To Finn, Kira said, "It might be a bit cramped over the next month. I'm afraid all the berths are taken. Find a spot anywhere and it’s yours."
Finn nodded and stood, disappearing silently into the hall.
"Kira, you don't think—"
"It's not going to be a problem, Jin." Kira drained the rest of her chai. "We'll be fine. All that happened years ago. I bet no one even remembers it anymore."
And even if they did, chances were they wouldn't recognize Kira and Jin.
Kira had been a lot different back then.
"If you say so," Jin said doubtfully.
FOUR
ADEEP SILENCE fellover the ship as one by one its occupants sought the release of dreamland, leaving only Kira awake.
Slouched in the pilot's seat, she held a cup of chai. It'd been a long time since she'd sat like this, watching the stars go by, the ship as silent as a tomb around her.
To think, she thought she'd missed this.
It was a long time later when Kira finally stirred, setting aside her mug and reaching over to press the record button.
"Raider, you're furious with me; I don't blame you."
A fleeting smile, lacking any semblance of warmth or happiness, chased across her face, there and gone as if it'd never been.
"To tell you the truth, I never really thought you were the mole. There are a lot of excuses I could give you for the decisions we made, but that's all they'd be—excuses. I won't insult you by listing them here. At the time they seemed relevant, but looking back, I have to wonder."
Kira's gaze turned distant. "I should have told you about Elena the moment I knew about her. I'm not even sure why I didn't."
Kira rubbed her forehead. "Honestly, I don't even know why I'm bothering to record this. You'll never see it. I’ve never sent any of the messages I’ve recorded to you."
Exhaustion pulled at Kira. The type that made her wonder if it was all worth it.
At this point, she didn't even know anymore.
