by T. A. White
Kira needed to do something before the Nexus erupted into violence and they lost any chance of convincing Liara of the truth.
"Jin, if you'd be so kind."
"Gladly," Jin said, gliding forward. The recording started up.
A harsh buzz ripped through the room. Electricity crackled and Jin gave a pained grunt. He hit the ground with a crash, his metal body bouncing before going still.
"Jin," Kira screamed, fear coating her throat.
For a long terrifying second, she couldn't feel the slight shadow of a presence in the back of her mind she associated with him, a thin thread barely noticeable most of the time. Right now, the connection vibrated with pain, the wounds of the weapon leaving it raw and exposed.
An eternity of agony lay before her as she faced the thought he was gone—forever beyond her grasp in the afterlife.
Darkness yawned wide inside. The thin bindings keeping her monster from laying waste to everything and everyone threatened to snap.
She forgot who she was, forgot the honorable person she fought to be. All she knew was rage and vengeance.
The transformation tingled along her skin, pain biting deep as she struggled to contain it. Her blood heated and the urge to kill her enemies gnawed at her.
The connection snapped into place. Kira could feel Jin again, hurt and scared, but alive.
She took a deep breath and settled, physically shaking herself as she grabbed for the gossamer-thin tendrils of composure.
When she opened her eyes again, her vision wasn't red-tinged and she no longer thirsted for destruction.
She stared at Ayela's sweet face, innocent and serene where she stood over Jin's body. The woman didn't know it yet, but she was already dead.
"What did you do to him?" Kira asked calmly.
She amused herself by envisioning leaping across the small distance and grabbing Ayela by the throat. In her imagination, she tore Ayela’s deceitful head from her shoulders before kicking it across the room.
Graydon and Liara stared at her, awareness in their gazes, both sensing how close they'd come to dying.
"I defended my Overlord by removing the threat," Ayela said with a peaceful smile. "I couldn't let the abomination endanger her."
Kira sucked in another breath. In and out. In and out.
Killing Ayela fast was too good for her. Better to draw it out. Kira could rip her arms off, one at a time, then each leg. Ayela's screams would be glorious music.
When she finally grew tired of the sound of Ayela's suffering, she could rip out her tongue.
Only after she'd exacted every ounce of revenge and left the woman a quivering mess of insanity would she kill her.
"Your advisers are plotting against you," Kira said, the very lack of emotion in her voice a warning.
Graydon shifted so he was partially facing her as well as Liara's people. He suspected what she was.
She ignored him, not finding it in herself to care.
Right now, the objective was simple. Inform Liara of the impending attack then kill Ayela.
"Enough of these lies," Alma said impatiently. She nodded at Roderick.
Kira's muscles coiled with readiness.
"Hold," Graydon snapped. To Liara, he said, "Why were no oshota guarding the Nexus?"
Liara hesitated, unease touching her expression.
A slice of Kira's bloodthirstiness eased. There might be a way out of this.
Ayela shifted closer as Kira ignored her. The other woman wouldn’t be so foolhardy to attempt something without her overlord’s command.
Kira waited, watching Liara expectantly as the other woman worked through the different possibilities and the tension in the room lessened.
Ayela shifted again, bringing her arm up. Pain blazed through Kira, fire sizzling her nerve endings. She hit the ground with her knees, her mouth opened on a silent scream.
The world around her turned to white noise as agony surged through her nerves again. Indescribable pain ate at her until she became aware again, her face pressed against the stone, her body convulsing slightly.
Stupid mistake, Kira. Not seeing Ayela as a threat even after what she’d done to Jin.
Gradually the sound of an argument came into focus as she smacked her lips together, the dull taste of copper in her mouth.
"Try it again, and I'll separate your head from your shoulders," Graydon threatened in a silky voice.
"I'm doing what's in the best interests of my Overlord," Ayela said politely. She pointed the weapon at Kira, preparing to fire again.
Graydon roared as he charged. He reached Ayela and struck, his fist crashing into her chest. Ayela’s body crumpled under the blow, flying backward.
Kira knew that voice. She recognized it. Ayela was the unknown conspirator from earlier. How had she missed that before?
Liara and Alma argued near her.
"They pulled up the defense network. They must have planned to bring it down," Alma said. "We need to reset the key to ensure its safety."
"There's no way they got in. Neither one of them are coded into the system," Liara argued.
"She shares the same blood as you," Alma snapped. "Her tie to the Mea'Ave is strong despite her long absence. She's more human than Tuann. There's no telling what dirty tricks she's capable of."
Liara was quiet as she considered Alma's words.
Kira tried to sit up, to speak over the buzzing of her ears. Her entire head rang from whatever Ayela had done to her. Even her vision was slightly fuzzy.
"Don't," she croaked, the word almost soundless.
She rolled onto her stomach. It took her three tries to push herself upright. She reached out, knowing before she touched him, it was Graydon standing over her, his legs spread as he protected her prone form.
She blinked up at a blurry Graydon. "Trap."
Realization donned as he noticed the two women near the octagon, he shouted, "Wait."
His warning came too late. Liara stepped into the octagon. Lights shot from her, coalescing into thousands of symbols dotting the space around the Overlord.
"It's done. The codes have been changed," Liara said in relief.
Not good. Not good at all.
Kira struggled to stand. A hard blow on her shoulder sent her to the ground again.
"Stay where you are, traitor," one of Roderick's men said.
"Touch her again and I'll tear your arms from their sockets and beat you with them," Graydon threatened.
"Sir, the Emperor's Face is impeding our orders."
Roderick looked over, his expression unsurprised. "Deal with him accordingly."
Kira stiffened, Graydon tensing next to her.
Battle cries pierced the air as men and women in black synth armor poured into the room.
Suddenly the numbers were even, Luatha’s people fighting for their lives as they tried to contend with Graydon at their front and his warriors at their backs.
Amila and Solal surged through the clamor to appear beside Graydon.
"I hope this means you accomplished your mission," Amila said with a sassy smirk.
"That and more," Graydon responded, catching a blow on his forearm before bringing one fist on his opponent's shoulder. The man crashed to the ground.
"Good, maybe we can go back to civilization then," Solal grumbled. He sidestepped as a man rushed him, sinking the pommel of his sword into the man's head, knocking him unconscious.
"And Kira?" Amila asked.
"Bring her. She's the reason we’re going home," Graydon said from where he tangled with three soldiers.
Easier said than done as the Nexus descended into chaos.
Graydon's people were better trained, but outnumbered five to one. They were also hampered by the fact they weren't trying to kill their opponents, opting to disarm or knock unconscious those attacking them.
The Luathans weren't under the same constraints.
Graydon roared as he challenged three warriors, his form lithe as a cat as he toyed with them.
&nb
sp; Armor crunched on one as Graydon sank his weight behind a kick. He whirled catching the other guard's hand, before jerking him close as he picked him up and threw him at another.
In the melee, Kira lost track of Liara and Alma.
Kira stood, her limbs shaky, the furor of the fight all around her. She waited, not joining in the fight.
Graydon had the Luathans handled. She needed to find the instigators of this little debacle if she truly wanted this to end.
She turned and nearly ran into one of the cloaked strangers. She ducked, evading his grasp.
"Azala, you need to come with us," Silas said, his expression urgent.
"There's a lot of things I need; that's not one of them." Kira backed slowly away from the two as they spread out to trap her.
Graydon and the rest were busy with the Luathan guards, leaving her on her own.
A woman cried out in pain. All fighting in the Nexus ground to a halt.
"Liara!" Roderick screamed, starting toward his Overlord.
A thrum filled the air. A thin sheet of shimmering light bisected the room, cutting him off from his Overlord.
Graydon surged forward, grabbing Roderick around the neck and yanking him to a stop. Kira and the rest had no chance to evade as sheets of light surrounded them, creating a large box around the battling Tuann. The Tuann went from fighting each other to eyeing their prison of light with shock and dismay.
"A Caldon field," Kira murmured, holding her hand up to the light. The barest tingle warned her. Try to push past that tingle and unimaginable pain would shoot through her. Push a little further and it would burn her flesh until nothing was left.
"This is Tsavitee tech," Silas said thoughtfully.
Amila came to stand beside her, her eyes wide, a hint of fear in them.
Graydon's face was furious as he paced a line along the wall of light.
The only Tuann not in the light cage were Alma, Ayela, and Liara.
Alma looked around her in horror, her expression slack as she stared at the rest of them, trapped like flies in amber.
Guess Kira didn't have to ask herself whether Alma knew the full extent of Ayela's plan.
A pained sound escaped Liara as Alma supported her, huddling over her Overlord protectively. Liara touched her shoulder, grimacing as her hand came away bright red with blood.
"What is the meaning of this?" Alma demanded, as she stared at Ayela.
Ayela smiled at her, the expression no less serene than when she'd addressed Kira. "The final phase of our plan."
"This wasn't part of my plan," Alma snapped. "The Overlord wasn't supposed to get hurt."
Ayela shrugged. "Maybe not your plan, but this was always my end goal. Thank you for resetting the defense codes. The Tsavitee waiting in the ship above will be very pleased about that. Won't they, pet?"
"As you say, mistress." A Tsavitee warrior stepped into view.
Shock and horror devastated Alma’s expression as she faced the full extent of her betrayal. Somehow, the seneschal had believed she could turn the situation to her advantage, Kira knew. Now she was learning the error of her ways.
Kira focused on the Tsavitee. A general. Damn. That wasn’t good. This operation must have been important to his superiors for them to send him. The Tsavitee rulers fielded the generals only when absolutely necessary.
He towered over the others, his form massive and built for power and speed. Kira knew he'd be fast and deadly. He had skin as dark as the void; the red symbols etched into one side of his chest proclaiming his rank and status.
What was he doing here? She'd only ever seen them leading invasions, content and safe on their ships as they directed the lower form Tsavitee.
"A Tsavitee," Silas said. "I was wondering what that stench was."
"Not just one." Kira’s voice was soft. "That's a general. They wouldn't have sent him alone."
The stranger gave her a sideways glance. "Yes, I can see you're right."
More Tsavitee stepped into view. All of them much smaller than the first.
For all a general’s individual strength, his primary purpose among the Tsavitee was to act as the military strategist behind the rest.
Because of that, he was the most dangerous person in the room. The others might be vicious and savage, but ultimately, they were dumb. Left on their own, they'd probably have killed off their species.
It was only when the general and those above directed them in battle, they became a true threat.
It’s what made the hierarchy of the Tsavitee horde so interesting. They weren't just one species but many.
There were several theories on how that occurred. Some thought they'd integrated conquered races into their horde, while others believed the Tsavitee high forms had engineered the lower forms to fit their specific purposes and roles.
The last argument was supported by the fact the DNA between all forms except the generals was strikingly similar. It pointed to a common origin.
Which theory was true didn't really matter. The end result was the same—a military force capable of breeding soldiers with enhanced combat skills faster than humans could keep up.
Kira knew some on the human side toyed with the notion of developing their own enhanced soldiers, bred specifically to fight the Tsavitee. There were rumors they'd started testing their theories.
All that stopped once the treaties with the Haldeel and the Tuann were signed. The treaties made it clear any further genetic modification for the purposes of war was forbidden and would result in full-on war with both.
"Cannon fodder," Kira said, taking in the array of Tsavitee as they moved closer.
Humans called them that because they were more numerous than the other species. They were usually sent directly at the enemy, overwhelming them with superior numbers and a single-minded intensity.
The lowest of the lower forms. Cannon fodder or puppets, as some called them, were little more than feral cannibals. They had no conscience and little intelligence from what Kira had seen. They'd crawl over the still-warm corpses of their brethren if it meant a chance at human flesh.
She also spotted a mantis, its long lean form towering over the puppets beside it, and a telepath. The telepath looked sickly and gray, its limbs spindly as it stared at the room with a blank gaze.
Kira stepped back, moving so she wasn't in the general's line of sight.
"Put them in with the rest," the general ordered.
The Tsavitee swarmed the two women, herding them toward the light cage the rest of them were trapped in.
The Tuann pressed close to the front, eager for a chance to act once the Tsavitee dropped the light field to force Liara and Alma in.
Kira knew better than to get her hopes up. This wasn’t her first time on the wrong side of one of these cages.
She let the others push their way forward, as she drifted to the rear of the cage. The cloaked strangers helped, stepping in front of her, their larger forms blocking her fully from sight.
She had a bit of a reputation among the Tsavitee. If they caught sight of her, things would probably not go well for her.
Roderick and another of his men dragged Liara to the cage, settling her on the ground not far from Kira. Liara's face was waxy, her eyes glazed with pain, her lips sealed tight against her whimpers, and blood coated her right shoulder.
"Your shoulder is severely damaged," one of the cloaked men said, kneeling by Liara’s side. He pressed a bandage against her shoulder, ignoring her flinch and low moan. "We need to stop the bleeding so your body can put itself into a restive state and start to heal."
"Get away from her," Roderick spat, reaching for the man to jerk him away.
Kira got there first, knocking his hand away. "Stop being an ass. Take a look around; your enemy isn't in here."
Roderick snarled at her, his face a mask of rage. "You're wrong. Maybe my enemy is standing right in front of me. This started when you released the humans."
Graydon's people voiced their anger as the c
loaked men kept their silence. Kira noticed Silas as he shifted closer, a hand disappearing into his cloak.
Violence threatened. Again.
You'd think the great Tuann would be smarter than this.
Kira sighed and glanced down.
Roderick's lips twisted in a smug smile.
Kira punched him in the throat. She hooked one leg around his and shoved, dumping him to the ground as he choked.
Graydon and Silas surged forward, forcing the Luathans back. Kira kneeled at Roderick's side. She grabbed the collar of his armor, jerking him up to sitting.
She pinched the tip of his ear. A high pained sound escaped him as she gripped his chin and forcefully turned his head toward the Tsavitee moving around the Nexus.
Their enemy was busy barricading the door as they dug in for a protracted siege.
"Look out there. That's a Tsavitee general. They lead invasions and aren't known for being merciful. Right now, they have the codes to your defense net, which is a bad thing since a Tsavitee warship waits outside your territory," Kira snarled, articulating each word carefully and calmly.
Things were bad. She needed him to understand just how bad they were. Maybe then he would stop this pointless posturing so they could all work together. That was the only way any of them would survive.
"Not quite," Liara said in a strained voice. She tried to sit up but only made it a few inches before her face whitened and the stranger pushed her down.
Kira waited for awareness to return to Liara's eyes before asking, "What do you mean?"
"I didn't change both sets of codes. I only changed the outer net. They won't be able to access the one around the planet. The curtain remains intact," she said.
"If they approach the planet, the defenses will shoot them down," Kira said thoughtfully. She slid her cousin a sideways look. "Sneaky. I like it. Nicely done, cousin."
Liara's expression lightened with the barest trace of a smile before it turned regretful as she faced Graydon. "I set it to the highest level of alert. It'll destroy anything trying to approach."
"Leaving every ship outside the net on their own against the warship." Graydon's expression remained closed off, grief and resignation hidden there.
The same emotions were reflected in the faces of his soldiers.