The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 854: [BLIND JUSTICE] MOVIE (IV)

AFTER that, the movie moved fast.

Using the pattern they had established, the team targeted a private symposium. It was meant to look like a normal conference on trade laws, but it was actually a meeting place for people connected to the Architect. Brokers, financiers, fixers, and the likes. Based on what they had learned about the Architect, he loved to use legitimate events like this as cover for his activities. He never let his people operate anywhere he couldn't watch from a distance. This symposium was exactly the kind of place he would use to keep an eye on his own network.

The job was the riskiest one Themis had taken yet. Not because of the danger, but because of how they should approach it. All three of them had to be in the same location at the same time, with no room for one of them to work a separate angle. For the most part, it went according to plan. They confirmed the symposium was being used exactly as they had expected. But during the extraction, Remi got separated from Hunter and Callie. He was pulled aside for a private meeting that he couldn't refuse without blowing the whole operation.

The person who met him stayed in the shadows, his face hidden and his voice altered. Remi couldn't tell who he was. But it was clear from the conversation that this was either the Architect himself or someone acting with his full authority. He didn't threaten Remi, just spoke about how the Empire's problems couldn't be fixed by playing by its rules. He reminded Remi that he had spent years operating outside the law because he believed the system was broken. Then he asked why that belief stopped mattering just because ICI was pulling the strings now. He didn't wait for an answer, just let the question hang and let Remi leave.

Everything unraveled fast after that. They got what they needed. A clearer picture of how the Architect's network operated, along with names and connections they could follow. But within hours of leaving the symposium, evidence surfaced tying Themis to a murder at the same venue. They hadn't done it, of course. It's juts that the evidence was planted well enough to make all three of them look guilty.

So, ICI's internal oversight team started questioning the integrity of the operation almost immediately. Noa had to defend them against all kinds of accusations. It was clear to anyone with brain that Themis had been framed. This was obviously a message aimed at both Themis and Noa. And who else could have done it? The Architect. This was proof that the Architect knew exactly who was hunting him and that he could dismantle the whole operation whenever he chose to.

~~~

Remi looked up when the door to his room at the compound suddenly opened. Noa walked in, the expression on his face told him that the meeting with his superiors had not gone well.

"Bad news, I take it?" Remi asked.

"They want to arrest all three of you," Noa said. "A witness came forward claiming they saw one of you kill that man at the symposium. I bought you time, but not much."

"Then we find whoever's lying and prove it wrong," Remi said.

"I'm going to take the blame for this," Noa said, completely ignoring what Remi just said. "I'll tell them the operation was running without proper oversight. They'll drop the charges and shift their attention to me instead."

Remi stared at Noa in disbelief. "If you take the blame for this, the deal falls apart, we stay criminals, and you end up in jail for something you didn't do."

He could tell Noa wasn't thinking clearly. He didn't know exactly what had been said in that meeting with his superiors, but whatever it was, it had clearly shaken Noa.

"I don't care about the deal."

"I do."

"I brought you into this, Remi. I chose to use you. If I don't step in, they'll make sure you and your team take the blame. I'm not going to let that happen."

"So you're just going to take the hit yourself?"

"If that's what it takes."

"You think that's what I want?" Remi's voice rose. "You think I want to watch you sacrifice yourself because you think that's the only way out?"

"I don't know what else to do."

"Then try something else." Remi stepped closer. "You brought us into this. You can't just decide we're done because things got complicated."

Noa's voice cracked as he spoke, "I can't watch you get hurt again, Remi. I couldn't stop it then, and I'm not going to sit here and let it happen now."

Remi stopped at Noa's words. He knew exactly what he was talking about. Fifteen years ago, when he had taken a bullet for him, back when they were still the closest people to each other. He didn't know if he should be shocked or happy, because this was the closest Noa had come to acknowledge his past.

"Then don't," he said softly.

"You don't understand—"

Remi moved without thinking. He grabbed Noa's jacket and kissed him, cutting off whatever Noa had been about to say. Noa let out a muffled noise against Remi's mouth, clearly caught off guard. For a second he didn't move. Then, his hand came up to the back of Remi's neck, and kissed him back.

*****

Wulfric stared at whatever the fuck was happening in front of him. Aster was kissing that bastard co-star of his. It's not a quick peck either, but a full on, grabbing his jacket, holding his neck kind of kiss. Wulfric's eye twitched. His hand tightened on the armrest until the material gave way with a sharp crack. He ignored it, he didn't even flinch.

He knew it was just a movie. He knew it was acting. Hell, he even knew beforehand that this would happen. But that didn't stop the irrational, completely ridiculous wave of jealousy that crashed through him. He wanted to reach into the screen and yank that bastard off Aster. The scream of the audience as if they found the scene romantic didn't really help.

He glared at whatever-his-name-was sitting near the front. The one who had just kissed Aster. Should he just make him puke in front of everyone? And then make him faint right after?