‘If the intruder is still here, that’s two more potential victims for him that I don’t particularly care about,’ Chetta muttered. ‘Morandia’s got enough of Vittariel’s temper that she might just try to get Old Man Veel to start a trade war against us, if she thinks I’m being obstructive. And with Dukarr already set against us, Veel might just consider it worth the risk.’ She snapped her fingers at the vox-operator. ‘Authorise them to land!’

‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ Ngiri murmured.

Chetta snorted. ‘How much worse can the day get?’

Escalation

Escalation

‘No, I’m not going to meet them,’ Chetta told the guard irritably. ‘Send a team and escort them here. Protocol might dictate the reception chambers, but we don’t have the personnel to secure–’

‘That’s him! That’s him!’

It was DeShelle’s voice, from behind her. Chetta turned to see her aide jabbing her finger at a pict-screen in Yunn’s annex, which was displaying a still from immigration control: a pale-skinned man, with narrow cheeks and scraggly dark hair that reached past his shoulders. He had a respirator, but it was pulled down to expose his face as the official compared his appearance to that of his ident.

‘Name?’ Chetta demanded, limping towards them, the guard completely forgotten.

‘Radimir Niklau,’ Tekoa said, checking and checking again against the notes in his hand. ‘Yes. The gate and time stamp match up. Whoever he may really be, he travelled here using an ident in the name of Radimir Niklau.’

Chetta looked at Ngiri. ‘Your ladyship?’

Ngiri subvocalised something into the comm wrapped around her throat, then spoke clearly. ‘This is rogue trader Indrinian Vass. Get me Judge Arctos immediately.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Yes, I know that it’s midnight on the Feast of the Emperor’s Ascension, because I am not a complete imbecile. You apparently are, however, since despite my authorisation code you have replied to me instead of immediately patching me through. This is a security issue of the utmost urgency, pray do not delay me any further!’