This was the hand Kira had been dealt. An awful one to be sure. But that was life. Sometimes shitty. Often tragic.
"This is unexpected," someone announced.
Pallas sauntered into view from the same entrance Kira had used to gain access to this place. "Kira Forrest abandoning the innocent. Is this what they call personal growth?"
Kira moved protectively in front of Elena.
Pallas’s expression contained a cruel edge. "I didn't appreciate being imprisoned on my own ship."
"What a coincidence. I don’t appreciate you killing my friends."
There, now they both had something to hold against the other.
"That was for your own good. You were never going to do it. You were going to sacrifice yourself. Someone had to do what was necessary."
"That wasn't up to you to decide!" Kira screamed.
"It was!" Pallas roared. "You were ours! Our sibling! Our friend!"
With Elise in her arms, Kira eased back, using her hip to keep Elena behind her. The girl was careful not to hinder their retreat, clutching the back of Kira's armor with shaking hands.
"Auntie," Elena called softly.
At the sound of her voice, Pallas's gaze flicked to her niece and Elise before returning to Kira's face. Calm replaced his anger.
"Besides, it wasn't like I was operating on my own. I was under orders. Your admiral's orders."
"Bullshit."
"Do you think so?" Pallas flashed her a cruel smile. "Who was it who taught you about the 'greater good'? The admiral, wasn't it?"
Kira's heart went cold, her veins filled with ice.
"We were in contact with him for years," Pallas informed her, digging the knife a little deeper.
He really did like to talk. And talk. And talk.
How had she never realized he was so chatty?
"All that time and he never told you," Pallas mused.
Her eyes locked on Pallas, Kira addressed Elena. "When I tell you to—run."
Kira sensed her niece’s instinctive resistance, catching her stubborn expression out of the corner of her eye. Elena's hands clenched on Kira's armor before loosening.
"Alright, Auntie," Elena whispered.
"Good girl."
Pallas’s expression was incredulous as Kira turned back to him. "You can't be serious. The forty three don't hurt each other."
"I warned you what would happen if we met again."
Did he think she was lying?
"How did we get to this point?" Kira asked, feeling weary all the way down to her soul.
She'd really like to know. How did that little boy who'd once hated causing pain to others become so used to death that he thought nothing of taking the lives of her loved ones?
