I held my breath until I saw Captain Sponder with Commissioner Gaius enter the Starfighter docking bay. Sponder carried something small. He walked across the docking bay toward the Phantom as Gaius spoke to the Mechs. Vintis asked Sponder if he required assistance. Sponder declined.
We all watched Sponder cover the distance to our ship. A few paces away, he looked up into the camera and the screen blurred, his clothing changed to that of Mech Vintis.
The new, blurry version of Vintis/Sponder walked straight up to the Phantom and disappeared inside.
Several minutes later he reappeared on the ramp, still a confusing, blurred image of Vintis/Sponder, when I appeared on the screen.
I remembered it perfectly. I looked at him, glared, and asked what the hell he was doing on my ship. He’d said he was there to apologize about Kass, let me know he was saving me from a cheat and a liar, and to have a good mission.
But on the screen Vintis and I had that conversation instead.
Sponder might be an ass, but he was more than adequate at covering his tracks in the digital world.
Until me.
“I remember that conversation, General Jennix. And it was not Mech Vintis I spoke to, but Captain Sponder. I give you my word.”
There it was. Proof that Sponder had placed the bomb on the Phantom. The time stamp was when Kass had been in the brig and I was clearly on-screen, having a little chat about my pair bond.
“Sponder had no way of knowing I would escape the brig and go on the mission with Mia. He intended to kill my pair bond, General,” Kass growled. He was coiled and ready to strike more than just Sponder’s nose.
“I wanted to see your face when you found out she was dead,” Sponder snapped, spittle flying.
Kass attacked then, punching Sponder so hard he fell to the ground. Kass jumped on him, pummeled him. “You don’t fuck with my Mia,” he said, each word followed by a brutal punch.
Jennix didn’t say anything for a few seconds, but then waved her hand to have the guards pull Kass off. Sponder was conscious but bloody and in bad shape. The guards hoisted Sponder to his feet and had to hold him up.
“You’d have gotten away with everything,” I told Sponder. “No one would have suspected you of being in allegiance with Rainhart. It was your hatred for Kass that gave you away. You should have let him join the MCS without complaint. He was your downfall.”
“Take Sponder away,” Jennix ordered. “Transport him immediately to the lockdown station on Velerion. Maximum security.” She frowned. “I’ll deal with Commissioner Gaius later.” She turned to look at me. “What about the commissioner? You find anything on him? Is he a traitor as well?”
I shook my head. “Not that I can tell. Just a man with an asshole for a nephew.”
“Well, at least that’s something,” she muttered. “General Aryk?”
“Yes, General.”
She looked to the other leader, who blinked, stunned at what had just happened. “Aryk, we need to finish the mission.”
General Aryk nodded. “I will take control of Group Two. We will see the liberation of Xenon a success.” He looked to us. “Good work, MCS pair.”
“Yes, good work,” Jennix added, then frowned. “I’m going to assume the records showing you cheated in the training program are false, as Starfighter MCS Becker has attested. However, I have a mission to run. You are ordered to remain in your quarters until a full review can be completed.”
Kass grinned. It was the first time he’d done so since he’d kicked the replacement pilot, Markus or something, out of the Phantom and hopped in with me.
“Affirmative, General. We will obey your command.” Kass looked to me. Winked. “With pleasure.”