...it is becoming a theme, Petra notes, that this foolish contraption draws her attention to young women in some form of distress. Gaila herself is like no one that she's ever seen before, but - somehow she isn't the strangest thing here, and Petra steels herself to push past her shock at her appearance. It certainly wouldn't help.

"Cadet Gaila," she says, carefully, "is someone coming to help you?"