Liara's expression cooled. "Don't blame us for your lack of attention, Castor. The warning signs were all there. It's not our fault you missed them."
Castor lifted his head slightly off his hand, his expression arrested as if Liara had surprised him.
Liara shifted her attention to Eurus. "With everything that's happened, I'm sure you didn't call us here to waste our time over who knew what, when. What is it the emperor requires?"
Eurus pondered her for a moment. "Access to your houses so we may complete a thorough investigation."
Murmurs of dissatisfaction ran through the representatives of the minor houses. Those powerful enough to have earned a spot in these proceedings.
"The emperor oversteps," someone shouted.
"Why should we submit to this?"
Kira listened with a frown. Were they really so blind that they couldn't see what was happening right in front of them?
"That’s not all," Liara guessed with a knowing look.
Eurus was statue still. "The current unrest in the galaxy and the repeated attacks on our territories has highlighted the need for a call to arms."
Cries broke out among the occupants.
"Four battalions from each of the major Houses," Eurus said, projecting his voice to carry over the growing objections. "Fifteen percent of the fighting force from the minor Houses. He believes a cohesive force will be necessary in the coming days."
Castor threw his head back, his roar of laughter silencing the Overlords of the minor Houses. "He asks this even though his own ranks aren't free of taint?" Castor's humor drained away to reveal a predatory expression. "If I recall, an inquisitor was the party responsible for giving House Votair's Overlord the tool he needed to isolate our young and make them vulnerable to attack."
Eurus's expression hardened the faintest bit, an almost unnoticeable change that Kira would have missed if this was her first time meeting the emperor's Face. "Jarek's trust in a former companion was misplaced. He will be punished for the oversight."
Castor's lip curled. "I do hope so. Asanth was lucky not to lose any of our members, but other Houses weren't as blessed. Jarek's fate should be given to them to decide."
"Jarek and the inquisitors fall under my purview. His punishment is mine to mete out."
Nothing about Eurus betrayed his anger. But it was there. Slithering through the room. Making it hard to breathe.
Everyone felt it, going very still.
Helena leaned forward. "Kashori supports Asanth's stance. This is bigger than just you. His actions contributed to a large loss of life. Moreover, a creature that the Tuann haven't encountered since we were enslaved by the old masters was used to bring harm to our Houses. That alone should buy him the maximum punishment possible."
Eurus's anger vanished, subsumed under an icy mask as he regarded the Overlords. "Jarek's actions do not meet the threshold for exile. While he showed poor judgment in the object of his trust, the act of lending a badge to an Overlord in the course of one's duties is not without precedent. He did not act in poor faith nor was his intention for his emblem to be used in that fashion. For that reason, I have revoked his authority until he can prove himself worthy again."
Helena looked dissatisfied at that response. Castor was a more difficult read, his expression giving no hint of his thoughts.
"The timing of all this is extremely convenient, don't you think? These conspiracies all coming to light right after Roake's heir re-appeared." Castor's gaze landed on Kira. "Almost as if someone planned it."
Kira regarded Asanth's Overlord with a blank stare. The accusation was expected. It was only natural to cast blame when the wolves were at the gates and the future uncertain. She was the perfect target as an outsider. Despite all Harlow's efforts, that's all she'd ever be to some of these people. An outcast. Little better than one of their wanderers.
"Careful, Asanth," Harlow rumbled.
Castor's gaze flicked to him. "I'm always careful."
Kira's head tilted, the same blank expression on her face. "Alexander is one of the most cunning and observant people I know. How can the Overlord of his House be so blind by comparison?"
Castor's expression froze as Harlow sighed.
Kira continued as if unaware of how thin the ice under her feet had grown. "One only needs to look to the Sorrowing to realize the extent of the rot in your Houses. How many children need to be taken before you wake up and see what's right in front of your eyes?"
There were several indrawn breaths from around the table. The Sorrowing was one of the worst moments in Tuann history. A time when countless children were stolen by unknown perpetrators. They now knew the Tsavitee and their masters were behind it, but that didn't change the fact that many Tuann were complicit in the abductions.