Jace's face was serious as he waited for Himoto to leave. "Himoto has always had more faith in you than you deserve. Try not to screw this up."
Kira didn't say anything as Jace left the room.
"It seems he’s still mad at you," Jin observed.
Kira sighed and pushed herself back in the seat. She rubbed her face, the emotional toll of the unexpected reunions finally sinking in.
"It's not like he doesn't have a reason." She stared out at the stars, her gaze distant and unseeing.
Once, she'd counted both men as her friends, the family she'd never had. That was a long time ago, and last-minute regrets wouldn't reverse time.
Jin didn't argue, his presence comforting as she considered her options. "What do you want to do?"
That was the question. She could continue as she had been, ignoring the rest of the galaxy as she healed and lived her life, or she could do her duty, take up the mantle she'd been saddled with, and figure out a way forward.
"We're going to give them what they want," Kira said.
There was really no question. If the Tsavitee were truly back, humans were going to need every advantage at their disposal.
There was also Odin's message. It looked like she'd have the opportunity to get what he needed after all.
"And if the same thing happens again?" Jin asked.
Kira was silent. She looked up at him. "Then we take more permanent action."
*
Kira's steps echoedoddly in the corridor, the two guards the Tuann had left her with almost silent as they guided her to the Tuann's ship. It required much less travel than it had taken to get from hers since it was docked in one of the premium sections.
The station assigned berths based on how much a captain was willing to pay and how powerful those on board were. For someone like her who chose the economy section, it meant cramped shipping lanes and sliding into a narrow berth with a dozen other vessels crammed in next to you. It also meant being further away from everything and having to take sliding walks or trams to get to the more populated parts of the station.
Had Kira been parked in one of the nicer sections she probably could have made it away from the station in plenty of time before being caught. Instead, she'd elected to pinch pennies and wound up in a situation out of her control. There was a moral in there somewhere.
The Tuann, whether due to political preference or a willingness to pay the high docking fees, had a prime spot with the additional benefit of restricting access to all but their own people and select station personnel.
Instead of dodging cargo pallets and a swarm of dock workers, the platform leading to their ship was almost deserted, the only people in sight their own.
Someone had made an effort to make the space welcoming, placing artwork on the walls and rugs on the floors. The corridors lacked the sterile coldness of the economy docks.
The trouble someone had gone to in an effort to make this level luxurious seemed lost on the Tuann guards accompanying Kira. The two who had shadowed her through the station had introduced themselves as Baran and Amila once she exited the conference room. They'd been a silent presence ever since.
Kira didn't know if it was their previous encounter or their normal way of operating, but neither was willing to let her stray more than two feet from them. Their intensity had ramped up the moment they walked onto a crowded lift, Amila placing one hand on her shoulder, as Baran took up position in front of them.
When it came to time to exit, he'd cleared the way for them, his intimidating presence sending the shorter humans scurrying out of his way.
Kira didn't say anything about any of this, though she wanted to. Dearly. Instead, she refrained from testing their limits, hoping they would see her as harmless and loosen up their vigilance.
She didn't hold out much hope for that considering her antics on the hovercraft. It's hard to convince someone you're less than you are when they've seen proof of exactly what you're capable of. Still, making things difficult now would mean they watched her more closely later.
The ship came into view, resting gently on the platform. It was a thing of beauty against the backdrop of the interior dock of the space station. None of the other ships docked on the platforms near them came close to comparing.
It looked sleek and fast, its lines fluid and full of curves. Unlike the blocky shapes of human craft, this was a graceful bird, ready and poised to take flight. Its metal shimmered as if a thousand lights were locked inside its body, almost lifelike as it reacted to the environment around it.
Despite its small size, Kira caught sight of unobtrusive protrusions she guessed were its weapons system. It looked like it was loaded for anything. She could see why Himoto and Centcom wanted to get their hands on one of these.
Beyond being a beautiful craft, it looked more maneuverable than anything the Consortium had in its fleet; their warships resembled large barges, easily targeted in battle. This was different, smaller than a human vessel but infinitely more flexible.
Graydon stood near the ship’s ramp talking with one of the men who'd come to the rescue of the children, his guards arrayed around him defensively.
