Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,166

think he’d seen him since they’d faced each other outside of the clinic in Zamek City. His mind summoned a dozen perky and silly greetings that he could have babbled out with false cheer, but no amount of cheer or feigning ignorance would work on the king now. Instead, he bowed his head—all he could manage from the pod—and attempted to look calm and competent. At least not terrified.

“Casmir Dabrowski,” Jager stated without preamble, “you are suspected of playing a role in the murder of my son Prince Jorg.”

Casmir blinked. Of all the accusations Jager could have made, that wasn’t one he’d expected. “I did not.”

“My reports say that your virus was used on ships chasing him and possibly on his ship.”

What? It wasn’t his virus.

“You’ve been at odds with the Kingdom since before you left this system,” Jager continued. “You had opportunities to right your wrongs by obeying, and you hared off to pursue your own schemes. Now—” his already cold voice grew even colder, “—you have arrived in my system with an invasion fleet.”

“We came to help Captain Ishii and the Kingdom with the blockade,” Casmir managed to say. “That’s all. Your Highness, you instructed us to raise a fleet.”

“I instructed Jorg to raise a fleet. You were instructed to build crushers and obey his commands, not to collude to kill him.”

“I did no such thing. Someone else attacked and boarded his ship.” Casmir didn’t look at Kim and didn’t bring up Rache—did he truly need to? Surely, Ambassador Romano or Lieutenant Meister on Ishii’s ship hadn’t missed the fact that the Fedallah had been there and responsible for that. How could they have?

“My Intelligence reports also inform me that this ragtag fleet from half a dozen other systems wants the meager few gate pieces that we managed to acquire. Meager few when it should have been the complete gate, but you thwarted us there too. You’ve been working against the Kingdom—against me—from the beginning.”

Casmir clenched his fists in frustration. How did he respond to that? He had been trying to distribute the gate fairly, not help Jager stash it away only for the Kingdom. He focused on the one thing that absolutely had no shred of truth to it.

“I didn’t kill Prince Jorg, Your Highness, nor did I ever plot against him in any way.”

“Captain Hammerstein of the Kestrel is going to take over the mop-up duty. I am personally going to arrest you and take you back to Zamek City for interrogation before your ultimate fate is decided.” Jager’s eyes narrowed. “If you resist the men I send over, or if you try to bring any allies along, including those crushers, your family will also be arrested, and their ultimate fate will become something we will decide pending yours.”

“I am Zee, Casmir Dabrowski’s bodyguard. I must accompany him wherever he travels.”

“No crushers,” Jager repeated.

Casmir was so numb, he didn’t know how to respond.

His family. This had been his fear all along. That his actions would put his parents in trouble. Why had he even come back? He could have sent whatever ships would help with Ishii and… and what? Stayed on Stardust Palace until some assassin came for him? Spent the rest of his life looking over his shoulder? He had to clear his name. But how?

Next to him, Kim’s fists were also clenched, fury stamped on her usually calm face. She looked like she was about to explode.

Don’t get involved, Casmir urged her via his chip. So far, he only wants me. He forced a quick smile. Let’s not remind him that you’re here too.

It’s ludicrous that anyone could think you had anything to do with Jorg’s death. If you hadn’t given Rache that virus, Dubashi’s ships would have gotten him anyway. That idiot sealed his own fate by pissing off everyone in that system.

“My flagship is sending a shuttle full of armored soldiers for you,” Jager said. “I repeat, since you’re so poor at following directions, you will enter it unarmed and alone. No friends, no bags of tools, and no crushers. You will order all of the crushers you created to obey me and my Fleet captains. If you don’t, they will be melted down and destroyed.” Jager glanced at some readout to the side. “The shuttle is on the way.”

The display went dark.

“Can you even do that?” Tristan asked. “Change who they obey with a snap of your fingers?”

“No,” Zee said firmly.

Casmir sighed again. “I could give them all temporary orders, but