The Osiri tightened his grip on the back of her neck in punishment.
Elena made a pained sound, her grip on the drone loosening.
"What are you doing?" Kira asked.
The Osiri lifted the drone out of Elena’s hands, holding it up in front of him to study. "I've heard stories about your relationship with this soul bound. Did you know we weren't aware until relatively recently what he was?"
Kira aimed a pointed look at Thea. "What? Your spy never told you?"
The forty three knew. She still remembered Elise's expression the first time she’d realized what—and who—Jin really was. That meant Thea would have known as well.
The fact she’d never told the Osiri was something Kira could use to drive a wedge between them. Plant a seed of discord and doubt.
Thea lashed the briar at her, aiming for her throat. Kira sliced it in half with a quick move.
It looked like she was getting to her. Good.
Unfortunately, the Osiri didn’t respond to her provocation, more preoccupied with his study of the drone than the conversation.
"There you are," the Osiri declared.
He did something.
Pressure squeezed Kira's skull. The connection she shared with Jin roaring back to life. An onslaught of sensation poured down their bond. White hot and searingly intense as it blistered the nerve endings in her mind.
Kira fell to the ground, Jin's screams mixing with her own.
"Intriguing, isn't it?" The Osiri crouched in front of Kira, his fascinated expression the only thing she could see as her vision began to tunnel. "The things that can be done to you."
Twenty Nine
Jace - CSS Reliance
The ship shuddered. The sensation slightly different than a missile impact.
"We've been boarded," Jace observed, looking up.
He knew that particular sound. The thunk of Tsavitee ships bashing into the hull. Metal screeching as they penetrated the ship. Next, they’d create a vacuum seal to prevent the ship from depressurizing. Right before their landing party dropped inside.
It was the tactic they used to capture a crew alive.
Sometimes, though, it was less about capture and more about having fun with their prey.
"Captain, activate the quick reactionary team to that location and notify the rest of the crew. Prepare to defend the ship by any means necessary," Jace instructed.
As a rear admiral, Jace was technically not in charge of the Reliance. That role fell to its captain. Though as the ranking officer Jace could relieve the captain of his duties under certain circumstances.
Not that he ever would. Captain Bechler was one of his finest.
"Aye, aye, Admiral."
Jace undid his harness, rising from his chair to stride toward the weapons locker.
"Maintain fire on those ships. Do not let up," Bechler ordered his people.
"Yes, sir."
Bechler met Jace at the locker a second later. "I have to say we've landed ourselves in quite the situation."
