“I wasn’t alone.”
“Yes, love, you were.”
Mia didn’t argue, and I took that as a good sign. I jumped on the opportunity to speak my truth to the only person whose opinion of me mattered.
“Mia, I hacked into the training program because Sponder refused to approve my application to the Starfighter program, despite the fact that I was more than qualified. But that’s all I did. I am not a cheater or a liar, not about things that matter. Every training mission we ran together, we completed. You are my pair bond, and I am not giving you up. I don’t give a fuck what Sponder claims. When we get back from this mission, I’ll find a way to prove my innocence and destroy that asshole’s career, for good this time.”
“This time?”
We shot out into space, and I turned the Phantom toward Xenon. “Long story.”
“We have time.”
No, we didn’t. We were heading into battle, and I did not want to spend the entire time talking about that fucker, but… “Arria said the commissioner and Sponder were down here, looking at the ship?”
Mia nodded, her mind clearly beginning to focus on the mission. “Sponder was actually on board when I arrived to meet the pilot you just punched out.”
I grinned. “Don’t remember his name, do you?”
Finally she smiled. “No. Is that a bad thing?”
“Not to me.” I tried to think of any reason that Sponder would be on our ship, and came up with nothing.
“Was Commissioner Gaius with him?”
“Sponder? No. He was alone when I got here, but the mechs saw the Commissioner here. He must have been gone by that time I arrived.”
Mia turned away from me, her attention completely focused on her screens. Which was fine with me. I didn’t want to talk about Sponder or Gaius or cheating, and I didn’t want Mia upset right before such a critical mission.
But once this mission was over? Things with Sponder were going critical, and I had no intention of losing that battle.
This time, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the fucker down.