“What do you mean no control?” His mother’s brows drew together.
“The ships are not responding to any of their inputs,” Nav’ud explained and then opened his mouth as if to add more, but closed it.
“What else, Commander?” she asked.
“There appears to be no change to the Osiris’ shields even after our barrage,” Nav’ud answered.
Her face went completely blank. Khoth’s heart clenched. She knew that the assault had utterly failed. What would she do? Contact Jace surely and--
“Have the Ashaton target Sunrise,” his mother said.
Nav’ud’s brows drew together for half a second, which in Thaf’ell time was an eternity. “Is not Sunrise a civilian--”
“Are you questioning me, Commander?” His mother’s voice was calm, but the words were like ice chips.
Nav’ud straightened. “No, High Councillor!” He turned towards an officer off-screen. “Defender Vinet, target the town of Sunrise.” He looked at Khoth’s mother. “Use…”
“We’re going to turn it into a crater if they do not comply,” his mother said.
Khoth’s shoulders slumped. His mother did not bluff. He knew she was not bluffing now. She would be as awful at poker as he was in Thammah’s opinion. She meant what she said. He could barely look at Jace. But the young man appeared unsurprised.
“Ah, looks like she’s hailing us,” Jace said as he dragged a fry through the ketchup.
The hologram of his mother now showed a bunch of curved lines in the top right corner, which must have meant to Jace that she was hailing the Osiris. Jace did not immediately answer, but let the hail continue.
“You have grease on your chin, Jace. Mustn’t let the Alliance see you with food on your face.” Gehenna reached over and dabbed him clean with a napkin like a fond parent.
“Right, right.” Jace ran his tongue over the fronts of his teeth. “Any food stuck there, Khoth?”
“No, you look… quite like a Pilot.” Khoth awkwardly found himself staring at Jace’s mouth.
He dragged his eyes away and stared down at his own plate. He was so ashamed of all of this. How could Jace ever look upon him again with any respect let alone affection? His mother had tarnished the Voor honor forever. To suggest killing innocents…
His mother’s expression was getting grimmer and grimmer as Finally, Jace answered the hail as he sipped his Coke.
“Hello, High Councillor Voor!” Jace almost sounded cheery, though there was a touch of arctic cold in his eyes. “How pleasant for you to call! What can I do for you?”
“Jace,” she said with a small smile that hid what must have been confusion, “you must turn over the Osiris to my control--”
“Or?” Jace made a motion with his right hand as he took another sip of his drink with his left.
She stared at him for long silent moments. “Or… the Ashaton will be forced to destroy Sunrise.”
“You mean what’s left of Sunrise after the Khul attack here yesterday,” Jace corrected her. “Though there are plenty of innocent people left down there. Children and the elderly. Pregnant women and doting fathers. Sons and brothers. Daughters and sisters. Grandchildren and grandparents. People who can do nothing to defend themselves from you. Isn’t that right?”
With every word, Jace’s voice grew colder and colder. His mother’s expression grew quite blank. Nav’ud’s gaze did not leave Jace’s. There was something in it though that showed horror.
“You can do something about it, Jace,” his mother said. “Just give me the Osiris and join our cause and--”
“Leave Earth and its people defenseless for the next time the Khul appear. Which they will. And likely soon, since your son and I destroyed a Hive,” Jace said.
She regarded him again blankly.
“I want things to be crystal clear here for everyone to understand,” Jace said and gestured broadly. “Yesterday, Earth was attacked by the Khul. This invasion was stopped by myself, your son, Flight Commander Pyrrhus, Gehenna, the Osiris, and members of the United States military. The Khul wanted the same thing that you want: the Osiris. The Khul and you want to take the Osiris by force.”
Her eyes blazed and her chin lifted. “We are nothing like the Khul--”
“No, you aren’t, because the Khul didn’t lie to me and humanity about coming for a meeting to negotiate terms regarding the Osiris and myself helping you in the war against the Khul,” Jace agreed. “Which I suppose makes the Khul more honorable than you in this regard.”
