"Grace, give us the room."
Grace's lips flattened as she sent Raider a nasty glare before sliding past him. "I'll be outside if you need me."
"Hey, Gracie," Blue called with a sugar sweet smirk.
"Once again, it's Grace, Ensign Yuki Ikeda."
Blue's smirk widened. "Whatever you say, Gracie."
Jace steepled his fingers in front of him as the door shut behind Grace. "I must say that was quite the entrance. If you were anyone else, you'd be in a lot of trouble right about now."
"Good thing I'm not anyone else," Raider shot back.
Jace studied him. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't have you counseled for insubordination."
Raider's smile was sharp. "I didn't have the time for niceties."
"Oh?" Jace dropped his hands. "That's funny. I wasn't aware you had anywhere to be."
Raider planted his hands on the desk and leaned over it. "You need to let us and the Tuann go."
Jace's face hardened. "I can't do that."
"Raider—" Blue started.
He cut her off with a look.
She closed her mouth, chastised.
Raider faced Jace again. "I know I'm asking a lot, but I need you trust me."
The intercom on Jace's desk beeped. He held up a finger to signal them to wait before activating the channel. "What is it?"
"We're ready."
"Alright, let them in."
Jace rose, smoothing out his uniform jacket as the door to the ready room opened, allowing one officer and three lower enlisted dressed in the uniform of the ship's military police into the room. Grace followed at the rear, the look of victory on her face sitting ill with Raider.
"What's going on?" Raider asked.
No one answered as the military police surrounded Blue. Grace moved to the side, giving them room.
Jace walked around the desk. "I completed my investigation into the matter Kira shared regarding Rothchild."
Raider's gaze finally moved from Blue. "You don't mean—"
Jace nodded at Raider's questioning look. "This is one of the reasons I recalled you. I traced several unauthorized transmissions to the planet where Blue was attending military academy in the weeks directly prior to Rothchild."
Raider flinched, shaking his head once. "That could mean anything. A planet that size would have a population in the billions. Anyone could have been responsible."
Raider was reaching for straws and he knew it, but he couldn't bring himself to believe what Jace was telling him.
Blue wasn't just some person. She was Raider's honorary little sister. A girl he'd watched grow from an abandoned waif they'd picked up from a dumpster into a brilliant woman.
She couldn't be the one responsible. She'd loved the Curs more than anyone else.
This had to be a misdirect. The Tsavitee had done it before. They, or more likely their allies, had framed Blue to sow dissent or take her off the game board.
