Kira glanced from him to the destruction he'd just wrought. No kidding. Something like that had to take it out of him. Her burst did and this was on a similar level.
"How long have you been able to do that?" Pallas asked as they made their way to the ship.
"Worried that your forty three missed something?"
Pallas's rigid expression made it clear Graydon's guess was on the mark.
Graydon's chuckle was tired. "You should be careful about that pride of yours. It might one day be your ruin."
Kira helped Graydon into the ship, keeping a careful eye on Pallas.
Thankfully, her brother let the subject go, turning on his heel and disappearing inside.
Kira jerked her head at Brie to get in. "You too."
Brie licked her lips as she stared at the tree line, her desire to return to her unit making her stubborn.
"You'll be dead before you make it half a mile," Kira said.
She could already hear the sound of more Tsavitee moving toward them, drawn by the explosions. Soon, this entire area would be crawling.
"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try," Brie argued.
Her loyalty would be admirable if it wasn't going to get her killed.
"This is part of Diesel's plan," Kira responded in a harsh voice. "He wouldn't have sent you with me otherwise."
It had been his way of giving Brie the best chance to survive this battle.
"Dead—you contribute nothing. Alive—and there's a chance you can make a difference down the road," Kira told her, stepping up into the ship. "Consider this adapting to the changing conditions of the battle landscape."
It was a necessary trait for a soldier who hoped to survive any length of time against what was coming.
Kira waited to see what Brie would decide. Whether she was going to throw her life away or make the smart choice.
To her relief, Brie didn't waste time. After one last look in the direction where the rest were fighting, she climbed into Pallas's ship.
Kira released the breath she was holding. Good choice. She'd have hated hitting Brie over the head after everything they'd just survived.
Twenty Two
Kira turned to find Pallas watching her with an enigmatic expression. "What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just admiring your hypocrisy."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Pallas patted her on the shoulder, leaning down to speak into her ear. "Just that we both know that in her shoes, you would have gone back. Certain death or not."
Pallas straightened, reaching around her to pull the hatch shut. As he did, she thought she heard him mutter something under his breath.
Something to the effect of, "That's why I had to do what I did."
Kira couldn't be sure though.
"Lathan, let's get this ship in the air," Pallas called as he wandered in the direction of the bridge. "We don't want any more guests."
Brie glanced at Kira before taking a seat in the corner of the hold.
