"That is eighteen for. Fifteen against and ten abstaining at this time," Ryan announced.
"Ah, ah, our would be leader hasn't shared his thoughts on the matter." Thea shook her finger at Ryan, her smile a touch sharp given her playful manner.
"I counted myself among the abstains," Ryan responded. "For now, I'm willing to see how this plays out."
Thea made a disappointed sound. "As cagey as always, brother."
"She can't go alone," one of the faceless shadows said. "She will need monitoring."
"Pallas will be responsible for that," Ryan announced.
Lazy amusement appeared on Pallas's face. "It’s my pleasure. I live to wrangle the most troublesome of our siblings."
Graydon's eyes narrowed as Pallas's gaze landed on him.
A secretive smile twisted Pallas's lips. "In fact, I'm looking forward to it."
Kira
Kira's anger propelled her out of the colosseum, accompanying her through the hall she'd arrived in, and past a second set of wide doors through which a dull sky beckoned.
Her footsteps drummed a staccato beat against the sands, keeping rhythm with the anger pulsing in her veins.
Insufferable bastards. The pure audacity.
After ninety-two odd years, you'd think they'd learn a few things. Like the fact she was loyal down to the very bedrock of her soul. She'd never abandon anyone she cared about to the Tsavitee's mercy.
How dare they? Who did they think they were?
A group of forty three idiots. That's who. Fucking morons if they thought they were going to control her.
Kira stepped into a barren vista. The sky hazy and low hanging. A gray film lying over it. Likely the reason for the poor air quality.
There was a taste on the wind that made her throat burn.
Too long exposed to whatever was contaminating the atmosphere and she'd suffer side effects. But not for a little while though.
She had time to figure out her next move.
First up on the agenda—finding a way off this planet.
Kira didn't hold out much hope for that though. She'd suspected it before but the atmosphere and her surroundings confirmed it. This planet had been long abandoned.
The rocky terrain surrounding the oubliette was barren of any signs of life. There were mountains in the far distance. Their color drab and lackluster. There was nothing else but ravines and boulders between her and them. The structure behind her was the only evidence that a civilization had once existed here.
No life meant no ships. Without a ship, she was stuck here unless Pallas was kind enough to return Kira to hers.
After the way she'd just stormed off, she was betting that was no longer an option. If it ever was.
This was why no one had attempted to stop her. Because there was nowhere for her to go.
Kira hated to admit it, but she was well and truly fucked.
A knocking sound came from the J1N's anti gravs, interrupting Kira's pity party. He stopped beside her, listing slightly to one side with his 'eye' pointing up at the sky.
"What is wrong with you?" she demanded, not certain if that question was aimed at him or herself.
The urge to scream crawled up her throat. The impulse growing with the drone's silence.
