Rank, Class And Species

Rank becomes complicated in an aristocratic society. In the Terran mission on Starkad, Admiral Enriques commands five thousand men, including Commander Max Abrams of Intelligence and Ensign Dominic Flandry. Then Lord Hauksberg arrives on a fact-finding mission from which he will report back to the Emperor. However, Hauksberg first proceeds to Merseia with plenipotentiary authority to negotiate the protocol of an agreement. Abrams accompanies Hauksberg as an expert on Starkad. Flandry accompanies Abrams as his aide. As a nobleman, Hauksberg holds a reserve commission equivalent to captain which was automatically activated when Abrams was posted to him. Thus, Hauksberg is Flandry's senior commanding officer as long as the latter is Abrams' aide.

Flandry flees back to Starkad accused by Hauksberg of capital charges:

high treason;
mutiny;
desertion;
kidnapping;
threat and menace;
assault and battery;
theft;
insubordination;
etc.

On his return to Starkad, Flandry adds:

not surrendering himself;
creating dissension between the Empire and an associated country;
imperiling his Majesty's forces;
resisting arrest.

Enriques ranks Hauksberg formally and in certain procedural matters. However, the latter holds a direct Imperial mandate which empowers him to negotiate temporary agreements with Merseia that become policy determinants. Thus, Enriques is ordered to allow the Merseians to search Imperial ships for Flandry.

The issue is complicated by inter-species interactions. The Terran mission to Starkad is to help the land-dwellers. However, the Tigeries recognize personal, not collective, loyalties. Loyal to Flandry because he had defended them from attack, they protect him from his fellow vaz-Terran. Enriques must come to Flandry in a house surrounded by armed Tigeries. Flandry introduces Vice-Admiral Juan Enriques of the Imperial Terrestrial Navy to Dragoika, captain-director of the Janjevar va-Radovik. Enriques bows as if to the Empress.

When Enriques sends a squadron to check Flandry's allegation against the Merseians, Flandry in good faith travels on the squadron, temporarily re-attached to Enrique's command, the charges against him held in abeyance. Dragoika, not sharing Flandry's good faith, insists on accompanying him on behalf of the Sisterhood. Flandry is appointed liaison officer and told to keep his pet savage out of the way. He pretends that she has astronautical knowledge and should be kept informed, thus gaining for both himself and her communication with the bridge.

Finally, when the Merseian plot has been exposed, everything must be covered up. Therefore, all the charges against Flandry must be dropped.