"Already on it."
The cable whirred as Kira raced up the cliff as if she was running, chasing Blue. Raider appeared at her side, a maniacal grin on his face. "Not today, Phoenix."
"Now," Jin cried.
Kira stopped, grabbing the wall and finding a toe hold as she hit the release on her harness. It popped free. She grabbed the wire and slammed it into the rock face.
Startlement registered on Raider's face at the unexpected action. It quickly changed to understanding as camouflage leaked out of a drone seven feet above Blue's new position.
"Shit," he hissed.
Blue jerked back as the drone fired. A short squeal accompanied her plummet to the ground.
Kira leaped, landing on Raider's back, one arm wrapped around him below his armpit, the other over his shoulder. Her hands met in a fist at his chest.
"I expected the initiates to have trouble with his challenge. I'm more surprised you haven't figured out the secret of it yet," Kira said into Raider's ear.
"What?"
Kira didn't respond, planting a foot against the wall and shoving off, taking Raider with her.
His protest was drowned out by her laughter as they followed Blue down, Jin singing a song of victory the entire way.
*
Graydon stared in disbelief at the woman who was entirely too pleased with herself as she hit the grav net and bounced. She grabbed the edge, using it to flip herself up and over, hitting the ground in a crouch.
"Suck on that landing," she muttered.
"Kira!" Raider shouted as he fought his way over the edge of the net.
"Uh oh." She sounded slightly guilty as she stuck her hands in her pockets and started to amble away.
It wasn't going to be that easy,coli.
Graydon folded his arms over his chest and settled in to watch the scene unfold, anticipation curling through him.
Raider wasn't the only one of Kira's victims to lock onto her. Devon and Rheya not far behind.
"Abort, abort," she muttered, picking up her pace slightly.
The rest of the field watched with varying levels of interest. Graydon's oshota were amused, having come to expect the unexpected from their former charge. They had the luxury of feeling such since they weren’t humiliated so thoroughly.
Graydon expected the lesson she'd taught the initiates was liable to sting, especially since he knew they viewed her with varying levels of pity or disdain.
From here on out, they’d forget the challenges they’d been throwing at the humans and focus on the real threat in their midst. Kira.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone so thoroughly circumvent your test," Solal remarked to Wren.
The other man grunted; his gaze focused on the monolith as he tried to figure out how she'd managed her ambush.
"What was that?" Devon demanded, cutting Kira off.
She cocked her head, her expression one of innocence. "Were my actions unclear? I can always demonstrate the lesson again if you'd prefer."
Joule lifted a hand, his shoulders shaking suspiciously. Despite being one of those Kira had knocked off the cliff, he seemed to be taking his fall with good grace.
Rheya shoved closer. "You had no call to force us to fail."
