Kira fought the urge to roll her eyes. As if flying a complicated piece of technology like a Tuann ship was as easy as flicking a switch. It seemed Kent's rise in the military hadn't come with a set of brains.
"Our ships are keyed to our specific attributes," Silas said. "I'm afraid unless you are Tuann and are able to harnesskiyou will not be able to operate them."
"And who are you?" Kent demanded, squinting at the Tuann.
Silas smiled and inclined his head. "My name is Silas. My companion and I represent House Roake."
"House what?" Kent asked.
The skin around Himoto's eyes tightened the tiniest bit.
"Real stellar leadership you have there," Kira murmured in Japanese.
"He has many other admirable attributes," Himoto told her, again in Japanese.
Kira resisted the urge to blow a raspberry, tempted to call bullshit. What kind of leader engaged with a hostile ally without learning the cultural mores upon which their society was founded? Not a good one—especially in light of the often fractious relationship the Consortium enjoyed with the Tuann. They'd misjudged the Tuann during first contact, and nothing since had eased the stigma their past actions had generated.
Kent's attention came to her, and he frowned again. "What will it take for your people to teach us what we need to know to make these work?"
Silas cocked his head as Graydon lifted an eyebrow.
"He's being deliberately obtuse," Jin murmured.
Raider and Jace didn't say anything. The look on their faces told her they agreed, but their ranks in the military meant they couldn't publicly chide Kent no matter how much they wanted to.
"I think I agree with you, Jin," Kira muttered back.
She tapped her fingertips against the table as she considered. The question was if Kent was doing it deliberately.
It would make a deceptively useful tactic. More so when it was used like it was now, as a bludgeon to try to force the outcome he wanted.
It might have worked had these people been human. Not so much with Tuann, who could do quietly-stubborn better than even Kira. She could already see the mood in the room shifting. Any gains Jace and the Curs, an elite squad who had accompanied her to Ta Da’an, had won during their actions against the Tsavitee invasion were rapidly disappearing.
The Tuann appreciated the fine art of subtlety. They were the sleek snake in the grass, not the boar driving its head mindlessly against the nearest obstacle.
Kira briefly considered interfering and saving Kent from himself, but why do that when he was being the perfect distraction.
"What are our options?" Kira stuck to Japanese as she lowered her voice so only Jin would hear.
Raider shifted beside her, leaning closer.
She'd prefer to have this conversation in private, but she doubted she would be afforded that privilege.
"Not many," Jin admitted. "They have you over a barrel. There is precedent. It's rare, but it's there."
Kira refocused. When they'd arrived on this planet—ostensibly to meet her mother’s people, House Luatha—Jin had gone through the Tuann laws—those he could get his hands on. An informed Kira was a smart Kira. They'd thought getting Liara to give up her family claim to Kira would be the end of things. Turned out that assumption was wrong because Kira was uncommon in the Tuann community.
Her parents weren't from one House but two, a marriage meant to cement an alliance between two foes. It left Kira in the rare position of being dual House. Since she’d been kidnapped before her parents could designate her as one House or the other, it meant both Houses had a claim. And lucky Kira, she'd convinced Liara to rescind her claim, clearing the field nicely for Roake.
Kira rubbed her forehead. What a clusterfuck.
It wasn't Jin's fault he'd missed this. Neither one of them was familiar enough with Tuann culture to understand all of its nuances. It placed them in the unenviable position of having to feel their way through half-blind.
"We could run, but—" Jin trailed off.
Yes, but.
The Tsavitee were back. Humans would need all their allies.
