Her Commanders - M.K. Eidem Page 0,70

shook as Jamis slammed his fist down on it.

"Only to expel Erewhon," she said in a rush.

"Erewhon?" Jamis’s eyes widened in shock. Erewhon was a common recreational drug within the Coalition that helped a being relax after stressful shifts. It was popular because it was inexpensive, nonaddictive, and its effects wore off in under an hour. It was also generally smoked through a qalyān. "Explain."

"Wh… Whenever we launch a droid, I celebrate with a little Erewhon, and because I'm half Kanesh, I can't use a qalyān." She looked up to Jamis and saw he understood. Kaneshians became ill if too much moisture built up in their lungs. "So, I developed a dry delivery system."

"Using your replicas."

"Yes," she told him with a small smile. "I load Erewhon into the chamber where the explosive would normally go, then position the device so when activated, the Erewhon is disbursed into the air around me."

Jamis picked up one of the replicas and studied it. He was impressed by the level of detail in it. He knew bombs, partly from the studies required to enter the Coalition, but mostly because he was Apre, and they were taught destruction from an early age. "So, if you placed an actual explosive in these…?"

"It would explode as designed, but with such a small amount of explosive, the damage would be insignificant."

"Unless you pack material around it creating shrapnel," he told her.

"I hadn't thought of that," she admitted. "But I don't have access to any explosives."

"Did you ever explain any of this to your quarter mate?" Jamis asked, ignoring her assertion.

"To Oke? I, well, yes, I suppose I have, but she doesn't have access to any explosives either. She's just a worker."

"And your other quarter mate?" Jamis’s voice was deceptively neutral.

"Other quarter mate?" Ja's frown deepened at that.

"Khatun Masala," Jamis reminded her.

"She isn't my quarter mate," she immediately denied. "She's a friend of Oke's who needed a place to stay for a few dark shifts. Since I knew I'd be pulling doubles for the next standard-days, getting the next droid ready, I told Oke she could stay."

"You haven't been to your quarters lately?" Jamis asked.

"No, not for over two standard-days. I took quick rests in Engineering. My location thread will verify that."

Jamis didn't speak, just continued to look at Ja, knowing Taarig was already confirming what she'd said. When his link gave a specific ping, he knew she'd been telling him the truth.

"Did one of your replicas use actinic?" Jamis saw her swallow hard before she nodded. "Which one is it?"

Ja's eyes scanned the devices on the table before returning to his. "It's not here. Did they forget it?"

"No." With that, Jamis rose and left the room.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"You believe her," Taarig didn't make it a question.

"Yes. Ja wasn't there, but she's still complicit. I want these devices destroyed," Jamis handed him the devices he'd gathered back up in the bag, "after this is all resolved.

"I'll see to it personally." Taarig took it from him.

"I'll take the Iruphan next." When he walked into the next interrogation room, he watched the pink-skinned Iruphan lose nearly all her color.

"S… Star Base Commander," she stuttered.

Saying nothing, he sat down and waited.

"Why… why am I here?" she finally asked.

"Why do you think you are?" Jamis replied, revealing nothing.

Oke remained silent, and Jamis could almost see her weighing her options, trying to figure out a way not to get punished for what he knew she was a part of.

"It was all Vaine!" she finally exclaimed.

"What was?" he asked.

"Everything! The idea, the theft, the explosion."

"The one outside The Brink?" Jamis wanted her saying it on the record.

"Yes! Vaine was pissed at how she was treated, especially since she was a general's datter and Cali is just some rukking Earthan."

Jamis didn't react to Oke's words but inwardly raged that someone thought less of Cali because she was Earthan, even though it was why he refused to have a relationship with her.

"Continue," he ordered.

"She couldn't fly home with her tad, and no Captain would allow her to book passage on their ship, not for the few credits she had. They are all afraid of upsetting the Supreme Chairman."

"But you're not."

"Me?" Oke gave him a confused look. "Why would the Supreme Chairman be concerned about me?"

"You gave a being, banned from all Wik Corp establishments, shelter in your quarters. Quarters owned by Wik Corp."

"What? No!" Okie shook her head in denial. "While my quarters are in the workers’ area, my quarter mate is in the Coalition.