Trials of Conviction, page 45
If they had to use them, the bridge was the best place. The bulkheads around it were the strongest in the ship. It could withstand heavy weapons fire and a few blasts—Jace hoped.
Otherwise, their distraction attempt was going to be pitifully short-lived.
"Status on the planet infiltration team," Jace called.
"There’s a problem with the drop ship. It took heavy fire during entry," Ensign Velasquez answered
Bechler cursed. "Please tell me this hasn't all been for nothing."
Unlike the captain, Jace retained his calm. Vast experience with Kira had taught him to never count the Phoenix out. That woman had a way of surprising you.
"Lieutenant Himoto and the Curs are en-route back to the ship," Velasquez reported. "The Phoenix and her party continued on. No word on their status though."
There, you see. Just as Jace said.
Knowing Kira, she and the rest were probably causing havoc down there. It was up to Jace and his people to do their part.
The ship shuddered under another barrage.
"The least they could do is give us a break while their own people are on board," Petty Officer Green grumbled.
Jace patted him on the shoulder. "That would imply they care about the lives of their boarding party."
They didn't. It was what made the Tsavitee such a difficult foe. Their principles were vastly different than a human's. They lacked even the most basic elements of empathy. It made them ruthless. Even to their own kind.
"How is my ship, Ensign?" Bechler asked.
Jace and the petty officer, along with two ensigns, moved to set up a blockade in the event the Tsavitee managed to breech the bridge.
"We're taking a beating. We've lost two cannons on the port side and another three launch tubes."
"Our fighters?"
Ensign Boone made a face. "A third are gone."
"What about the CSS Horizon?"
"Still in the fight."
That was something at least.
The ship groaned, shimmying a little from an explosion on the opposite side.
Bechler sent an uneasy glance at the walls. "We're not going to last much longer like this."
"We don't have to. Just long enough," Jace returned.
He was banking everything on this operation. His career. The future of the Consortium. His very life. Along with the rest of those who'd followed him in this mad plan.
They'd come this far. Might as well go the distance.
Jace had known this could be a one-way trip. So did the rest of his crew. But they'd come anyway in hopes that their sacrifice might make a difference.
Jace wouldn't spit on that by turning and running now.
"I can no longer reach the CSS Lawrence. They’ve gone dark."
Bechler and Jace shared a look.
"Think they were destroyed?" Bechler asked.
"I hope not."
Shepperd was a good man. A brilliant leader. It would be a pity to lose him here.
"Sir! We have reports from the brig. They've lost the general and are requesting backup."
Bechler growled. "I told you it was a mistake to let that thing on board."
"Our priority right now is the ship. Tell them to focus on defense," Jace ordered.
When Kira returned—and she was going to return—she wouldn't be happy to find her prisoner gone. Jace couldn't worry about that for now. The survival of he and his crew were the only things on his mind.
Action on the bridge came to a halt as the distant sounds of fighting filtered through the ship. The petty officers and ensigns shot uncertain looks toward the hatch.
"Green, get me eyes out there," Jace ordered as Bechler took control of the space battle.
Petty Officer Green accessed the ship’s cameras. "They're heading in this direction. The QRT took heavy losses. I don't think they'll be able to hold them."
"Time to seal off the bridge," Jace said.
The petty officers stood by as Jace triggered a lockdown. The hatch to the bridge sealed. When it was fully shut, Green slapped a small incendiary device to the edge. It flashed, melting the metal together.
"I'd like to see them get through that," Green said smugly.
"They will. There's no doubt of that," Jace answered.
It was how they'd lost so many ships during the war. The ones the Tsavitee didn't shred were taken from the inside. Any crew captured was subjected to horrific torture at the hands of the enemy.
Banging came from the other side of the hatch.
Bechler left the problem of the boarding party to Jace as he focused on calling out orders to those still operating the ship.
"When they breech, plug the hole with their bodies," Jace instructed the four crew members with him. "Once they're inside, switch to cold weapons as much as possible. We don't want friendly fire."
If their systems went down, the Reliance would be next. While a self-destruct wasn't out of the question, Jace would prefer to save it as a last resort.
"Aye, aye, sir," his team responded.
There was a loud boom from the outside.
"Here they come," Green muttered.
Jace unsheathed his sword in preparation as the others trained their rifles on the door.
"I can't believe this is happening," someone murmured.
The smell of metal being melted came as a spot the size of a fist turned red hot. A second later a spear penetrated the softened metal. It acted as a grappling hook, barbs popping out to embed in the hatch. Metal screamed as it pulled tight.
The hatch bent outward. A little at first. Then more and more before the grappling hook ripped free, taking a giant hunk of the hatch with it.
"They're through. Prepare for contact," Jace ordered.
The sound that came from the other side was a spine tingling reminder of other battles. The war cry that followed might as well have been a call to arms as demons and cannon fodder poured through the hole.
"Fire!" Jace shouted.
Green and his fellow petty officer did their best. Never letting up as they targeted those entering.
Tsavitee fell. A couple of them sniped in the head by a focused Green. As soon as one went down, their brethren yanked them from the gap, sending more through.
A couple made it past Green and the petty officer's bombardment.
Jace stepped to meet one such demon, careful to keep out of Green and the petty officer’s line of fire. His sword whistled as he slashed the Tsavitee’s side.
The demon lumbered at him. Jace ducked under his reach, sinking his blade into his chest.
The demon went limp.
Jace ripped the blade free. "One down."
Too many to go.
In the brief lull, he took stock. Green and the petty officer were still firing as two other ensigns engaged with the Tsavitee who'd made it through the blockade.
Bechler shot one in the back of the head when it went for his weapons specialist.
Jace dodged a cannon fodder's reach, slicing at the creature's arm before running his blade through its neck.
"We can't take much more of this," Bechler shouted.
Jace was aware of that. Unfortunately, doing something about it was easier said than done.
"Fire in the hole," Jace responded.
He chucked an incendiary grenade through the hole the Tsavitee had made in the hatch and ducked back behind cover. There was a boom and then the smell of smoke before the ship's automatic fire suppression system activated, drenching everything outside in white retardant.
"Yes!" Green yelled. "Take that, you bastards."
His smile fell as did the rest of those around him as the clomp of footsteps came. A voice rumbled in Tsavitee, calling out orders to the rest.
Jace knew what was going to step through the breech before the general ripped the hatch the rest of the way off in a terrifying display of strength. The general made his way through the ruins, straightening to his full height. He towered over the humans. His body massive. An intimidating presence.
Damn. Just when Jace thought they had a chance.
"It's been an honor, everyone," Jace said as the general swept a predatory gaze over the bridge.
Sorry, Kira. Looks like I won't be there for the end, after all.
The general's gaze came to rest on him. "Puny human. Surrender or die."
"Death before defeat," Jace spat in Tsavitee.
He would not dishonor his mentor by lowering his blade at this juncture. If he was going to go, he'd do it taking one of them with him. It was the least he could do for those he'd sacrificed through this battle.
"You will scream for mercy," the general rumbled.
They'd see.
Green charged, firing his rifle in one continuous burst.
The general didn't even flinch, casually knocking the petty officer away. Green's neck snapped, his body flying across the room to hit the opposite wall.
The other petty officer screamed, rising to fire everything she had at the general. He dealt with her the same way he had Green. With one precise blow that left her dead on the ground.
Jace braced. He lifted his sword, refusing to back down.
Come on, then. Let's see if you're as good as her.
The general curled a lip, exposing a fang. He started toward Jace.
A black shadow hit him from the side. There were angry growls as a second general tore into the first.
"Hold your fire," Jace ordered as Aeron buried his teeth in the other general's neck before ripping his throat out.
Jace and the survivors stared as Aeron got to his feet, his chest still heaving. His expression was wild as he took in the room with the wariness of a wild animal preparing to be attacked. His clawed hands opened and closed.
"You killed him," Ensign Boone said, voicing what everyone was thinking.
"Would you have preferred I let him kill you?" Aeron rumbled.
Boone shook her head. "Nope. I'm good with this outcome."
Aeron was still on edge as he fixed Jace with a look. "You’re losing this battle."
Jace flicked the blood off his sword. "I'm aware."
Winning was never the goal though.
"Simmons, Amir—check the corridor and make sure everything out there is dead," Jace ordered the ensigns who'd helped defend the bridge with him.
"They are," Aeron said with a frown.
"Let's just double check that, shall we?"
Jace wasn't a fan of surprises. Especially those that could have been prevented by simply following procedure.
"You're supposed to be in my brig," Jace informed Aeron.
"I will not meet my death while trapped in a human cage."
Whatever his reasoning, Jace was glad for the assist. He'd probably be dead by now, the bridge crew with him, if not for Aeron's timely interference.
Jace tilted his head at the dead general. "I never thought you’d be willing to kill your own kind."
The only thing he and Centcom really knew about the generals was how loyal they were to each other. They'd gone to pretty impressive lengths to avenge their own whenever one was lost in battle.
"Those who serve the Tsavitee's masters cannot be considered one of us. They're the hounds of the old regime. There’s no place for them in our future," Aeron declared, his chin arrogantly lifted.
That was an awfully hardline stance to take. Jace wasn't going to question it though. Not when things had just worked out in his favor.
"Whoa. Hold on." Velasquez focused on the scanners. "There’s a fleet of ships rapidly approaching. At least six of them."
"Where are they coming from?" Bechler demanded.
"The direction of the Lawrence."
The bridge went silent. They all knew what that meant. If the fleet was returning from that direction, the Lawrence had likely fallen.
"That's it then. We’ve lost," Bechler said.
Jace moved closer to the screen, his gaze on the approaching ships. The corners of his lips started to tilt up.
"They're not Tsavitee." Velasquez turned to look at them. "They're Tuann."
That's his girl. Always with the last minute surprises.
This was the real reason Jace hadn't wanted to abandon the fight even when things looked lost. Kira always had something up her sleeve.
He'd suspected when those Tuann broke onto his base that they might have a secondary force waiting somewhere nearby. A daughter of Roake would never be sent out without someone to watch her back.
"We're being hailed," Velasquez announced.
Jace moved forward. "Put it through."
On the screen a man with the same blood red hair as Kira appeared.
"Kira's uncle I presume," Jace drawled, not really needing the confirmation. The resemblance was unmistakable.
The Overlord of House Roake inclined his head.
"I didn't think you'd be the one to come. Does Kira know?"
The man's lips quirked in a micro smile that barely touched his eyes. "She's unaware."
Jace watched a chunk of the Overlord's forces break toward the planet.
The Overlord didn’t look away from Jace, studying him with a penetrating gaze that was all too similar to that of his niece’s. "What say you we forget about our people's conflicts for the moment and work together for the next little while."
"I thought you'd never ask."
Kira
Everything around Kira felt distant and muffled, her senses overwhelmed as ringing filled her ears.
Kira wobbled to her hands and knees. She pressed a palm to her head as her gaze landed on the drone in the Osiri's hands. "Jin?"
"I'm here." There was a groan. "Why does it feel like I just did ten rounds with a battleship?"
An apt description for their present states.
Kira's body hurt in a way she hadn't known it could. The last time she’d felt like this was in the aftermath of using a burst. When every cell of her being felt like it might fall apart. Only worse. Because it wasn’t just her physical self that was in agony. But her mind and spiritual one as well. The area surrounding her connection with Jin one massive wound. The nerve endings so badly damaged that all she could sense from either him or her was pain.
The Osiri knelt just out of her reach. "It's fascinating—your bond flows both ways."
Kira squinted at the Osiri’s face, wishing she could get her hands on his throat. She’d rip it right out. If only her limbs didn't feel like overcooked noodles.
"I'm assuming the bio feedback resulting from such a connection is why the soul bound is stable. It’s a pity."
"What is?" Kira ground out, part of her registering movement from Pallas’s body.
The Osiri had straightened to his full height. "We have no need for a soul bound who cannot maintain his own soul."
The Osiri squeezed. The sphere cracked, a spider web of lines running over the exterior as Jin started to scream. At the same time, it felt like a hand had reached into Kira's center to crush the well of ki that anchored her being.
The Osiri's grip eased, his inhuman gaze resting on her with a hint of intrigue. "Perhaps I was hasty in my assumption. His use may lie in another direction."
He meant as a means to control Kira.
"Kira, I don't know about you, but I don't plan to go out like this," Jin rasped.
"Right there with you, buddy."
She wouldn’t let their bond be tainted that way.
Jin's anti gravs roared into full reverse. At the same time, he unloaded every bit of his firepower into the Osiri’s face.
The Osiri's hand clenched, dagger like claws erupting from the tips of his fingers and spearing Jin's casing before he flung the drone across the room. It hit one of the cryopods, denting it enough for liquid to start leaking out before dropping to the ground.
Finn dropped from the ceiling, his blade already flashing.
The Osiri caught it an inch from his neck. "Is that all you've got?"
There was the sensation of something cold and awful piercing Kira’s insides. But when she looked down, there was no wound she could see. Just unblemished armor.
Raider fired his pulse rifle from the opposite side of the platform, taking the Osiri in the back. "Nope. It’s not."
Kira was up and across the platform, barreling toward Elena and Thea.
There was delight in Thea’s face at Kira's approach.
The briar's lashes sprang from beneath the walkway. Kira didn't have time to dodge as they wrapped around her leg, the thorns in them biting deep.
Blood ran in rivulets, splashing the water below.
A roar came from the depths of the pool.
The Osiri stopped. "Impossible."
Thea, sensing danger, tried to recall the briar. Kira grabbed one whip, keeping it in place. Its thorns bit into her hand, drawing more blood.
"Let go!" Thea yelled.
Kira bared her teeth at the other. "I don't think so."
Elena took advantage of the distraction, lashing out with one hand to bury a dagger that looked disturbingly like a piece of bone in Thea's shoulder.
Thea shoved Elena away from her. "Brat."
Elena toppled over the edge of the walkway and into the water. It closed over her head, swallowing her niece.
"Enough of this," the Osiri murmured.
He shoved Finn back. The oshota collided with the platform's central device.
Raider pounded toward the two, firing his weapon as the air around the Osiri's hand warped and condensed into a spear. The feeling it gave off so wrong and evil that Kira found it hard to breathe.
The Osiri’s spear took Finn through the chest, piercing his armor easily.
"I think you'll be a nice replacement for the toy I just lost," the Osiri informed him.
Finn coughed, blood spurting from his mouth as his lips stretched into a tired smile. "Think again."
Pallas rose from the gloom like an avenging reaper, his face merciless as he swung his sword. It removed the Osiri's head from his shoulders.
They all stood there, staring.
"That's it?" Pallas asked, looking confused. "It's over? I thought killing one of them would be harder."
Finn lowered himself to sitting, his face pale. The flow of blood had stopped as his armor clamped down on his wound, staunching it.
Raider bypassed the others, heading for the place where Elena had fallen.
