I ment to reply to this this morning but didn't... I remember reading Eagle's Egg in print years ago, though I don't know what book, or whether it was a stand-alone thing. One of the things that always stuck with me was Vedrix and Cordaella having the same hair though his looked like carrots and hers didn't. It's interesting what things stick with you because I had completely forgotten the single joke that's the core of the story!

And yes, it is very reminiscent of Eagle of the Ninth.