Not sure what chapter we're on, I'm guessing 30. Thus.

Chapter 30 - Lies and Betrayal

It is strange what one remembers when under extreme stress. Images, sounds, even scents come back with extraordinary clarity.
Jesse, flat on his back, was having one of these moments. The image of his father, recalled from memory by Verity's words, was so real to him that for a moment he thought the fire and everything following it was, perhaps, a dream. Jonathan Aimon's face was lit by a sardonic half-smile, the kind that Jesse had both loved and feared because of how swiftly it could change into either approval or scorn. Jesse had always avoided his father's wrath; the elder Aimon was neither gentle nor sparing in his discipline, but he was extremely fair, and Jesse never resented his punishments.
Jonathan's image reached towards Jesse, as though to help him up.
The pressure on his throat increased painfully. Jesse cound himself gasping for air that wouldn't come. Black spots flickered at the edge of his vision.
Dad?
Pick yourself up, Jesse. His father's voice, ghosting from memory. What happens when I'm not there for you? Learn to stand alone, without my help, and you will be even stronger with my help.
"Verity!"
Dazed, Jesse realized that this crazed female was going to kill him. His father abruptly forgotten, he found himself clawing at her knee, twisting frantically to get free, heedless of the RF launcher she was covering him with. He hadn't let Miss Savon kill him, nor Syamin and Adrian. There was no way he would let this stranger do him in without a fight.
"Verity!"
"I haven't forgotten you, Jonathan," she hissed at him, ignoring her companions, "or what you did to us."
Dad, what did you do?
Jesse was on the verge of blacking out. He could picture his father's sideways smile becoming scornful at his failure.
The pressure eased up suddenly, and his breath was very loud in his ears. Over the grey rabbit's shoulder he saw her black-furred companion bodily lifting her off him.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.
It was a moment before he realized that the black rabbit was speaking to him.
"Your name is Jonathan?"
Jesse shook his head no. If the grey rabbit - Verity? - if Verity had such a grudge against the late general, he would be better off not admitting any blood relationship at all.
"Who are you then?"
"My name .. is Jesse." The last time he had spoken those words, it had been to another black rabbit. Jesse thought this one was more trustworthy though, which was why he had approached to begin with.
"Jesse what?" the black rabbit's eyes sharpened suspiciously.
"Just .. Jesse." Why did people insist so much on knowing last names? It didn't change who he was.
"I see." The dark violet-blue eyes warned him that the topic was not forgotten. "Do you know Verity?"
"No." He shut his eyes. Logic would say if he had known Verity, why would he have approached them?
"Who is Jonathan?
Jesse's eyes flew open. "What makes you think I know?"
"You recognized the name."
"Jonathan was ... a friend, I suppose."
"Was?"
"He's dead. Killed."
"He's lying," Verity said suddenly, voice tightly controlled. "Icarus, he's lying through his teeth."

Icarus sighed. "Give him a chance, Verity?" Verity made a disgusted noise. He turned back to the white rabbit who called himself Jesse.
"How did he die?"
"Why?"Getting answers from him was harder than pulling teeth. "Just answer the question, okay?"
Anger lit in Jesse's green eyes, but then he shrugged. "They got him in a fire."
"When?" Verity demanded. Jesse looked bewildered.
"A few weeks ago? I lost track of time.."
Icarus regarded this strange youth suspiciously. Ash and grime made his white fur dingy. He smelled of smoke. Icarus went on intuition.
"You set that fire in that station."
Jesse tensed. Clearly Icarus had hit a nerve. "Not - directly."
"How do you indirectly commit arson?"
Jesse didn't answer that. Icarus waited patiently. Finally, the white rabbit looked away. "It's a long story."
"I'm sure it is. How many people died?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Verity's whole body expressed incredulity.(sp?)
"No more than two. Probably not even that. I think A.. one got out at least."
"Who?"
"A ... spymaster. And a spy. We... fought. The fire was accidental." He looked at Verity nervously, looking very young for a moment. "Can I get up?"
"Don't try anything."
"Like what?" Jesse sat up, gingerly rubbing his bruised throat. "You think I'm going to jump up and start burning everything? I'm sorry, I've had enough fire to last me a lifetime. Two lifetimes," and his head jerked up defiantly.
Verity looked clearly disbelieving. Jesse matched her stare for stare.
"How can we believe you?" Naomi said suddenly. "We don't know you. You won't even tell us your last name, for heaven's sake."
Jesse smiled bitterly. "I'm thinking I should look for passage offworld elsewhere, then?"
Icarus was surprised into a laugh. "Yes, the reception's been a little unfriendly, hasn't it. Naomi, you have to remember too, Jesse could be completely innocent. There's a good chance Verity has the wrong rabbit."
Verity found her voice. "Not bloody likely."
Jesse's face darkened. "What did Jonathan ever do to you?"
"You should know," Verity said dangerously. Jesse shook his head. He didn't look as though he wanted to know either. Icarus shrugged.
"It's an honest question," he remarked, "but makes no difference whatsoever to the question of passage."
Verity turned startled eyes to him. "You can't seriously be considering taking him?"
"It's not up to you or me," Icarus pointed out. "It's Naomi's ship."
Naomi gave Icarus a look that said thanks a lot. He shrugged it off. She sighed. "Icarus, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Uh, sure."
She drew him away from Jesse and Verity, who were eyeing each other again.
"What are you doing," she hissed at him once they were out of earshot. "We need Verity. We don't need this Jesse guy! He as much as admitted to killing two people and setting that fire we saw!"
"He also said that he thought they might have escaped, and the fire was accidental," he reminded her. "But like I said, the coice is yours."
"What if he's lying? What if he is this Jonathan?"
Icarus shrugged. "There's no justice on Diamondus anymore," he pointed out. "If he does turn out to be some criminal, we can turn him over to the Carrotan authorities."
"You believe him," she accused. Icarus gave her a twisted smile.
"I'm just remembering another kid accused of crimes he didn't commit," he said softly. "I have a certain amount of sympathy for Jesse, yes."
"Oh, Icarus," Naomi said, penitent, "I'm so sorry. I didn't think - I mean - that you saw him like that."
"Aside from the last name issue, he seems to be telling the truth," he told her.
"Then what do we tell Verity?"
"I'd say it's probably better to keep an eye on him than to kill him out of hand or let him go," he mused. "That way she can be sure of getting justice on Carrotus. And the truth might come to the surface."
"The truth?"
"About what Jesse says. And Verity."
"Oh."
"Make the call, captain."
"... Can you talk to Verity for me?" Naoimi's eyes were pleading. Icarus grinned.

Jesse watched Icarus and Naoimi walk away before turning his eyes to Verity.
"What did Jonathan do? he asked again, weary of this whole thing. "Try to kill you?" His quick eyes noted the scar on her face. Verity scowled.
"Oh, you tried. I'm not so easy to kill though."
Jesse stayed quiet.
"Raphael trusted you," she said bitterly. "You made him betray Eddie, and then you betrayed him."
He blinked. Verity's words disturbed him more than he admitted. Those names were familiar, and he couldn't place them.
"Look," he said finally. "I don't know how to convince you. I'm not Jonathan. I'm Jesse."
Verity laughed. "For not being him, you sure do look like him."
The words were a cold weight in Jesse's stomach. He told himself firmly that she was not speaking of his father. His father wanted nothing to do with the war. He was honorable. He didn't betray people.

But how often had he been told that he was his father's spitting image?

Couldn't find Ducky, so I was a little limited in what I could do, but I'm not displeased with how it turned out.