Shig’s expression fell. “I will stand between the Inspector General and the mob. Do we allow vigilante justice to punish a man who acted in fear? Who watched his companions die? Who was terrified and seriously injured? Soukup’s decisions were made without any understanding of the bush. He’s a Corporate being, a man without a moral compass, operating in an alien environment. And worse, one who has never been held accountable for his actions.”

Talina gave Shig a narrow-eyed squint. “Given those are my people abandoned out there in the bush, I’m inclined to say yes.”

“Damn it!” Kalico slapped the bar with a frustrated hand. “It goes against every fiber of my being, but he’s Corporate. Tal, if anything happens to him in PA? Especially if he’s strung up by the crowd? It’ll end in a hell of a mess. Maybe not now. But in the future. The kind of mess PA may not survive in the end.”

Talina watched as Inga set a mug of thick black stout next to Cinque’s elbow, shot him a distrustful look, and took his coin.

Cinque shifted, sipped his drink. “Remarkable how good this stout is given where it’s made. But you needn’t worry about the mob getting its hands on the IG. Soukup’s no longer in the hospital. Seems that when he first got back to PA, he used the hospital frequency to call for Colonel Creamer. That last shuttle that set down? It dropped Creamer off. Taking the guards with him from the gate, he was headed to the hospital. My understanding is that the colonel is moving Soukup to the Admin Dome. He’s ordered the marines to assemble there.” Cinque smiled. “So, unless these good folks think they can take down eight marines in armor, I’d say Soukup’s pretty safe for the time being.”

Talina muttered, “Damn it. That’s a whole new complication.”

Kalico cursed, thumped a fist onto the bar. “I relieved that martinet from duty.”

“Soukup reinstated him,” Cinque told her with a shrug. “He is, after all, Board Appointed. He can pretty much do what he wants.”

Kalico clamped her eyes shut, fingers knotting around her whiskey glass.

“Easy, Kalico,” Talina warned. “Don’t go off half-cocked.”

“This will further inflame the situation,” Shig said with resignation. “I do hope that the IG remembers that he is a guest in Port Authority. That he has no jurisdiction here.”

Which was when Talina heard the mumblings of the crowd change. Turning, she saw two marines, Ituri and Firiiki, descending the steps. Both were in armor, weapons at port arms.

“Aren’t they supposed to be on the gates?” Shig asked, checking his chronometer. Then he accessed com. “Two Spot? Are the marines on the gates?” A pause. “What?” Another pause. “Get Wejee and the others on them. Now!”