Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles Book 1)

by T. A. White

  Curious, she tugged on it, faintly surprised to find it attached to something.

  While the Valiant raced toward the Tsavitee ship, cutting through space as it dodged and swooped, returning weapons fire when it could, she investigated the ghost string, feeling along its length.

  Ah, so that's what it was.

  The plan that had been coalescing in her brain took shape.

  "The enemy ship is charging all weapons," someone on the bridge called.

  "We're not going to make it," Kai said.

  Kira didn't respond, still busy with the ghost strand.

  Kai closed his eyes, making a decision. He straightened. "Ram the ship. It might buy the planet enough time to mount a defense.

  "Belay that order," Kira barked. "Prepare for a hard turn."

  There was a silence on the bridge as everyone considered her.

  "I'd do it now," she said mildly.

  Kai's jaw locked as he considered her, judging how much to trust her. "Do what she says."

  The deck bustled with movement.

  The ship began to turn, the force of its momentum screeching through the hull as it threatened to cleave it in two. Even here in space, the laws of physics wanted to be obeyed, and what they were doing threatened to tear the ship apart.

  "Almost there," someone called.

  "The cannons on the Tsavitee ship are realigning. They'll lock onto our new position in ten seconds."

  "It was a good try," Kai told Kira. "Don't blame yourself for it failing."

  She didn't glance at him, a faint smile on her face. "You need to learn to have a little faith."

  The Tsavitee ship's weapons prepared to fire. Those on the bridge braced, their hands dancing across the controls as they fought until the last second.

  The ship completed its turn.

  "Second ship detected," someone shouted.

  "An enemy?" Kai asked.

  "No. Human."

  Kira's smile felt strange in this form. The flinch of those closest to her told her it wasn't a welcoming sight. Understandable since primus form looked more monstrous than beautiful. The more time she spent in it, the less she resembled the Kira and became something else entirely.

  The human ship appeared on the Tsavitee’s other side, firing into it, their weapons already targeted and locked.

  Good, they'd gotten the firing package she’d sent.

  The Tsavitee were caught off-guard, largely unprotected on that side, their cannons having rotated to lock on the Tuann ship.

  "The humans are firing at the Tsavitee ship," someone said in excitement.

  A voice came over the comms. "Tuann ship. This is Admiral Grant of the CSS Reliance. Please unload everything you've got. We'll do the same."

  Kira tied the two ship strands together, linking them. She wasn't sure if the action would help or hinder, but it felt right. That would have to be enough.

  Her consciousness faded from the Tuann diplomatic ship.

  She stumbled, her body weak and tired as the symbols faded from her skin, the gray turning to normal pale creaminess as her second form deserted her.

  She resisted the cold pull of rest. Her job wasn’t done quite yet. Lifting her arm, she used one fingernail to peel off the small, nearly invisible dermal micro storage device she carried on the inside of her bicep.

  The color of her skin, it was designed to stay attached through everything, short of being burned to death. It was her backup if she ever got caught somewhere without her normal supplies.

  Carefully, she stripped the wires of the Tsavitee device before wrapping the patch on the exposed metal.

  Her hands shook as she sifted through the Tuann database. Trillions of pieces of data at her fingertips. She hoped the patch could download everything she needed.

  Ah, there. That’s what she’d come all this way for.

  She downloaded what she needed into the patch before disconnecting it and smoothing it back onto the underside of her upper arm.

  Done. Finally.

  It looked like Odin was getting what he’d asked for after all.

  Kira took a step and stumbled, ending up on her ass. She leaned against the cool stone of the Nexus, too exhausted to do anything else.

  Her chest ached from having a sword rammed through it and the cells of her body felt like they were about to tear apart.

  Warmth flowed up into her from the ground, the planet pouring its power into her, bolstering her. It was seconds before that warmth turned sharp, burning a line through her as her body struggled to accept the power.

  She didn't know if it was going to be enough. She'd done too much. Was too injured.

  She might not be able to keep her promise to Liara after all.

  That was her last thought as exhaustion and pain pulled her down.

  *

  Kira blinked up at a familiar ceiling. It took several seconds to remember where she'd seen it before. She was back in the healing room.

  She shifted her head, expecting Finn's morose expression as he stood guard. Instead, Graydon looked down at her, a pensive expression on his face.

  "You got them out," she croaked.

  "Yes."

  She cleared her throat. "Thank you."

  The words seemed to insult him, his gaze going wintry. "You're an idiot."

  She blinked at him. That was harsh

  "One against nearly thirty. What could have possessed you to think those were good odds?" he said, his jaw granite hard.

  Ah-ha.

  She looked around the room as if searching for an explanation or maybe some patience. Finally, she glared at him. "It worked. Everyone survived."

  "Pure luck," he said.

  She scoffed. "It was many things, but it wasn't luck."

  He raised an eyebrow. "Now who's being arrogant?"

  A small sound of frustration escaped her. The two remained locked in a glaring match until a small sound came from the door.

  Finn cleared his throat and then glanced between the two of them with a placid expression. "I'm glad you're awake. Your humans won't shut up, perhaps with you awake we’ll get some peace finally."

  "Unlikely," Graydon muttered.

  Kira aimed a glare at him. "You should be a little nicer. They helped save you after all."

  Even the ships in orbit had benefited from their interference.

  Graydon’s eyes never left hers as he said, "Funny coincidence, the human ship lurking outside our borders happened to enter our space just when the Valiant needed help most."

  "How fortunate for them," Kira said.

  "No one can figure out how the humans knew exactly where and when to appear," Graydon said slowly.

  She shrugged. "Have you asked Raider? He and the others were trying to contact the Reliance when we split up."

  "Noor said they never got the chance," Graydon responded.

  "Then your ship was lucky they showed up when they did," Kira said.

  "Lucky indeed," Graydon murmured, his eyes narrowed.

  Kira leaned forward in bed looking over the two men. "What happened to the Tsavitee who survived?"

  "Any we've found, we've executed. We're searching out any survivors," Graydon said.

  "The generals?"

  He shook his head. "Gone. We haven't found them."

  And they weren't likely to. The generals were experts at survival. They were probably halfway to rendezvous with the rest of their forces.

  "The admiral on the human ship has offered his assistance," Finn said.

  Kira nodded. "I'll find him and brief him, but I doubt we'll remain long."

  Graydon went still. "You plan to go with them."

  Kira met his gaze, sensing an undercurrent of danger. "That's always been the end goal."

  And her deal with Liara made it possible.

  "You could stay here," he said.

  Her stomach tightened.

  He didn't know how tempting his offer was. To feel companionship once more, to delve into the potential between them.
It was more than she ever thought she'd have again. She wanted it so badly she was willing to do almost anything to keep it.

  That was why she had to go.

  If she stayed, how long before she lost herself in him and the rest of the Tuann? How long before she forgot the purpose that had driven her for so long?

  She wanted him and the promise he offered more than she wanted almost anything else in her life. Those feelings were what gave her the strength to refuse.

  "No," she said. She couldn't bring herself to explain, to tell him there were things only she could do. If she survived, maybe she could return.

  She said none of that. He deserved to come first for whoever chose him. He deserved someone whole, not some barely functioning shell who might not survive the next year.

  "No," he repeated slowly. He nodded, his expression emotionless.

  Finn looked slightly alarmed from his post at the door.

  Graydon stood in an abrupt movement.

  Kira knew what he would do almost before he did it.

  Graydon bent down, his eyes dark spears as they locked on hers. She let the kiss come, knowing it was probably the last and wanting to cling to it, to hold it close so she could remember and cherish the feeling later.

  She fell into all that he was, fighting to imprint herself on him as anger and passion rose between them.

  His lips left hers, leaving her cold and achingly alone as he straightened, his face once more an expressionless mask.

  "I'm leaving," she told him.

  "We'll see," he said before turning toward the door.

  Finn shook his head at her when they were alone.

  "What does that mean?" she asked.

  His gaze was sympathetic. "It means things might not go the way you planned. The commander doesn't often give up his quarry."

  Kira flopped back unable to think of any response.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Kira cursed the size and torturous length of the Citadel as she dragged her bag along yet another set of steps into another long hallway.

  Would it have killed the Luathans to build a city with a rational layout?

  She could have asked Finn for help, but the last time she'd asked which way the landing field was, he'd given her a beatific smile and a vague response.

  She'd stopped asking after that.

  A headache pounded at her temples.

  The sunlight streaming in the windows stabbed at her eyes, despite her sunglasses.

  It'd be several days before her eyes could take the sun's piercing light again. A side effect of the primus form. Until then, they were extremely sensitive, leaving her craving the cool comfort of dark, something in distressingly short supply in the bright, airy Citadel.

  Right now, she felt like a herd of alien horses had trampled over every part of her body, leaving her feeling like one giant bruise. Another lovely side effect of the transformation.

  While it gave her unimaginable power for a short while, it also sucked up an immense amount of energy and resources. Until her body recovered, she was left as weak as a human newborn.

  It was one of the reasons she was forced to drag the duffel along after her rather than carry it. She couldn't bring herself to care about the damage she might be doing to the floor.

  If they had a problem with that, they should have provided someone to carry the bag instead of refusing her any help.

  The same Luathan healer who had attended her on her last visit to the medic had been furious when Kira said she was leaving on the next shuttle.

  She'd ordered Kira into bed for another week of rest.

  Kira had declined. She couldn't chance being left behind. The Tuann didn't often journey to human space. If she missed this shuttle, it could be a long while before she found anyone willing to give her a ride to O'Riley.

  She wouldn't put it past Graydon to bribe Jace with more ships to get him to leave.

  That left her schlepping her own gear to the shuttle landing zone, even though she felt like she was experiencing the most extreme form of the dreaded hangover humans so often complained of.

  A glimpse of forest appeared through a doorway, and Kira made for it, spotting Raider and the rest. She pulled her duffel next to theirs and let it drop.

  She was in the act of collapsing beside it when she spotted two small figures watching her through one of the arched windows on the second floor.

  Joule and Ziva stared down at her with morose faces, looking like they thought she was abandoning them.

  Kira struggled to shrug off her guilt. She’d told them she wasn’t staying. She’d warned them over and over. It wasn’t her fault if they hadn’t listened.

  “Perhaps you should talk to them,” Jin suggested.

  “It would just prolong the inevitable.”

  He made a small hmm. “The Luatha canceled the rest of the tests to search for you when you went missing that night. It could be a while until they’re rescheduled given the current state of their House. The children will be in limbo until their status is settled.”

  “They’ll be fine. I asked Liara to intervene on their behalf. She’s promised to get Joule the training he needs to become an overlord. She won’t let anyone in her House stand in the way of his goal,” Kira said waspishly.

  Her cousin owed her and she knew it. It had taken some convincing, but Liara had agreed to Kira’s request. She’d even volunteered to take in the rest of Joule’s surviving House until such time as he became an overlord.

  “Somehow neither of them looks particularly satisfied with that outcome,” Jin observed.

  “I can’t help it if they got attached,” Kira snapped.

  “I think they’re not the only ones,” Jin murmured as Kira collapsed beside her duffel bag. She was done with this conversation.

  "Wake me when the transport gets here," Kira mumbled before sticking her face into the crevasse between the bag and ground.

  An answer came, the words garbled.

  She drifted, half-asleep until someone kicked her foot.

  She lifted her head, staring bleary-eyed up at Raider. "Transport here?"

  "They said it's not coming," he said, gesturing at two Luathans, their faces apologetic.

  "What?"

  "Apologies, lady, but the human shuttle was waved off," one of them said.

  Awareness filtered in and Kira felt a little more alert. "That's not right. Liara gave her word we could leave."

  "The Overlord is the one who refused its landing," he said.

  Kira stared at him, unable to form intelligent words.

  Raider was not so constrained, letting a few choice words slip loose.

  "Language," Jace snapped, striding out of the Citadel.

  "They yanked our window," Raider said, hands on his hips as he glared at the Tuann.

  "I'm sure there's a good reason," Jace said. He turned to the two messengers. "Can we speak to your lady?"

  They spared a glance to where Kira had flopped down, curling into her duffel as she judged being upright too difficult. Finn watched with an impassive face.

  "Yes, we can take you to her," one said.

  Jace gave them a polite nod. "You do that."

  He bent to Kira and shook her shoulder. "You need to be part of this."

  "I'm sure you have it handled," Kira mumbled, already half-asleep.

  Her duffel was yanked from under her. A cry of protest burst out as she landed on the hard ground.

  A caramel bar appeared in front of her face.

  "Let's go," Jace said, no sympathy in his expression. "I have a feeling you're the reason for this change of plan."

  Kira snatched the bar from his hand, ripping it open and stuffing half in her mouth. She glared at Jin. He was the culprit responsible for jerking the duffel away from her.

  "Don't look at me," he protested. "We both know this was the only way to get you to move."

  "I want two more candy bars once this is done," she told the two of them.

  "Fair enough,
" Jace said.

  He and Raider helped her to her feet, their assistance more necessary than she let on.

  "Lead on," she told the two watching Tuann.

  Finn trailed behind as their escorts set a quick pace that gradually slowed when they saw Kira making no effort to keep up.

  "You know anything about this?" Kira asked Finn.

  "I have an idea."

  She scowled at him. "You want to share?"

  "I think it's better for you to find out for yourself," he said.

  She gritted her teeth and stomped into the Citadel.

  Kira entered the room her escort pointed to, ready for a fight. Anger was the only way she was going to get through this without collapsing.

  "Would someone like to tell me why I'm not on a shuttle heading home right now?" she barked.

  The sight of Graydon seated at the table, his gaze calm and amused temporarily threw her off-balance.

  She gave him a hard look. What was he up to?

  She took the time to look over the rest of those assembled. Liara sat on one side of him and on the other, the two strangers. This time they weren't wearing their cloaks, their dark gray synth armor with midnight blue detailing on proud display.

  They weren't Luathan. Another House perhaps?

  "Kira, we've been waiting. Please have a seat," Silas said. "Your friends too."

  Kira bit back her impatient words.

  Kira and Jace shared a glance before the two of them, along with Raider, Tank, and Blue settled themselves at the table. Nova and Maverick had remained behind to guard their belongings.

  Kira pushed down her frustration. The mood in the room called for patience and intelligence. She might have been able to bully Liara into keeping her promise, but the two in the strange House's synth armor were largely unknown entities. Better to watch and wait.

  She narrowed her eyes at the healer at their side.

  "Why have you refused permission for my shuttle to land?" Jace started.

  "We have matters we need to clear up before we let you go," the man said.

  "Here it is," Jin muttered.

  The man's gaze lifted to her friend, but he refrained from commenting. "Before we start, I feel the need to introduce myself. My name is Silas. This is Quillon. We're House Roake."

  Kira didn't respond beyond a wary nod.