Trials of Conviction, page 25
Graydon's face hardened. "She's not going in there alone."
"I never said she had to. Jin will go with her." Diesel glanced at Kira. "That's him in that other one's hood, isn't it?"
The lie rolled easily off Kira's tongue. "He's having a little bit of trouble with his positioning algorithm. A side effect of the planet's magnetic field."
Diesel relaxed in his chair. "You should have been here for the immediate aftermath. It got pretty wild for a few years."
"I can imagine," Kira said. To Graydon, "I'll be fine. Jin will watch my back. Wait here until I return."
Graydon's expression went hard, well aware that 'Jin' wasn't going to be watching much of anything.
Kira touched his hand, asking for patience. "I promise. Jin and I will be fine."
Graydon's jaw tightened as he stared her down.
"I expected this," she continued, giving him a significant look.
It was her second lie of the night. And just as necessary as the first.
"Funny—you failed to warn me of this possibility," Graydon said flatly, looking like he dearly wished to put her over his knee.
Kira fought back her smile. He was adorable when he was grumpy. "If I had, you'd never have let me come."
"You're learning bad habits," Graydon grumbled, looking away from her.
She cupped his jaw, finding it rigid from how hard he was grinding his teeth. His stubble pricked her palm as she lifted onto her tip toes to press a kiss to the corner of his lips.
"I'll be fine," she promised.
Storm clouds gathered in Graydon's eyes. "You'd better be."
Unspoken, was what he'd do to the humans around her if she wasn't.
Kira dropped back onto her heels; her smile impish. "Just for the record—you make a terrible oshota."
Graydon pulled her hand away from his face to glare. "I do not. I'm great at it."
"Only in terms of your ability to protect. You're absolute shit when it comes to following orders."
That was probably what made him such a great Face. He dominated any situation he was in. Even when he didn't say a word.
The fact he was willing to humor her and take a back seat while she drove the situation was something of a coup.
They'd come a long way from that first meeting.
"Look after the kid while I'm gone, would you?" Kira nodded at Lathan.
Though the wanderer was perfectly capable of looking after himself, you could never be too careful. With a lenacht in the mix, they had to stay on their toes. The Tsavitee had already targeted it once.
"One day we're going to have a talk about your habit of leaving me behind."
"You should compare notes with Finn. He'd love having someone to commiserate with."
Kira walked over to Lathan, fishing the J1N's shell out of his hood.
"Don't think I won't," Graydon warned as Kira shook the drone.
"See you soon," Kira said with one last look at Graydon.
His stance was rigid, the muscles in his body strung as tight as a bow. "You'd better. Otherwise, I'm coming in after you. I make no promises as to what state your friend or their equipment will end up in if that becomes necessary."
"I'll consider myself warned."
Kira tossed the J1N into the air. "Let's go, Jin. Looks like we've got work to do."
The J1N sailed in a perfect parabola. Right before it dropped like a stone, hitting the snow with a thud.
Diesel raised an eyebrow. "You weren't kidding. That's some glitch."
With a frustrated sigh, Kira bent and prodded the drone. Each tap was a little fiercer than the last. Finally, there was a hum as the drone's antigravs initiated.
The J1N lifted off the ground. "The great and mighty Jin is reporting for duty."
Kira grabbed the J1N, turning it so its 'eye' was facing in the right direction. "Let me help you, buddy. There you go."
She cast a smile at Diesel as she patted the J1N for good measure.
Brie moved off into the night without a word, leaving Kira and the J1N to follow.
Nerves flooded Kira's stomach. Her hands developed a tiny tremor that had her primus rising from the place it had been slumbering since they'd started traveling with the lenacht.
Please let Odin have what they needed, Kira whispered silently. Otherwise, they would have come all this way for nothing.
Graydon
Graydon watched the trees swallow Kira and the other two, hating the fact that he was remaining behind. It was going to take everything Kira had to walk back into that ship.
And he wasn't going to be there to ease her burden.
He could follow. It would be easy. These humans and their toys weren't much of a threat. Easily swatted aside.
The problem was that she'd been the one to ask this. Kira asked very little of him. How could he go against her wishes now?
Diesel chuckled. "She's got you wrapped around her finger."
There was an edge to the human now that Kira was no longer there. The friendly camaraderie had vanished, leaving behind someone who was both shrewd and intelligent.
Diesel looked Graydon over. As if trying to decide how much time and effort Graydon was worth.
"You're not her usual sort," Diesel observed.
"That's because I'm unique."
Of course, Graydon wasn't her type. She never would have had the opportunity to run across someone like him until the day they met.
There was a stunned silence. Then Diesel roared with laughter. "I see it now. Your arrogance fits with her and Jin's."
Graydon only gave the human part of his attention, the rest focused on listening to Kira move through the forest.
"You're Tuann, aren't you?"
Graydon stared.
The human's lips quirked, as if pleased to finally get a response.
Only, Graydon caught the faint trace of tension around his mouth and the corners of his eyes that announced his discomfort.
To the human, it would feel like a weight was pressing on the top of his head. The urge to submit to that pressure continuing to build as danger whispered across his skin. A warning that he'd drawn the notice of a much bigger predator.
The Tuann called it the oho. A nonviolent way of suppressing someone whose willpower was weaker than yours.
Kira wielded it instinctively. That was probably why this man didn't flinch from Graydon's gaze. He'd had the chance to build up a tolerance.
There was also the fact that his mind and willpower were uncommonly strong.
Graydon reeled in his displeasure. He buried his emotions before suppressing the oho to levels that would be considered more polite among his kind.
The lines bracketing Diesel's lips eased. "Is Kira Tuann?"
If the man was smart, he'd be careful about what he said next.
Diesel made a face at Graydon's continued silence. "There's a lot of negative sentiment going around about your kind right now."
Graydon prowled closer.
The human tensed.
Graydon's gaze followed the human's hand as it strayed toward what he suspected was a weapon concealed in the arm of his chair.
"I wouldn't," Graydon purred, almost hoping the human would ignore his advice. He welcomed a chance to exercise some of this excess energy from his bones.
The only thing that had stopped him so far was the prospect of Kira's displeasure.
Diesel took his hand away from the weapon. "People say we might have won the war years earlier if the Tuann had taken action."
"It wasn't our job to fight your war for you."
That was the problem with humanity. They were always looking for someone else to bear the burden of their hubris.
"I like you. You'll be good for her." Diesel leaned forward, his voice lowering. "Strange, isn't it? That everyone wants to blame the Tuann for standing on the sidelines and watching when first contact with your race wasn’t announced until well into the latter years of the war. It's almost like someone is trying to influence public opinion, wouldn't you say?"
Oh ho. Kira’s friend was quite the observant one.
"What did Kira say your role was on the Vega?"
"I was the Curs’ mechanic."
Graydon’s lips hooked up at the corners. He doubted that was all he was.
Diesel's subordinate hurried over, bending down to deliver his report in a low voice.
Despite his efforts, Graydon caught every word.
"Rothchild's Space Watch just reported several asteroids impacting the territory next to this one. They've requested we check it out."
Diesel nodded. "Let them know I'll be there shortly. In the meantime, send two squads. One to act as overwatch. The other on the ground investigating. They're not to fall out of contact."
The human nodded, straightening before turning to carry out his orders.
Diesel aimed a genial smile at Graydon and Lathan. "My apologies. It seems our conversation will have to wait for another time. Duty calls."
"Of course," Graydon murmured.
Diesel's anti gravs kicked on, lifting the chair until it was hovering off the ground. "Feel free to visit our mess hall. You two look like you could use a decent meal. I suggest you don't wander too far from camp though. My people are a mite touchy with their trigger fingers. We've set traps everywhere around here."
If Graydon decided to go exploring, neither of those things were likely to stop him.
Diesel paused, aiming another look at Graydon. "Try to get Kira to visit the memorial, if you can. I think it would do her good to pay her respects."
"Kira will always do as she wishes," Graydon returned.
Diesel's smile was faint. "I guess some things never change."
Lathan moved up beside Graydon as the human headed toward where the rest were starting to gather around the vehicles. "Do you think there will be trouble?"
"There's always trouble."
It was the one thing he'd come to count on when his coli was involved.
"Where are you going?" Graydon asked as Lathan walked into the trees.
"Human food is atrocious. I prefer what's on my ship."
"Be on your guard. The cargo you carry is precious." Graydon dropped his gaze to sleeping lenacht.
"I'm aware," Lathan said with a faint smile before disappearing into the trees.
"Coli, your companions get stranger with every one you add," Graydon said, watching him go. He turned to stare at the patch of forest where Kira had gone. "Finish your business soon, cheva nier. I can't guarantee how long I'll be willing to wait."
Seventeen
Kira
Brie vanished into the ship via the gaping hole in its side. Probably formed sometime during the moon's explosion or the ship's crash landing.
Kira stopped on the bank, tilting her head back to take in her former home.
The Vega had seen better days. Scars from its last battle were evident everywhere. The hull was riddled with fissures. Its sides streaked with singe marks from the missiles and weapons fire it would have endured to lure the Tsavitee ship into the blast zone. Whole sections were missing or so mangled they were unrecognizable.
Despite that, the Vega was an imposing figure, rising out of the snow like a resurrected phantom for one last mission. To rain vengeance on its enemies before it disintegrated back into the ether.
Kira set a hand on the ship's side. "Hello, old friend. How I've missed you."
A deep silence answered her. If she were to close her eyes, she could almost hear the echo of those who'd made this their final resting place. Ghosts who lingered long after their deaths.
Something engraved in the metal next to the hole caught her eye.
The words "Never Forget" had been etched so deeply into the side of the ship that it would take a thousand years or more for the elements to erode them away.
Kira's smile was faint as she traced the characters. "You're right about that. I will never forget."
She'd carry them with her. A welcome weight. And when she finally located the Tsavitee's home world and their masters, she'd make sure to exact a little vengeance in their name.
Because she was the Phoenix. And that was what she was best at.
Kira stepped inside the ship, locating Brie in the gloom through the greenish glow her goggles emitted.
"Good of you to join me," Brie said, crouching just out of reach of the moonlight filtering in through the gap.
"This place brings back a lot of memories for me. It's not easy."
Brie’s goggles were strangely sinister looking in the dim light, lending her a mysterious aura.
The J1N stuttered, its altitude dropping sharply before it recovered.
Brie rose, the moment broken. "Follow me."
"As you wish," Kira murmured, waiting until the woman's back was to them before giving the J1N a glare. Was it too much to ask for the drone to go more than two seconds without drawing attention to itself?
Kira stomped after Brie, following her deeper into the ship.
It wasn't long before she recognized the area where they were heading. A place the crew had affectionately referred to as the ship's brain.
It was located in the center of the ship behind several bulkheads made from some of the strongest alloys in the Consortium's arsenal. The reason being that in the event of attack the ship could remain active as long as its brain was somewhat intact. And if it did go down, the information contained there had some chance of making it back into the hands of the military's leaders.
Personally, Kira thought the Tsavitee had the right of it by destroying all crucial systems when a ship went down to prevent their technology from falling into the hands of the enemy. The higher ups hadn't agreed.
Brie and Kira meandered through the ship in a roundabout manner. The Vega's state didn't allow for a straight shot from point A to point B, forcing them to take detours to bypass the damaged sections.
"You're different than I was expecting," Brie commented as Kira crouched to crawl through a section where the ceiling had partially caved in. Before Kira could respond, she set off again. "Stay close. The All Father placed traps in the interior of the ship to prevent unwelcome visitors."
"That’s not surprising," Kira said.
Odin had always been even more paranoid than her.
Brie moved with a competence and efficiency that spoke of training. She'd gotten the drop on Pallas, even if it was only for a moment. That was no easy feat.
If this had still been during the war, Kira would have tried to recruit her.
It made her wonder what a person with Brie’s skills was doing here. Guarding a derelict ship. Prestigious as it may have once been.
"Did Diesel train you?" Kira asked, stepping over a pile of debris.
"He had a hand in it. Though Rothchild is primarily responsible. Our government requires every able bodied citizen to undergo military training upon reaching adulthood. Insurance for if we're ever attacked again."
"Smart of them."
Kira wished more planets had done that. It would have made them less of an easy target for the Tsavitee. Maybe so many wouldn't have died before Centcom's reinforcements had arrived.
"I agree." Brie's smile looked strange with her goggles covering the upper half of her face. "Especially given the predicament the Consortium has just put us in by breaking the treaty."
Though there wasn’t any detectable bitterness in Brie’s words, there was something. A note of sharpness that made sense when you considered where they were standing. A ship whose crew’s lives had bought an alliance that led to peace. Not to mention the civilian population Rothchild had lost in the same encounter.
Kira was still dealing with her own sense of betrayal over the Consortium’s shortsightedness. She couldn't imagine how much worse it was for Rothchild's citizens whose moon was a reminder every time they looked up at the sky.
"My father was one of the miners stationed on the moon during the blast."
Kira slowed and then stopped; her gaze trained on the back of Brie’s head.
"He was my hero," Brie said into the silence. "Every day he would call home and tell me a story to put me to bed."
The love Brie had for her father was perceptible even all these years later.
"He told me about the Phoenix too."
Suddenly, Kira was aware of how very alone she was with a stranger on what could be considered the other’s home ground.
"Such stories that made the Phoenix seem almost mythological."
Kira shifted her hand closer to the hilt of the akieri, watching the other woman with a focused intensity.
Brie’s gaze followed Kira’s movements, a wry smile appearing. "You needn't worry, Phoenix. You’re not the one I hold responsible for his death."
"Why not? I do."
Even knowing that was survivor's guilt talking, Kira sometimes found it hard to move past the self-blame.
"Did you know several of the miners managed to get one last call out before the moon went up?" Brie put her back to the wall, sliding down into a sitting position.
"No, I didn't."
That hadn't been in any of the reports. Most of the information she and Jin had gathered had to do with the military's movements. Before and after. They hadn't paid much attention to the miners' side. They were considered inconsequential. There was no way they would have known in advance of the meeting with the Haldeel. Nor would they have been privy to the Curs' presence.
In Kira and Jin's minds, they were civilians who'd gotten caught up in the crossfire.
"I didn't receive it until afterward, but he called us. My mom and me. He said that something bad was happening and that he had the opportunity to get out but that he and the rest had chosen to stay." Brie tugged off the goggles and set them in her lap. "He told me there was something important that only he could do. That he was sorry but that he was fighting for me and my mom and everyone else. That the Phoenix was too and we had to support her or there was no way she'd win."
Kira's eyes felt tight. "He was a hero then."
"That was my dad. My hero." The smile that formed lit up Brie's features. "The rest of the Consortium may have forgotten his name. But I remember. Rothchild remembers."
