und by no
oaths. I am still free to follow my own paths."

"Uh-huh," Medart agreed. "Good thing for the Empire." Not as free as
she believed, he thought but didn't say. She had chosen sides, and it
was up to him to make use of that choice. Then he went on. "I still
need your help. As secretive as the Order is, we don't know much of
anything about this Talent you say they have, much less how to combat
it."

The intercom chimed before he could go further. Dawson answered, and
Medart joined him, looking into the screen.

"Lieutenant Edmonds, Duty Officer of the Watch," the caller identified
herself. "The head of the district Sanctioners is here. He has
extradition papers for Ms. Losinj, who is accused of assaulting a
Sanctioner officer. He also demands we release Entos."

"Send him in," Medart said, the casualness he'd assumed for Corina's
benefit vanishing. "I'll handle this myself."

"Yes, sir." The viewscreen went blank.

Medart turned to Corina. "Did you assault a Sanctioner officer?"

"That is a matter of interpretation," she replied. "I was on my way
here when they stopped me. They were taking me to Headquarters for
execution; I had to use Talent to knock one of them out so I could
escape."

"Self-defense, then, since you were trying to prevent a crime by
escaping." Medart took Dawson's place behind the desk, and the Marine
took position slightly behind and to the Ranger's right, standing at
parade rest. All three waited silently until the door slid open again,
to admit the Sanctioner chief. He wasted no time getting to the point.

"You have no right to interfere in purely planetary matters," he said.
"I must require the return of Losinj and Entos."

"You're wrong on two counts," Medart said coldly. "As a Ranger, it is
not only my right to interfere, as you put it, anywhere and anywhen I
see a threat to the Empire, it is my duty. Rebellion against the
Empire is such a threat, not a `planetary matter'; Losinj was acting
properly in defending herself to report that treason. She is guilty of
no crimes, which is not true of the ones who obstructed her.

"I am not particularly concerned about the ones who arrested her," he
continued. "They were obeying what they considered lawful orders from
their Baron, on his world, so punishing them would be unjust. Entos,
however, is guilty of attempted murder on Imperial territory. I have
both eyewitness and mind-probe evidence, so there is no doub