“What are you talking about? Evidence about what?” Director Shiperii asked with a perplexed look on his face that was mirrored by everyone else in the room.
Markus found himself leaning forward a little as his mind tried to wrap itself around this new development. What in the universe sort of evidence did anyone have against Adar?
The Commander continued, but this time he sat a little straighter like he was about to be vindicated for what he had done. “I was shown images of the ship’s registry that Aragon Remeer used to escape with the Empress and young Prince Adar. It was the same ship that was stolen by the Fazha Rebellion twenty years ago from a Vanguard shipyard, and it shows a clear connection between Remeer and the Fazha. I know that might not be straight up evidence that Prince Adar is working with the Rebellion now, but he’s been gone a long time.
“What do we really know about him? What has he been doing all these years? And where does his true allegiance lie? He wasn’t even back a full week and he discredited one of our own, and in doing so stripping the Emperor of his Protector. It does not bode well for our future gentlemen, or his intentions toward our Empire.”
Markus blinked at the Commander like he couldn’t quite believe what the man had said, and from the looks on everyone else’s faces, they seemed to be having a difficult time digesting it too. Adar in league with the Fazha Rebellion? Or even Aragon for the matter? That didn’t seem likely. Aragon might have crossed a line when he had taken Adar from the White Palace, but that didn’t mean he’d cozy up with zealots and terrorist, nor Adar for that matter.
Besides, Markus had been there when pavi had helped Aragon and Leeta orchestrate their escape from the Empire, and never once was the Rebellion mentioned in any capacity. Though to be fair, Markus had been too preoccupied with helping his friend recover from the ordeal with his brothers to catch many details at the time. Now Markus wondered exactly were his father had gotten Aragon’s ship. And if this information might implicate his father in some way.
Yavit.
Markus eyed his old man, but the King’s face had gone to stone like usual. An awkward silence had set up residence in the room with Shiperii and Dexter fidgeting in their seats. It was clear they didn’t know what to do with this new information and it made them uncomfortable to even address it. Markus looked back toward pavi as his heart thundered, and a twinge of panic twisted inside. After twenty years was the Nador secret going to finally come out?
Pavi’s cold voice finally was the one to respond to Jordem. “The loyalty and actions of Prince Adar is none of your concern, Commander. Neither is what happens between the Emperor and his family. If the Emperor deemed any information important to the public about his returning son, he would have released it. Our Emperor is also a wise man with the power of the Perception Dome-ni at his disposal. Do you really think such a man would be hoodwinked with the sort of conspiracy you mentioned?”
His father paused for a moment to take a breath, but Markus suspected it was more about a thought of what he would say next. He also noticed the stiffness in the man’s shoulders like the King was bracing himself. It was the only sign that his father was agitated.
“But for the record, the Emperor knows of the ship that had been stolen by the Fazha, and then later used by Remeer to make his escape, because I was the one who’d discovered that little piece of news. I also told the Emperor that it was further determined that the ship had been stolen from the Fazha by pirates, which was sold on the black market and was purchased by Remeer. But I bet the person who supplied those images you saw left that part out.”
Markus had to hide a smirk. He should have known better than to worry. Naturally, his father had it all well in hand. That he’d long ago covered his tracks in procuring Aragon’s ship. And had already presented it to the Emperor like the information was something pavi had discovered in an investigation. And to top it off, he’d managed to make Jordem look like a complete fool.
Though it seemed someone else had already gotten that ball rolling by playing up the ship being stolen by the Rebellion, but conveniently leaving out the information about the ship being stolen from them and then being sold on the black market. It was exactly the underhanded kind of thing Zorren would do, of course. And Jordem had readily stepped in that trap because he had been too upset about what had happened with Hame to verify the evidence he’d been shown.
That realization was finally settling on Jordem as he as he looked up to the King with disbelief. “That can’t be right. I was told––”
“You were told what you wanted to hear so you would do what the person who sent you that information wanted. But then that probably wasn’t a hard sell, you seemed to have already made your mind up about the Heir,” his father replied coolly.
“But the Fazha knew where to find the Prince,” the Commander said in a weak attempt to justify his actions.
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“Which has since been determined that the Fazha received from an anonymous source. You are looking for collusion where none exists, Commander. And quite frankly, as a senior officer at the Protectorate, I would have expected better of you. Did you not even think to verify this so called proof you received, or were you so eager to make Prince Adar the bad guy because of what happened to Hame that you just didn’t care?
“Let me make this as clear as I can. Prince Adar Zahn is the Emperor’s chosen Heir, which means, the Prince demands the respect and honor of that station at all times from every citizen of the Empire, including myself. And if, for some reason, the Prince does something, or has done something, that might question his integrity, then and only then, it will be a matter for the Emperor to address.
“It does not matter what you might think of him personally, or even what you might suspect about the Prince. Unless you have irrefutable proof that he’s actively working against the Empire or the Emperor, and even then you should present it to the Emperor first before acting, then Prince Adar Zahn should receive only your utmost loyalty and cooperation.”
The entire room stayed silent after the cold and hard tone of his father was long finished with his reprimand, which Markus knew he had done for Dexter and Shiperii’s benefit as well. Pavi had wanted to make sure to quell any more hard feelings or rumors against the Heir at least in the command structure of the College. They all needed to be on the same page moving forward if they were going to help Adar. The silence was heavy in the room and no one seemed eager to follow up the King’s censure. Well, almost no one.
“So you didn’t have contact with anyone but Master Meh-len? Did he say if he was working with anyone else? You implied a they when that so-called evidence was shown to you.” Markus asked from his position on the wall. Director Shiperii gave Markus an irritated look for speaking, but he let it pass as he too turned to Jordem, expecting an answer.
The man shrugged. “Meh-len was the only one I ever talked to, and I might have assumed he was the only one in on the attack, but he did let slip a few times that there were others involved. Though, he never revealed names.”
“Walk us through your meetings with Meh-leh,” Shiperii asked.
Jordem turned his attention back to his blood stained hands. He visibly swallowed, and then spoke.
“In our first conversation, Meh-len convinced me to help in his plan and showed me the evidence against the Heir. That’s when I transferred the power grid shut off code to his unity ring. After that, we only had two other conversations. Each one had to do with making some adjustments to special assignments for the new Cadet class, but he wouldn’t tell me why.
“He also wanted to know if anyone else had been working with Nador in the Heir’s abduction. The last I refused to give any information on, because I was still upset about what happened to Haxley. Meh-len claimed Haxley’s death wasn’t planned. That the Pledge didn’t want to cooperate and there was a fight. Whether that was true or not, I still refused to give any names. I wasn’t going to risk any more of my people’s lives.
Director Shiperii looked like he had more to say on the matter, but pavi interrupted by turning his full gaze onto Markus and speaking directly to him. “I think we have heard enough for now. Does that cover our deal? Will you now tell me where Adar is?”
Markus noticed the startled looks of Dexter and Shiperii, because last they heard, pavi was already supposed to know where Adar had been stashed. Markus had to grin. His father might have some explaining to do later. It seemed even brilliant masterminds slipped up on occasion.
“We still don’t know everyone who was in on the attack, because I am quite certain Meh-len didn’t mastermind it, and even Jordem thinks there were others.” And they still didn’t have evidence that Zorren had been in on any of it, even if Markus was sure he was the one who provided the “evidence” against Adar. And knowing Zorren, he most likely made it so that couldn’t be traced back to him. Yavit.
“I know that, son,” his father responded in a quiet voice, “but I think that Adar’s protection is the most important thing right now. Word about what’s happened here this evening will get out sooner rather than later, and any others that are a part of all this are going to be eager to tie up loose ends. How sure are you that Adar will stay safe in the place that you put him until we track down every single person responsible for the attack?”
Markus stood there for a moment chewing on that question. He didn’t even know if Adar was safe now. Once Markus had allowed himself to get caught, there was no easy way for Gayle or Kiev to get a hold of him if something happened with Adar. That part of the plan had bothered him, but he figured it had to be done if Markus wanted to get answers. And he had them, at least some of them.
And while Markus hadn’t gotten the evidence against Zorren that he wanted, he had managed to smoke out the traitor in Command, so that was something. And they’d apprehended the attacker on the chalet. Markus had also confirmed that Dexter, Foster, and Shiperii were trustworthy. Maybe he had done enough to at least provide Adar with a larger team of people that could be trusted with his security. At this point, it was probably a better solution than trying to hide his friend in a crowd.
“I need your unity ring,” put out a hand toward his father.
The man didn’t even pause as he slipped it off his wrist and handed it to Markus. He scanned his retina and waited for his network identity to be accessed, and then placed a call to Gayle.
It seemed to take forever to connect while every eye in the office stared at him in expectation, even Jordem. Finally, an enlarged image of a panic stricken Gayle projected itself in front of Markus. He didn’t even have a chance to say a word before she spoke.
“You need to get over to the residence hall immediately. We are at the barracks five washroom.”
That was all she said before her image blinked out, but it was enough to twist all his insides into a knot. Adar was in trouble. She didn’t have to explain which residence hall. They both knew he was a new Cadet. Markus threw the unity ring at his father and rushed for the door, hoping that he wasn’t too late to help his friend.