A silence as everyone considered the implications of that.
Tatiana was the first to speak. "That is indeed unfortunate. NightStar is one of the leading families. As well as the favors they've done us, the income they control with their various alliances gives us a large portion of our tax revenue."
"Is it possible to remove Anthony NightStar from the equation?"
"Not without attracting the unwelcome attention of several other top-tier families." Nikita usually preferred the clean approach, but it would only cause more problems at this point. "I'm sure everyone understands why we don't want any additional scrutiny right now. We've had two recent incidents." First Enrique and then the Gradient 9 telepath who'd escaped his handlers before being found near a college campus in Napa, his mind permanently compromised.
"Would you care to explain yourself, Shoshanna." Marshall's words weren't a question.
"Someone had to make a move. We should've acted against Faith the second she dropped out of the Net. There was no reason to wait."
"There was every reason." Nikita closed her mental file on the NightStar Group. "She was deep in DarkRiver territory when she cut the link. Have you forgotten that piece of Enrique you got on your pillow only months ago?" The leopards and wolves had announced the former Councilor's death by sending flesh and blood souvenirs to the rest of them.
"If they were going to use what they know, they would've done so by now," was Shoshanna's answer.
"Or they could be sitting on it until it provides the biggest impact." Kaleb sounded nothing like a newcomer, the very reason he was Council. "They were right in this case - they had no need to tip their hand. None of us can argue that their point wasn't made."
"They might've taken out six men, but they won't be able to destroy a squadron," Henry responded. "We go in full force, pull her out, and destroy anyone who attempts a retrieval."
"Dental imprinting showed that a single cat executed all six soldiers." Ming broke his silence. "It was confirmed by three different M-Psy. Only one had fired a weapon. We were unable to check for the use of offensive psychic weapons - their brains were too badly crushed."
Chapter 27
"It seems that Henry's assertion is incorrect," Kaleb stated. "They could conceivably take out a squadron."
"Faith NightStar isn't worth the loss of so many highly trained men, especially as she's agreed to provide her services through her family group." Ming's glacial mental voice again. "These men are worth millions, both in terms of their training and the work they do for us. Added to the income we'll lose if the businesses implement their tax strike, it's an easy equation."
"We can't allow the changelings to keep getting the better of us." Shoshanna clearly had no intention of conceding defeat. "How does it look if we lose two Psy within months and the most recent was a candidate? The populace is starting to talk."
Kaleb cut into the small pause. "We say she ran when it became clear I had no intention of leaving a rival alive."
"Perfect," Nikita agreed. "F-Psy are known to be mentally weak. A few well-placed rumors will shred her credibility."
"We need to know how the leopards are keeping the two women alive," Tatiana said. "I've heard of no unexplained changeling deaths since Sascha's defection and if she were feeding off them, there would've been at least two by now."
Nikita conceded the other Councilor had a point. "They must have discovered a way to skirt the biofeedback issue."
"I don't think it's that big a problem." Marshall's razor-blade mind. "If they had a foolproof method, we'd have lost more than two."
"I'll put some of our people on it nonetheless," Tatiana said in response. "If we break the connection keeping Sascha and Faith alive, we wipe the issue off the slate."
No one was in opposition.
"Then it's agreed, we don't move on Faith NightStar," Kaleb stated with Tk arrogance, turning against the very Councilor who'd supported his initial nomination. "Any member who moves unilaterally will face eviction from their post."
"You have no right to make that call." Shoshanna's psychic presence was icy with control.
"But we do as a unit. You and Henry appear to be the only ones who disagree; therefore you're in the minority." Marshall, the voice of experience, a Councilor who'd survived many others.
"He's correct." Tatiana. "Faith NightStar cannot be touched."
"I agree." Nikita added her vote.
"Then we have no choice. We concede to the majority." Shoshanna spoke for both Scotts and if there was something a fraction eerie in the way she and her husband moved as one to leave the Council chambers, the Councilors were not close enough to their instinctive core to understand.
"We need to increase security for Councilor Duncan," Kaleb said to the remaining minds.
"There is no need." Nikita had no desire to be seen as weak by any member of this Council. Especially not the newest recruit.