“But if someone picks a fight with you, don’t back down either,” Jin added.
“You realize those are contradictory pieces of advice,” Bez pointed out.
Kira shrugged.“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
They were Tuann.They were all about balance.The keeping of it.The breaking of it.
Raider reached the opposite end of the air lock, touching down as the station’s gravity caught him.
The hatch was already open.
“In and out,” Kira told herself.
Things wouldn’t go the way they had on O’Riley.
Twenty
Kira
Astationrepresentativewaswaiting for them as soon as they stepped onto the main gangway of the station proper.With a scroll tucked under one arm and a freshly pressed uniform that was a better cared for version of Bez’s, the representative offered them a polished smile.“Welcome to Titan.If you come this way, I’ll escort you to customs.”
Jin burst out of the tunnel and shoved past Kira.“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Don’t throw up,” Kira ordered.
Jin bent at the waist and made a few retching sounds.“I hate this body.”
“Breathe through it.You’ll be fine.”
Thankfully, Jin managed to keep his last meal right where it belonged—in his stomach.
Dylan patted his back soothingly as Kira rolled her eyes at the station representative.“Every time we travel he gets like this.Such a baby.”
The representative looked just confused and uncertain enough that Kira was hoping she’d forget all about Jin’s comment.
“I didn’t know Titan had customs.How long has that been going on?”Kira asked, trying not to worry.
Raider and she would be fine.As a Consortium citizen, he could come and go as he pleased.Especially in a place like Titan where they wouldn’t question him too closely.For her part, Kira had several disposable identities that she kept on hand for situations like this.
Finn and the others were the real issue.
Before their arrival, Kira hadn’t thought to ask Jin to whip up something for them since customs hadn’t been an issue on their last visit.Of course, everything could be solved if she let them claim residency of the Tuann empire, but that would reveal their presence here.
It wouldn’t take long for such news to travel the station.They’d risk alerting the very people they were trying to hunt.Not to mention what that information would do if it reached Centcom.They’d reach out to their contacts in the Tuann empire to ask why some of their people were on Titan.All hell would break loose.
“It’s a new policy.”The representative gave Kira another polite smile.“This way please.”
Despite the representative’s attempt to hurry them along, no one moved.
Raider and Jin stared at Kira, their expressions asking what she wanted to do.
Kira didn’t know, but they’d come too far to back down now.Also, she was pretty sure their ship wouldn’t make it to the next station.
Jin must have had a similar thought because he mumbled a curse and dug into his backpack, pulling out a scroll similar in appearance to the one the representative was carrying but with a better processing system and a lot more memory.
“Walk slowly,” he ordered.
The representative glanced behind her just then to check on their progress.
