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older man, then turned and walked out of the compartment as Shari put Ryman back to sleep.  He’d have at least two days of uninterrupted sleep before she woke him.  After that ...
     
    He can stay with us or go back to Sol , she thought, as she waited for the doctor.  I can arrange for free passage back to the Solar Union, if necessary.  He won’t owe us for that.
     
    She closed her eyes and accessed her implants, sending copies of her recordings to her senior staff.  They’d have a chance to review them before she called a staff meeting to decide what, if anything, they should do about the crisis.  There would probably be a long argument, Hoshiko knew, but she had no intention of allowing anyone to dissuade her from following her first impulse.  She had a duty to protect humans and humans were at risk.  Taking her squadron to Amstar was the only logical response.
     
    “Captain,” Shari said, as she emerged from the compartment.  “Captain Ryman will remain asleep for at least three days.  It should be long enough to purge his body and refresh his mind.”
     
    “Good,” Hoshiko said.  “And the rest of his crew?”
     
    “The daughter was raped,” Shari said, flatly.  “Thankfully, she had a contraceptive implant so there was no danger of an unplanned pregnancy.  Physically, she’s fine; mentally, she’s a little shaken up.  I’ve left her sedated, for the moment, but she will probably require a considerable amount of help before she’s fit to re-enter society.  It isn't just the rape, Captain; it’s the sudden awareness that her father was unable to protect her, that she could be just ... used ... that she could lose all control of her body.”
     
    Hoshiko shuddered.  Violent rape was rare in the Solar Union.  Between genetic enhancements, augmented strength, implant recordings and lie detectors, a woman had an excellent chance of fighting off a man, summoning help or - if nothing else - ensuring a conviction afterwards.  Besides, anyone who felt the impulse to get his or her kicks through violent sex games could find a willing partner on the datanet or simply lose himself in VR simulations.  But rape was prevalent on Earth, all the more so as society broke down and law enforcement agencies stopped functioning.  She’d heard enough horror stories to know that it wasn't safe to go into a city on Earth without powered combat armour and a marine guard.
     
    “Take care of her,” she said, firmly.  “Can we track down the rapist?”
     
    “Probably not,” Shari admitted.  “She cleaned herself thoroughly, Captain, probably more than once.  That’s not uncommon among rape victims, but it destroyed the evidence.  The only DNA I found on her was her own.  She may be able to identify the bastard, if she sees him again ...”
     
    “We can try,” Hoshiko said.  “And the others?”
     
    “Mainly tired, although the younger ones managed to get some sleep on the flight,” Shari said.  “I think they would have been in real trouble if the flight had lasted much longer, Captain - there’s a limit to how far genetic enhancement goes - but thankfully we caught them in time.  I’ve had them all sedated, for the moment; I imagine they’ll be glad of the rest.”
     
    “No doubt,” Hoshiko said.  They were citizens of the Solar Union, after all.  Protecting them was her job.  “And the refugees?”
     
    Shari’s face darkened.  “I haven't seen them personally, Captain, but I’ve been following the reports from the medics.  These people have been through hell .  They were half-starved before they were loaded onto the freighter and the food processors simply couldn't keep up with the demand for food.  I haven’t seen so many cases of bad nutrition and genetic problems since I was working on one of the intake asteroids, just after I qualified as a doctor and we were getting yet another flood of refugees from Earth.  I’d be surprised if some of the children