By “that one” she supposed Raider meant her.
“Believe me, she’s had plenty of opportunities,” Raider said with a crooked smile at her.
She ignored him to focus on Graydon.“Split up?”
The honeycomb was massive.While the scorpion gave them a general direction in which to search, it was by no means a map where x marked the spot.
Graydon nodded before sending the two pods from the ship in opposite directions with orders to sweep the honeycomb from top to bottom, apprehending anyone they came across.
As the pods moved away, Graydon glanced at Kira.“You don’t mind us tagging along with you, do you?”
“If I did, would that make a difference?”Kira asked.
Graydon’s long, slow smirk made her roll her eyes as she moved into the honeycomb, the others following.
“Why ask if you’re going to do what you want anyway?”she threw over her shoulder.
“And deprive you of your autonomy?Perish the thought,” Graydon murmured.
Unlike a human or Tuann ship, the honeycomb lacked formal corridors and hallways.Its structure was more organic.One hexagonal chamber led straight into the next, creating a labyrinth every bit as confusing and easy to get lost in as Titan’s shipyard.
Some chambers were occupied by sleeping Tsavitee, forcing them to backtrack and go around.The journey was neither straightforward nor direct.It was a circuitous mess that grew more frustrating with every detour they were forced to take.
By the time they had worked their way into one of the inner cavities where the hive conducted activities such as fucking, eating, and killing, Kira had lost count of the slumbering Tsavitee they had passed.
Their group followed the cavity as it sloped downward.Its walls made of a hard resin in which small creatures had been trapped.
The hive’s prey, Kira assumed.
She’d just turned to pick her way around one of the holes that littered the ground when there was an ominous crack from the wall beside her.
From the corner of her eye, Kira caught sight of a shadow gliding through the amber as easily as if it was water.She turned just as a Tsavitee burst out of the resin.It rammed her from the side, giving her only the briefest glimpse of its figure.Skin, dark blue.Rosettes in patches along its arms and shoulders.Taller than her and built like a tank.
A class two war drone.
It picked her up, lifting her over its head as it rose to its full height.
Raider shouted something as Finn and Talon closed in from either side.Graydon attacked from its front.
The class two flung Kira away.She hit the wall opposite.It broke under her weight.She crashed through it and into a shaft.
The world went out from under her.Kira fell.The amber walls of the hive closed in.
Twenty Nine
Jin
Anandra.Greer.Raya.
Those were the children’s names.
It took some doing but Jin managed to coax their story out of them.He was sure his youthful appearance had something to do with that.The children were a lot more distrustful of Maggie.
Despite their parents being wanderers, it was obvious these children had grown up surrounded by love.When they were young, the forty-three would never have dropped their guard with another like that.Child or not.
As Kira suspected, Anandra, Greer, and Raya were taken during the attack on their enclave.They were kept on Titan for a while until Anandra saw an opportunity to escape while their captor’s guard was lowered.
After that, Greer and Raya were moved to the honeycomb.Anandra joined them when he was re-captured a few days ago.
