Her life would have been easier—and anything she did less likely to provide the inciting spark that tipped the balance from peace to war.
The beginnings of a well-known joke ran through her mind—a Haldeel and a human walk into a bar.
Kira tipped her chin at an oshota she recognized. Solal. Graydon’s right-hand man. “How long has this been going on?”
“A while.”
Kira kept her groan to herself as she scrubbed one hand down her face. Why didn’t that surprise her?
Tensions between the Haldeel, an alien race whose advanced technology gave them an advantage over a large swath of the galaxy, and the Consortium, the alliance of planets that governed human space, were at an all-time high after the attack of a few days ago.
Understandable given a small contingent of humans had helped bring about the situation.
It would take a miracle to preserve the alliance that protected humanity from another invasion by the Tsavitee. Something that had already devastated them once and brought them to near annihilation.
You’d think that would make them smart. That they’d do anything to keep the alliance that had once shielded them. But no, humans always had to learn things the hard way.
Solal’s voice was amused. “Playing peacemaker?”
“Someone has to,” Kira said as a sphere the size of her head floated down from its hiding place near the ceiling.
“You weren’t in there long. How’d it go?” Jin asked.
“I’m surprised you don’t know already. I would have thought you’d find a way to listen in.”
After all, he was her partner in all things mischief related.
Once a Tuann like Kira, Jin’s soul was now housed in a military grade combat drone. As such, there weren’t many places he couldn’t inveigle his way into.
“That’s kind of hard to do with your mountain’s lackeys making that impossible,” Jin grumbled. “Every time I moved; they were on me.”
Ah. So, he had tried to eavesdrop.
“Well played,” Kira told Solal, not missing the tiny tilt of his lips that said he’d enjoyed coming out the winner in their exchange.
“Yeah. Yeah. They’re fucking awesome. Are you going to tell me what happened?”
Jin rotated so he could fix the camera that acted as his “eye” on Kira. The lens was an inside joke between the two of them that referenced an old Earth TV show. It was one of a dozen camera lenses built into his exterior that allowed him a 360-degree view—but the only one visible.
“Selene and Alexander have chosen to accompany the Tuann back to their home planet.”
Kira allowed herself a smirk at Jin’s surprised squawk as she started toward the staring contest. Unlike the Tuann, she wasn’t satisfied to stand back and watch when she could act.
“What?!” Jin whisper-shouted as he chased after Kira. “I did not expect that.”
That made two of them.
Kira’s approach attracted attention from the Haldeel and human representatives facing off with one another as they looked in her direction.
The humans’ leader was an old friend of hers and had saved her life more times than she could count.
Rear Admiral Jace Skarsdale had always been considered good-looking but age had refined his features, adding a level of maturity that only enhanced him.
Today, he looked tired. Exhausted. Even more so than the last time Kira had seen him.
Assuming command was never easy. Especially with the current situation.
The Haldeel were angry at the part humans had played in events. The Tuann too.
