machines use, your best to choose. I them told,
there so many humans are, you no choice have."

Tarlac nodded, surprised. "Right! Well, mostly. The comps don't
exactly choose; they just eliminate the ones who don't measure up to
the specs. Which, I admit, doesn't leave many. Then the Sovereign
checks the comp's choices, and sends a Ranger to invite the ones @
chooses. After that, only about a quarter of those who're asked to
join, refuse." His expression sobered. "I almost did refuse, almost
decided to go into the Navy instead of taking Linda's offer. I'm glad
I didn't. I'd've had more security, but a lot less challenge."

"Or danger?" Hovan was smiling.

"Or danger," Tarlac agreed.

Hovan's translation of that got a discussion going. The Ranger
remained silent, listening to the commandos and enjoying the musical
sounds of their speech. He felt oddly at ease, sitting open and
relaxed in the group of beings whose appearance was so sharklike; he
was well aware that in a similar situation with a human enemy, he would
have been anything but at ease. When Hovan turned back to him and
started to speak, Tarlac held up his hand. "About time for one of my
questions, isn't it?"

"Ask."

"There's something I don't understand. Granted, I'm here as
Fleet-Captain Arjen's guest, and I've agreed to take the Ordeal. But I'm
still your enemy. If one of you had come to us, 'persuaded' the way I
was, at the very least you'd have been disarmed and guarded, instead of
being given the freedom of the ship. For all you know, I could be
planning some kind of sabotage."

Hovan smiled. "That you such a possibility raise, shows you would not
it do."

"That's not always a safe assumption to make," Tarlac said. "In this
case it is, yes, and I'd like to think it always was--but I've already
told you most humans don't have a sense of honor like yours. A lot of
people would bring up that sort of objection just to lull suspicion."

"So much we have from prisoners learned," Hovan agreed. "But we have
also learned, from the tiny ferocious ones who themselves Sandemans
call, that Rangers only devious are when there no other choice is. And
you no reason for deception have."

"More precisely, we'll be misleading when it's in the Empire's
interest--which isn't often. And even then, we keep it to the absolute
minimum; people have to know that when one of us makes a definite
statement, it's binding." Interesting, Tarlac tho