Rules of Redemption

by T. A. White

  "Himoto didn't want the Tsavitee learning the ignition weapon and the Phoenix were the same thing," Kira said softly. "When I woke up, the worlds had moved on."

  Her friends had also moved on. Each one happy or at least thriving, since her disappearance.

  By then, Kira's legacy as a hero had faded, tarnished by the misinformation and her disappearance.

  Her friends were convinced she was a coward for abandoning them on the cusp of victory. Many of her former peers noted her absence in the past three years of the war and blamed her for not being there.

  "It's fine. Being a salvager suits me. No politics to dance around." Her smile was strained.

  Himoto had been the one who made that possible. He'd gotten her a bonus for her contributions to the war effort. It'd been enough to buy her home and business.

  Jace didn't look particularly comforted by her words. He looked shocked, his expression blank as he stared into the distance.

  Raider's expression was more reserved, his thoughts harder to guess.

  To be honest, she hadn't thought either of them felt enough anymore to care. It was all water under the bridge at this point. They'd all survived. It was enough.

  "He let us think you'd betrayed us," Jace said, emotion throbbing in his voice. His eyes were glassy as he shook his head, walking out of the room without another word, his expression lost and confused.

  Raider remained behind.

  "You should go with him. See if you can find a place in the Citadel to lay low," Kira told him. "If the Tsavitee are here, we need to be prepared."

  Before he could respond, there was the sound of boots in the hallway.

  "I have a feeling it’s too late for that," Raider said, turning to face the door.

  Green armored warriors filled the room, led by Roderick. A dark-haired woman in a long dress that clung to her upper body before falling in a graceful drape to the floor kept pace with them, her expression furious.

  As was the case with all Tuann, her face was beautiful, something belonging on a painting rather than out in the world. The braids in her hair pulled her brown hair from her face, exposing sharply pointed ears.

  "You're coming with us," Roderick informed Raider without delay.

  Raider cocked an eyebrow but didn't move. "Am I, now?"

  Roderick didn't look amused by Raider's question, gesturing sharply to his men.

  "What are you doing?" Kira asked, as Roderick's men surrounded Raider.

  "He and the rest of the humans are being taken into custody," Roderick said in a crisp voice.

  Kira struggled out of bed. She was less than graceful as she fought free of the covers.

  "Nope, not happening. Stay in bed," the dark-haired woman snapped, one hand landing on Kira's shoulder as she put pressure on it, forcing her into the bed. "You're barely healed."

  Kira tried shrugging the woman off. Unfortunately, the stranger wasn't inclined to let her. It resulted in an odd tussle where every touch or shove was gentle but firm. The woman's face had turned murderous by the time she finally trapped Kira in the bed by wrapping the blanket around her torso and tugging it tight before sitting on the ends.

  Every person in the room regarded the show with disbelief and no small amount of amusement.

  "As I was saying before someone so rudely decided to interrupt," Kira huffed, jerking an arm free and glaring at the woman.

  "Oh hush, you shouldn't even be awake. You still have another twelve hours before I would even think of letting you out of this bed," the woman snapped. "I don't know what it is about warriors. You're all idiots. You don't know when to stay down. You'd think being nearly eaten would knock some sense into you."

  Jin cackled. "I like her. She's feisty."

  The woman started to glare up at Jin where he hovered by the ceiling. Her eyes widened in fascination. "I've never seen a human AI up close before. I thought their technology hadn't advanced to the point of make thinking sentients."

  "The abomination should be used for target practice and destroyed," Roderick muttered, eyeing Jin with distaste.

  "Jin is one of a kind," Kira said, diverting the attention back to herself. "He's a test model."

  She allowed the stranger to keep her misconceptions. Somehow, she didn't think she could say the soul of a long-dead friend had taken over Jin's body. That would probably cause all sorts of questions, and given how touchy the Tuann felt about some things, she didn't want to give them a reason to decide Jin constituted more of a threat than he already was.

  "Enough of this," Roderick said. He lifted his hand and beckoned his men impatiently. "We're taking the human into custody."

  "Who authorized this?" Kira asked.

  "The Overlord,” he answered. “And you’re lucky you’re not being taken, too. It’s only because our House would never overcome the scandal, that you've been spared."

  He jerked his chin at the rest before striding out of the room without a backward glance.

  Raider gave her a slight head shake when she sucked in a breath. She bit her lip as he gave her a wink before walking out of the room flanked on either side by the Luathan warriors.

  "They won't hurt your friends," the woman said, standing. She watched Kira for signs of rebellion, relaxing when Kira stayed put. "I'm Shandry. I'm the one responsible for putting you back together. Try to show a little gratitude."

  Kira didn't move, waiting as the woman bustled around the room, straightening things.

  "Where is Liara now?" Kira asked.

  Shandry cocked her head. "She's likely in the Nexus. I heard House Roake sent a delegation. She'll want to receive those brutes from a position of strength."

  "The Nexus?" Kira asked.

  Shandry nodded. "It's the heart and brain of the Citadel."

  Kira nodded as if any of that explanation made sense. She flicked a glance up at Jin. He moved up and down in a yes. Good, he knew where this Nexus was. That would help.

  All she had to do was wait until the healer was reassured enough to chance leaving her alone.

  It wasn't lost on Kira that Roderick had taken her guard and left her with none to replace him. Given she'd survived two assassination attempts, she had to wonder if that was purposeful and if Graydon or Finn knew.

  She was guessing not.

  There was a knock at the door as Joule stuck his head in, looking around in confusion when he found only the two of them present.

  "Please, just come on in. It's not like this is a place of healing, or anything," Shandry grumbled.

  "Pardon me, master healer. I’d hoped to visit my friend and reassure myself of her safety and good health," Joule said gravely, dipping his chin at the woman.

  Shandry waved her hand, dismissing his words. “Never mind. Do as you wish.”

  Joule nodded at her again before looking at Kira. "Where is your guard?"

  "That's something I'd like to know as well," she told him.

  "You shouldn't be alone," he said seriously.

  Shandry huffed and threw away the cloth she'd been folding. "This is a sanctuary for those who need it. No one is going to try to kill her here."

  Joule suddenly seemed much older and wiser than his age would suggest. "She's already survived two attempts on her life since she landed. Do you intend to endanger the rest of your patients on the belief her enemies will respect a healer's sanctuary?"

  Shandry frowned, suddenly seeming unsure. "The lu-ong wasn't an attempt. That was an accident."

  "Would a lu-ong normally nest so close to your home?" Joule asked politely. "The waters near the Citadel are too shallow for them to hunt, especially as they grow to majority."

  His words seemed to resonate with Shandry, her face turning pensive as she bit her lip in uncertainty.

  "The Emperor’s Face would no doubt like to be informed of the change in her status," Joule said.

  Shandry nodded slowly. "Fine, I'll send someone to let him know, but she's not to leave this room."

  Joule gave her a polite bow as
she swept out of the room.

  Kira waited several seconds before untangling her feet and swinging her feet out of the bed.

  "Good job. Perhaps you can be of some use after all," Kira told Joule.

  "Where are you going?" he asked with a frown.

  "I need to find Liara and ask her what the fuck she thinks she's doing taking my friends into custody," Kira said.

  Her feet touched the ground, the white sheath slithering until the hem touched her ankles. She plucked at the material. It was light and airy but had a silky sheen to it.

  The dress fit well enough, and she didn't think she'd have to worry about modesty since it wasn’t see-through. It would do for now until she could find something better.

  "The healer said to stay here. I promised her you wouldn't leave," Joule protested, hurrying after Kira as she left the room, her bare feet slapping against the stone.

  "First thing to know, if you're going to hang around Kira for any length of time—she rarely does what she's told," Jin said, bringing up the rear.

  Joule nodded, his face pensive.

  He was probably wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into. She should have felt some sympathy for him, but she didn't. These were the kind of things you vetted before you made someone your mentor.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  In theory, Kira knew the general location of the Nexus from her tour with Finn where he’d referred to a certain direction of the Citadel as its heart. In reality, it was more difficult than she’d anticipated, to locate the Nexus.

  The home of her mother's people was an insanely complicated jigsaw puzzle, almost impossible for strangers to navigate. Unlike human cities, where buildings were joined by streets and alleys, each one their own separate structure, the Citadel was one jumbled mass, lacking easily navigable pathways.

  Each building wove in and around the next, making the concept of a first, second, and third floor obsolete. Instead, it had been constructed over many centuries, each building or tower added to the whole as it was needed, the trends and styles of the time influencing its design.

  It forced Kira to tramp up and down, over and under, through doorways that doubled as windows, and hallways leading nowhere.

  Its layout defied logic and reason, giving her a glimpse into the genius behind its construction. What she had at first assumed was indefensible was actually their greatest asset. The very confusion of the chaos that was the Citadel would make it impossible to corner its inhabitants as they flowed around their enemy using any one of the jumbled paths.

  Unfortunately, it was almost impossible for a stranger to find their way. You were as likely to wind up on top of a roof as you were your intended destination.

  Jin couldn't help her with Joule watching. It would have given away how much of the Citadel he'd mapped in his free time, an advantage that might come in handy, now that the Curs had been taken into custody.

  It left Kira to find her way on her own. A frustrating exercise in futility.

  About the third time she ventured past the same set of statues—Tuann clad in synth armor holding en-blades and staffs as they impassively stared out—Kira gave up.

  She beckoned Joule from where he'd been following. "Where do we go?"

  To his credit, he didn't gloat or point out how she should have listened to him in the first place. For that, Kira found herself liking him a little bit more.

  "The Nexus is considered the seat of power for the House," he told her, his young face serious. "For that reason, they've designed the surroundings to disguise its location from enemies. In theory, this would allow time to evacuate the Overlord and her council if they ever felt the Citadel was lost."

  It was a nice history lesson, but didn't tell her what she needed to know

  "Does this mean you don't know?" she asked.

  She was already turning to ask Jin to take over leading when Joule spoke up, his voice irritated. "I know. I was just explaining its significance, so you understand what you're up against. You won't succeed like this."

  "How about you leave the method of entry to me and just get us there," Kira suggested.

  His sigh was heavy. At that moment he seemed like any other teen she'd encountered, the weight of the world on his shoulders as he dealt with stubborn adults.

  Joule took the lead and soon they were in a section of the Citadel Kira didn't recognize.

  The walk did Kira good, calming some of the desperation and worry that had sent her scrambling from the healer's room. It also gave her time to think. The Luatha weren't likely to execute Jace and the others. They wouldn't want to risk a diplomatic incident over a possible miscommunication.

  Kira needed to get to Liara before anything else happened.

  "Do you have a plan?" Jin asked as he hurried to keep up with her.

  "I'm working on it."

  "Good. Just remember to think before you do anything drastic," he cautioned. "We don't need to be thrown into whatever place these people call a brig along with Jace and the others. We'll do them no good if we're locked up too."

  "I'm aware of that," Kira told him calmly. "I won't give them a reason to act against me."

  Jin seemed to find that sufficient reassurance, falling quiet. Just in time too, as they came into view of an ornate set of doors with intricate carvings.

  Kira made a small snort. They might as well have posted a sign that said “important thing behind this door.” It practically shouted its strategic significance. If the Luatha hoped to fool an enemy combatant, they hadn't done a very good job.

  Four guards watched them approach with curiosity, confirming Kira's belief they didn't yet see her as a threat. She released a breath. That was one piece of good news.

  "Aza, you should still be in bed," the one in front said, greeting her with a warm expression and sympathy in his eyes.

  Kira paused, at a loss to reconcile the guard's friendliness with Roderick's earlier disdain.

  "I had hoped to speak to my cousin," Kira said. "It seems my friends are being detained."

  The friendly one nodded. "Yes, this is true. They were determined to present a potential threat. I can personally assure you we mean them no harm. This is for everyone's safety until we fully investigate."

  Kira relaxed slightly at that. His assurance rang with truth.

  "I'd like to see and talk with them," she said, not giving up.

  He shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. The seneschal and marshal wish to question them to make sure they had nothing to do with the repeated attacks on you."

  Frustration moved through Kira. There was a difference between being told someone was fine and seeing it with your own two eyes.

  "Then I'd like to talk to Liara," Kira tried.

  "Now is not a good time, aza," the man said.

  "We're not trying to keep you from airing your grievances," a female guard said, reading her frustration correctly. "She is greeting visitors. It would not be an appropriate time to interrupt."

  Kira sighed. She couldn't argue with that. She was about to tell them she'd wait, when the doors behind them opened and the men and woman guarding them snapped to attention.

  Graydon's gaze was searing as he stopped short. His eyes locked on her before growing suspicious. He recovered quickly, turning to check her surroundings and reaching the conclusion she was once again without protection.

  Kira stopped paying attention to Graydon as her gaze snagged on two figures behind him, each as mountainous as Graydon, their armor and faces hidden by the cloaks they wore.

  "What are you doing here?" Graydon asked, striding forward.

  "I have business with Liara," she said. Her attention went past him to a large room with cathedral ceilings above it. Liara stood in the center of a glowing circle, her body slightly out of focus as stars hovered all around her.

  A starmap, Kira realized, fascination compelling her forward. It was a three-dimensional map of the galaxy, incredibly detailed and surprisingly realistic.


  Thoughts and plans raced through her head. What she couldn't do with an invaluable tool like that. Himoto would go crazy if he knew the Tuann were sitting on maps as comprehensive as what was in front of her.

  Graydon snagged her arm and drew her several steps away before she could get any closer. With effort, Kira managed to drag her attention from the many pinpricks of light to focus on the male nuisance at her side.

  "What is your problem now?" she asked.

  "Besides the fact you have already survived two attempts on your life, yet you stand here with no protection? Again," he finished with a bite in his voice.

  "I'm plenty protected," she said, waving her hand at the four guards. The one woman ducked her head trying to cover her smile.

  Graydon growled, the sound raising the hair on Kira's neck. She blinked at him. Was he really growling at her?

  The sound continued.

  Yes, yes, he was.

  She gave him an exasperated look.

  "Their first priority is their Overlord," he said in a precise voice as if he was having to explain something to a flighty child. "They will not make the first move to help you if it turns out she is the one who wants you dead."

  That wiped the looks of amusement off the Luathan guards' faces.

  It seemed Kira wasn't the only one capable of burning bridges.

  "Isn't that what you're here for? To make sure everyone plays nice with each other?" Kira asked sweetly. "I sincerely doubt whoever keeps trying to kill me would do so in such an obvious way."

  One of the cloaked figures made an aborted movement, drawing Kira's attention.

  "Who're your friends?" she asked.

  Graydon shifted to block her view of them as he spat out several sentences in Tuann. There was a rumbled response before the two figures moved away, down the hallway in the direction Kira had come.

  She watched them go with narrowed eyes. There was something familiar about their energy. She just couldn't place her finger on what.

  "What are you doing here?" A strident voice came from the doorway.

  Kira forgot about the strangers as the seneschal approached. Alma’s expression was haughty as she looked Kira over.