Free No Honor in Death by Eric Thomson

presented for inspection showed signs of wear, but as advertised, were fully functional, just like the heavy battlesuits.  Pushkin followed her everywhere, taking notes on his personal computer, never dropping his scowl, but never making a comment. When the tour was complete, Siobhan turned towards Drex.
    "Excellent turn-out, Lieutenant."  She deliberately said the compliment loud enough for the bosun and her mates to hear.
    "Thank you, sir.  The rest of my department will be ready within two days, sir.  I wanted to present the security division now, so I can assign the bosun's mates to other tasks after your inspection.  My full report is in the ship's log."
    Siobhan nodded.  "Very well, Mister Drex."
    The Second Officer, Pushkin and Dunmoore left the weapons' locker and Pushkin excused himself.  Engineering still needed his undivided attention.  Eventually, Siobhan was going to have to ask him exactly what was going on that required his constant presence.  Alone with Drex in the passage, she glanced at him sideways, eyes narrowed.
    "Tell me, Mister Drex, you're a mustang, aren't you?"
    "Aye, sir.  Used to be Cox'n in the Baikal .  Heavy cruiser."
    "How long since you got your commission?"
    "Three years, sir.  Captain made me an officer when she was paid off. The old Baikal took it bad at the battle of Torrinos and had to be scrapped.  I came straight to the Stingray .  She was a good ship, the Baikal .  Damn shame it is."
    "I know the feeling.  I was Second on the Sala-Ad-Din ."
    "One hell of a battle, sir," Drex nodded.  "Lost a lot of good ships and spacers then."
    "You came aboard the Stingray before Commander Forenza?"
    "Aye, sir.  Cap'n Yuan back then.  He got his fourth stripe and went on to command the cruiser Nairobi .  After that..."  He shrugged.
    Siobhan sensed a reticence to speak about the more recent past and decided not to push, yet.  But she was disappointed.  She thought Drex might have been the one officer on board whom she could ask about Forenza's time in command, but it appeared not.  It couldn't be misplaced loyalty to her predecessor.  Not a former Chief like him.  The 'why' was beginning to gnaw at her fiercely and she repressed her frustrated curiosity with a lot of difficulty.
    "If you'll excuse me, sir,"  Drex came to attention and saluted.
    "Carry on, Lieutenant."
    As soon was she was alone in the bare corridor, Siobhan felt the fatigue of the long day seep into every muscle, and a ghostly throbbing in her skull reminded her of Luttrell's words.  The second dog watch was almost over and she still had a pile of reports to sort through before going to bed.
    When she entered her cabin, she was surprised to find the bed made, her clothes put away and a small coffee urn chugging in the corner.  She hadn't ordered anyone to do her housekeeping and felt a momentary stab of irritation.  Then, she frowned and turned the computer terminal towards her.  A few queries answered the question who.  Her clerk, Kery, had taken it upon herself to play Captain's steward.  Was it an attempt to curry favour, or something entirely different?
    Siobhan spent the next two hours reading reports and making notes in her personal log.  Judging by what she'd seen and read so far, it appeared that only Luttrell and Drex had maintained their particular departments up to a decent standard under Forenza.  As she already knew, Engineering was a disaster in the making, with Navigation and Supply not far behind.  Signals and Gunnery she couldn't tell from the reports, and left a note for the First Officer to have Devall and Kowalski re-do them.
    At six bells in the evening watch, Siobhan gratefully stripped off her uniform and slipped between the sheets, wearing nothing but her birthday suit and a neural inducer.  It was to be her first night without reliving those terrible haunting hours on the Victoria Regina .
    She fell asleep almost immediately in the peace and solitude of her quarters.  All