by T. A. White
She shifted her grip on the boy, bringing him closer and wrapping her legs around him. The pipe creaked above her, giving a small bit.
The boy bobbed, his shirt tearing slightly. Only her legs and luck kept him from falling.
Kira's pulse pounded, adrenaline flooding her system. It had been a long time since she felt like this. Like she was balancing on a precarious wire and the one thing keeping her from falling was her peculiar set of skills and dumb luck.
The boy clutched at her thigh but otherwise didn't make a sound. He didn't move. For someone so young, he was incredibly poised.
Shouts and the sound of people running came from above. Kira craned her neck as the girl was jerked away from the edge and several men peered over it.
Relief leaped in her as the pipe in her hand bent a little more.
"Down here," she called.
The men rearranged themselves, two disappearing as the other wormed his way over the edge. Kira caught a glimpse of movement and then hands as the other men lowered their friend.
She was afraid to move as he shifted closer, reaching his hand out to the boy she still clasped between her legs.
The pipe bent a little further.
"Give me your hand," Kira told the boy. "Reach up and back."
He did as she instructed. She strained as she reached for him, her fingers barely touching his. She yanked him up, letting go and catching him before he could fall.
The man above them shouted in the same strange language the boy had used on the craft, the urgency and fear in it unmistakable.
Kira took a breath, the boy's hand secure in hers.
"I'm going to toss you up to him," she told him.
He nodded once, the only sign of his terror his rapid gasps and wide eyes.
She craned her head to see the man. "Ready?"
He stared at her, his gaze narrowed and searching, before he grunted. Kira would take that as a yes.
This would need to be quick. The pipe was seconds and one forceful movement from snapping.
She closed her eyes and breathed out. Now.
Her grip changed as she jackknifed, using every ounce of strength and leverage to swing the boy up to his companion.
The pipe snapped as she completed the swing and let go of the boy. She dropped. The man grabbed the boy, his gaze going from his to hers as she fell.
Well. At least she'd managed to save the boy.
"You selfish, insufferable woman. I can’t believe you," Jin snarled.
Kira didn't answer as gravity pulled her down.
"I'm right under you. Brace and don't screw this up," Jin called.
Kira steadied herself as best she could, keeping her body loose.
Jin zipped past and into her hood, the material wrapping around him as he slowed her descent, the pull of the material against her neck and shoulders nearly strangling her.
Somehow the hoodie held as Kira thrashed to find a more comfortable position, one that didn’t leave her feeling like she was about to die of asphyxiation.
She didn't get a chance to protest as they started to ascend back toward the platform she’d fallen from, Jin muttering deprecations against her intelligence the entire time.
"Why didn't you tell me how much danger you were in?"
"You had more important things to worry about."
They cleared the edge of the platform. Jin set her down on it, shooting out from her hood to turn a baleful eye on her.
She ignored him, grabbing her hood and pulling it up over her hair. The precaution was probably pointless, but the comforting action helped to quell some of the remaining adrenaline turning her system into a cocktail of chemicals.
Kira ignored Jin’s snarl as she took in the rest of those on the platform. Several people had gathered in a circle around the two children, talking furiously. It sounded like they were in the midst of an argument, but she wasn’t sure. They broke off mid-sentence at her arrival, their expressions shocked.
Under the hood, her lips quirked. Somehow, surprising people never got old.
Jin rose to hover near her shoulder as the men assembled themselves protectively in front of the children, facing her with granite-hard expressions.
One of the men barked a command in his language, his tone strident. It was clear he expected compliance.
"You know what he's saying?" Kira asked Jin softly, not taking her attention from the men. The air crackled with danger, the tension thick and cloying.
Three more people ran onto the platform to join the handful who were already there.
"No, but that's synth armor they're wearing."
Jin didn't have to warn her to proceed with caution. There was only one race known for using that type of armor. It had a distinctive appearance and chemical makeup—not the type of thing Jin was likely to mistake.
Tiny ridges ran along the different interlinking plates. The armor molded over their powerful physiques, making their already muscular bodies even more intimidating. They practically screamed threat.
This version was a subdued copper with some type of symbol stamped on the front.
"They're wizards?" she asked, feeling a small curiosity despite the dangerous turn the situation had taken.
"Wizard is the derogatory term," Jin lectured. "They prefer to be called Tuann."
She'd never seen a wizard in person. Few people had.
They were a reclusive bunch and tended to keep to their corner of the galaxy, rarely leaving their territories. Most called them wizards due to persistent rumors comparing them to the myth of old. They were said to be capable of mysterious magic, possessing abilities that defied explanation. Kira didn’t know how much she believed in the rumors and thought it was more likely their technology was simply more advanced than humanity’s, giving the appearance of magic.
Whether they were capable of magic or not, didn’t matter at the moment. Just the fact they were standing on this station meant they were probably on some type of diplomatic mission. Hurting them would be unwise and make staying unnoticed impossible.
"How long until station security gets here?" Kira murmured.
"Minutes."
She sighed. That wasn't good either. She'd prefer to be long gone before they arrived.
A torrent of words came from the man.
She made a tsking sound, irritation getting to her. "You'd think he'd realize I don't speak their language by now."
"They are acting strangely, considering you saved the children," Jin agreed, sounding distracted.
"They’re asking what House you serve," a youthful voice sounded nearby. The boy shrugged off his protector when the man tried to hush him, his gaze resolutely glued to Kira.
Kira was silent as she studied him. Now they were getting somewhere.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she finally said.
"We want your affiliation, aza." This came from the first man who’d spoken.
Ah. He probably wanted to confirm she wasn’t a threat to the children.
"No affiliation. I'm a salvager," Kira said.
She recognized him. He was the one who'd leaned over the platform to rescue the boy. Despite the fact he was the one acting as the group's voice, she doubted he was in charge.
No, that was the man standing next to the boy, his clear gaze on hers. He was older and more experienced than the rest, although Kira couldn't pinpoint what about him made her think that.
All of the people before her appeared around the same age. They were similar looking, taller than the average human, with the same white blondish hair of the boy and girl. The one with dark hair was the man in charge.
Their features were fierce but beautiful, each a work of art in their own way. They were heavily muscled and tall, more so than most humans.
These were warriors of some kind. Guards, Kira thought. Of the little boy and girl? What sort of children required an escort of eight?
The speaker glanced at the one in charge. They exchanged a weighted look.
Kira waited. The men stood between her and her way off this platform. While she didn't think they really meant her any harm, it paid to be careful in her line of work. That same mentality bled into the rest of her life as well.
A gust of wind from a passing craft yanked her hood off. She grimaced but didn't fuss with it, her entire focus locked on the children and their guards.
The speaker stepped up. "It seems we must thank you for the safety of the children."
Kira didn't respond. She didn't need or want thanks. She'd only done what was necessary.
He held his hand out, his expression thawing, so he seemed almost bashfully friendly. "We're sorry for our suspicion. It is a job hazard as humans would say."
Kira could understand that. She faced similar reactions herself, sometimes acting before her brain had caught up with her body, even so many years after the life that had built the muscle memory.
She raised her hand to shake his.
His gaze dropped, the smile on his face freezing. He grabbed her arm and yanked.
She reacted without thought, turning her shoulder into him and kicking out with one leg as she grabbed his shouldar and jerked him to her. She used her hip as leverage to throw him as she twisted her hand out of his grasp.
He stumbled forward with a sharp cry.
"Kira!" Jin warned.
Kira grunted, grabbing the collar of the man's armor before he could pitch over the edge.
The guards who had started rushing her slid to a sharp stop at a shout from their leader.
Kira didn't take her eyes off them as she kept the other man suspended in the air, only his feet touching the platform and her grip keeping him from plunging over the edge.
The moment stretched out as Kira considered the warriors in front of her. They waited, their gazes going from her to their comrade. They seemed torn, wanting to hurt her but also not wanting her to drop their ally.
Every one of them had their hand at their hip and seemed poised to attack. Her eyes narrowed. The station didn't allow projectile weapons on it, but she was willing to bet they had some type of blade style weapon hidden in their armor.
Of course, they did. They wouldn't be very good guards if they couldn't protect their charges.
Another craft raced past them, the force of its passage stirring the air. Kira didn't flinch, her gaze locked on her enemy.
This was quite the stalemate she'd landed in. She couldn't let her attacker fall, else his companions would be on her before she'd taken two steps. She couldn't pull him from the edge either for the same reason.
What to do?
This right here, was why she never liked coming to O'Riley Station. It was always something.
There was a clamor as men and women wearing the distinctive uniforms of station security—blue and black, with their ranks emblazoned on their sleeves in gold—assembled along the platform, laser rifles pointed at all those present.
"Now they show up," Jin muttered, echoing Kira's thoughts.
"Can we go over the edge?"
"No, my reserves are too low after saving you."
She gave him a sidelong look.
"I didn't say you were heavy," he defended.
No, he'd just insinuated it.
A man in the station's uniform stepped forward, shadowed by his aide, a woman who looked calm and efficient. Recognition flashed across his face at the sight of Kira.
"Captain Forrest, it's been a long time," he said.
CHAPTER THREE
Kira remained motionless as she studied the people in front of her, the rest of the station noise fading into the background. A hand grasped her sleeve and pulled it slowly up. She gave the man she held a no-nonsense stare as he pushed the sleeve up even further to peer at her forearm.
Brave move from someone whose life she quite literally held in her hands.
Then again, maybe he had a reason for his bravery. Kira might have figured out a way to escape his people, but station security? Unlikely. Not when they controlled every feed on the station. There must be hundreds of cameras between her and her ship. Making it back undetected was impossible.
Kira sighed. She yanked the speaker up, dumping him on the ground at her feet. She might as well save her strength, none of them were going anywhere now.
"Spitzy, I'd kind of hoped to never see you again," she said.
His smile was brief and failed to reach his eyes. "I'm sure you did."
He didn't wait for her to respond, his attention shifting to the others. "Commander Liont, what seems to be the problem here?"
The man Kira had pegged as their leader glanced at Spitzy, his face an expressionless mask.
Spitzy waited a long moment. When no answer was forthcoming, he sighed. "Alright, how about all of you accompany us while we get this sorted out?"
It was not a request.
Liont made a sharp gesture at his men. Their tense postures relaxed as they straightened, the threat they'd presented downgrading from serious to simply alert. They stood down as station security assumed command.
Spitzy lifted his eyebrows at Kira. "You too, Captain."
She had no choice but to comply. Those laser rifles might not puncture the space station's metal hull, but they would do considerable damage to living flesh.
"In and out, my ass," she told Jin as she sidestepped the man she'd dumped at her feet and moved toward Spitzy.
"This isn't my fault. No one told you to perform feats of heroism. You did that all on your own," Jin griped as he trailed her.
Spitzy pulled out a pair of laser cuffs and held them up.
"You're kidding, right?" Kira asked.
His smile was gloating. "Nope."
The woman behind him looked discomforted at the sight of the cuffs, giving Kira an apologetic frown. She was young, younger than Spitzy and had the fresh polish of someone who wasn't more than a few years out of the academy. Her uniform was perfectly pressed with her hair pulled away from her face. She was the poster child for the space force's regulation on personal appearance. Seeing a commander being so petty must have sat ill if her expression was anything to judge by.
"Someone's on a power trip," Jin muttered.
He had that right.
"It's for the safety of my men," Spitzy said, not looking the least bit chagrined at the judgment. No, he was enjoying this—immensely. "You do have a history of violence."
Kira narrowed her eyes and held in what she wanted to say. It would make her situation worse.
The woman came near, saying softly, "Everyone will wear them."
Kira looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, Spitzy's men were putting similar cuffs on the wizards.
"The children too, Spitzy? Really?" Kira shook her head at him in mock disappointment.
His smile disappeared to be replaced by a clenched jaw. "They're wizards. Every one of them is dangerous."
And there was the Spitzy she remembered—the xenophobic asshole convinced anything not human was to be treated with extreme caution and fear.
"I'm sure their people will remember this," Kira said.
Given the dark look on the faces of the children's guards, she had no doubt of that fact. They’d submitted, but the moment Spitzy's men approached the children, every single one of them went on the alert. They looked seconds from violence, especially when the girl started crying again.
"What do you care?" Spitzy said, his words nearly a snarl. "You left, remember?"
Kira gritted her teeth but didn't respond, holding the other man's gaze while burying the sting from his barb.
"She's right," the woman said to him. "Surely restraining the children is unnecessary. Diplomatically speaking, it would be best to treat them as we would any human child."
Spitzy's face darkened at the unvoiced rebuke in her words. Kira was impressed despite herself. Telling your superior he was wrong without actually saying it took skill and guts.
She was either very stupid or had a conscience. The two weren't mutually exclusive. Thoug
h they were a rare combination in the military.
"Fine," Spitzy bit out.
The woman released her breath and made a gesture at the man currently trying to coax the little girl to don the cuffs. He retreated with a look of relief. He hadn't been any happier to obey his orders than the woman.
Kira shook her head but held her hands out, letting Spitzy place the cuffs on her.
"Have J1N power off," he said, stepping back as one of his people took her elbow.
Kira didn't move. "You know I'm not going to do that."
"The unit can either power down voluntarily, or one of my men will shoot J1N with an EMP net," he said with a shark's smile.
Kira didn't move, staring him down. Temptation coursed through her.
"It's fine, Kira," Jin said. "Just get this cleared up so we can be on our way."
Jin floated to the ground, his lights darkening one by one, as he powered himself off. Her friend disappeared, leaving nothing but a hunk of metal in his place.
A woman pointed a device at Jin and nodded. "The drone is off."
"Good," Spitzy said as she picked him up.
"Ensign Waverly, please escort our guests to the containment room."
His aide gave a sharp nod before barking several orders.
"It's good to know you haven't changed a bit in all these years," Kira said sweetly. Her dark smile was anything but nice as she was led off.
*
The need for patience had been beaten into Kira at a young age. It was why she didn't particularly mind sitting in a small room on a metal chair, her friend a blind, silent presence on a table behind her.
To the casual observer, she would look like she was sleeping–body slumped, her chin on her arm, her other hand a few inches from the clear forcefield bisecting the room and separating the wizards from her. They'd miss her alert gaze, her eyes hidden by her hood which allowed her to study the people responsible for this whole mess without being seen.
The wizards’ leader stared at her from his side of the table, an intent look on his face as if he were trying to figure her out.
What could be seen of her face remained still, even as amusement filtered through her.