Finn snorted. "Don't push it."
She suppressed her grin and she nodded a greeting as Raider and Jace joined them. "How did the mop up go?"
"It didn't take much effort on our part. Rothchild already had things well in hand," Jace answered.
Brie let out a relieved sigh.
"Who's this?" Jace asked, looking at her.
"Rear Admiral Jace Skarsdale meet Brie." Kira stopped realizing she didn't know the woman's last name.
Brie snapped a salute. "Sergeant Brie Lockhart of Rothchild's Defense force. Third Recon Unit, Second Battalion, First Infantry Division."
Jace answered her salute with one of his own. "Well met, soldier. How did you get swept up into this one's matters?"
Brie’s hesitation showed on her face. As did her struggle not to glance in Odin's direction.
"It's complicated," she finally settled on saying.
"Whatever the case, we'll see about getting you home as soon as possible."
"I appreciate that."
Jace gestured at a pair of his subordinates, a man and a woman. "Please see that Sergeant Lockhart is shown to a set of temporary quarters in the meantime."
The pair voiced their acknowledgment of the order. The man stepped forward. "This way, if you please."
His gaze met Kira's over Brie's head for a brief second before he turned to lead the way. His partner lingered, ensuring that Kira saw her fingers form the sign for "you are not alone" before following.
Kira watched them go, wondering if Selene knew what her kids were up to.
Probably not. She doubted her sister would be okay with the two oldest placing themselves directly in the thick of things.
"Something wrong?" Jace asked, noticing where Kira's attention had wandered.
"Of course not. Just admiring your subordinates' professionalism," Kira said smoothly. "Hopefully that means they won't space all your undergarments this time."
"Weren't you the one who convinced them to do that?"
Kira allowed herself a smug smirk. Of course, she was.
"Those two are new. They were just reassigned to my command ten days ago." Jace glanced at Odin's hooded figure before leveling a meaningful look on Kira. "But that's not what you're here to talk about."
Kira was silent, looking between him and Raider in question.
"He knows,” Raider warned.
"What does he know?"
"Everything you're currently worried about."
Kira gave him a disbelieving stare. "You are absolute shit at keeping secrets."
"It was either come clean or let you face an invasion alone. He planned to court martial me and throw me in the brig if I didn't."
Kira waved her hands at Graydon and Wren's oshota. "That's why they're here. They would have gotten you out of it."
Raider and Jace sent Kira identical repressive looks.
