“Thank you, I think that will do it,” Surit said, and Tennal jumped, but Surit was only turning toward him with the sort of cast-iron optimism he’d shown last night. “Shall we go and find our unit?”

“I wasn’t planning to do anything else with my morning,” Tennal said, then when the ranker looked confused, added, “sir.”

They left Basavi focusing on her workstation with renewed determination and made their way back through the docks to the living habitats. “They did see your order to muster,” Tennal said, in case Surit really was too good for this world. “I saw it on someone’s workstation. They’re skiving because you’re new, and they think they can get away with it.”

“I guessed,” Surit said neutrally. They stepped onto the lift platform to the residential level. “I had the same problem before. The small ships aren’t exciting, particularly when they’re not attached to a mothership, and everyone wants a break the moment they dock. But keeping order is important.” He looked up something on his wristband and set off purposefully down the corridor. Tennal had to hasten to keep up.

“You went pretty easy on that ranker,” Tennal said. Surit had been much more patient than Tennal would have been.

Surit sighed. “I checked her work,” he said. “She’d been running all the assigned maintenance scans. That usually takes three people. I don’t see any point in dressing down the one member of the unit who seems to be genuinely working. But she shouldn’t have been left to cover that shift by herself; that’s against the safety clauses.”

“Is it?” Tennal said. “You know, when I said ‘wow them with the regulations,’ I didn’t mean for you to take that literally.”

“The regulations are there for a reason.” Surit looked at his list, then at the door in front of them. “Let’s start with this one.” He put out his hand to give his bios then glanced at Tennal and hesitated. “Maybe I should do the talking on this one. It will make it easier for you to integrate.”

It would, but that just made Tennal want to do the opposite. That was a bad instinct, though, so he bit his tongue and leaned against the wall of the corridor. “Oh, I won’t interfere, Lieutenant,” he said. “I am agog to see how you handle this.”

Surit flashed him a quick, undeserved smile, which threw Tennal, and buzzed at the door.

The ranker inside had clearly taken the opportunity for a quick nap. “Good morning!” Surit said in stentorian tones. He waited just long enough for them to wake up in confusion, then clapped them on the shoulder. “I’m very sorry you’re unwell. Health of Soldiery paragraph forty-two says if you are too physically exhausted to carry out your duties, you need to be seen by medical personnel. Shall I get someone?”