Trials of Conviction, page 7
Kira went still. "I thought your acquaintance with Finn began when you two were Brianne's oshota."
Brianne had been Finn's sword before Kira. He'd served her for only a short time before realizing she wasn't the person she'd portrayed herself as. Instead of possessing nobility and honor, she'd been spoiled and self-serving. The few times Finn had spoken of her, it had been with a dislike bordering on disdain.
Kira had just assumed his relationship with Talon originated in that period of time.
"No," Talon answered simply.
Kira tried not to show a reaction to that news. There was only one other person they would have both served. Her father. The former Overlord of House Roake. A man Finn and many others still grieved.
No wonder he'd come when Finn called.
"Wait." Kira frowned in realization. "He said allies."
As in plural.
Talon made room as Kira stalked the rest of the way up the ramp, already fearing what she'd find.
"Absolutely not," she declared, spotting the trio waiting for her in the cargo hold. "You're not coming. Don't even start."
Blue and Raider walked up the ramp behind Kira as she glared at the group.
The youngest would appear around seven or eight to a human. Her white blond hair, deep blue eyes, and delicate features making her seem doll-like.
Her brother, Joule, next to her looked a little older. Around fourteen or fifteen though he was likely somewhere in his fifth or sixth decade, given how slowly the Tuann aged. His face still contained the unfinished features of youth, but Kira could see hints of the handsome man he'd be later. There was a quiet maturity far beyond his years.
The last was the oldest looking of the bunch. Around twenty or thereabouts. As always, Kira felt a jolt of deja vu looking into Devon's eyes. The golden shade she'd always associated with sun drenched daisies almost identical to his brother's.
If Jin had been allowed to grow up, he would have looked very like this boy in front of her.
"But seon'yer, it's Elena," Ziva protested.
Kira pinned her with a glare. "You're too young."
The end. She wasn't taking a bunch of kids into a situation where she wasn't even willing to risk an oshota.
"I've been practicing the moves you showed me," Ziva argued. "I'm ready. Just put me in the back and I'll hit them over the head while you distract them."
Kira could feel a headache taking up residence in her temples. Of course, Ziva wasn't going to act according to reason.
Like drew like. Much as Kira hated to admitted it, the kid's personality was as stubborn as her own. She was also a survivor. She'd gravitated to Kira's side, drawn to her strength and grit and had made it her mission to bedevil Kira ever since.
Kira's accusing stare landed on Joule. As Ziva's brother, shouldn't he be trying to talk her out of this madness?
He straightened, the resolve forming telling her she'd have to drag him off this ship herself if she wanted him to leave.
Not much of a challenge in reality. Even with the pointers Selene had given him regarding his shielding affinity.
However, the use of direct force was likely to ruin their friendship. A friendship, she realized to her chagrin, that she was beginning to cherish.
"My seon'yer has given permission for my presence," Devon said when Kira's gaze drifted to him.
Of course, Graydon had. The man seemed determined to vex Kira.
"Besides, you have to take us with you or else we'll tell everyone about the criminal you have on board," Devon finished.
Unbelievable.
"You're threatening me?" Kira asked, raising her eyebrows at him in challenge.
"Bold move, kiddo," Blue said with a whistle.
Devon's gaze shifted to her. "I'm older than you—by decades at least."
Blue's smile was dangerous. "Time is meaningless if you don't have the experience to back it up. Would you like a demonstration?"
"Okay, that's enough out of you." Raider nudged Blue toward the corridor. "Go get us ready to take off."
Blue went without objection, heading for the bridge.
Raider tilted his head to the other side of the room. "Kira—side bar."
"In a moment."
"No, now."
Raider was already moving when Kira looked back at him. Talon watched the show from his place along the wall.
"Fine," Kira growled under her breath, stomping after him.
He didn't wait for her to reach the other side of the room before rounding on her. "We should bring the kid."
Kira stopped and glared. "Are you kidding me?"
"You've seen what he can do. We could use him."
"He's still a kid. They all are."
"He's not much younger than you were when you started fighting the Tsavitee," Raider pointed out.
"That's different."
"I don't see how." Raider folded his arms over his chest, widening his stance as he squared up with her. "He's faced several dangerous situations in the past few months and acquitted himself well each time. If I thought there was a chance, I'd recruit him for the Curs."
Raider remained calm as he offered several rebuttals. Entirely reasonable as he laid out his argument. One whose logic even someone as stubborn as Kira couldn't fight against.
"Furthermore, he and Devon are no longer considered children by the Tuann," Raider added.
Kira started. "What does that mean?"
Last she'd heard, the others who'd attempted to take the adva ka with her had lost their chance when she had her confrontation with Elise over the fate of the lenacht, the Mea'Ave's blessing that the Tsavitee had wanted to get their hands on.
"It reopened," Raider told her. "Devon and Joule are now both considered fully fledged adults."
"Son of a bitch," Kira whispered.
She was proud of her little friend. He'd done what he'd set out to do.
"And you?" Kira asked with a glance at him. "Did you complete it?"
The arrogant smile he offered her told her everything she needed to know. Of course, he'd finished it. This was Raider, after all. The only person perhaps more competitive than Jin.
"Congratulations," she offered with a sigh, realizing she'd lost this battle. Had lost the moment Finn allowed the trio onto her ship.
No wonder he'd been so quick to stalk away. Smart oshota that he was, he'd staged an early retreat so he wouldn't have to listen to her complaints when she realized what he'd done.
"You know I really hate it when you become the more reasonable of the two of us," Kira told him.
Raider's chuckle followed her as she strode over to Joule.
Kira regarded him carefully. "I thought you were on a mission. What happened to re-establishing your House?"
Most members of Joule’s House had perished in the attack that had broken its foundation and claimed the lives of its Overlord and many of its high ranking personnel. Joule, Ziva and a few others were all that remained.
As long as she'd known him, his sole goal was to resurrect his fallen House.
Now that he had passed his adva ka, he actually had a chance to do that. But not if he let himself get dragged into other people's battles.
"The Tsavitee are a threat to us all," Joule said with a stubborn lift of his chin. "Dealing with them takes precedence." His manner eased as a cocky smile graced his face. "Besides, I need to gain a reputation if I want to rebuild. Fighting the hostile race that assisted in attacking the adva ka would buy me credibility that would otherwise take decades to accumulate."
"How long did it take you to come up with that excuse?" Kira asked.
"I had a lot of time to think while we were waiting to see if the Mea'Ave would reopen the adva ka or not," Joule returned.
Kira’s gaze shifted to Devon. "And you—you're the only son your father has left. Are you really fine with possibly making him lose you too?"
Devon's expression was harder to read than Joule's, but Kira caught the glint of obstinance. "I won't abandon my brother."
Well, fuck. How was she supposed to argue with that?
"Fine, you can come," Kira said, giving in against her better judgment.
"Yes." Joule pumped his fist as relief showed in Devon's expression before he buried it.
Ziva broke toward the crew quarters. Kira caught her. "Whoa. Not you. You're staying here."
Raider, seeing she had her hands full and not wanting to stick around for when things got emotional, sent her a nod. "I'll leave you to take care of the rest."
"Coward," she called at his back as he disappeared into the corridor. "And you'd better not interrogate him until I'm present."
Aeron was her prisoner. She hadn't broken him out of prison just for Raider to steal the best part.
Ziva threw Kira's hand off her shoulder. "I can tell on you. Same as them."
Kira regarded her patiently. "No matter what threats you make, you're not coming."
Ziva's lip trembled. "She said we were sisters. Sisters don't abandon each other."
"Truer words have never been spoken," Kira said, her voice softening.
She wasn't so different from Ziva. While Kira would never have uttered such sappy words, she'd spent her life embodying the principle. Family didn't abandon family. All of the risks she'd taken to find Elise proved that.
The difference was that Kira was an adult. Not a child with her whole life ahead of her.
Kira squatted in front of Ziva. "Listen to me this once."
The girl avoided Kira's gaze. Stubborn to the very end.
Kira took her hand, waiting until Ziva looked at her. She supposed if she wanted the girl to listen, she'd have to offer up something of value. "If you stay, I promise to become your seon'yer in truth when I return."
Ziva's tears evaporated. "Deal."
Kira blinked. "That was quick."
She'd expected an argument. Maybe even a tantrum.
Ziva's grin was impish as she darted around Kira.
"I think she just took advantage of me," Kira said, watching the girl race down the ramp and out of her ship.
"I'd say so," Talon drawled.
Devon and Joule had departed at some point during her conversation with Ziva.
Kira looked up at the Tuann. "You sure you want to do this? You can still opt out."
Talon pushed off the bulk head. "I'll take my chances."
"I hope you don't regret this," Kira told his back as he sauntered deeper into the ship.
Alone, she stared at the view outside. It was strange. She'd been planning her departure from this planet almost from the moment she'd arrived. This was what she'd worked for. Her entire reason for undertaking the adva ka. To leave.
Now that the time was at hand, though, she was loath to part.
Kira took it all in. The way the night lay heavy and somber. The dim outline of Roake's Fortress of the Vigilant. The sky as it spit the last sprinkles of rain.
Somewhere out there were the last remnants of her biological family. A family she would have once sworn she was better off without.
A figure with burgundy red hair standing on the space port directly opposite her ship caught Kira's attention as she touched the button to raise the landing ramp. His amber eyes never left hers as the ramp slid up, the opening narrowing to a tiny slice until it finally closed.
"Goodbye," Kira whispered with a tiny catch in her throat.
Five
A hiss announced the ship's pressurization. Kira dropped her hand from the control button and stepped back from the exit hatch as the Wanderer's engines fired up. The deck's vibration brought a familiar comfort that helped her shake off the sense of longing plaguing her.
Kira took the corridor in front of her, heading to the bridge. She found Blue seated in the captain's chair, her hands on the controls. Devon sat beside her, studying her movements with a fascination that said he was committing everything to memory.
Joule glanced over from his chair behind the other two.
Kira waved him off, taking in the subtle changes to her bridge since she'd been here last. Additional chairs had been added behind the captain and pilot's seat. As if Harlow suspected Kira's crew would grow to need them.
Beyond that, it didn't look like much had been changed. At least not outwardly. Except for the additional seating, the layout was identical. You'd never know that Roake's ship masters had touched the place.
Relief filled Kira's chest. The Wanderer had been her home for so long. With Jin gone, she needed the familiar more than ever.
"Blue, a minute?"
Blue looked at Kira in startlement. "Now?"
"Now."
"But—" Blue gestured at the ship's controls in wordless explanation.
"Devon can handle it," Kira instructed.
Devon's face showed surprise for a brief second before he nodded with the most enthusiasm he'd shown since Jin's disappearance.
Kira moved away before Blue could complain. A vexed sigh came from inside the room before Kira heard Blue give Devon a rundown of the most essential things that needed to be done in the next few moments.
Kira waited patiently for Blue to join her. It didn't take long.
"You do realize Consortium made ships aren't like Tuann ships," Blue said conversationally as she stomped over to Kira. "Just because you know how to fly one doesn't mean you're an expert in the other."
"Maybe for most people."
Not for Devon. The boy's familiarity with the waveboard, a decidedly human invention, during the Quorum was atypical for the Tuann, who saw their technology as superior to the Consortium's. Judging by the amount of attention he'd been paying to Blue's pre-flight inspection, Kira was willing to bet that interest extended to other Consortium aircraft as well.
"Besides, I have a task that I think you'll enjoy," Kira said.
Interest replaced Blue's annoyance. "Do tell."
Same old Blue.
Kira held up the J1N between them. Blue snatched the drone out of Kira's hands, cradling the J1N to her like he was an injured baby bird.
"What did you do to him?" Blue demanded.
"That's not Jin," Kira said in resignation. Raider had been right in that they wouldn't be able to keep the truth from Blue for long.
"Why would you say that?" Blue shifted the J1N slightly behind her as if in doing so she could protect the drone from emotional hurt.
"That's his body but that's not Jin."
Blue's stare held confusion.
Kira sighed as she debated her choices. Few people knew the truth behind Jin's circumstances. That his soul had been attached to the drone when he was a boy. Blue's familiarity with the limits of human science and how far they'd advanced artificial intelligence meant she had to realize that there was more to him than either he or Kira had ever shared. But she’d never asked about it. Content to ignore all the little signs of a mystery she should have been itching to unravel.
"What does that mean?" Blue asked, her expression turning ugly.
For the first time, she looked like she might attack Kira.
"Like I said, that is Jin's container, but the thing that makes Jin, Jin isn't there anymore."
Some of Blue's anger drained away as she looked down at the J1N. "Where is he then?"
"With Elena."
Blue was an intelligent woman. Kira didn't need to say more than that for her to pick up on the obvious.
"He downloaded his consciousness into one of those spawn he made," Blue guessed.
"More or less."
If by consciousness she meant soul.
"And you want me to get his original body working so your enemies don't realize he's missing."
There. Kira knew Blue would get it without her having to go into the nitty gritty details of how and why.
"Exactly."
Horror showed on Blue's face as she tried to hand the J1N back to Kira. "I can't. What if I screw up and ruin something important?"
"You'll be fine."
Blue shook her head and kept shaking it, the gesture growing more frantic as she started to panic. "Do you understand the complexity of what you're asking? The programing Jin installed on this drone is light years beyond human comprehension. I won't do it. I won't fuck up his body. I know you think that I never consider the consequences of my actions. And okay, you may have a point. But Jin is my friend. I won't do anything to compromise his wellbeing."
"That's exactly why I came to you," Kira soothed. "You have the necessary skillset and your relationship with him means you'll be twice as careful. Please, Blue. You're the only one I can count on."
Blue's shoulders slumped. "Just tell me why we have to do this."
"Too many people have started to notice his absence."
"And as Himoto would say, 'to fool your enemy you must first deceive your friends,'" Blue said in a theatrical voice.
"That about sums it up," Kira agreed with a nod.
"I always hated that saying," Blue grumbled.
Kira would have too if circumstances hadn't proven Himoto right time and again.
"Will you do it?"
Blue looked away, unable to hide her uncertainty. "I can get him running. That's not the problem. Giving him a personality close to Jin's—" Blue trailed off and shook her head. "I don't think there's anyone who could do that."
"I'm not expecting another Jin. If all you can do is have him float behind me and keep his mouth shut, I'll take it."
Blue's nod was reluctant. "Fine, I'll do it. But when he returns to his body and gets upset at what I've done, I'm throwing all the blame at you."
"I'll be happy to entertain any complaints he has," Kira said, starting past Blue.
"Hey!" Blue yelled. "Do you have a destination yet?"
Kira nodded. "I do have one in mind."
Blue raised her eyebrows in question.
"Rothchild."
Kira's greatest failure. And the place where everything had first begun to go so wrong.
Kira heard Raider long before she saw him, his raised voice spilling into the corridor. He sounded mad.
It looked like someone had decided not to respect her request to wait.
Kira increased her pace, reaching the galley a second later.
An antique wooden table sat in the middle of the room, its presence seeming right at home given the fact it looked like something you'd be more likely to find in a cozy cottage in the middle of the woods. Not in a spaceship's kitchen.
