“Well, Viman Rai was hardly a saint,” Shwaan muttered while setting water on the stove to boil. “I daresay he’d have approved of HAVA’s latest tactics, had he been around to see them.”
“You don’t like him because he tried to kill your sister,” Ruban countered. At Shwaan’s glare, he raised both hands in surrender. “And your feelings are a hundred percent valid. Not trying to diminish his crime, in any way.
“I’m just saying, he was a different breed from these white-clad cowards. At the very least, he really was willing to die for his twisted cause. He believed Safaa was the most dangerous vankrai still living. That her death would make it easier for earth to conquer Vaan. And so he was willing to give up his own life to take hers. Unlike HAVA, exploiting his death for clout,” he spat. “Shameless vultures picking at a long-dead carcass.”
“Well, let’s not forget the cameras.” As he spoke, Vikram tapped away on his phone. “Broadcasting his suicide mission on TV? There was a bit more to it than pure public-spiritedness, I’d say. He wanted the world to see his heroic sacrifice.” He paused, lowering himself carefully into the chair beside Ruban. “Perhaps part of it was to rally public opinion against Vaan. But the man loved the spotlight. Hard to believe there was no part of him that relished the spectacle, the glory of it.”
Ruban grunted. “Safaa’s own fault for letting the CXN crew off with their gear intact. I fail to see why she couldn’t order her minions to simply smash their cameras before sending them back home.”
Shwaan tsked. “It’s a good thing you’re not a politician.” He poured steaming tea into three cups, alongside two glasses of chocolate milk. “Without the footage from those cameras, we’d be left with only rumors and baseless speculation about what happened in Vaan.
“You think the situation is bad now?” he chuckled, placing the beverages on a tray along with a plate of homemade cookies. “You’ve no idea how much worse it’d have gotten, if not for the fact that we had video evidence proving Viman Rai was the first to attack. That our actions were mostly in self-defense.
“Despite that, you’re being accused of conspiring with the enemy. And I’m being accused of…masterminding the conspiracy, I suppose.” He handed one cup each to Ruban and Vikram, before summoning the children with a sharp whistle. “I’m still not too clear on what exactly it is they think I did.
“The crux of the matter is, there was no hiding the fact that Viman Rai was dead. And the allegations would’ve been worse if it looked like we were trying to conceal parts of the truth.” He batted Hiya’s hand away, foiling her attempt to grab the cookie plate and make a run for it. “The CXN crew were – are – loyal to Viman. Had we destroyed their gear, it’d only have provoked them to spread even more outrageous rumors. Short of killing them all, this was the only way for Safaa to maintain a modicum of control over the narrative.”
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Once the cookies had been divided equally among all present, Shwaan settled across from Ruban and Vikram, savoring his tea. Sri and Hiya perched on a pair of tall stools nearby, sporting identical chocolate milk moustaches.
“Was this Safaa’s idea?” Ruban asked skeptically. “It doesn’t seem like her style. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one in the Vaan court with a mind devious enough for such convoluted thoughts. So why not put all that cunning to good use? Help us figure out how Viman managed to sneak a reinforced sifblade into Vaan?”
Shwaan took a thoughtful sip of his tea. “That’s simple enough. There were twenty people in the CXN crew that accompanied Viman Rai to Vaan. Not counting Viman himself. And escorting all of them were just three Aeriels, including me.
“I personally searched Viman and his two producers. The rest of the crew were searched by the other two Aeriels, minutes before our departure from earth. But given that there were twenty of them and three of us, it was impossible to search everyone at the same time.
“So, when one of them was being searched, they’d simply pass the sifblade along to the next person. Ensuring no one had it on them during the inspection.” Shwaan paused for a moment, then continued contemplatively. “Very risky, of course. But not impossible, with a bit of coordination and practice. Especially because an ordinary news crew would never draw suspicion for something like this.
“Had it involved military figures like Rifaq or Unnati, that’d be different. Vaan would’ve been more alert. But the CXN crew were ideal for the job, precisely because they were wholly unqualified for it. They had no combat experience, no prior history of violence or lawbreaking. Nobody in their right mind would believe them capable of posing a threat to the Aeriel queen. And so they were the only ones who could.”
Ruban gaped at him. “You’re saying they were all involved?”
“It’s the most likely scenario,” Shwaan said, nibbling on a colorful spiral cookie. “If not all of them, then certainly most. There’s no other way Viman could’ve smuggled that reinforced sifblade into Vaan.”
“It’s been more than a week.” Ruban spoke through gritted teeth. “And you didn’t feel the need to share this bit of information with the class?”
Shwaan stared at him blankly. “Of course I did. I shared it with Safaa. And General Shehzaa, since she’s heading the investigation. And now I’ve shared it with you.”
“You know as well as I do the IAW is investigating Viman’s death,” Ruban snapped. “Half the CXN crew is currently in custody, as much for their own safety as for the sake of the investigation. You didn’t think you should—”
“Why would I poke my nose into an IAW investigation without being asked?” Shwaan interrupted. “It’s not like they’re falling over themselves to share their findings with Vaan. Anyway, if they’d asked me, I would’ve told them what I knew. But they didn’t, so the point is moot.”
Sensing the air thicken with tension, Vikram interjected. “To me, the more interesting question is – how did Viman get his hands on a reinforced sifblade in the first place? If we can trace that to its source, I think it’ll lead us to all those involved.”
Ruban exhaled heavily. Tearing his narrow-eyed glare away from Shwaan, he turned to Vikram. “Tell me you have a lead,” he all but pleaded.