ude aircraft to just a system-capable spacecraft--it took Terra less
than a hundred."

"That was fortunate for you," Corina said with a touch of pique.
"Otherwise Terra would be an Irschchan subject world rather than the
center of a growing Empire." Then her tone grew softer. "But I was
raised an Imperial citizen, and I am glad of it. If the Academy
accepts me, I will be able to travel, always finding out new things . . .
meeting people of all races and species . . ."

Her voice trailed off, and Medart was struck by the sudden enthusiasm
and warmth replacing her normal controlled formality. No, he mused,
she'd never be happy in a society as static as Irschcha's, even as a
member of its ruling elite.

She was quiet now, gazing wide-eyed into nowhere, and Medart decided to
try his new ability. He sent a faint, wordlessly-questing thought at
her, and was rewarded with a mental image she had of herself. She was
clad in Imperial Navy service blue with an ensign's stripe, standing on
the bridge of a ship. The vessel appeared to be much smaller than the
Chang, and it was highly imaginative--didn't correspond to any actual
class--but he got the feeling it might be a courier or perhaps a scout.

He withdrew, letting the picture fade from his mind. So that was her
dream. She could achieve it easily with her ability, of course, and
more . . . yet what a waste it would be. Anything short of the Rangers
would be a waste as far as she was concerned, but he knew he couldn't
force her into that decision. There were compensations, sure, but it
was still a tough job, one that had to be taken on willingly. He could
and would use all his powers of persuasion; he could not and would not
use any form of coercion.

He'd been turned down once before, which had been disappointing--but
Corina's refusal would be worse. He wanted to make her accept the
Empire's need of her, its desperate urgency to make the best possible
use of such outstanding minds--especially, now, a non-human's. Linda
Ellman might have found it easier to persuade the young Irschchan, he
thought. She'd said Steve Tarlac had had a similar lack of
self-confidence when she'd recruited him. But that was nothing but idle
dreaming; this was up to him, not to Linda.

He shrugged, then said, "Sir Corina?"

She shivered slightly, returning to reality. "Yes, Ranger?"

"It's almost noon. Why don't I call Sunbeam, then you two have lunch
and get her to show you the