Everyone looked exhausted. Most especially Graydon. The journey and the losses they'd sustained along the way having taken a toll.
Like Brie, Odin had found a place to sit. She rested her head against the wall with her eyes closed as she fought to control her fast breathing.
An athlete Odin wasn't. The majority of the Sye’s time was spent in a hacker’s chair. It didn’t leave a lot of room for physical fitness.
Hearing Kira's approach, Odin cracked her eye open to look up at her. "I can't tell you how uncomfortable it makes me to be on a ship with that psycho."
"Get over it," Kira said, glancing at the J1N as it made a circuit of the room. "We don't have another choice at this stage."
The forces below weren't the only ones they had to worry about. There were still the three Tsavitee ships making their way through the solar system to consider as well. When they reached Rothchild, this place would become hell.
Putting Odin out of her mind, Kira stopped next to where Graydon leaned tiredly against the wall.
"That was quite a show you put on." Kira touched his arm. "How long have you been able to do that?"
Graydon lifted his head off the wall. "Pretty much since I woke up from the coma."
That must be nice. To receive a massive power up rather than be reduced to his weakest state. Why couldn't she get something like that?
"My efforts all these years have paid off," he told her, seeing the question on her face. "It left me with a new set of marks and a few abilities to go with them."
Kira scanned his body. "I didn't notice."
His smile was brief. "You were a tad distracted."
Kira shook her head, fighting her own smile. "You're awful."
His chuckle was husky as he pulled her into his body. "But you love me anyway."
Kira let her weight rest against him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad we survived."
It had been a little too close for comfort.
He kissed her temple. "Me too."
The ship rocked from the force of an explosion.
"What was that?" Odin asked, coming alert.
Kira didn't answer as she pulled out of Graydon's arms and started for the ship's bridge.
Pallas's whistle greeted her as she stepped through the hatch. "Looks like someone is playing for keeps."
"What happened?" Kira asked.
The giant crater where the Vega had once been made Pallas's answer unnecessary. Smoke still billowed from the rubble. The trees all around it had been flattened in the blast, leaving nothing behind.
"I think someone triggered one of my booby traps," Odin said, coming up behind her.
Kira's eyebrows climbed to her hairline as she pointed at the crater in disbelief. "This is you?"
Graydon's eyes had narrowed to slits as he took in the damage, his body going rigid with the knowledge that it could have been him and Kira caught in that blast if Pallas had decided to go exploring a few days ago.
"You didn't think I'd abandon Yggdrasil without ensuring it couldn't be used against me, did you?" Odin looked out the window with a frown. "Though the extent of damage is considerably greater than I anticipated."
Kira made a choked sound of disbelief as she stared at Odin.
"It's Diesel," Brie interrupted. "His plan was to fall back to the Vega when they were overwhelmed and lure the Tsavitee inside."
