Aliki felt the floor tilt beneath her. This can’t be happening. “Tira, you can’t just leave. There are… arrangements, and the investigation—”

“The investigation is over if you’re the one they want,” Tira cut her off smoothly. “And frankly, your little legal drama doesn’t concern me. What matters is that I no longer have to tolerate this dreary little venue. I should have insisted on something more glamorous from the start.”

“Tira,” Aliki tried again, desperate to salvage the situation, “Mitch still needs to—”

“The lockdown is still in place, Tira, until I’ve completed my report.” Mitch’s voice startled them both as he appeared silently behind Aliki. “And I can’t do that until I get the data Zoron was supposed to send me about the power system. If it turns out that the shield failure was really due to faulty equipment and not because of Aliki’s negligence, I’ll have to fill out different forms. And believe me when I say it’s not an easy task to file a report for ICE. Definitely not one I want to screw up.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with me. Or Zoron, for that matter.” Tira waved a hand dismissively. “We should be allowed to go as we please.”

“I’m afraid not,” Mitch replied, his tone smooth but unyielding. “The investigation isn’t over until my report is complete and verified. If you leave now, I’ll have no choice but to involve ICE directly, and they’ll bring an entire team to comb through every log, every transaction, every single detail tied to this dealership. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that level of scrutiny, would you?”

Tira’s smug expression faltered for a brief moment before she adjusted her stance, her chin lifting defiantly. “Fine. But you’d better hurry up. This situation is making my wedding plans unnecessarily complicated.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and strode off, her shoes clicking against the polished floor, her pace brisk with newfound determination.

As they watched her go, Aliki glanced at Mitch, her voice low. “Tira’s behavior is… erratic. She’s obsessed with this wedding. But I think she really wants to get out of here.”

Mitch nodded thoughtfully. “Her marriage to Zoron gives her leverage in cartel politics. As a female, she can’t take over directly, but she may believe she can manipulate him.”

“Hard to imagine anyone manipulating Zoron.” She frowned. “Your excuse for delaying the lockdown was a good one. But I’ll bet you’ll have that power system data less than ten minutes after Tira gets to him.”

Mitch nodded. “I wouldn’t take that bet. But Zoron’s no fool. He’s gone to a lot of trouble to arrange for certain cartel leaders to be here in a couple of days, and he knows how much control he has over them here. Fewer guests mean fewer unknowns, and he’s had time to put his people into position. He’d lose all of that if the wedding were held on Tira’s homeworld.

Mitch’s gaze sharpened. “Stay focused. Even if Zoron sends the data over, I can delay things. We have a sting to execute.” His expression softened. “You need to get back to the dealership. But let’s go over the last few details before you head out.”

She followed Mitch back into the office. Raush was focused on the holographic display as though nothing had interrupted the meeting. Mitch leaned against the edge of his desk, crossing his arms.

Aliki took a breath. “I just told Tira I’m being arrested. She wanted to cancel the wedding.”

Raush looked up. “I heard.” Giving Mitch an appraising look, he added “You did well, Whitman.”

Mitch took his seat behind the desk, but Aliki didn’t bother with her chair. “What happens to me when this is over?”

Raush was unreadable. “If we capture Zoron and shut down the cartels, you’ll be allowed to remain on Earth. ICE will sign off on your contract as ‘completed.'” He paused, studying her for a moment. “Assuming, of course, you continue to cooperate.”

The words felt both reassuring and like a veiled warning. She nodded slowly.

“There’s something else,” Aliki said quickly, remembering. “I’d forgotten about it until Mitch brought up the power system data. Salyne. She’s been doing more than inspecting equipment in the utility room. I’m worried she’s damaging it. What happens if the system fails during the wedding?” Aliki’s brow wrinkled. “Could she have been responsible for the outage that led to the Metsu crashing?”

Raush’s ears twitched slightly as he listened, his gaze narrowing. “It’s possible she’s working with Zoron. A convenient power outage could give him an opportunity to eliminate one of his opponents. But,” he added with a measured pause, “Salyne wasn’t on the premises during Sufsa’s crash. Pinning the shield malfunction on her directly would be challenging. And according to the autopsy, Sufsa was likely dead—or at least unconscious—before the shield reactivated and disabled the ship.” He leaned forward, his voice steady. “It’s more likely someone deliberately gave him tainted chocolate—possibly Zoron or another Black Claw. For now, our goal is dismantling the syndicate. The murder will be an additional charge if we can substantiate it.”

Aliki felt a surge of frustration at Raush’s calm tone. Her instincts screamed that something was up with Salyne. But she bit her lip and stared at the desk. Focus on the operation.

Mitch broke the silence. “What about Casey? He’s been in the middle of this from the start.”

Aliki shifted uncomfortably as she thought about KC—his easy charm, the maddening way he always seemed two steps ahead, and the confidence that made him infuriatingly compelling. “KC’s motives seem… unclear. I don’t want to make assumptions.” Her voice trailed off as she glanced at Raush.

Raush’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of interest in his sharp eyes. “Casey’s been lurking around enough to know what’s going on,” he said casually. “It would be better to keep him in the loop than risk him acting unpredictably.”

Mitch frowned, his jaw tightening. “I don’t like it. The man’s got his own agenda.”
Raush remained silent, but the faint twitch of his ears and the thoughtful set of his gaze spoke volumes.

Mitch exhaled heavily, relenting. “All right. At least if we bring him in, we’ll know what he’s up to.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll loop Casey in.”

Raush still said nothing, but Aliki noticed his smile turn ever so slightly self-satisfied. His silence lingered as Aliki rose to leave, the weight of the operation pressing down on her.

The drive back to the dealership was smoother this time—mostly. Aliki’s knuckles didn’t turn quite as white, and she hoped no one noticed that the “One Way” sign was now leaning at a jaunty angle.

Her thoughts drifted as the electric cart hummed along the dusty path, the meeting replaying in her head. The weight of the operation was starting to press down, and the idea of being free from the murder charge felt tantalizingly close—yet impossibly far. How would she keep Tira and Zoron preoccupied? They’d been holed up in the apartment, but now that guests were arriving, keeping them corralled felt like trying to herd comets.

Focus. It was her new mantra.

The moment she stepped into the showroom, however, her resolve faltered. Chaos was too mild a word. The room looked like it had recently been occupied by a herd of over-caffeinated goats, leaving a bewildering mess in its wake. Boxes sat half-opened, spilling their contents onto the floor, while small stacks of sorted wedding paraphernalia—table linens, guest gifts, and snack bags—stood like a line of sheepdogs, valiantly attempting to herd the chaos into submission. Emmett was in the middle of it all, unpacking with the efficiency of a machine—which, of course, he was.

Aliki picked her way through the maze, trying not to step on anything critical. “You’re making progress,” she called out, though it was hard to tell if that was true or just wishful thinking.

Emmett glanced up, holding a bundle of neon lime green napkins in one hand and a fiery tangerine table runner in the other. “Aye, if progress means buryin’ yourself alive in a rainbow gone wrong.”

Aliki chuckled, shaking her head. Grabbing a box cutter from a drawer in the breakroom, she joined him. Opening the first box easily, she pulled back the flaps to reveal an ornate fondue pot nestled in foam.

She held it up, her lips forming a half-smile. “Wow, this is nice. I guess Tira actually liked my suggestion.”

Emmett craned his neck to look. “Aye. Might as well bring out the chocolate, seein’ as how the cooler’s still not fixed. It’ll be easy to find when it’s needed if it’s next to the pot.”

Aliki sighed. “Did you talk to Salyne about the repairs? What’s taking her so long?”

“Far as I can tell, she’s rebuildin’ the power system from scratch,” Emmett said dryly. “I’ll check in on it after fetchin’ the chocolate.”

“Fine. Go grab it,” she said, waving him off.

Aliki was halfway through unpacking a set of mismatched drinking vessels—one of which appeared to be shaped like a small alien reptile—when Tira swept into the room trailing an aura of impatience and entitlement.

“Tira,” Aliki greeted, trying to sound neutral, though she was already bracing herself.

“Aliki.” Tira stared at her. “I’m surprised to see you here. But I won’t deny that I can use your help with all of this.” Her tone sounded disdainful rather than surprised.

She swept past Aliki with barely a glance, casting her eyes over the chaos. Her gaze landed on a pile of deep plum chair sashes, and she wrinkled her nose. “These look like they belong in a funeral, not my wedding. Where are the costumes I ordered?”

Aliki sighed. “I don’t know. They could be anywhere.”

Tira wasted no time diving into the piles, her movements erratic, like someone trying to perform ballet after downing a gallon of espresso, but there was no mistaking the aura of smug satisfaction radiating from the Tyrok.

Emmett returned just then, balancing several boxes of damaged chocolate precariously in his arms. He set the stack near the fondue setup, his gaze flicking to Tira. “Seems she’s in a fine mood today.”

“She’s looking for the costumes,” Aliki said, opening another box.

Emmett nodded, lowering his voice. “I saw her a little while ago when she said she needed a wee bit of chocolate for a ‘celebration,’ though she didn’t say what kind. Just that it was ‘good news.’ She’s been actin’… overly chirpy, if that’s even a thing for her.” His tone left no doubt he meant it wasn’t a good thing.

Tira turned abruptly, her eyes narrowing as she observed the two of them whispering. Her gaze landed on the stack of chocolate boxes Emmett had been carrying. Her voice cut through the room like a blade. “Why is that out here?”

Aliki blinked, startled, then realized that Tira meant the small white box of chocolate that arrived with the groceries, currently topping the fondue pile. “It came with the grocery shipment. I thought you ordered it for the fondue.”

Tira’s expression shifted quickly, her tone clipped. “Oh, no. Not this. These are special bars. I want to rewrap them and give them as gifts. Set them aside while I look for the gift wrap I ordered.”

Without argument, Aliki picked up the box and headed for the breakroom. Behind her, Emmett muttered, “Fine weddin’ gifts—bet they’ll come with a side of food poisonin’.”

Tira whirled on him. “What did you say?”

“Lovely fabric,” Emmett replied innocently, holding up a silky length of sari cloth.
Tira grabbed it and went back to the box she’d been rummaging, muttering under her breath.

Aliki had just reached the breakroom area when KC strolled into the showroom, hands in his pockets and a lazy grin plastered across his face. He paused near the fondue pot, plucked one of the ornate skewers, and twirled it between his fingers like a baton.

“Fancy setup.” He nodded at the pile of chocolate and fondue accessories, his tone light. “Enough chocolate here to bribe a Tyrokian customs officer.”

Tira glared at him, her irritation bubbling to the surface. “Mind your business, Casey.”

KC raised an eyebrow, his grin sharpening. “Oh, I am. Can’t help but wonder how much of this is for eating and how much is for… negotiations.” He set the skewer down with deliberate precision.

Aliki glanced over her shoulder, frowning. “KC, you’re not helping.” 

“Just an observation,” he said, backing off with a mock salute before ambling toward her.

Tira, clearly struggling to regain her composure, turned her attention back to the clothing she’d just unearthed. “These fabrics are all wrong. I’m going to go try this on.”

Emmett watched her retreat, his head shaking slightly.

Aliki placed the box of chocolate on the breakroom counter. The cooler caught her attention, a refreshing invitation neatly stocked with drinks and fresh food. She grabbed a sandwich and an apple that looked too inviting to ignore and settled at the small table.

“Lunch?” KC followed her, rifling through the cooler’s contents before pulling out a sandwich of his own. “Mind if I have some?”

Aliki pointed to one of the upper cabinets. “Not at all. Crunchy stuff’s in there.”

Moments later, he joined her at the table, tearing open a packet of veggie chips. They ate in companionable silence, Aliki nibbling absently at her sandwich, her thoughts elsewhere. Across from her, KC leaned back, feet casually crossed at the ankles, chewing with the confidence of someone who never let the galaxy’s troubles stick to him for long.

They both looked up as Mitch entered the showroom from the outside lot, weaving through the cluttered space with a determined frown. “We have a problem,” he announced after carefully picking his way across the room. He didn’t pause to sit. Instead, his gaze flicked sideways, his frown deepening.

Zoron, Tira, and Salyne bustled into the showroom as if driven by some unspoken urgency. Zoron said something briefly to Emmett and Salyne laughed as if it were a joke. Tira stood back, tight-lipped, but was the first to go through the doors as they hurried outside. Emmett, abandoning the stack of linens he had been organizing, followed Mitch into the break area, his steps brisk.

“The Tyroks are leavin’,” he announced. “Zoron said certain guests were arriving early at the spaceport hotel. Must be somethin’ urgent… or maybe they just want us to think so.” Emmett cocked his head, his voice dripping with dry humor.

Aliki exhaled, feeling her shoulders ease. “That’ll give us some breathing room.”
Mitch shot a glance to each of them. “I asked Raush to arrange the distraction. I needed to get them out of the way so that we could talk, but keep in mind this isn’t the most secure place to discuss the investigation.”

KC smirked over the rim of his cup. “Relax, Whitman. There aren’t any cameras. No one’s listening.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t assume you know everything, Casey.” His expression sharpened. “You’re here because I let you be here.”

KC sipped leisurely. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

Before Mitch could respond, Emmett raised a finger like a professor gearing up for a grand lecture. “Ah, since you’re here, let me enlighten you about a little investigation of my own. I’ve been keeping tabs on Salyne’s tinkering with the power system. Aliki mentioned a few oddities and thought it best I take a closer look.” He paused dramatically. “And oh, did I find something interesting.”

Without another word, he disappeared through the door, returning moments later with a small wireless receiver in one hand. “This and an entire rack of electrical support components were in the reprocessing bin.” He set the device on the table with a flourish. “Her overhaul is a convenient excuse for… something else. These couldn’t have come from any of the other electrical systems. I… I… can’t rightly say how I missed ‘em before. Must’ve been a gremlin muckin’ about in me circuits.” His voice stuttered slightly, and he frowned, his head tilting as if recalibrating.

Aliki glanced at him. Emmett met her gaze briefly before looking away, his usual confidence seeming to glitch like his words. She’d learned to trust his meticulous work—if he said the power system didn’t need fixing, she believed him. But how could he have overlooked something like this? “What’s it for?” she asked, leaning forward.

“Remote operation,” Emmett said, tapping the device. “This can control the power system from anywhere with the right transmitter. Sophisticated stuff. Not standard issue for a humble overhaul.”

KC’s interest visibly piqued, his gaze narrowing. “Sabotage,” he said, almost to himself.

Emmett’s voice glitched slightly as he repeated, “Sabotage.” He frowned, tapping the side of his head. “Ignore that. Just a hiccup.”

KC raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Aliki, however, felt her unease deepen. Something about Emmett’s behavior didn’t sit right.

“Could this have been used to turn the shield off and on at the exact moment of Sufsa’s crash?” she asked.

Emmett nodded solemnly. “Highly likely. But now the system is intact, as it was designed. There are a few components that have been replaced with newer versions, but everything is completely operational.”

Mitch crossed his arms. “Keep an eye on Salyne. Let me know if you find anything else suspicious.”

“Will do,” Emmett said, tucking the device under his arm.

Mitch set his datapad on the table and activated its screen. A schematic of the dealership lot appeared, overlaid with event planning details. “I need to give Raush some updates. Are they having the wedding in here?” His tone carried a hint of confusion, his gaze flicking to the cluttered showroom floor. “I thought it was going to be outside.”

“It is,” Aliki assured him. “The hotel staff will be setting up two covered areas in the lot—one for the joining ceremony, the other for the reception.”

Mitch nodded. “Okay, that’s what I was told, but knowing Tira’s in charge, I thought things had changed. Raush will have ICE agents embedded as catering staff and spaceport personnel. They know the reception is the cover for the summit. They’ll monitor the guests while you, Aliki, keep Zoron and Tira in the dark. KC will help as much as possible.”

KC, leaning back in his chair, gave a low chuckle. “Zoron’s sharp. He’ll spot your amateurs in minutes.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “Got a better idea?”

KC’s grin widened as he sipped his drink. “Oh, I’ve always got ideas. It’s why I’m good at what I do.” He leaned forward. “As a matter of fact–“

Aliki’s patience snapped. “Enough,” she said sharply, cutting through the tension. Frustration simmered as she thought of all the other moving pieces they still had to handle. “I don’t care how you two feel about each other. We stick to the plan, or this all falls apart. ICE’s plan,” she added when KC raised his eyebrows.

Mitch grunted an acknowledgment. KC shrugged.

“What about the chocolate courier?” Mitch asked, steering the conversation back on track. “Still on schedule?”

“Tomorrow,” Emmett said. “The delivery arrives, we stack it in the storage room. Courier picks it up two days later—on the wedding day. As far as I know, nothing’s changed.” He paused. “Zoron hasn’t said who’s handling this one. Lately, it’s been KC or Xyper. Since KC isn’t doing it, I’d bet on Xyper.”

Mitch nodded, tapping notes into his datapad. “We’ll track the courier’s landing, the pickup, and the chocolate transport to the spaceport. As soon as it’s loaded onto their ship, we move in. At the same time, agents at the wedding will secure Zoron, Tira, and the key cartel leaders.” He gave KC a penetrating look. “If you don’t want to be caught in the round up, I suggest you find a convenient place to stand aside.”

“What about timing? If the courier gets here early, no one will be ready.” Aliki asked.

“If the courier arrives early, spaceport control will delay their landing. It won’t be late—intel says it’s on a schedule. It has to meet another ship to transfer the goods at a specific time and place.”

“And me?” Aliki pressed. “What am I supposed to do during the roundup?”

Mitch and KC answered in unison: “Stay out of the way.”

Aliki smiled faintly as Mitch and KC exchanged surprised looks. The tension in the room softened, and as the conversation wound down, KC leaned back in his chair and stretched, his movements languid. Tossing his empty cup into the reprocessing bin with infuriating precision, he stood and pointed lazily at the small box of chocolate sitting on the counter.

“We survived the meeting,” he said. “I say we celebrate—Tira won’t miss a couple of bars. It’s chocolate, not gold.”

Mitch gave him a skeptical look, his brows knitting briefly, but Aliki shrugged.

“Might as well,” she said, rising from her chair. “I’ve been eyeing that box all day.””

She crossed to the counter, peeling back the packaging on the box. Inside, the chocolate bars were neatly arranged, their glossy wrappers catching the light. Aliki tilted the box slightly, reading aloud from the label. “Grand Lux Bars: Sweet marzipan filling dipped in rich dark chocolate. Sounds yummy!”

There was a pause, the words hanging in the air, then Emmett spoke up. “Marzipan?” he said, his tone laced with alarm. “That’s almond paste! A gram o’ that stuff would drop a Tyrok as big as Zoron.”

Aliki froze, the box still in her hands, her gaze fixed on the seemingly innocent bars. “What? Why would Tira order this? It must be a mistake.”

KC stepped forward, flipping down one of the flaps on the box. He tapped a finger on the bright red sticker adorning the label. “Rush. Somebody really wanted this here now. Doesn’t sound like a mistake.”

Before Aliki could respond, Emmett moved closer to the counter, his fingers flying over the datapad in his hands. “It’s legit,” he said grimly. “One box o’ Grand Lux Bars, ordered from the same supplier we use for the regular chocolate. But it’s not part o’ the usual shipment, so they sent it separately.”

Mitch’s jaw tightened, his voice sharp. “Why would she order chocolate-covered marzipan?”

Aliki glanced at the box again, brow furrowed. “Tira said it was for gifts. Are there any important humans coming?”

Mitch shook his head curtly. “There are no important humans as far as Tyroks are

concerned.”
Her mind raced as she pieced together the implications. Turning to Mitch, she asked quietly, “What did the autopsy say about Sufsa? What was the poison?”

Mitch met her gaze, his voice dropping to a somber register. “Cyanide. Same compound you’d find in almond-based products. Like marzipan.”

Silence settled over the room, heavy and unyielding. Aliki stared at the open box, her voice low and edged with disbelief. “I wonder who Tira was planning on giving these to.”

Mitch stepped forward, gently took the box from her hands, and tucked it under his arm, his expression grim.

KC watched him for a beat before letting a sly grin creep across his face. “Maybe it’s for Zoron,” he said, his tone as casual as ever. “Y’know, in case he disappoints on his wedding night.”