Violence or a smart-ass reply would only hurt their position.
She was grateful for her restraint when she looked up to find Eurus’s speculative gaze on her.
“Attacking an inquisitor in the course of his duties is a violation of our laws,” Jarek interjected. “Roake’s heir set off Ta Sa’Riel’s defense network when she attempted to smuggle a plant that could have had a catastrophic effect on our ecosystem. Her companion shares many characteristics of a soul bound, yet when an oshota attempted to grant it the mercy of a release she intervened.”
That was a poetic way of describing murder.
“I recommend her name be withdrawn from the list of those nominated to participate in the coming adva ka,“ Jarek finished.
What was this? Did she hear that right?
The only person who could have added her name from Roake was Harlow, and he’d made no secret of how much he disapproved of her fast tracking her path to complete autonomy. He thought she should wait until she was fully healed and had a better handle on her ki.
Kira had disagreed.
“Her actions have demonstrated a lack of control and maturity that are concerning,” Jarek continued, unaware of the stir his words had caused.
Kira looked up at Harlow in question.
If she’d hoped for answers, she wasn’t going to find them in his expressionless features.
“Furthermore, I recommend the machine be taken into custody and destroyed,” Jarek finished.
It took effort but Kira managed to avoid reacting to the provocation, clenching her teeth as she remained quiet and still.
“Let’s take this in order, shall we?” Alexander reached into his jacket, withdrawing a tablet. He hit several buttons before an image of the space station appeared. “First, this is footage that proves the bog’s hag was placed on Kira’s ship without her knowledge.”
Alexander stopped the video, highlighting an image of the Wanderer’s hull that had no sign of the plant as the ship’s engines came online.
Several seconds later a crowd moved across the screen. One of their members knelt by Kira’s ship to touch a glass cylinder to its side.
Once finished, the man looked around before rising and swaggering away.
Seconds later a ship nearly clipped the Wanderer as it cut in front of her ship on its way out.
“As you can see, Kira is not responsible for placing the bog’s hag on her ship’s hull. She’s innocent. The responsibility for that lies with this man.” Alexander zoomed in when the crowd thinned, showing where the seed had attached to the ship’s hull, tiny vines already spreading along the gray metal.
“I cross checked it with the time stamp of our proximity alerts,” Jin said through their comms. “The timing fits.”
How convenient that a ship nearly collided with Kira’s at the exact moment when the bog’s hag was being placed.
Somehow, she didn’t think that was a coincidence.
It was a well thought sleight of hand. Distract her with a near collision so she’d attribute any alert to the more obvious explanation.
Kira had fallen for it too.
Eurus looked over at Graydon. “Have your people identified the culprit?”
“They have. He belongs to House Ithor. A minor House on the outskirts of the Talut sector. From what his House members claim, he was a fringe member that few knew well,” Graydon said. “I sent people to pick him up as soon as we had a name.”
Eurus’s gaze shifted to the empty seats beyond Graydon. “And? Where is he?”
“Dead,” Graydon answered. “Someone ripped out his heart.”
ten
“You’re not that someone, are you?” Jin said into the sudden silence.
