Rules of Redemption

by T. A. White

  Graydon arched an eyebrow at her. "No?"

  Kira lifted her chin, not letting him intimidate her. "That's right. This is between me and him."

  Liara's mouth made a soft O. Even the two guards at her rear seemed impressed at Kira's stubbornness. Both looked away after a second of shock, struggling to contain their amusement at the sight of her standing her ground against a man she was beginning to realize wasn't often challenged.

  Graydon's eyes darkened as he studied her. "You're being ridiculously stubborn."

  "Good. It’s my life to be stubborn with," she said.

  He chuckled. "That statement shows me how little you understand. If you die, he will be the one to face consequences. He's already lost one charge. To lose a second would result in no others accepting him as their oshota. This means he could no longer contribute to the wellbeing of the House."

  And dead weight was the first to be eliminated in times of strife, Kira supplied mentally, seeing where Graydon was going with this.

  He leaned closer, saying for her ears, "Think carefully upon your actions. While his duty is to ensure your wellbeing, you have a responsibility to him as well. It's a two-way street as the humans would say."

  Kira gritted her teeth and glared as he straightened. "Perhaps you should have tried to explain all this last night." She hadn't realized quite how serious Finn being assigned to her was until that moment. "I would never have accepted his protection otherwise."

  "Exactly why I didn't bother explaining."

  She held in her growl at his amusement. This was all fun and games for him, but what was she supposed to do with a man who by all accounts was now her permanent watchdog?

  Roderick chose that moment to approach, distracting them. "The final team has finished their run. You're next."

  "Next for what?" Liara asked.

  Roderick's eyes widened slightly as he finally noticed her standing in the cluster. "Overlord, I didn't expect you today."

  "Obviously," she said, her voice dry. The two guards in attendance twitched slightly, their eyes dancing with a hidden mirth. "What is she next for?"

  "The odiri course," he said diffidently.

  He was trying for humble and conciliatory but not quite succeeding, frustration and arrogance still present in his expression.

  "That’s bold," Liara said, surprise wiping the haughtiness from her face for a second. "Who is she running it with?"

  Roderick's face grew even more remote. "She did not say."

  "She cannot run the course by herself," Liara said. "It's meant to be tackled with a team of at least four."

  "She made it clear she didn't want help," Roderick said stiffly.

  None of those present bothered to correct him; Noor and Isla behind Graydon exchanged disgusted glances while Kira's jaw clenched.

  Roderick hadn't bothered to explain the course was impossible to run solo. Protesting now would make her look even stupider than she already did.

  "She doesn't know better, you do," Liara said, the rebuke fierce.

  Roderick shifted, his expression turning dark.

  "Send the human in with her," Roderick said, flicking a glance at Raider. "They can perhaps educate us in their battle tactics. Many are interested in how they managed to survive the Tsavitee considering their vastly inferior technology." He looked Raider up and down. "And their less than impressive physical abilities."

  Roderick gave the two of them a look filled with arrogant challenge as he waited expectantly. He thought he'd won this round.

  Worse—he was probably right.

  It was a legitimate solution, even if it was intended to put Kira and Raider in a tight spot. There were two of them. With the rest of the Curs scattered around the Citadel, it was likely to remain that way.

  If they wanted another member, they'd have to ask the Tuann. The chances of one agreeing were unlikely given the stiff reserve they'd made obvious since Kira and the Curs arrival.

  Still, if the two of them refused to participate, the Tuann would assume they were weak or afraid. Kira didn't really care what others thought of her and could have twisted that assumption to her benefit, but Raider and the rest would care.

  From the pinched expression on Raider's face, he'd come to the same conclusion she had.

  Roderick waited, knowing they'd have little choice in forfeiting. His mouth pulled up on one side as he anticipated winning this little skirmish.

  "Since they’ll be down two, I will compete as well," Graydon said.

  Roderic looked like he wanted to argue but couldn't think of a polite response.

  "Me too," Liara said.

  Surprised appreciation shot through Kira. Until now, she'd assumed Liara would come down on Roderick's side in this situation. She might regret it, but he was one of her people. It would make sense if she placed her loyalty with him, over a long-lost cousin she'd known less than forty-eight hours.

  "You can't, Overlord," Roderick protested. "You are our shield. If you were to be injured, it would affect our standing."

  Liara’s expression fell, disappointment filling it as she conceded his point.

  "I'll do it," Finn said, his expression stony.

  Roderick grunted in agreement. “Fine, I’ll inform the rest.”

  He stalked off before anyone could speak.

  Kira and the rest followed slowly as Liara escorted them to the beginning of the course, keeping pace easily. "I apologize for my marshal. Our people have always been resistant to change. Please don't judge them too harshly."

  Kira held up a hand. "Don't bother. Just give me an idea of what I'm about to face."

  She didn't care about apologies or justifications. They were already past that. This was the current state of things. She had to concentrate on getting through this next part before bothering with the messy emotional side of things.

  "It's called the odiri pattern. It's meant to test your teamwork."

  Kira let out a soft huff. That wasn't the news she wanted to hear, given one member of their team hated her, another would be focused on trying to protect her, and the last had joined for reasons only he understood.

  Excited chatter from those gathered accompanied them as they approached the entrance to the training field. Kira ignored the onlookers and focused on ferreting out all the information she could before they were thrown into the arena.

  "Avoid getting hit by the drones’ laser fire. Their weapons are meant to simulate actual wounds. It can be quite shocking to the system. Some freeze up as their bodies struggle to reconcile the pain with reality," Liara explained.

  "Good to know," Kira murmured.

  Raider snorted.

  "You get points for every drone you take down and every salvo you successfully repel. Points are deducted for every hit you take. The time until completion also factors into your overall score."

  Kira nodded. Seemed simple enough.

  "Good luck," Liara offered. "If you can, stay behind Graydon and Finn. Both men have run this course before. If you're wounded and can't continue, raise your hand to forfeit."

  Liara stopped at the edge of the fence, her expression grave as Kira moved past her.

  Jin settled right over Kira's shoulder. "I'm going with you."

  "Much as I appreciate that, I want you to stay out here," Kira said. "Keep an eye on things while we're competing."

  He sighed before rising, gaining altitude so he could watch the scene from above.

  Graydon handed her and Raider two wooden swords. "Try not to hit yourselves in the face with these."

  Kira took the sword, aiming a dark glare his way. He chuckled to himself as she tested the swing of it in her hands. It was light and flexible. Not quite as well balanced as her old energy sword, but not bad.

  Raider's expression was dissatisfied as he took his.

  Kira sighed, wishing any of the others were here. Blue, for instance, would have been a good choice. The other woman preferred using her brain and would probably have rigged up some type of trap in
the space of five minutes, incapacitating the drones and allowing them to stroll unmolested to the other side.

  Raider was too much like Kira. He relied on brute strength and speed to dominate the field. She didn't know if either skill would be enough today.

  Finn was an unknown quantity. Her only experience was the brief tussle they had last night. She assumed he had some level of skill given his status as warrior and guard, but how that would mesh with the rest of the team Kira had no clue.

  "Think you can handle this?" Graydon asked Kira with a taunting smirk.

  "We're about to see."

  "If you get too scared, you can always hide behind me." His smirk deepened into a wicked smile and he leaned closer. "Don't worry, I can protect your weak self."

  "I'll keep that in mind," she said dryly.

  She'd do nothing of the sort.

  "Have to make sure you don't damage your frail body," he continued. "You and the human can hang back, let us do the heavy lifting."

  "Ah-ha," Kira said, her voice sounding slightly strangled.

  Raider scoffed next to her. "Is he serious right now?"

  "Hard to tell," Kira responded. She sure hoped not.

  Graydon's chuckle was husky.

  Kira's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what he was doing, throwing down a gauntlet Kira and Raider would have no choice but to pick up. Raider, because of injured pride—Kira so Raider didn't get himself hurt.

  Jace would never forgive her if Raider got himself killed trying to prove a point.

  "Let me get this clear," Raider started. "You think you and the pain in the ass can take on this entire course by yourselves?"

  Graydon's expression turned smug. "I know we can."

  Raider and Kira exchanged a glance.

  "Prove it," Raider challenged.

  "Wait," Kira started. The whole point of the other three's inclusion was so they could work together.

  "Alright, how about a bet?" Graydon asked.

  "No. Don’t do it," Kira tried, already shaking her head.

  "What sort of bet?" Raider asked.

  Kira made a frustrated sound. He was playing right into the Tuann's hands.

  "If either of you make it to the finish line before us, I'll make sure you're not saddled with any more guards besides Finn," Graydon said, capturing Kira's interest. He fixed Raider with a dark look as the playfulness dropped from Graydon's expression. "And I won't mention to our hosts the human ship sitting about five hundred units outside this system."

  Raider's face drained of emotion, leaving only the predator behind. This was the man who had faced the Tsavitee down, never flinching. Death was in his eyes as he watched Graydon.

  Kira tipped her head back and groaned. "I should have known."

  "Shut up, Kira," Raider said.

  "Make me," she snarled.

  Raider didn't move, though he wanted to. She could tell.

  She scrubbed one hand down her face, calling herself an idiot. She should have known Himoto would have something up his sleeve. A ship hidden out of sight would be just like him.

  He was probably waiting for some sort of signal from Jace and the Curs. Not a bad idea, and normally she would have been thrilled at the prospect of possible backup, except the Consortium had agreed not to trespass on Tuann territory unless invited.

  "They're holding just outside our territory," Graydon said pleasantly. "But the Luatha would be very displeased if they discovered your fellow humans knew the location of this planet."

  Translation—if they found out, they'd likely kill the Curs and maybe even Kira, since she had technically agreed to bring them here.

  Her shoulders bowed.

  Graydon stepped forward, bending so only she could hear. "I suggest you make it across the finish line first."

  "You're an asshole," she said without heat.

  He grinned, not taking the insult. "I'm an asshole looking forward to seeing what you're capable of."

  "Wasn't the whole point of this to work as a team?" Kira asked plaintively.

  "It would never work," Graydon said, his gaze piercing. "None of us trust each other, and we don't have time to build that trust. The only way through is brute force and hoping the others are strong enough to survive on their own."

  He was assuming a lot, even if he made several excellent points Kira had already considered.

  There was a loud chime and then the gates before them opened, revealing the starting platform that transitioned to the course several feet below.

  Finn was the first through, taking off at a smooth run. He leaped onto the uneven boulders peeking up above the water line in a broken, crooked path of stepping stones.

  He made it halfway across before the first drone came online. It surged up from beneath the water like a great sea monster, fire flying from its mouth as it and its brethren darted after Finn.

  Graydon gave Kira a roguish smile and then stepped backward off the platform, disappearing from sight. He appeared seconds later, running about a foot above the water as if on some invisible surface.

  "Guess that's why they call them wizards," Kira muttered to herself.

  "How do you want to do this?" Raider asked.

  She turned to find him next to her, frowning out at the course. While they hesitated, the drones had swarmed. Countless numbers of them converged on the two men. She saw now why Liara said there had to be four. This would have been impossible odds if faced alone. At least with four, the focus of the drones was somewhat split.

  "You're willing to work with me now?" Kira raised an eyebrow. "Thought you hated me and couldn't trust me."

  The words were an echo of what he'd once said to her. She hadn't realized she'd been carrying them around all this time until this moment.

  "I do. You're a wild card, unpredictable—as likely to get your own people killed as the enemy."

  Kira's jaw locked.

  "But we can't let him tell these people about the ship, and you're my best bet for success."

  "Enemy of my enemy," Kira said.

  He made a frustrated sound. "Something like that."

  Kira was tempted to tease him a little longer, make him beg a bit. His need for success was far more pressing than hers. She'd survive being stuck with additional guards. He and the others might not survive the Tuann's displeasure.

  "Fine. Do you remember the old days?" Kira asked, giving in. It wasn't in her to tease about something this important.

  "We still use those patterns. Although we've modified them a bit," Raider said.

  "Good, we'll use Sierra Sierra," she told him.

  Like sports teams, the military scripted certain maneuvers. The patterns were usually preset and evolved as the changing circumstances did. This one was really meant to be used while wearing a Hadron battlesuit while riding a waveboard.

  The Curs original directive had been as a space to ground combat unit, similar to the paratroopers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Only the Curs began their insertion from orbit and had much more control of their breakneck descent. The waveboards were lightweight and highly maneuverable, allowing the user to turn on a dime while also coming in handy for ground warfare.

  They were soldiers of space, air, and land, easily adaptable to any condition. What had begun as an entertaining pastime for teens racing waveboards in tournaments became humanity's answer to their greatest tactical weakness.

  Sierra Sierra wasn't the best tactic given the circumstances—they could have used at least one more person—but it was the one with the greatest odds of success.

  "I'll act as decoy and draw their fire," Kira said. "You run through the opening I create."

  Raider grunted in acknowledgment.

  Kira was happy when he didn't try to argue. She stepped up to the edge of the platform and studied the field. She'd chosen Sierra Sierra based on her observations of Finn and Graydon.

  Neither had been attacked until they were halfway across the water. Even now, the drones hovered beyond that invisi
ble marker.

  She hoped the other part of her hypothesis held true and the drones were attracted to those who actively fought them. Otherwise, they were in a bit of trouble.

  Kira hopped to the stones below, noting the way they wobbled under her feet. Raider would need to watch his step. If his landing was off by even a little, the stone would tip, dropping its burden into the water. She had no doubt the drones would key onto that person in a second.

  She made her way slowly, not bothering to hurry, conscious of Raider dropping to trail her. Since no sound of a splash reached her, she chose not to worry about him.

  The drones hovered overhead as she picked her way across. This close, they looked like much larger, sleeker versions of Jin. Where he was small and dark, these shimmered with the color of their surroundings, almost blending in except for when they moved too fast or were seen from above.

  They managed to seem organic rather than mechanical, their shapes not uniform and their movements closer to that of a hummingbird or bee.

  They were double the size of a basketball and as quick as any strigmor eel Kira had ever come across.

  As she watched, one of the drones crackled with lightning. Its blast darted at Graydon, snaking through the air much like a strigmor eel. He leaped out of the way, raising his hand and pushing out. A force sailed from him, striking the drone. It dropped, plunging into the water as if a hand had swatted it out of the sky.

  Finn wove among the obstacles, never pausing his sure-footed passage as the drones pummeled him with laser fire.

  Kira adjusted her grip on her sword. It was about time they got started. If they waited much longer, there would be no hope of catching Graydon or Finn before they passed the finish line.

  "You ready?" Kira asked.

  "I'm not the one who's been sitting on her ass in retirement."

  Kira's smile flashed. Guess that answered that.

  She hopped to the next foothold. It was farther than the others had been. From here on out, the footholds got scarcer and scarcer. The one she’d landed on looked like a large wooden pillar sticking out of the water, thin and narrow, forcing her to balance on one foot.

  A drone burst out of the water beside the pillar. A bolt of light flashed from it. Kira shifted slightly, letting it glance off her arm.