Page 47 of Stalker

"I have to know the truth, even if I wind up hating it."

Vorpa's golden eyes soften, and she inclines her head. "Follow me."

The walk to the detention center passes in a blur. Neon signs reflect off puddles from the environmental systems' condensation. The collar in my pocket grows heavier with each step.

Steel and concrete rise before us - the Alpha Centauri Detention Center. My steps falter. Why would Vorpa bring me here of all places?

"Did Bruticus get arrested?"

"No." Vorpa's scales catch the harsh lighting as she turns to face me. "We are here to speak with someone else."

The words settle like lead in my stomach. Someone else. Someone who knows what really happened at Rakura IV. Someone my father put here.

The detention center's front desk gleams with polished steel and reinforced plexiglass. Vorpa strides up to the window, her scales catching the harsh fluorescent light.

"I need to speak with Prisoner XJ7."

The clerk's fingers pause over his holoscreen. "That prisoner is restricted. No visitors by direct order of Station Commander Daniels."

"Alliance Law Enforcement." Vorpa's badge materializes in her clawed hand. The holographic seal spins, casting rainbow reflections across the clerk's face. "This prisoner has information vital to an ongoing investigation. Under Section 7 of the Alpha Centauri Treaty, you must grant me access."

My eyebrows lift. The way Vorpa's voice drops an octave, how she towers over the desk - she commands attention without raising her voice.

The clerk's adam's apple bobs. "I'll need to clear this with-"

"The treaty supersedes station authority. Or shall I contact the Alliance Council directly?"

"That won't be necessary." The clerk's fingers dance across his console. "Please wait in Room Three. The prisoner will be brought shortly."

The visiting room smells of antiseptic and recycled air. My fingers trace patterns on the scratched metal table while we wait. What could a prisoner know about Rakura IV?

The door hisses open. My breath catches.

The old woman's face is a roadmap of scars, her left eye replaced with a glowing red cybernetic implant. The same woman who threw her drink at my father in the restaurant.

"Prisoner XJ7," the guard announces.

The old woman slumps into the metal chair, chains rattling. Her cybernetic eye whirs as it focuses on me.

"What do you want?"

"Annette Halford." Vorpa's voice cuts through the tension. "We need to know what happened at Rakura IV."

The woman's organic eye widens at her real name. Her scarred hands clench into fists on the table.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Annette snaps.

"Because the truth deserves to be known," I say softly.

A bitter laugh escapes Annette's throat. "The truth? I worked for your father when he commanded the Helios Combine fleet."

My throat tightens. "During the pirate raid?"

"Raid?" She spits the word. "Your father knew exactly what would happen when he gave that order to charge. He wanted those hostages dead."

The room spins. I grip the edge of the table to steady myself. "That's not possible. He told me-"

"He needed them dead because one of them was going to testify. Going to expose everything."

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