Captain Bennett was somewhat annoyed, to say the least. First of all his regular supply route had been disrupted and he’d been ordered to an obscure moon to pick up … something, and now there had been a fight amongst his crew.

“So what started it?” he asked, staring at the five men, each sporting an assortment of cut lips, black eyes and other injuries. “Well?”

None of them seemed inclined to admit responsibility. Bennett looked at his first mate, standing to one side, his arms crossed.

“I don’t know, sir. Everything was fine, the meal was finished, and it … erupted.” Tyzack seemed almost apologetic.

Bennett sighed. “Someone must have thrown the first punch.” He glanced at the smallest of the men, a split above his eye still bleeding slightly. “Hannigan. You don’t usually get into trouble. You must have noticed who started it.”

“No, sir,” Hannigan said, trying to stand more or less to attention, but failing miserably because his ribs hurt like hell.

“How about you, Rykel?” Bennett tried the opposite end of the spectrum, looking up into the face of the largest of his crew, who didn’t appear to have any facial injuries himself, but whose knuckles suggested he had been the cause of some.

“No, sir,” the big man rumbled, almost making the decking vibrate.

“If no-one admits being responsible, I’ll have no alternative, you do realise that?” Bennett scanned his crew irritably.

“Yes, sir.” Hannigan spoke for them all.

Bennett didn’t speak for a long minute, just glowering at his men, then he sat forward, picking up his pen. “Fine. You will each be docked one week’s pay.”

“But Captain -” Rykel began.

“Care to make it a month’s?” He glared at them. “I won’t have brawling on my vessel. And I will make an example of each and every one of you if it happens again, do you understand?”

There was various noddings and mutters of acceptance, then they filed out.

“And get to the infirmary. I’m not having any of you reporting sick because of this.” Tyzack closed the door behi