"Not all of them." His answer was soft and succinct.
She'd suspected as much. If he had, the pain wouldn't still be so bright and immediate. Maybe he would have allowed himself to heal if he'd found and punished his brother's killers.
That was the real reason Harlow still visited theetheiri. He wanted revenge—and he was using Kira to get it.
That was the only thing she could think of. There had to be a traitor within Roake. Too much damage had been done too quickly. The assailants had known right where to hit them.
He'd said it himself—she was his niece, but they never got the chance to discover what that meant. The bonds of blood and family never developed.
Fishing expeditions were always easier when you used bait you weren't emotionally attached to.
"I see," she said after a long pause.
It wasn't that she blamed him. In his position, she'd likely have done the same. Hell, wasn't that why she'd embarked on her mission? Revenge and a chance to right the wrongs done to her.
"I'm not sure you do," Harlow said. "Either way, it's best you head to bed. Tomorrow will be eventful."
"So, people keep telling me." Kira readied for the door to appear.
Harlow remained where he was. "One last thing, niece."
She paused, looking at him in the dark.
"Three unidentified objects left orbit around Ta Da'an while the barrier was down."
Kira fought to cover her surprise. "Is that so?"
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
For once, she didn't have to lie. "No."
He nodded, raising his hand and setting it against the wall. A door shimmered into existence.
Kira paused on the threshold. She might eventually leave this place, but these people were hers in a mixed-up fashion. She couldn't leave them defenseless.
"If I were you, I'd increase your security and add redundancies designed to ferret out traitors. If the Tsavitee were on those ships, they won't come at the Tuann directly like they did in Ta Da'an. They'll use manipulation to de-stabilize your military and government. Expect betrayal. They have a nasty habit of exploiting people's weak spots."
Kira didn't wait for his response, walking through the door with a final wave over her shoulder.
"Sleep well, niece." Harlow’s words followed her into the darkness.
*
When Kira finally dragged herself to her room, it was to find a surprise waiting for her as soon as she opened the door. Only reflexes honed in the worst life and death situations saved her from a shot to the chest.
She jerked sideways, letting the energy blast skate by her. Adrenaline abruptly flooded her limbs as she prepared to attack.
A blanket floated up from the bed. "Password."
"Jin?"
"Password," the blanket demanded again.
"You know who it is," Kira snapped as Finn moved silently into position behind her, his en-blade already out. At the sound of Jin's voice, he relaxed slightly, shifting to resume his position against the opposite wall.
"I don't plan on leaving the room until morning. You can get some rest in a real bed," she informed Finn.
Truthfully, she was too tired to go anywhere.
