Jin Kol's smile is thin. "The IGC has been concerned about the Spire's... experiments in human elevation for some time. Your employment of humans in sensitive positions required investigation. This terrorist attack simply provided the catalyst we needed to prove what we suspected.”
"So Eve is what—a convenient scapegoat?"
“No, she's a collaborator who chose terrorism over the law." He adjusts his formal robes. "The fact that you're emotionally compromised by a human only proves how dangerous these progressive policies have become. Human women may be equal under the law but clearly wield powers that are not yet accounted for by the law.”
I don’t have a chance to say anything else as Eve is marched out, her chained jewelry making a mockery of music with each step.
Outside the VIP box, the arena crowd is in chaos, some calling for blood, others demanding answers. Somewhere in the lower levels, Terra Ka operatives are escaping with two of the most valuable pets in the galaxy.
And Eve—our Eve—just became the IGC’s sacrifice for everyone's lies. And it’s my fault. I couldn’t protect her. I brought her here, trained her, and I underestimated her.
I force myself to think logically. I can blame myself later. I call on my Security Chief. "Report. Everything."
"The breaches were precise," he admits, pulling up holographic displays. "Terra Ka knew exactly which tunnels to use, which securityrotations to avoid. Emergency exits seven through twelve were compromised simultaneously."
"From the inside," Lorian states.
"Had to be. The access codes used were... administrative level." The Chief looks uncomfortable. "The same codes Madame Eve would have had access to, although the Starlight Array cannot pinpoint any one person at this time.”
Of course they can’t because Eve is far cleverer than any of us.
"How did they get the pets out?" I ask. “Their teleportation device was blocked.”
"Maintenance shaft Q-7 .”
Of course, it leads directly from the arena's substructure to the landing bays.
“They had a ship waiting; it had legitimate clearance codes. By the time the lights came back on, they were already past the orbital perimeter. They made a risky jump to an unknown location.”
“The man we’re holding as Gael?”
“Dead. Killed at the same time. We’re still trying to retrieve the erased records.”
I feel something crack inside me. Not just the plan falling apart. Something deeper. The realization that Eve played us all completely. That every tender moment, every surrender, every whispered confession might have been calculated.
No, it can’t be.
I make eye contact with Lorian and he’s wondering the same thing.
I remember her face every time we all made love. The way she came apart in our hands. She loved us then. I know she did. And the way she just looked at me now, she still loves us.
Which makes this a billion times worse.
"Clear the room," I order, barely able to keep my anger in check.
The Security Chief hesitates. "Sovereign, the trainers are demanding?—"
"Clear. The. Room."
They file out, even Aefre, though he shoots me a look of pure venom.
When Lorian and I are alone, I sink into a chair, suddenly exhausted.
"She saved a pregnant woman," I say quietly. "Eve couldn't let a child be born into slavery."
"It's more than that," Lorian confirms, looking through his IC. "The medical records show systematic alterations. Not just hiding the pregnancy, but disabling tracking windows, adjusting sedation schedules. She planned this meticulously. She knew we were using her. But…” he pauses, “She didn’t give them everything. She betrayed them too.”
"Of course she did. She's brilliant." I laugh bitterly. "We chose her because she was brilliant."
