by T. A. White
These men weren't your average guards. They were soldiers. She'd bet her life on it. She recognized the type from her own years in service to the human space force during the war with the Tsavitee.
They were a unit, anticipating orders not yet voiced. They moved like a well-oiled machine, indicating a long history with one another. She wondered what they were doing posing as guards for children.
Not that it really mattered. Not anymore. She'd left that part of her life far behind her, and she didn't intend to pick it up again.
The door to the room slammed open, drawing the attention of everyone except the leader whose gaze never lifted from hers.
Hm. So they didn't see Spitzy or any of his men as a true threat.
It was understandable, really. While Kira had spent several minutes being patted down, every item on her person confiscated for fear she might use them for some unknown purpose, the station's security had barely touched the wizards, giving them a cursory examination, which failed to uncover the blades Kira was sure were stored in their armor. She suspected they weren't the only weapons these men had.
She had to wonder how many other things security had missed.
Spitzy sauntered toward Kira, his heavy steps making him easy to track despite the fact she couldn't see him with her hood limiting her peripheral vision.
"I want to know what you were doing on that craft."
Kira held her silence.
The man in front of her finally looked away, staring at Spitzy with a glimmer of curiosity. So, the forcefield didn't block sound. That or the man could read lips. Which meant he probably understood at least a little of human standard.
Good to know.
Spitzy nudged her shoulder. "Do you hear me?"
The wizard’s leader frowned, the look in his eyes turning turbulent.
"You have the station's feeds," Kira said blandly. "Watch them. They'll tell you everything you need to know."
Spitzy was silent a moment, his anger sizzling through the air. "I could do that, but why waste my time?"
Kira's sigh was weary. She longed for the quiet peace of her ship. Dealing with hardheaded idiots had never been her idea of fun. Less so, since she'd spent the past few years around a very small number of people besides Jin. She could count on one hand the number of conversations she'd had outside the Wanderer.
"We both know you don't have anything to hold me on."
He snorted. "Who's to say. Maybe the feeds all went haywire during the time in question."
The wizard’s forehead wrinkled, a frown crossing his face as thunder gathered in his eyes. The expressions on the rest turned slightly disgusted.
Kira almost felt sorry for Spitzy. If he wasn't on such a power trip, she might be tempted to clue him into the fact he was dangerously close to creating an intergalactic diplomatic incident his superiors wouldn't thank him for. If he continued in this vein, he'd be lucky getting a job as a convoy escort.
The faint sound of running came from outside, then the door slammed open letting in a babble of voices. For a brief second, a tall man with dark hair stood silhouetted in its frame, Spitzy's aide behind him, an expression of relief on her face.
Spitzy snapped to attention. "Sir, what are you doing here?"
The man's gaze had been locked on Kira's bent head, but at that, his focus shifted to Spitzy. There was fire in his eyes as he said in a tight voice, "Commander Spatz, I assume you received the memo passed to every person on this station dictating any incidents involving the Tuann were to be forwarded to my team."
Spitzy didn't move, his expression chilling. "I did."
"Then, is there a reason several of their delegation are sitting in a detention room? Furthermore, why have they been separated from the two children under their care?" The man's voice was excruciatingly polite as he verbally dressed down Spitzy.
Kira couldn't help the smallest bit of amusement.
"Sir, I have a duty to protect those on this station. I felt it best to investigate the incident to ascertain there was no further threat," Spitzy said stiffly.
"And did you bother to review the feeds of what happened?" the man asked, sounding annoyingly reasonable despite the bite in his tone.
Spitzy held quiet, not knowing which answer would damn him more.
"If you had, you would have already cleared everyone of any charges," the man said through clenched teeth.
"Sir," Spitzy started.
"Dismissed."
Spitzy didn't move.
"Was I not clear?" the man said, a snap in his voice. "Dismissed."
"This is my case," Spitzy started.
"Out," the man roared.
Spitzy held in what he had been about to say, giving Kira a fulminating glare before exiting the room.
The door slid shut behind him.
Kira remained still for a moment, studying the newcomer as he did the same to her. She sighed. She'd hoped to avoid this, but it seemed wishes and hopes were not to be. She slowly sat back, pushing her hood away from her face before bracing one elbow on the chair as she made herself comfortable, her body relaxed and pliant as she sprawled in the chair.
"It's true," the man said, his gaze roving over her face.
"It's been a long time, Jace," she said with a smile that was closer to a grimace.
Jace was quiet, his expression blank, his thoughts hidden.
"I see you've been promoted," she said, noting the rear admiral bars on his shoulder and chest. He'd been a captain the last time they'd seen each other
He didn't respond for so long that Kira shifted uncomfortably. He touched his hand to the force field. It turned opaque, shielding them from the Tuann’s prying gazes.
Kira tapped it. No response.
She assumed the change would block auditory as well as visual. Stupid of Spitzy not to have activated it as soon as he entered.
"That's all you have to say to me after all this time?" he asked in a carefully controlled voice.
Kira held silent, not knowing what response would be best.
“Twelve years and six months since you disappeared on me," he continued. “Not one word to let me know you were alive and not one of the countless casualties from the Falling.”
Kira swallowed the lump in her throat, struggling to keep her eyes on his, guilt and regret making her want to slink away.
The Jace she remembered hadn't been capable of such restraint. He would have raged and thrown things, his temper a seething tempest before it inevitably blew itself out.
This man was different. But twelve years had a way of changing people.
"The war has been over for nine years. Where have you been all this time?"
She shrugged. "Here and there."
He nodded, the slight ticking at his jaw revealing his emotions.
He touched the force field again, turning it clear. "O'Riley Station thanks you for your quick and decisive actions. Your intervention undoubtedly saved the lives of those children and countless others."
The words were said by rote, as if part of a formal statement he'd memorized.
He stepped aside and gestured at the door. "We apologize for any inconvenience this experience has caused you."
Kira was slow in lifting herself out of her seat. That was it? She'd expected more.
The Tuann leader straightened, confusion on his and his people’s faces.
Kira didn't look back as she made her way to the door.
"Kira."
She paused and turned her head toward him.
He jerked his chin at Jin lying inert on the table. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Right.
"Come on, Jin."
Jin booted up and lifted from the table, showing no signs of being the worse for wear from being in a device designed to make it impossible for him to power himself on.
Jace didn't seem particularly surprised at the feat. But then again, he wouldn't be, given his history with the two of them.
Kira walked to the door and w
aited for Jace to open it. There was a long pause where she thought he'd changed his mind about letting them go.
"Don't even think of leaving the station," he said as the door slid open.
Whatever response she'd planned was forestalled as she found her way blocked by a mountain. Her words died in her throat as her head tilted, surprise preventing her from retreating from the dangerous creature in front of her.
A pair of irritated, stormy gray eyes stared at her from a face chiseled from granite. A thin slash of a mouth was the one hint of displeasure in the man's expression.
His dark hair hung loose, complementing his stubborn jaw and the sharp angles of his features. He had an athletic body, long, but built like a tank from what she could see in his synth armor.
His and Kira's gazes locked. She caught her breath at the raw charisma oozing out of every pore. This was a man used to giving orders and having them obeyed. He was a force of nature given form, implacable and demanding.
He had the same ageless quality as the guard's captain, but in him, it was magnified. He was power and fury, an oppressive weight lingering in his gaze as he frowned down at Kira.
She remained motionless, tempted to back down and clear the way for him. She resisted, something inside refusing to bow.
She waited, her expression unyielding as he lingered in the doorway. She wasn't going to be the first to move.
Finally, something in him relented, and he stepped aside.
She stepped out, brushing past him, her senses heightened like she'd danced along death's dagger and barely escaped with her life.
She almost froze again at the sight of five more like him crowding the hallway. Only Jace calling out to the stranger made her come unstuck.
She marched toward the desk and Ensign Waverly.
"I suppose I have you to thank for the timely interruption," Kira said mildly.
The woman's startle was barely perceptible. "I did as was required by my standing orders."
Kira's lips quirked. "Thank you, nonetheless."
Waverly's chin dipped. "You're welcome, Captain."
*
Graydon watched the woman stalk away. He glanced at one of his men. "Follow her."
Baran nodded and stepped away from the wall, Amila following, as they trailed the strange woman.
The rest of his warriors watched him with curiosity, their eyes alive with questions they wouldn't ask in the presence of these humans.
Graydon stepped into the small interrogation room. He grimaced at the space, instantly feeling a sense of claustrophobia. He didn't know how humans could stand such small spaces. It made him feel like he was in a metal box in danger of crushing him.
He put the strange woman and her fierce expression out of his mind. Not an easy task. Something about her warned him she would one day be important to him. At home, you could sometimes feel the coming of a storm when there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He got the same feeling when he looked at her.
Sometimes storms revealed hidden treasures, wiping away the old rot and replacing it with something stronger. Other times they washed everything away, leaving nothing in their wake but devastation.
He couldn't guess which type of storm this woman would bring, but he'd learned to trust his senses. If they indicated she was important, he'd listen.
Not many challenged him so blatantly. Odd to find someone capable of the feat here among the frustrating humans.
He scowled as irritation bit at him for the reminder. He clasped his hands behind him, well aware of how intimidating he would seem to the human and the other Tuann.
"Lord Graydon, I apologize for having to call you in for this matter," the human said, his voice scrupulously polite.
"Why have you?"
Graydon was a busy man. He didn't enjoy having his time wasted on petty matters.
The human grimaced. "I think it's better if I show you."
Graydon said nothing as the human bent to fuss with a device.
He glanced at the other Tuann, his expression severe. A few lowered their chins in unvoiced apology.
Why would they call attention to themselves in this way? While they weren't under his command, Liont had impressed him with his level-headedness, a necessary trait given what he and his people had recently faced.
A holovid started on one of the screens embedded into the walls of the small room. At first, Graydon didn’t know what he was supposed to be looking at. The video stream was of the beehive, the small boats moving from terrace to terrace.
Suddenly, there was an explosion on one of those sailboats, parts of it catching on fire as it began to lose altitude.
Graydon glanced at the others again.
They shifted. All of them were disciplined, showing few emotions, but Graydon caught the smallest slump of their shoulders indicating shame.
On the screen, the woman with the intense stare appeared. She bounded off her terrace and onto the sailboat. She disappeared into the cabin only to reappear seconds later carrying Ziva, Joule trailing her.
Graydon focused on Liont. "Explain."
The human paused the holovid.
"Ziva wanted to ride on the slow boat," Liont started. "Joule humored her."
Graydon reached for patience, knowing the other man wouldn't have started here if it wasn't important.
"Several of us stayed behind to haggle with the human owner of the slow boat." Liont spoke in human standard for the human's benefit. "Other humans began to act aggressively toward us. We were trying to calm them while Vera accompanied the children onto the slow boat. It exploded minutes later."
Grief touched Liont's face. Vera hadn't made it off.
Graydon bowed his head as a sign of sympathy. Liont and the rest had lost much recently. Any death hurt, but this one would burn given what they'd survived.
"Was it a distraction?" Graydon asked, switching to Tuann.
Liont hesitated. "It is hard to say. You know how these humans are."
Graydon's lips tightened. Yes, he did. They were a brash race intent on challenging those stronger than themselves. It made them difficult to deal with at times. They charged when they should run, and ran when they needed to hold their ground.
The human's expression turned thoughtful. "I'll have my people round up those who interfered with your duties. It's probably nothing, but there has been some anti-Tuann sentiment lately."
Graydon's stare was contemplative as he studied the human. The man was more observant than most of his kind to have picked up on the nuances of Liont's story so easily.
"What is your name?" Graydon asked.
Surprise appeared on the man's face. "Jace. Rear Admiral Jace Skarsdale."
Graydon inclined his head. He'd remember that name.
The holovid began playing again, showing the woman kneeling at the boat's railing, her dropping Ziva over the side, then her grabbing up Joule and sprinting for the other side of the boat before jumping.
Graydon watched the holovid all the way up to the arrest of all those on the platform.
Skarsdale stopped the recording and faced Graydon. "As you can see, the woman acted in good faith. If she hadn't intervened, the two children would have likely died."
Graydon's jaw was clenched tight.
"She is marked," Fari said into the silence.
Graydon regarded him, his bland expression not revealing any of his thoughts as he waited for Liont's second to continue. The man was young, but he showed the potential to be a great warrior one day.
"I saw the glyph on her wrist. She must have thought I was attacking her when I tried to get a closer look." Shame reflected in Fari's eyes. "It wasn't my intent to cause her alarm."
"What House?" Graydon asked.
"Luatha," Fari said.
Graydon and Liont shared a long look.
"Strange Luatha would show up here after the attack on your House," Graydon said.
Liont's House, Maxiim, had been attacked by an unknown enemy, the majority of it destroyed. Only a
few had survived, including Liont and his men. Joule and Ziva were the sole young left alive, the future of their House if Joule could reach his potential in time.
That someone bearing Luatha's mark appeared, as they stopped in to replenish supplies on their way through the system, was a coincidence that defied belief.
"I apologize for the arrest of your people, Lord Graydon. As you can see, it was a misunderstanding," Skarsdale was saying.
"Your people have violated the treaty," Graydon said, his words having the effect of a bomb.
Skarsdale's expression froze, his gaze turning cool and analytical as he studied Graydon. "I'm not sure I understand."
"The woman who was in here. Tell me everything you know about her," Graydon said, ignoring his statement.
Skarsdale paused, his gaze intent. "I can’t do that."
"You will or I will have this station destroyed."
Both men knew the Tuann were capable of it.
To his surprise, Skarsdale didn't immediately submit. "As I said, I can't do that. The Consortium has a policy about sharing information about its citizens, especially when they've served in a military capacity."
Stubborn. Just like the rest of his race.
Graydon flicked his fingers at the rest.
Liont and his people stood, stepping through the barrier easily. En-blades appeared in their hands as they arranged themselves protectively around Graydon.
Skarsdale didn't blink, as if the sight of the Tuann stepping through his security barrier wasn't a concern. Graydon began moving to the door. If Skarsdale wouldn’t tell him what he wanted to know, he’d find out the information for himself.
"Lord Graydon, wait."
Skarsdale was interrupted as the door to the interrogation room slid open and humans entered, blades at the ready.
Skarsdale held up a hand, palm facing out. "Don't interfere."
The humans hesitated, backing out slowly, gazes locked on the exposed en-blades.
Skarsdale focused on Graydon. "Why do you want to know about her?"
"She's Tuann," Graydon said, his words short and brusque.
Skarsdale’s expression remained fixed and remote, no sign of any reaction to that statement. Graydon couldn’t help but be impressed at his composure. It was worthy of a Tuann. Perhaps their race wasn't quite so useless after all.