She approached the airlock and the tube leading to her ship, Jin a silent presence next to her. For once, he kept his opinions to himself. A fact she was grateful for.
"Rothchild."
Kira froze, her hand half lifted, her insides icing over.
"You manipulative bastard," Jin swore.
"Do this for me, meet with them, and all debts are wiped clean," he bargained.
Kira remained where she was, staring at Himoto. She should have known he'd pull Rothchild out as a means to get her to do what he wanted. Her biggest mistake and her greatest victory.
"You don't have to listen to him, Kira," Jin said. His eye swung toward Himoto and narrowed. She could practically read his mind as he readied some of the nastier upgrades she'd given him—nothing that would kill, but it would hurt. A lot.
Kira's sigh was heavy, indecision weighing on her. "I'll meet with them. I'll hear what they have to say."
It was subtle, but she read the signs of relief in Himoto, a slight loosening of the shoulders, the muscles in his face relaxing.
She dropped into his native language, one from a time when humanity was as divided and fragmented as their loyalties. Standard might be the common language now but many kept the languages and traditions of their origin. Himoto was one of them.
"I do this and you never mention Rothchild to me again," she told him.
He gave her a sharp nod. "Done."
The words should have made her feel better. Somehow, they didn't.
Something shifted in the air, telling Kira they were no longer alone. She tensed, but didn't move as the mountain from the interrogation room stepped into view, the same severe expression as last time on his face. He stared at her as if she was a puzzle he didn't know if he wanted to bother solving.
She stared back, the same challenge in her eyes from their earlier encounter. Only this time he didn't seem inclined to move out of her way.
The men and women he'd had with him earlier appeared, one by one, almost as if they were ghosts, silent and deadly. There was no sound, nothing to precede their appearance. Simply, one moment it looked like the bay was clear of any but the three of them, then the next there were too many bodies taking up space.
Kira could see why people called them wizards.
It was disconcerting to have all their eyes on her, studying her like she was some alien artifact. Her back itched with the need for retreat.
She glanced at Himoto in question. When he'd said he wanted her to talk with them, she'd imagined in a room somewhere, not an ambush in front of her ship.
The corner of his mouth pulled up. "I did say you were unlikely to get far."
So, he had. She'd thought he meant from the station. Now she saw his words were more literal. It would have taken her several seconds to open the airlock and get down the tube to her ship. In that time, the Tuann would have been on her. She would have been forced to fight, which might have meant damage to theWanderer.
It was better to do this here, where such things were unlikely.
A slight scrape of sound from behind alerted her to the fact someone had positioned themselves between her and her ship. It was so polite of them to announce their presence, Kira thought wryly.
Somehow, she wasn't surprised when she looked over her shoulder to see the male Tuann who'd chased her through the station, his female partner behind him.
His frown was fierce as he glowered at her. Guess he hadn't appreciated the exercise or being given the slip.
The woman's eyes danced with mirth as she graced Kira with a tiny smile, the only friendly expression among the Tuann.
Kira didn't react, turning to Himoto and the mountain. "I'm listening."
The admiral faced the Tuann's leader. "Lord Graydon, this is Kira Forrest. She's the woman you met previously and the one you claim is Tuann."
Kira noted the lack of her rank in that introduction. She didn't know if it was because of the circumstances behind her leaving Centcom and the military or if he was trying to give her an advantage in her interactions with these strangers. Knowing him, it could be both.
Graydon was silent as he observed Kira with a fierce reserve. His gaze lifted over her shoulder and he nodded at the man behind her.
