Trials of Conviction, page 37
Odin plonked a device the size of a fist on the table. "Can we get down to business now? There's a lot of ground to cover and we don't have a great amount of time."
Shepperd gestured at Odin with his gun. "Who is this?"
"I'm the All Father," Odin announced with grave importance.
Shepperd squinted at him before turning to Jace. "Who is this?"
Jace's face was unhappy as he stared at Odin. "That's not what is important."
"No, it's not," Odin agreed.
Shepperd gave the room a disbelieving look. "Somebody please explain to me what's going on?"
Bechler nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't mind that either. We're in the midst of preparing for deployment. What is so important that you called us away from our duties?"
Hollis moved closer to the table, still careful to give Aeron a wide berth. "He has a point, Admiral Skarsdale."
Aeron lifted a lip in disdain, dismissing the humans as he focused on Kira. "What took you so long?"
"I had to deal with a few of your friends. It delayed me."
Aeron grudgingly moved toward the table, not seeming to care when the humans scattered like mice before a feline. He grabbed a chair directly across from Kira, the one that had belonged to Shepperd, and took a seat in it.
"They must not have been my very close friends. Otherwise, you'd be dead," Aeron said with a humorless smile.
"I highly doubt that," Kira murmured.
Shepperd gestured sharply at Aeron. "I'm not sitting at a table with one of them."
Hollis and Bechler's harsh silence showed they agreed.
While they were distracted, Joule shot Kira a quick glance that showed the discipline he was exercising in not throwing himself at her in welcome. Devon was more reserved, giving her a nod in greeting.
Graydon leaned over to Kira, still watching Jace and his fellow humans. "How much longer do they plan to do this?"
Shepperd glared at the emperor's Face. "I'm sorry. Are we keeping you from something?"
Graydon's smile was vaguely contemptuous. "As long as you realize."
Shepperd spun back to Jace. "What are the Tuann doing here again? The only good thing about breaking that alliance is not having to put up with their bullshit any longer. And could somebody please explain what a general is doing on this base!"
"He's here to answer a question that has been plaguing the human race since the last war," Odin declared, touching the sides of the device he'd placed on the table. Shepperd and the other two humans went silent as a star map formed.
Hollis drew closer. "What are we looking at here?"
Odin's smile was small, as if he'd been expecting this question. "When the Phoenix woke from her coma after the contribution she made to the Falling, she didn't retreat from society to go live the lonely life of a salvager and nurse her mental and physical scars."
Hollis frowned and glanced in Kira's direction. "I hadn't heard you were in a coma."
"Himoto kept it secret."
For many reasons. The primary of which was to keep their enemies from taking advantage of Kira's weakened state.
"Get to the point," Kira told Odin.
"I'm getting to that. I have to set the stage first. They need to understand just how much blood, sweat and tears went into procuring this information."
Correction—Odin wanted to grandstand. No amount of prodding on Kira's part was going to hurry that along. In that case, she might as well relax and enjoy the ride.
Aeron huffed, seeming amused at her inability to control the Sye.
"Contrary to popular opinion, it wasn't guilt or sorrow or madness that drove the Phoenix from civilization. It was hope—and a deep seated belief that the war humanity thought over was, in fact, not over. Rather it had gone underground where the enemy could wait and gather strength for its next attack."
Shepperd huffed. "She's a damn prophet."
"Yes, she is," Odin agreed.
Hollis studied the star map thoughtfully. "I take it that her reasons for becoming a salvager had something to do with her beliefs."
"Very good." Odin smiled at the commander. "I see why that old man promoted you—even with all the nasty business over that disputed mining colony."
Hollis's face went cold. "What would you know about that?"
Odin's eye danced. "You'd be surprised at all the things I know."
"Odin," Kira warned in a low tone, waiting until he looked at her. "Get to the point."
"Always so impatient," Odin chided, snapping his fingers.
The map changed. It expanded until a large swath of the galaxy came into view. One dot was brighter than the rest. It was located in the quadrant of space that Odin and Torvald's sources had identified as the likely location of the Tsavitee home world.
"You did it," Kira breathed.
Wren was a statue on Graydon's other side. Motionless. As if he might shatter at any moment. Maksym and Zoella's faces had gone cold, stoic masks as they stared at that dot.
Graydon's expression was alert. A hunter who'd just identified his target.
"This—" Hollis drew closer, looking like she wished she could reach out and touch the home world right here and now.
Shepperd and Bechler were equally fixated. Their fear of Aeron forgotten as they honed in on the star map.
"Are you serious?" Shepperd asked, his earlier antagonism forgotten.
Bechler's expression was fierce as he locked on Odin in expectation.
This was why Jace had invited them to this briefing. It was bait to test their receptiveness to the thought of attacking the Tsavitee home world without orders from Centcom.
Smart. A move worthy of Himoto's successor.
"You have the general to thank," Odin said, satisfied with their reactions. "If not for him, I'd still be scratching my head."
"How certain are we that this is accurate?" Hollis asked, reluctant to look away from the star map.
Odin gave her a cold look. "Very certain."
Raider focused on Jace. "This is what you requested, right? A location? Well, you have it. Now, what will you do?"
"Watch yourself, Chief Petty Officer," Hollis warned. "You're still a noncommissioned officer in this fleet. You will conduct yourself with respect."
Raider flicked a glance at her. "Maybe not for long."
Her eyebrows lowered. "What does that mean?"
Raider didn’t answer, focusing on Jace as he stared down at his hands in thought.
"Defying Centcom's orders will carry consequences," Bechler murmured.
"You're saying we should ignore this chance?" Sheppard asked scathingly.
"Not at all. I'm saying we need to consider all outcomes."
Kira ignored them as she looked at Jace. "Raider's right. You wanted something concrete." She nodded at the star map. "There you have it."
Whether he planned to do anything with that information was up to him. Kira wouldn't force him. Humanity was responsible for their own decisions.
Kira hoped they would seize this chance. If only because it seemed fitting that those who'd been with her at the start were there for the end.
Jace's gaze lifted to hers. "You realize if I say yes, I could be court martialed."
"Only if we fail."
And they weren't going to fail.
"Besides, who doesn't have a court martial or two on their record," Kira said dismissively.
Jace was the only one of them who'd avoided such a blemish. That was probably why he'd ended up as a rear admiral and they hadn't.
"You still have no plan," Jace told her.
"You know that won't stop me."
Jace's low laugh was disbelieving as he shook his head. "All you have is a location. You have no intelligence on the size of the army we'd be facing. You don't know what defenses their planet has. Nor the number of ships they have protecting it."
Kira tilted her head at Aeron. "Good thing I brought someone familiar with all those details."
Jace scoffed. "You want me to trust the word of an enemy? Are you out of your mind?"
"Sometimes," Kira admitted. But she didn't think this was one of those times. She leaned forward. "Wouldn't it be nice to fight this battle on someone else's home ground for a change?"
Her words got through to at least one of them as Shepperd nodded in agreement.
"You know you can't win a war built on defense. Centcom already tried once. The Tsavitee will gnaw away at your lines little by little and it'll be the civilians who pay the price."
Bechler looked at Jace. "We have our orders."
Impatience moved through Kira. "Orders you know come from corrupted officials working with the Tsavitee. That's who you're going to listen to?"
"She has a point," Hollis said.
At Kira and Jace’s look, the other woman shrugged. "I can read the writing on the wall just as well as you two. I know there are issues in our government and Centcom. This latest bullshit regarding the treaty is evidence of that." Hollis focused on Jace. "Ultimately, this decision is yours. You’re the one they'll go after if we fail."
Jace was quiet, his head bowed as he stared at the table. No one spoke as they waited for his decision.
Kira held her breath. Come on, Jace. You know this is the right play.
"Alright," Jace said, his gaze finding Kira's. "You win. We'll do this."
Raider slapped the table. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."
"We'll do this," Jace reiterated, ignoring Raider as he focused on Kira. "But I want a plan. A real one. Not one of those half-baked plans you're famous for."
Graydon's lips curved as he shot Kira a look. "So, I'm not the only one who has noticed that habit of yours."
Kira sent him a dirty look.
"I guess that means I'm up," Aeron drawled.
The humans flinched, seeing him reach for Odin's device. Aeron paused, a droll look on his face as he made a show of reaching for it again. Slower this time.
Bechler and Shepperd eyed him carefully but made no further movements.
Aeron tapped Odin's device. The star map shifted. A planet forming over the table.
"You're not going to be able to take this planet with the puny number of forces you currently have," Aeron started.
"How do you know our numbers?" Bechler asked sharply.
"Please." Aeron sneered. "We've been studying you for years. Our spies have infiltrated every walk of life. We’re in your government. Your military. Your civilian population. We know everything we need to know."
"I doubt that," Jace said.
Aeron blew out an impatient breath as he rolled his eyes. "Yes, we know about the ships you received from Luatha. And your attempts to reverse engineer them. We also know you've had limited success with the help of Kira's cousin and her people." Aeron pinned Jace with a look. "Like I said—we've been watching you."
The humans went silent, their expressions fierce as they stared at the general.
Aeron ignored their antagonism, continuing with his presentation. "The home world is heavily defended. In addition to a large ground force, there is a fleet patrolling the neighboring sectors. Trust me when I say, if you were to encounter it, your ships would be shredded before you get anywhere close."
Shepperd tapped the table thoughtfully. "A distraction might work. If we can draw their forces far enough away, it might give us enough time to get in and do some damage before getting out again."
"Did you not hear what I said?" Aeron asked.
Shepperd waved him away. "Yeah. Yeah. They'll make mincemeat of our ships. Don't worry. I don't think it'll be as easy as you assume. Us humans still have a few tricks up our sleeves."
Kira was beginning to like this brash captain of Jace's. She could see why the other man had made it into her friend's inner circle.
"Even if you’re able to distract the fleet long enough to attack the planet, you'll find the surface guarded by a network of automated defenses. If by some miracle you make it through them, you'll be up against the ground to atmosphere energy cannons which will target any unauthorized ship attempting to land." Aeron's face was grim as he looked at Kira. "This is a suicide mission. Even for someone as powerful as the Phoenix."
Maybe so, but Kira wasn't willing to give up. There was always something. Some little detail or overlooked chink that she could leverage.
She absolutely refused to walk away. Not when they were so close.
"We do it like we did on Paxus," Kira said.
Graydon and the rest of the Tuann showed confusion as the humans turned stiff.
"What happened on Paxus?" Graydon asked when no one spoke for long moments.
Raider shifted uncomfortably as he darted a glance at Kira. "We nearly died."
"But we didn't," Kira responded.
And that was all that mattered.
"Would it work?" Jace asked.
Raider considered before nodding reluctantly. "The Curs might be able to do it."
"We do what Shepperd suggested," Kira said urgently. "We create a distraction to move the bulk of their fleet away from the planet. Then the rest of us go in for a targeted attack."
"Were you not listening?" Aeron demanded. "There is a defense network. You'll never get close."
"Yes, we will," Jace said, holding Kira's gaze. "One ship to lure the fleet. The other two to trigger the defenses and create a gap just wide enough for a small drop team to be inserted into the atmosphere of the planet. Once down there, they do as much damage in as short a time frame as possible. That's what you're thinking, right?"
"Got it in one."
They always did work well together like this.
Odin lifted a hand. "I can help with the last part of that plan."
Jace's face puckered as if he'd tasted something sour. "How?"
"I'm a decent hacker. If I do say so myself." Odin's grin was mischievous. "And I have some familiarity with their outer defense network. I might be able to make a blind spot big enough for a ship or two to slip through. It'd give your drop team a chance at least."
Jace seemed tired as he agreed. "Fine."
"What about the general?" Bechler asked, watching Aeron carefully.
"He's coming with us," Jace instructed, rising. "If he's lying about any of this, he'll be the first to die."
A dangerous rumble came from Aeron. "Keep dreaming, human."
"I do. Every night." Jace focused on Kira. "I can only commit three ships to this attack. The rest of the fleet will still deploy according to Centcom's orders."
Kira inclined her chin. "Understood."
That was three more than she'd been expecting when she flew onto this base.
Jace jerked his chin at her. "We'll ship off in three hours."
The officers rose as a sign of respect as Jace strode out of the room.
"Phoenix, it'll be good to fly with you again," Hollis drawled with a twinkle in her eye.
"Same to you," Kira said as the commander rose and followed Jace.
"We should get going too," Bechler told Shepperd. "There’s a lot to prepare."
The other captain nodded distractedly. "Do you think they'll court martial us for this too?"
Bechler snorted and shook his head as they moved toward the door. "We're probably all going to die so I don't think worrying about what comes after is necessary."
Shepperd shrugged in agreement. "Going out in a blaze of glory doesn't sound so bad."
Graydon waited as their voices faded before focusing on Kira. "Heart of my soul, all these months together has made me aware of your intelligence. Despite the occasional reckless action on your part which challenges that conclusion. Which is why I'm going to give you one chance."
Finn and Wren took seats on the other side of the table next to Aeron. Talon found a wall to lean against as the other oshota spread through the room, their stances much more relaxed now that there were no humans present.
Joule and Devon held their breaths, afraid that drawing notice would see them evicted from the room.
"And if I don't do what you want?" Kira asked.
Graydon lips curved, his smile a little evil. "I act unilaterally in your best interest. You won't be a fan of my methods, I can assure you."
Twenty Five
"You're probably right about that," Kira drawled, canting her head.
After all, Graydon enjoyed getting under her skin as much as she did his. He would take it as a personal challenge.
Raider pushed to his feet. "On that note, I have some matters to take care of. I'll leave you to it."
"Traitor," Kira said softly, not looking away from Graydon's gaze.
"Always know when it's time to stage a tactical retreat. You taught me that," Raider returned.
Aeron followed his example. "In this, I'm in agreement with the human. I have no need to listen to your petty squabbles. I wish to be returned to my cell."
"Amila, go with him," Graydon ordered.
Wren nodded at Zoella as well.
The two women glided forward, escorting the general out of the room after Raider.
Odin hesitated at the end of the table. "I'll see you soon, Nixxy."
Kira nodded. "See you on board."
The room was quiet as Odin pulled the door closed behind him, sealing Kira inside with the Tuann.
She was quiet as she looked around the table, knowing what they were afraid of. In all that planning, no mention had been made of what role Graydon and the rest of the Tuann would play. Their opinions hadn't been asked. Their presence ignored.
Intentionally, on Kira's part.
"When you were listening to our plan, did any of you hear mention of an exit strategy?" Kira asked, making herself comfortable in her chair.
She waited, a mysterious little smile on her face as they came to the realization she'd been hoping they’d make.
"That's because there is none. To get onto the planet without tripping the energy cannons, we'll have to use waveboards."
While waveboards were versatile, able to maneuver easily in the void of space and be used for insertion into a planet's atmosphere, they wouldn't be able to get them back off again. This was meant to be a one way trip.
That's where the Tuann came in.
"I was hoping you and your pod would take care of that part," Kira told Wren.
From prior experience with Finn, she knew he wasn't leaving her side from here on out. She'd be lucky if she got bathroom breaks without either his or Talon’s presence.
