At her question, Finn turned serious. “The adva ka itself is closed to all but those attempting its passage. The Houses will not be able to directly interfere.”
“You’re saying any threat I face is likely going to come from the initiates themselves,” Kira said.
On the surface, that didn’t seem too bad. Those who attempted the adva ka were among the youngest of the Tuann. Except for outliers like Kira, their skills would be along the same level.
Unfortunately, things were never as simple as they seemed at first glance.
For a House to rise in power, they needed to increase their number of warriors and oshota. Obstruct that path and you could hamper a House’s military readiness.
Someone like Himoto would keep a few subordinates who were highly trained in reserve so he could easily take out those who might become a future threat.
Kira was willing to bet the other Houses would have taken the same stance.
That was to say nothing of the sleeper agents the Tsavitee had likely seeded throughout the Tuann who would like nothing more than Kira’s death.
Even for her, this would be a tough fight if she couldn’t rely on the backing of her House.
“If Elise is really on this planet as Aeron said, she’ll likely use the influx of Tuann attending the adva ka to hide her presence,“ Jin said.
Since this was considered a major rite of passage, most Houses would have some level of presence. That was a lot of people going back and forth. Perfect for someone like Elise and a few Tsavitee generals to slip in unnoticed.
“It would help if we knew what they wanted,” Kira said.
“Any leads yet?” Finn asked.
Kira and Jin stopped to look at him.
He spread his hands. “I’m assuming you’ve already started looking.”
“Jin’s right. You are learning,” Kira said, a little amused.
Finn inclined his head. “It’s either anticipate your actions or watch you almost die. I prefer the first—even if I don’t always agree with your choices.”
Kira rubbed her forefinger and thumb together as she considered Finn. “Jin, feel free to tell him.”
A hologram of the station formed in the air in front of Jin.
“Graydon’s not the only one who thought to check the station footage. I took the liberty of hacking the feed while we were there,” Jin said as Finn sat forward in surprise.
“You realize if you’re caught Alexander’s efforts to get you legal protection will go down the drain,” Finn pointed out.
“Big rewards sometimes necessitate taking a few risks,” Jin said. “I’m glad I did. Take a look at this.”
The angle of the camera changed to a different section of the dock.
A group of six Tuann wearing cloaks, the hoods raised, marched down the walkway.
Kira focused on the one at their center. The person’s build suggested a woman or a youth.
“I’ve gone through most of the feeds. There are a couple of groups that trigger some red flags, but this one is the most suspicious,” Jin said.
Finn’s brow furrowed as he examined the group. “They’re wanderers.”
Kira glanced over at him. “How can you tell?”
Finn nodded at the group. “Zoom in on what they’re wearing under their cloaks.”
The image adjusted to show the mismatched armor that peeked out from beneath the fabric of their outer layer. It looked like each suit had been assembled from different sets.
