Kira
Helenadroppedthehandshe’d been leaning her cheek on to look at Kira with a hard expression.“That section of the galaxy is ruled by humans, isn’t it?Funny how the culprits ran straight to a section of space you’re familiar with.”
Kira’s face was blank as she met Helena’s stare.“I’m not sure I understand the insinuation.”
Helena bared her teeth.“Let me be more direct.I find it suspicious that these infiltrators fled to the same place where Graydon discovered you.”
“Hardly,” Jin quipped with an insulting roll of his eyes.“Do you have any idea how big that sector of space is?There are hundreds of star systems to get lost in.I doubt even the Consortium knows how many there are.”
Kira appreciated what Jin was trying to do, but she had her own bone to pick.
“WhatIfind interesting is how every other infiltrator died from poison except those who invaded your house.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”Helena demanded.
“Awful convenient, isn’t it?Almost makes one wonder if they were actually traitors at all.”
Helena’s sharp indrawn breath told Kira she’d scored a point.
“You dare!”Helena hissed.
“There’s a lot I’ll dare when someone accuses me of something I didn’t do,” Kira snarled, not holding back her rage.“Beyond the fact that it’s asinine to think I had something to do with this just because I grew up in Consortium territory, it makes no sense.There are only two places the infiltrators could have sought refuge.Haldeel or Consortium territory.They wouldn’t have stuck around Tuann space for the simple fact that you’d hunt them down too quickly.A human would never go unnoticed.The Haldeel are almost as strict with their borders as you.Not to mention the iron clad treaty between your two peoples.That leaves only one place in civilized space.”
“The Consortium,” Jin interjected.
“The Consortium,” Kira agreed.“Something that they’re familiar with.You may not know this because you know almost nothing about humans but that sector of space where Luatha lost their trail is considered something of a no man’s land.”
Truthfully only outlaws, salvagers, and those who lived on the edge of society made their homes there.There were a few space stations and mining colonies that made it worthwhile for the Consortium to claim jurisdiction, but that was it.
It was basically the wild, wild west.A place where only the desperate or the unfortunate ended up.That’s part of why Kira had chosen it as her new stomping grounds upon her departure from the military.The fact that it was also the site of one of the largest battles of the war, with a wealth of access to Tsavitee star maps, was a bonus.
“Graydon, you have the most experience with the area in question.What’s your assessment?”Torvald asked.
“Roake’s Heir is correct.That section of space is notoriously lawless with little oversight.”
“Big surprise there—he sided with her.You’d think he was her Face instead of the emperor’s,” someone whispered to the person beside them.
Stiffening, Kira scanned the Tuann along the wall, her gaze stopping on a Tuann wearing a type of armor she wasn’t familiar with.Not synth armor.It was too clunky and ostentatious, adding unnecessary bulk to the Tuann’s frame.
Not a member of a Major House then.
The Tuann avoided Kira’s stare, suddenly finding something on the floor unusually intriguing.
She couldn’t tell if he was brave or dumb.
A second later, she realized it was neither but rather a third option as he snuck a peek at Danai’s Overlord.Whatever he saw there gave him the confidence to straighten his back and meet Kira’s stare with an antagonistic tilt to his chin.
His bravado didn’t last long as an invisible force clamped down on the room.
Kira’s knees buckled as she fought to remain upright.Others weren’t as lucky.More than one Tuann ended up on their knees—including the man who’d spoken.
“What was that?”Torvald asked into the deafening silence.“Come, come, don’t be shy.You were so vocal a second ago.”
By now, the Tuann man had his forehead pressed into the ground.His arms trembled from the effort of supporting his weight.
“Still nothing to say?I’m surprised.From the way you spoke, I thought we were friends or colleagues or something.”Torvald glanced at Danai’s Overlord.“How about you?Any concerns you want to share?”
“No,” Elias said in a subdued tone that showed he was feeling the strain from Torvald’s crushing power.
