed in Admiral Carver's war that I couldn't stop myself."
"It wasn't Admiral Carver's war, Momma. She didn't want it any more than you."
"You can say that, but she's always right in the middle of any fight."
"That's because she's the best military strategist and commander we have. Smart political and military leaders have always put their best people in charge when war is forced upon us. I can't believe you begged Curtis to change my assignment."
"I did it for you, honey."
"Well, please don't do it for me again, Momma. I'm not a child anymore."
"I'm sorry, dear. I won't do it again. Are you going back out to that same border area, or are you going to try to get posted to Admiral Carver's command?"
"I can be more useful at the Clidepp border than in Region Two. I believe we're about to get overrun with war refugees. The GA Senate has ordered us to turn them back if they haven't been issued visas."
"That's inhumane. They're only trying to escape the war."
"We don't make the rules. I understand their plight and sympathize, but I can also see the plight of the planetary leaders who fear they won't be able to assimilate millions and millions of new immigrants. Immigrants need jobs, which in turn establishes incredible competition for available positions and lowers the wages of the entire workforce. A flood of immigrants always brings a flood of new or previously
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