Kira wouldn't hold her breath though.
Caution finally entered Aeron's face as he saw that she wasn't kidding. "It's not that I don't want to help you. It's simply impossible."
"That's not going to work for me," Kira told him.
If he couldn't help her, she had no need for him. If she didn't let Raider kill him, she could always drop him down the deepest, darkest hole she could find. Maybe it would soften him up and allow him to see things her way.
"What about the Sye? Aren't you still working with them?" Aeron asked, referencing one of Kira's companions. The person Kira knew as Odin. Like the generals, Odin's kind was enslaved by the Tsavitee's masters. Their most trusted pets.
The Sye were a unique race that possessed minor shape changing abilities that allowed them to shift between male, female, and a third, gender neutral form that the name for their race came from. The Sye. A word that when translated roughly meant "All and none."
"Odin doesn't know how to return to your home world."
Otherwise, why would Kira have wasted all this time searching for the location? It was because Odin couldn't find their way back.
"That's why you were working as a scavenger. You were looking for star maps."
"I found them too."
Countless hours of searching. Dozens of near death escapes. But in the end, Kira located a set of intact maps that she'd hoped would lead her to the home world. The only problem—they couldn't read them.
"Let me guess—you're still having trouble."
Kira's smile was gentle. "You obviously understand our dilemma."
Aeron tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Yes, our masters do like to make things notoriously difficult." He frowned at her. "The Tuann are known for their paranoia—and their star maps."
"I'm aware."
That's why she didn't put up much of a fight when Himoto and Jace had ordered her to return to her mother's people on Ta Da'An. For a chance at their maps.
"Don't tell me. You stole Luatha's maps," Aeron guessed with a sly smile.
Wren, Finn and Graydon looked at her in surprise.
Kira maintained her composure, pretending not to see their question as she mentally cursed every one of Aeron's ancestors. She'd have preferred to keep that piece of information to herself. For safety reasons.
Her cousin, Liara, might care about her now, but that would change if she ever realized Kira was a thief. Houses considered their star maps some of their most highly guarded treasures. If they knew she'd copied them, she'd be in a world of trouble.
Graydon stirred, looking at Kira askance. "Coli, I thought we had no more secrets between us."
Kira flinched at the slightly chiding note in his voice, unable to help the way she tensed. Especially when Graydon lowered his voice to a level only meant for her.
"We will discuss the ramifications of this later."
Kira's nod was faint. She supposed that was fair.
"Lothos always did say you were a master of turning any situation to your advantage," Aeron said with a hint of admiration.
"Lothos?" Finn asked.
"The other general present during Ta Da'An's invasion," Kira answered.
Aeron nodded. "My seon'yer, as the Tuann would say."
Raider made a disgusted sound. "Adorable."
"We're not so different from the Tuann," Aeron declared, ignoring Raider's sarcasm.
