Page 28 of Nova Academy

‘It is my understanding that your room is close to theirs?’ he asked.

‘Yes, sir. Right next door.’

‘Good. Your teams will be working closely with one another from this point forward. You will be their first line of defence, and their assignments are now also yours. You will find your new schedules on your holo-tab.’

He turned his back on us, a clear dismissal, but there was something I still wanted to know. ‘Sir, how long do you think the investigation will take? Do you have any real suspects yet?’

I almost didn’t catch it, but that was definitely a flinch. Yet, when he turned back around his emotions were completely locked away.

‘This is not public knowledge yet, but due to your new assignment I see no reason to hide it from you. You might have discovered by now that there were multiple witnesses, all of which came forward with accurate informationexceptfor the identity of the unsub. Lying about and obstructing the investigation is cause for probation and they will face their actions in a disciplinary hearing.’ He paused to take a breath and choose his next words.

‘When we dock at Nova Academy the known offenders will be apprehended and escorted off my ship, but the ship will be on lock down until the investigation is complete. The IU Police will be assisting in finding the unsub’s identity and apprehending them.There is a possibility that this will paint an even larger target on the accused team’s backs. The unsub or those covering for him may decide to escalate or act out of desperation, which is where you lot come in.’

My brows dipped at the lack of any real information there. ‘Sir, you may have confirmed a few suspicions, but that wasn’t anything we didn’t already know. If we are to properly guard them we need to knowallthe information.’ It was a risk to push for so much with our rank the lowest of the low, but my point was valid all the same.

He paused, as if unwilling to tell me what he intended to say next, but eventually gave in. ‘Prince Brommyt Min’Tuk from the Griknot Royal Family is a member of the targeted team. It is imperative that no harm comes toany of them. Am I understood?’

I blinked, the only outward expression of my astonishment. The Griknot Royal Family was large, withat leastforty princes and princesses, but the idea that one of them was not only a cadet on this ship but that he was sleeping on the other side of the wall from me was almost too difficult to wrap my head around.

‘I assume that is the not-so public knowledge, sir?’ I asked.

‘Your assumption would be correct. It was a stipulation upon his enrolment that his true identity remain secret. I trust you’ll adhere to those wishes?’ Even though it was phrased as a question, it wasn’t.

‘Of course, sir,’ I agreed immediately. When he looked to my team for their agreement and they remained steadfastly quiet, I jabbed my elbow into Urman’s side. He got the memo and verbalised his affirmation, and the other two followed without any more prompting.

Captain Hironimus fully dismissed us then, going back to his station in the middle of the room and leaving us to… well, leave.

So we did.

The elevator was the space we used to process and regroup. Honestly, the little moving box was becoming a theme within ourlives here on the ship. I might miss it when we land.

‘Do any of you boys have a problem with our assignment?’ I asked first. I didn’t think Urman would be an issue, but Cadmus was a bastard on the best of days and Henrik was his right-hand man, which wasn’t ideal if they wanted to stir shit up. I was kicking myself for neglecting to check in with them on the matter before I’d accepted on their behalf, but it was too late now. If they were falling for Tarren’s bullshit I was going to have to do some serious damage control.

‘I’m with you, boss,’ Urman assured me.

‘If the captain said Reece didn’t do it, then I’m inclined to believe him,’ said Henrik, surprising both me and Urman that he’d spoken up before Cadmus. The quieter man looked towards his friend to take the lead more often than not, but Cadmus didn’t seem bothered and agreed with the rest of us.

We all seemed to be on the same page which alleviated most of the weight I’d been shouldering since we’d been diverted from our usual routine for an audience with the captain. Cadmus’ decision was the biggest relief of all.

‘Good,’ I breathed out the word. ‘If the unsub could cause that much harm, I would hate to see what he’d do if he felt threatened by Reece, of all men.’

‘He’s a capable guy, boss, and his team have his back. I wouldn’t worry too much about him,’ Urman reassured. It was nice to hear it from him. He was fast becoming someone I could trust and depend upon, and a friendship was forming nicely between us. I still wasn’t too keen on Cadmus or Henrik, but this conversation was a large stride towards building a foundation of trust between us.

I would have wait and see if their actions aligned with their words.

CHAPTER 13

Adara

Imessed up.

I was expecting Cadet Corporal Ituk and his team. After Dorian came to check on them the other night I had spoken with Xander about it. I was fully aware of the dangers they faced, and while I had pushed for them to remain in their room for their own safety, I could see as well as anyone that they were starting to go stir crazy. So when Xan came to me for help with picking which team (or teams, that hasn’t been removed from the table just yet) to help guard Arty, Bromm, Foryk and Reece, Dorian’s was the first face that popped into my head.It was widely believed that I was insane. Most people wrote me off as unstable and kept their distance, even if they respected my intelligence and my work. I supposed having a high intelligence quotient came with a stigma that we also had a low emotional quotient to go with it. That simply was not the case. At least for me. I felt a lot, and I felt it loudly, especially when it concerned other people.

One of the main benefits of having both was that it allowed me to gather the intel and implement it in a social situation with rarely an unsuccessful result. Most considered it a ‘gut feeling’, or instinct if you will, but I knew better.

Well… I was conscious of the process that led to the conclusion, rather than just believing the conclusion came to me through supernatural or divine means.

What I wasn’t so good at, I was learning, was keeping other people in the loop. My brain had already found and enacted a solution to a problem, so it had already moved onto the next. I had a terrible habit of leaving people in my dust without giving them even a frayed piece of string as a guide to help them catch up.

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