Tigh said tightly, even as he worried. “What is it?”
“Your lady, sire. She was brilliant! She left one of those little floating recording devices at the scene in stealth mode. We have retrieved it and downloaded the footage. Sire.” Xeer stopped walking to face Tigh. “It was Gruber.”
Tigh saw red for a moment before he managed to calm himself enough to speak. “Gruber? You are certain?”
The bastard responsible for the virus that had killed so many in both galaxies. Gruber was the one war criminal Tigh had searched for and been unable to find. He was a thorn in Tigh’s side, having been behind the attempt to subvert his ship on its way home from peace talks with the humans. If not for Ginny and her crew, Gruber would have derailed that, as well. If evil had a name, in Tigh’s opinion, Gruber was it.
“I saw his face on the camera. He was definitely commanding the force that took the women. You can even hear him speak, and we have voice-matched the recording with our files. It was definitely him.” Xeer began walking again, following in Tigh’s tracks as he paced toward the hangar with renewed determination. “Sire!” he called. “Tigh!”
Xeer’s use of his name turned Tigh around. It had to be pretty important to get Xeer to forget the new protocols that Tigh insisted he didn’t like and didn’t need but that everyone around him seemed unable to relinquish. Xeer had his attention now, and he came closer, lowering his voice to keep their discussion as private as possible.
“Tigh, there had to be an accomplice—or many—on the inside. Gruber had the codes to the air car and was able to jam coms and fire through shields that should have held off anything up to, and including, a nuclear warhead.” Tigh’s blood boiled as Xeer’s words penetrated. “Whatever you’re planning to do, choose your wingmen and crew wisely. Only those you trust implicitly. There are, without doubt, rotten apples among us.”
“I’m trusting you to figure out who they are,” Tigh said, between gritted teeth. “I’m giving you authority to investigate anyone and anything within this palace and its grounds. Run it to earth, Xeer. Find out who has betrayed me and arrest them. Do this for me while I find my mate.” Tigh reached out to put one hand on Xeer’s forearm, impressing on the warrior how important a task Tigh was giving him.
“I will not let you down,” Xeer pledged. “I knew you would want to go out and find them, which is why I directed everyone to meet you in the hangar.” Xeer smiled just a bit, and Tigh had to shake his head.
“You know me too well, my friend.” Tigh resumed walking. “Who is everyone?”
“The Velkir’s crew, and the remainder of the men who traveled with us to human space, for a start. Jurdan sent some warrior priests along with the ladies. I believe they’re readying the Phenix, even as we speak.”
The Phenix was the emperor’s personal warship. Small but fast. Light but sturdy. It was designed to allow the emperor to either escape the palace, should all other defenses fail, or to join in the fight as highly specialized strike battleship with minimal crew. His men could handle it. As could the ladies, he now believed, if given half a chance. Tigh decided to let them sort out who would control what station aboard the ship. They probably already had.
“Bring them back, Sire,” Xeer said in a low voice.
Tigh noticed the emphasis in his friend’s voice and remembered that Xeer had seemed particularly impressed by Krysta. Tigh knew it wasn’t just his own future at stake here, but Xeer’s as well.
Tigh paused to meet his friend’s gaze. “I will bring them all back. This, I vow.”
Xeer nodded. There was a great deal of emotion in that simple gesture, but there was no more time to waste. Tigh kept moving. He had to find them and bring them back, not just for himself, but for Xeer and for all jit’suku.
Xeer stayed behind with his guardsmen as Tigh mounted the ramp that led into the Phenix. He climbed up to the bridge and came upon a well-ordered group of people—males and females—working together to prepare for launch.
Tigh spotted Jimnai Burk sitting in the nav position. He’d been the first officer during the trip to human space, and Tigh trusted him implicitly. Hansa was standing next to Henny, over by the weapons consoles. It looked like he was showing