His father nodded. “For sure.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you try to land us in the Osiris’ hangar bay,” Jace told him.
“Not worried. Going into space is deadly business though it doesn’t seem that way with you. Blowing yourself out of a Hive? Using your jets to maneuver to a craft? That’s insane, Jace,” his father said with a shake of his head.
Jace had told him about what had happened in the Hive as they had lifted off and passed by the Thaf’ell fleet.
Speaking of those…
Jace brought up a screen to show him if any ship was following them from the fleet. There was one. He grimaced.
What do they think? I’m going to fly away without the Osiris and Khoth? Not happening!
They were likely there in case there was an accident. He was the Pilot, after all. This should have made him happier, or perhaps less annoyed would have been a better description, but it grated. He wanted this time with his father. Just the two of them. He could have had the Osiris cause the ship to return to the fleet, but he resisted the urge.
They will not be harmed, the Osiris murmured speculatively. You do not need them for assistance. I am here.
Yeah, but I couldn’t reach you for a while in the Hive, Jace pointed out.
That was different.
It was amazing to him how the Osiris could be so precise and then be so incredibly vague. Why he couldn’t reach it, if that was intentional, or if, in fact, they had been blocked by Khul technology still wasn’t clear to Jace. He faintly remembered the pain he’d felt when he entered the Khul needle ship. A slight shiver went through him.
That is damage caused by you being taken from me, the Osiris muttered. It will heal in time.
Taken from you… oh, you mean when I was a baby and you tried to cut my mom open? Jace asked dryly.
The Osiris was silent.
Jace looked once more at the Paladin-class ship that was keeping its distance. He wished Khoth were in it, but he knew he was not even before–like Gehenna–the Osiris sent him the name, rank, medical and military history of the pilot.
Commander Khoth Voor is with High Councillor Nova Voor in her quarters on the Ashaton, the Osiris informed him. There was a pause and then it asked, Do you wish to see and hear them?
Jace blinked. Hear and–how?
I have access to all vessels, the Osiris almost sounded peevish that Jace hadn’t known that.
Oh, so you can eavesdrop on everyone, can you?
I monitor all communications, yes, the Osiris rephrased to make it sound less like spying. You may wish to review this conversation between them–
No.
Why not? It concerns you, the Osiris stated. You should be aware of what the opposing faction is doing.
Khoth is not an opposing faction, Jace said with surprising certainty.
He’d only met the Thaf’ell Commander that day, but Khoth had consistently done what was right and honorable towards him. He trusted the Thaf’ell with his life.
But High Councillor Nova Voor is, the Osiris stated almost softly.
Jace felt a spike of apprehension. Nova was Khoth’s mom, not to mention his superior. More than just a superior but the superior of all of the Alliance. She could put a lot of pressure on Khoth. But that pressure had been there when Khoth had chosen to save him rather than try to put another Pilot–a person loyal to the Alliance–in his place. That would have earned Khoth accolades galore. Breaking the rules to end his sister’s suffering would have been completely forgotten if he’d done that. But Khoth had chosen to save Jace.
I have faith in Khoth, Jace said firmly.
But if you know what is being said–
It would be a breach of his trust and privacy, Osiris, Jace interrupted. He’ll tell me if I need to know.
