“Well, like Portia. She’s got a temper and she’s not afraid to express it. She was really angry when we found out Rakatheema wanted us to fight for Starfleet. Said he was as bad as the Arcturians who exploited the Warborn of the past. But I didn’t take her seriously. It’s just the way she talks. They say it’s good to talk about your feelings, right? That it’s a healthier way to work through them than acting on them. Or so they said in psych class.”

When Horatio’s turn came, his concern was for Janith-Lau. “There is no way that woman is a killer, Captain. You should stop wasting time pursuing her and find the real culprit.”

Sh’Deslar took in his gentle urgency. “What makes you so sure?”

“She is a woman of peace. It defines every thought she expresses, every action she takes. The very reason she opposed Rakatheema’s advocacy of us was her fear that we might be exploited for martial ends. It would be contradictory for her to commit violence in the name of peace.”

“But isn’t that your whole purpose? The Warborn? To fight to preserve the peace of Arcturus?”

“To preserve the life and safety of Arcturians through our sacrifice. And yes, when necessary, through violence. That is the compromise of our existence. But Doctor Janith-Lau walks another path. A narrower, more difficult path, but one she is as firmly committed to as I am to mine. Of that, I am certain.”

“In that case, can you think of anyone else who might have been hostile to Rakatheema? Perhaps even a fellow cadet?”

“I cannot believe that of anyone who seeks to join Starfleet. To choose that calling is to commit to the highest ideals.”

Sh’Deslar cocked her head, her antennae shifting. “Some of your fellow Warborn seem less comfortable with that choice than others. Perhaps they aren’t as committed to those ideals.”

“I can’t believe any of them would turn on a fellow Arcturian.”

“Even one they saw as a threat? An exploiter, perhaps?”

“Our mission is to battle threats to Arcturus, not to ourselves.”

“And none of you have questioned that mission?”

Horatio sighed. “I suppose some of the students must have told you about Portia’s outburst a couple of weeks ago. All right—I can’t deny it. I’m sure she won’t either. She’s very… forthright. Well… when it suits her to be.”

“What do you mean by that?”