If she wanted to make a big deal of this, she could, but Kira judged it would be more beneficial to downplay her role.
The Haldeel weren't blind and they weren't stupid. Her actions would endear her to them more than if she had blown this matter up.
They'd owe her a favor for this. The Haldeel had a reputation for paying their debts.
Kira was also aware the matter needed to be settled here and now. As soon as the other Houses became involved it would no longer be so simple. Even with the risks she'd taken to save Devon, the incident could be magnified to significant proportions in the right hands.
Kira didn't want that. The Tuann and Haldeel needed to stay allies.
A wedge between them would only benefit the Tsavitee.
The Haldeel rose. "The Haldeel owe you a great debt and the Tuann an apology for our oversight."
Kira waved her hand, not interested in either. "It's impossible to protect against every eventuality. Where there is a wall, people will constantly seek to scale it."
It was the nature of the beast.
Khartor bowed at the waist. "Za na ri, you are ever kind and wise."
Kira didn't think either attribute had ever been attached to her name before.
Khartor stepped to the side and gestured at the cutter. "If you'll allow me, I've been instructed to escort you back."
"Your kindness is appreciated," Kira said.
They’d flown quite far off course. With Kira's board trashed, it would be a long walk back.
Speaking of her board.
Kira sent Jin a pointed look. She didn't care about the board itself, but the drive chain was extremely important to her. Falling into the wrong hands wasn't so much of a problem unless the other party was a hacker as good as Odin, but that didn't mean she wanted it getting lost either.
Jin ignored her pointed stare, drifting closer to Devon and the man beside him.
“Jin,” Kira warned as the two watched him.
Devon’s gaze was open, more curious than anything. Kira didn’t know if he had been told about Jin’s contributions to breaking them out of the memory loop they’d landed in during theuhva na.
She and Jin had left immediately afterward, making any interaction between the two brief.
Despite that, Devon didn’t hold any of the unfriendliness many Tuann had upon meeting Jin.
The man Kira suspected as his father—and the emperor of the Tuann—was a little more guarded. Not hostile, exactly, but not welcoming either.
Understandable considering all that had happened.
Khartor inclined his chin, drawing her attention. "We've dispatched people to recover your belongings."
Convenient—especially since a certain drone was ignoring her orders.
Left with no reason to delay, Kira headed for the cutter.
She boarded with the rest of the Tuann following. Jin stuck close to Devon and the oshota, his “eye” focused on them as he kept the barest of acceptable distances.
Perhaps Kira had been hasty in assuming he was handling the possibility of his relation to them well. The last thing she needed was for her friend to be accused of being a stalker.
That would be the cherry on top of this shit show.
As they flew closer to the stands, Kira expanded the view of the leader board in her optics.
