Joule's face had thinned out since she last saw him, nearly a month ago, losing some of the softness it had had when they'd first met.
It looked like his training was beginning to have an effect, packing his small frame with muscles.
There was a world-weary look in his eyes that was new. Something that said he'd seen the dark side of life and knew things weren’t always going to turn out the way he wanted.
Kira couldn't help feeling like she shared some of the blame for that look. People around her tended to lose their innocence far sooner than they had a right to.
The loss of his parents might have started the process, but Kira had finished the job.
Despite that, he still had an earnestness to him. A goodness that Kira hoped he preserved.
All this wouldn’t be so bad if not for the oshota keeping watch on the group from several feet away.
"Your luck continues to trend toward the shittier side," Jin observed.
Of all the ships on the docks, they had to choose this one to board.
Kira supposed it could be worse. Graydon could be with them.
FIVE
FROM THE SAFETY ofher hood, Kira allowed herself to study the four as they moved further into the craft. They had the same idea as Kira, selecting seats far from the other passengers where they could place their backs against a wall and see anyone who entered.
Curious looks were aimed Kira's way, but none of the others recognized her or Finn with their hoods concealing their faces.
A relief really.
"What do you think they're doing here?" Jin asked.
Kira's head shake was slight.
That was a good question.
She also wanted to know how Ziva came to be here. Liara and House Luatha were supposed to be taking care of the girl.
Kira would be curious to know how Luatha finagled this—especially in light of the visitor restrictions.
