Around them, his oshota continued to fight, the humans providing cover where they could.
Finn's presence flooded Graydon's mind.
"Report," Graydon ordered.
"We’re betrayed. House Remie has joined the enemy. I don’t know how many other Houses have followed their lead."
Grief and resignation touched Torvald’s face. There could only be one fate for such a House—complete annihilation.
It was a step the Tuann didn’t often contemplate, saved for the most egregious of transgressions.
For a House to ally with the enemy like this and endanger their peace with the Haldeel, they would have to deal decisively to prevent other Houses from following suit.
Neither Torvald nor Graydon relished the coming task, but they’d ensure its completion for the sake of the Tuann empire.
They’d leave no weaknesses for their old enemies to exploit.
"And Kira?"
"She's gone after the woman. We're holding the line for the moment."
“Do you need reinforcements?”
There was a grunt and a tendril of pain that Finn locked down almost as soon as it invaded the link. “It wouldn’t hurt.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Graydon told him. “Send me your location.”
Getting someone to Finn and Kira would be hard.
The fighting from the banquet had spilled into the rest of the station. Most of the civilians had already fled, leaving only Graydon’s oshota, Himoto and a few of his people, along with the Haldeel guards who’d gotten caught in the conflict.
They were holding their own, but if Graydon abandoned the line to go to Kira, there was a chance they would fall.
The primal part of him urged him to do exactly that. The only things that kept him fighting here was the oath he’d taken to the emperor and the knowledge Kira would hate him if he let others die in favor of saving her.
The solution then was to kill every single enemy between him and her.
Noting the cruel twist of Graydon’s lips, Torvald switched his grip on his en-blade. “Youngsters these days are so passionate.”
“Will you do it?” Graydon asked.
Kiswirled around Torvald, building in size and intensity until it was a massive ball. Torvald plunged his blade into the floor. Acting as a conduit, the blade channeled thekidirectly into their surroundings.
Torvald’s eyes held a faint glow as he bared his teeth. “I’ve protected our immediate area.”
Graydon rolled his shoulders, opening himself to thekiinside. Without Torvald, this would have been dangerous, likely causing irreparable damage to Almaluk.
Color drained out of the world as blackkicondensed around Graydon’s hands. An invisible force fought him as he pushed his hands closer together, his arms shaking from the effort.
With a roar, he sank all his strength into those last few inches.
Blackkishot out in a wave.
It snuffed out the glow of life in the androids and they dropped like puppets whose strings had been cut. The Tsavitee fared no better. The wave cleaving them in two.
Graydon fell, Amila catching him before he could hit the deck. Noor stepped toward him as the rest of the humans stared in stunned disbelief. Only Jace and Himoto acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary, understandable given their close relation to Kira.
“Graydon,” Noor said, concern on his face.
