"Good god, it's like stumbling into a planet of Kira clones," Jin murmured.
"If I wanted to knock them out, I could have done it myself," Kira said. "Now I can't ask them questions to determine if they're part of this."
"Would either of you like to explain why we just assaulted these guards, possibly signing our own death warrants and starting a war between Luatha and the emperor?" Noor asked in an irritated drawl.
"Play him the recording," Finn ordered as Kira moved to the door and swung it open.
She stepped into the other room as Jin brought the two up to date. There was a tight feeling in her chest, that loosened when Jace glanced up.
None of the relief she expected to see was in his expression—only denial and anger.
"Please tell me you aren't this stupid," he said.
She stopped in the doorway and cocked her head. "Not really the greeting I was expecting."
"We were fine," Jace snapped. "They hadn't hurt us and weren't going to. You've destroyed any chances of the alliance withstanding this debacle."
Kira raised her eyebrow at him as she sauntered into the room, taking in the rest. All the Curs were here. Nova sat up from where he had stretched out on a couch, and Maverick turned from the window he’d been staring out, hands in his pocket.
Next to him, Blue straightened from her bench, hastily trying to disguise the odds and ends beside her.
The faint glow on some rods told her Blue had used her time to take apart a few pieces of Tuann technology to examine.
Tank and Raider walked in from the other room, their expressions hard to read.
"That's some thank you you're working up to," Kira observed.
Jace let out a frustrated sigh. "At least tell me you didn't kill them."
Kira raised her hands. "I didn't lay so much as a finger on them."
Finn and Noor dragged the two unconscious Luathans into the room.
Jace stared pointedly at them and then raised his eyebrows, silently asking if she'd like to try that lie again.
"I didn't. I swear," Kira said, feeling a touch of amusement at the situation. She wasn't the cause this time. Jace and the rest would be able to claim ignorance of any offense.
Jin zoomed in. "Strange as it seems, she's telling the truth. Finn and the two giants in black did all the heavy lifting. All she did was stand there."
Jin's assurance seemed to reassure him. Jace relaxed slightly, although worry set in quickly.
He wasn't dumb. He might half-believe Kira would wreck a chance for alliance by attacking Luathan guards in the misguided notion she was helping him—she really wasn't that foolhardy or brash—but there was no way Finn or the other Tuann would have helped her.
Which meant there were only a few reasons for her presence here. None of which were the sort you wanted to consider.
"We need to go," she said. "Right now."
Jace didn't argue, picking up on some of her urgency. He looked at his people. "Let's move."
Finn backed into the room quickly. "This way is no longer an option."
"All the windows are guarded," Blue said quickly.
Kira gave the three Tuann a considering look. They'd been so handy in disposing of the first two guards. No reason they couldn't do the same to the ones outside the window.
Finn shook his head, already guessing where her thoughts were going. "I'd like to avoid harming any more Luathans than we already have."
"Perhaps now is a good time for you to break down the situation for us," Jace said.
