THE DOOR SLID shut behind Teth, trapping him with his mother. Captain Winstead's office was small, occupied only by her cluttered desk, a stout filing cabinet, and a chair like those one would find in the mess hall. Teth tried to keep his face neutral, but the anger in his chest threatened to bubble over.

"Sorry to take you from your friends," Jude said, her mouth trying to find the missing link between a grimace and a smile. "You've all made excellent progress in a short time, and ...