Arjen felt unwilling respect for the human who remained so calm and left the initiative to him. "The Supreme and First Speaker ask, that you them on Homeworld join. I their invitation extend, and transportation offer." Tarlac appreciated the sharp irony of the so-courteous invitation, backed up by the outsized fleet. "They don't leave me much choice, do they?" "They truly none you leave, Ranger," Arjen said regretfully. "I do not these tactics like, but I must my orders follow." "Mmm. You have orders to destroy this ship if I refuse, don't you?" Willis swung to face him. "Ranger, no! You can't, you're too--" "Stop, you," Arjen interrupted. "This must his decision be. And he right is. If he does not with us come, my fleet will your ship destroy." "Why do you want me badly enough to violate that signal?" Tarlac asked. Even to the humans, unaccustomed to Traiti expressions, Arjen looked uncomfortable. "That had I hoped not to say, Ranger. The First Speaker says it necessary is, a Ranger to Homeworld bring. If I more say, it may your crew distress." He hesitated, then went on. "The Supreme's word you have, such a thing will never again done be." "Damned if I know why," Tarlac said slowly, "but I think you mean that. All of it. Okay, I won't ask. You'll release the ship if I surrender?" "We ask not that," Arjen replied, offended. "As our guest come, and your ship may freely go." Willis interrupted their dialogue. "Fleet-Captain." Arjen turned to her, inclining his head, and despite the discomfort that had led him to omit it before, addressed her with the formal honorific proper to an out-clan female. "I you hear, ka'naya Ship-Captain." "Ranger Tarlac believes you, so I'm forced to. But I'll also have to report to the Emperor. Why do you want him?" Arjen sighed deeply. Females in the human military disturbed him considerably, though he'd accustomed himself to the fact that they were included there--even in active combat--with no objection from the males who should be protecting them. And this one sounded like his Clan Mother. "Ka'naya Ship-Captain, please. Ask this of me not. It will you only hurt cause." "Don't worry about that," Willis snapped. "You have your duty, I have mine. Tell me." "As you wish, ka'naya." Arjen sighed again, this time to himself. She did sound much like Ka'ruchaya Noriy . . . He opened his shirt, exposing his massive chest. "See you these?" he asked, tracing the scars that ran from the base of his throat to just above his belt. "I see them," Willis said grimly. Similar scars, found on maybe ten percent of recovered Traiti bodies, had Imperial experts puzzled. They had to be significant, and deliberately inflicted--they were far too regular to be accidental--but no one had been able to venture a reasonable guess at what they meant.