"I know." Lanko flicked off the gunnery switches and leaned back, rubbing his head. "There was a possibility, and I fully intended to relax. But the decision time was short, and frankly, those thoughts of his overrode me for just too long. That boy was dangerous!"
He turned to Genro Kir, who was looking with horrified fascination at the still growing cloud in the screen.
"It's unfortunate. We'll try to get your other partner alive."
"You destroyed him!" Kir looked a little sick.
"No. We didn't destroy him. He should have known better than to fire into a tractor. I'll have to admit, I did slip a little. I assumed he was the usual type of drone. I didn't recognize the full extent of his aberration."
Lanko got out of his chair, and crossed the room, to confront the prisoner.
"Look, Kir. I don't know whether your other partner's like that one or not. But I think it's about time you helped a little. If you had given us clues to Sira Nal's personality and probable location, we might have been able to take precautions. He might be with us now. Or, do you enjoy seeing your friends turn themselves into flaming clouds of smoke?"
"You mean I ... I'm responsible ... for that?"
"Partially. You helped them. You refused any assistance in their capture. And you knew they were going to be captured, one way or another."
Kir directed a horrified look at the screen.