A sphere floated out of the ship, stopping when it reached the air above Kira’s shoulder.
The color of graphite, the drone was about the size of Kira’s head. Once meant for combat, it was now considered outdated by Consortium standards.
“Kira, the electrical panels have been fixed and I’ve completed the diagnostic,” Jin told Kira as his anti-gravs whirred. To the other two, “Did you convince her yet?”
Expectation filled Joule and Ziva’s faces as they looked at her pleadingly.
Even Kira’s shriveled heart couldn’t withstand the begging. “Fine. You can come.”
A cheer erupted.
Jin darted forward, circling behind them before ushering them forward. “All aboard the Kira Express before she changes her mind.”
Ziva wasted no time grabbing the small bag at her feet before bolting up the ramp. Joule picked up his own bag and followed at a more sedate pace.
Kira met the gaze of the man waiting for her at the top of the ramp.
Finn’s face was expressionless as he watched her approach. Assigned as her oshota when she first reached House Luatha, Finn had shown a surprising ability to stick to her despite all her best efforts.
He was considered among the elite of the oshota’s ranks. A badass who’d gotten saddled with the likes of Kira. She didn’t envy him his predicament. Not even she would want to safeguard someone like her.
It was a thankless task he’d undertaken with only a few complaints.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re soft on them.”
“It’s just a ride.”
Finn’s mouth tilted up on one side in a micro expression Kira would have been envious of when she was younger. “There’s also the question of Joule and the adva ka.”
“You know—just because we’ve reached a truce, it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.”
Finn’s face remained blank except for the tiniest gleam of interest. “Say the word and I’ll be happy to renegotiate the terms.”
The two stared at each other in a battle of wills.
Kira had only gone up against Finn once. It had been a difficult encounter.
Admittedly, she hadn’t been at her best. Ship life had left her a little out of shape. Not to mention the havoc her untrained ki had exacted on her body. Still, it was enough to know how skilled an opponent he was.
The sudden hush on the docks behind Kira distracted her from the promise of a spar. Something she hadn’t indulged in enough over the last weeks.
She looked over her shoulder to find movement on the dock had ground to a halt as the Tuann stopped and stared at the two figures making their way across the deck.
Selene was almost regal as she glided forward, her Haldeel style robes sweeping the ground. The bell-like sleeves fell to a point in the middle of her hands and her hair was swept up into an elaborate braid at the back of her head. Alexander’s face was inscrutable as he paced at her side. A caged beast tasked with the protection of the princess.
“Are you going to talk to them?” Finn asked when Kira remained where she was.
“No need. We’re strangers who share the same beginning. Nothing more.”
Kira ignored the feel of Finn’s eyes on the side of her face, knowing he probably didn’t understand. That was okay. She didn’t need him to.
Friendship? That wasn’t a term you threw around in relation to the forty-three.
A sigh came from her oshota before he patted her on the shoulder and disappeared into the ship.
Jin moved out of the shadows, joining her. “This feels weird.”
