Maksym’s voice crackled over the intercom.“Heir, I thank the Mea’Ave every day for sending you to us.Life had grown far too dull and boring before your arrival.”
Through the porthole, Maksym smiled and stepped back.Kira craned her head, pushing away from the hatch to watch through the docking tube and the station windows as Maksym appeared with a wide smile on his face.He said something to the approaching station personnel.
“Jace, can you open the hatch on dock slip L5P3?”Kira tried.
“I don’t—I can’t.You invoked Protocol Phoenix.You know what that means.”
She should.She helped create it.
All sections would be sealed off.Anyone left on the wrong side was on their own.Attempts would be made to lure the target to the nearest airlock where they could be spaced.If they failed or if the primus endangered the rest of the ship, the section it was trapped in would suffer a decompression.
That was how dangerous Kira and the Curs had judged her other form.
“He’s right, Phoenix,” Raider said softly.
“I know.”
The words were lonely.Bereft.An echo of all those times Kira had stood in similar no win situations and been forced to make the hard choice.
“Damn it, Maksym,” Kira whispered.
The oshota faced off with the group in front of him.Tuann dressed to resemble station security, Kira saw now.Their pointed ears and weapons made from Tuann metal gave them away.
Kira’s heart clenched as a humanoid figure crashed through the group from behind, uncaring of those it hurt.At the sight of Maksym, it tipped its head back and howled.
“It’s time to go,” Graydon said from the entry of his ship.
“Not yet,” Kira said, her gaze trained on Maksym’s battle.
The oshota slipped away from the primus, managing to avoid the claws intended to disembowel him.He swung his sword, decapitating one of the Tuann who tried to attack him from behind.
“Maksym is a seasoned warrior who made his choice,” Graydon said harshly.
Kira flinched, words of argument hovering on the tip of her tongue.She bit them back.
Much as it hurt, he was right.
Turning toward the ship, Talon’s sad smile caught her attention.“Now you know what we oshota are for.”
“I don’t like it,” Kira told him.
“That’s because you’re too much of an oshota yourself.You don’t think like a sword.You think like a shield.Don’t worry, heir.We’ll train that out of you,” Talon promised her.
When Kira glanced at Finn, he held her gaze with a rare stubbornness.
For once, he didn’t look away or pretend not to be anything but what he was.An oshota.Her shield.Ready and willing to sacrifice everything, even his life, for his chosen person.
“Jin and the children need you,” Finn said softly.
Kira shot one last glance at the battle taking place on the gangway.After a moment, she nodded.
“Stay frosty, Maksym,” Kira whispered before turning and walking toward the ship.
Twenty Eight
Jin
Theargumenttakingplacea few feet away was quite entertaining.The pirates were unhappy.They hadn’t meant to take Jin, and now they didn’t know what to do.
