3. Three

Three

Kira woke to a splitting headache and the low murmur of voices around her, along with the rhythmic scrape of metal sliding against something. She opened her eyes to a familiar gray ceiling, blinking up at it as she reoriented herself to the situation.

"Looks like she’s coming out of it."

"Did you have to hit me so hard?" Kira asked with a groan.

Harlow paused to examine the knife he held. "You said to make it look good."

"Maybe not that good."

She could have done with a little less force. There were still twinges of pain as she shifted to push herself up onto her elbows.

A pair of hands caught her, the person they belonged to peering down at her with concern.

"Easy," Quillon warned, guiding her to lie back down on the bed. "You’re not fully healed. Let my soul’s breath finish its work."

Kira didn’t resist the healer’s fussing. "You’re being overly cautious. I’m fine."

"You’re not fine. You have a concussion," Quillon informed her with a censorious look. "A fact I find concerning given the frequency with which you collect head injuries and the state you were in a few days ago. I believe I warned you of the dangers of pushing yourself too hard."

Kira grimaced. Now that he said it, she did have a vague memory of him cautioning her on several things. Most of which her primus, and thus her, hadn’t paid much attention to.

"Your recklessness will cost you one day. My skills aren’t infallible. You risk permanent damage if you continue like this."

Kira settled deeper into the bed. "It’s not that I don’t understand what you’re saying."

It would go against Quillon’s healer instinct to allow her out and about considering the state she was in not that long ago. It must be infuriating to have a patient who refused to pay attention to his advice.

Especially one who was still in the early stages of recovering from ki poisoning.

It wasn’t that Kira didn’t want to listen. She couldn’t.

As someone who walked the warrior’s path in addition to the healer’s, Quillon had to understand that sometimes circumstances didn’t allow you to pay attention to what your body was telling you. In moments like these, you had to push forward, regardless of the danger or the possibility of permanent injury.

Time was of the essence. Kira couldn’t afford to go easy on herself. Every second she lay here, Jin and Elena sunk deeper into danger.

That was unacceptable.

Quillon’s face held frustration. "Talk some sense into her."

Harlow remained focus on the knife and block of wood he was whittling. "She’s not going to listen."

Quillon shook his head as he stomped toward the door, muttering under his breath about stubborn idiots.

Kira felt sympathy for the healer as she watched him go. She’d done it. She’d finally driven Quillon mad.

She’d like to say she was surprised, but she did have a history.

"He’s angry."

"Yes." Harlow set aside the block of wood and sheathed his knife. "That was quite the show earlier."

"Do you think they bought it?"

"Kashori and Asanth, yes. They’re all too willing to believe the worst of you. Your cousin seemed less convinced. She likely suspects something."

Observant of her. Kira didn’t know whether to be proud or worried about that fact.

"And the emperor’s people?"

"Only they know."

Kira glanced at the sheets of rain lashing her windows and balcony. "We always knew they’d be the toughest to deceive."

The emperor surrounded himself with the brightest and most talented Tuann. With how long they lived, they’d probably seen everything by this point. Misleading them would be tough. Even for Harlow.

"It will be difficult to shed the image of an immature, possibly insane child later," Harlow warned. "The Tuann have a history of not changing their opinions once they’ve been formed."

That was funny coming from him, considering he was the one to suggest this as their back up plan in the event politely asking for access to Aeron fail. In her opinion, it was a stroke of genius. Making her seem unstable so he would have to put her under house arrest, enabling her to sneak off planet with none the wiser.

"That’s a problem for future Kira. Besides, being underestimated isn’t so bad. It makes it all the more satisfying when I slap them in the face later."

If anything, this could work in her favor.

Harlow arched an eyebrow at her, changing the subject. "The primus was overkill, don’t you think?"

Guilt made Kira wince. Yeah. Maybe.

She’d lost control for a moment there. They were lucky Harlow was so skilled or things could have gone very differently.

"Like you said, it had to look good," Kira bluffed.

Harlow couldn’t realize how tenuous her control was or he’d make their lie a reality. She couldn’t risk that. If she was under house arrest, she might lose her mind for real.

Harlow’s gaze drilled into hers. "I’m going to let this go and trust you know what you’re doing."

"I won’t let you down."

She could do this. Control the primus and herself. She’d done it before in far worse circumstances.

"However, Wren will accompany you," Harlow announced before she could feel too much relief.

Kira’s protest died at Harlow’s sharp look.

"Your seon’yer is as invested in Elena’s safe return as you are. He’ll be a powerful asset."

As Elena’s maternal grandfather, Wren would do just about anything to see that child safe.

"People will notice his absence."

Wren was a pillar of House Roake. An influential voice, particularly in times of war. Not to mention the pod of oshota who served him. Each more high profile than the last.

One person you might overlook. But five? People would talk.

"With Auralyn injured, they’ll assume he remained to keep watch over her. The rest of his pod are covering for them in the meantime. Their presence will cut down on questions. No one will know."

Kira contemplated her uncle. That could work.

"His oshota will allow that?"

The oshota were a touchy lot when it came to the people they served. Swords, they called them.

"It’s rare but occasionally temporary pods are sometimes formed. Usually when specific skill sets are needed," Harlow explained. "In this instance, you will act as sword and Wren as your shield until the mission is complete."

Commotion from the sitting room of her suite interrupted their conversation. The door burst open as a pair of humans stalked inside, Harlow’s oshota allowing them entrance without a challenge.

Rather, the man stalked. The woman at his side seemed more like she was simply trying to keep up.

"Tell me they’re wrong, Phoenix. You’d better not be under house arrest," Raider snarled as his long strides carried him across the room. His anger made him overlook Harlow’s presence.

"Good to see you too, Raider," Kira said dryly.

It kind of was, considering everything.

Kira’s friend had always reminded her of a junkyard dog. Pugnacious and stubborn. Look at him wrong and he’d be happy to gnaw your arm off. A faint scar ran along his jawline, adding to the impression that this was a person best not tangled with.

He was tall for a human. Though still short when compared to a Tuann. He had an athlete’s build. Long and lean with enough muscle to make it evident his wasn’t a life of leisure.

Kira looked past him to the woman at his side. "Hey, Blue."

Blue’s real name was Yuki, but everyone called her by her nickname on account of the way she always dyed her hair blue. Today, it was just the tips, but on occasion that blue reached all the way to her crown.

Her features carried the stamp of her Asian heritage. Though it was likely her ancestors had left Earth generations ago during one of the mass migrations.

"You look better than the last time I saw you," Blue said.

"Sorry about that."

"You’d better have a plan. If you’ve compromised everything to throw a tantrum," Raider broke off to shake his head, the grim cast of his features a little foreboding.

"Of course, I have a plan. What kind of person do you take me for?" Kira asked.

She wouldn’t risk everything like that.

Raider finally noticed Harlow’s presence, acknowledging the Overlord with a respectful nod.

"Let’s hear it then," Raider said, focusing on Kira.

Elena’s disappearance had taken a physical toll on him. There were dark circles under his eyes. A feral look on his face that said he’d already reached the end of his tether. Like he might suddenly snap and rip out her throat at any moment.

Last time he’d had that look on his face, things had been said that neither of them could take back. It took over a decade to reclaim their friendship.

She hoped it didn’t come to that this time.

"How do you feel about a prison break?" Kira asked.

Raider stared at her. "You’re going after the general."

That was the plan.

Blue waved her hand, waiting until she had their attention before giving them a strained smile. "Let me make sure I have this right. Your plan to get your niece—Raider’s daughter—back is to break into the prison of your allies, the Tuann, where one of your greatest enemies, a Tsavitee general, is being guarded by highly trained warriors who would probably like nothing better than to slice and dice you. Oh, and by the way, our involvement will probably ruin any possibility of a future alliance between the Consortium and the Tuann."

Kira thought for a moment and then nodded. "That about covers it."

"Insane. Absolutely insane," Blue declared.

"It could work," Raider said.

Blue gave him a wild look.

Raider twisted to regard Harlow. "You’re on board with this plan?"

Harlow considered Kira for a second before inclining his chin.

Kira smiled at them. "How about it? Want to cause a little trouble with me?"

"Sure. Why not?" Raider said.

Blue looked between them before rolling her eyes in resignation. "Fine. It’s not like I haven’t always wanted to mastermind a prison break."

Kira glanced at Harlow. "There, you see—I told you they’d be up for it."

The Curs had always been risk takers. No matter how asinine the plan. It was good to see some things hadn’t changed.

"When are we doing this?" Blue asked.

No time like the present. Kira threw the covers back, sitting up in the bed. A loud cough from the doorway had her freezing. She looked over to find Quillon glaring daggers at her.

Ah right. Doctor’s orders.

She tugged the blankets over her legs and laid back down. "How does tonight sound?"

The storm that had rolled in while Kira was unconscious was still going strong as she and Raider snuck toward the curtain wall guarding the outside of the Inquisitors’ Hold. Rain poured down from the heavens, drenching them as they moved as silently as possible.

"The patrol just passed. There’s a three minute window until the next one," Blue announced over their comms.

Kira and Raider maintained mission silence as they slid down an embankment before darting across the stretch of open ground and to the wall on the other side. Once there, they went still, listening for signs they’d been discovered.

"Did you refer to these mini drones as Jin’s spawn? They’re quite amazing I must say. Very useful for surveillance since you said Jin is occupied somewhere else tonight. I’m going to have to ask him how he created them when I next see him."

Kira frowned, having no idea what Blue was talking about for a moment. Realization dawned a second later.

Oh right. The lie she told Blue. That Jin was on another mission of vital importance.

"You should have told her the truth," Raider mouthed silently, kneeling to remove the small pack he was carrying and swinging it in front of him.

Kira shrugged. She would if it became necessary. Until then, she wasn’t telling anyone about Jin’s little sojourn.

Raider shook his head in resignation as he dug through the pack, pulling out a bundle of metal rods the length of Kira’s hand.

"Hold," Blue barked.

Raider went motionless as Kira trained her eyes on the ramparts.

"The timing for their patrol is off. Someone decided to go on walkabout early."

Blue’s warning came at the same time a pair of oshota appeared overhead, the quiet murmur of their voices reaching them a second later.

Raider shifted the rods to one hand as he reached for the modified zuipi Blue had made him.

Kira caught his hand, shaking her head in warning.

"No violence," she mouthed.

That was Harlow’s price for helping them. Either they got in and out undiscovered or they surrendered.

Raider glared at her in frustration, his hand tense under hers.

Her shrug was unconcerned. This was the deal they’d made. No one got hurt. Not by so much as a stubbed toe.

Raider yanked his hand out of her grip. To her relief, he didn’t reach for his weapon.

"They’re gone. Proceed."

Kira bent to help Raider, holding the rods as he unhooked the straps around them before trying to pry one away from the rest.

It didn’t budge.

He tugged harder. The rod lifted a millimeter, a wave of sparks cascading off it and feeding into the others.

"What did you do to these things? Why is it so difficult separating them?" Raider gritted out.

"Just a little design of my own creation. It’s based on Jin’s anti gravs. Only instead of repelling, it attracts. Like it?"

"Not the word I’d use," Raider hissed.

The rod rose another inch, the increased distance making it easier to maneuver. He attached it to the wall, electricity arcing between it and the three Kira still held.

"One down, three to go," Raider muttered.

"You should be happy I made it so difficult for them to come apart by accident. If that happened, the field disruption they’d create would make your insides become your outsides. Cool picture, huh? Your organs falling out of your body."

Blue sounded a little too enthralled with that visual as Raider pried the second rod away, allowing it to attach to the wall. Several more minutes passed until all four were in place.

Electricity danced across the stone, moving from rod to rod. Each pass making the wall grow a little more transparent. There was a harsh buzzing sound as the molecules forming the stone began to vibrate.

"I’ll be damned," Raider muttered as he and Kira looked through the small doorway they’d created.

"It worked, didn’t it?" Blue asked with excitement.

"Why did you phrase that as a question?" Kira asked.

"Ah. That." Blue laughed awkwardly. "The science isn’t exactly field tested."

Raider’s inhale was a near growl. "Blue!"

"Sorry. Sorry. But there wasn’t much time to plan," Blue said, defending herself. "It was tricky to figure out the frequencies in the beginning, but once I understood the mechanics behind it, it was simple enough."

"You first or me?" Raider signed at Kira, resuming radio silence.

She tapped her chest to show she’d go first. Raider moved aside as Kira stepped up to the threshold of their energy door. Here’s hoping her insides stayed where they were supposed to.

Before she could question the wisdom of it, Kira dove forward. It was like trying to move through something thicker than water but less dense than a physical wall. The resistance slowed her progress.

Then she was through to the other side.

Kira checked the inner courtyard. No signs of any oshota that she could see. Then again, they were a notoriously tricky lot.

She waved Raider through anyway. His expression was grumpy after passing through the disrupter field. His displeasure over breaking the laws of physics clear.

"Location," Kira asked in a near soundless voice.

The comm she had embedded in her ear canal would pick up the vibrations in her jaw and transmit her words no matter how softly she spoke.

"Checking," Blue answered.

Kira made a gesture toward the Hold. Lightning cracked, highlighting the gothic-looking monstrosity that could have featured in a holo-vid starring Dracula. No wonder Eurus was in charge. His vibe let him fit right in.

Raider took the lead across the grounds.

Kira didn’t worry about the patrol spotting them. Nobody would expect someone to be crazy enough to breach the inquisitors’ defenses. Their focus would be on the perimeter. Not what was happening within their walls.

Just in case, though, Kira and Raider stuck to the shadows as they made their way toward a second floor balcony and the window access Blue had scouted hours before.

Raider cracked the door open, waiting a second before slipping inside.

"Got the location," Blue announced.

Kira ignored the feel of rain running down her face and neck as Raider scanned the room. A second later he gave her the all clear.

"Jin’s spawn are picking up heat signatures on a floor below ground level," Blue announced as Kira stepped inside. "Given the lack of movement, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume they’re guarding something."

Water puddled under Kira’s feet, soaking into the carpet.

Raider shook himself, sending droplets flying before rubbing his face and head to sluice off any excess. "How many?"

"Four outside the room. At least half a dozen patrolling the halls on the same level."

"Looks like they learned from last time and aren’t planning to take any chances." Raider glanced at Kira. "This is going to be tricky."

"It always is," Kira said, feeling grim.

Raider set a hand on his hip as he rubbed the back of his neck. "How are we going to get in without laying a finger on the guards?"

"I’m still working on that."

It wasn’t going to be easy. That was for sure.

"Making that promise to Harlow was a mistake," Raider said flatly. "By any means necessary. Did you forget?"

The verbal jab made Kira catch her breath. Her primus stirred.

Kira suppressed it, taking a deep breath and then another. Raider was on edge, she reasoned. It made him say things he didn’t necessarily mean.

"I will do everything I have to, to see Elena and Jin safe. Same as you. You know that," Kira said with a forced calm.

Stubbornness lingered in Raider’s expression. The same bullheadedness that made him an exemplary soldier was a weakness in times like these. When he was wrong but refused to admit it.

"There is a very small chance the emperor forgives us for abducting his prisoner if we manage to bring Elena and Jin home. That goes out the window if his people are hurt in the process."

In this sense, Torvald was easy to understand. He’d be willing to overlook certain things if the end result was in his interest. Given Jin’s status as his son, she was going to operate under the assumption that he desired Jin’s wellbeing.

However, if his people were harmed because of her actions, he’d have her head.

"You know what we’re up against now. Elena needs somewhere safe to return. Roake and Harlow are her best bet for a future that doesn’t involve hiding."

Raider’s gaze dropped as his shoulders slumped in a surrender that tore at Kira’s heart.

She stepped forward, wrapping her hand around his neck and pressing her forehead against his. "You and me. We’re going to get them back."

Not just Elena and Jin. Elise too.

"Our family. We don’t give up until they’re by our side again."

Kira pretended not to see the glossy sheen in his eyes as she drew back, grateful when he afforded her the same courtesy.

"Then I guess we should figure out how to break a general out of a locked, impenetrable room," Raider said with a halfhearted smile that let her know he was on board.

"Is anyone guarding the room above where the general is being kept?" Kira asked Blue.

"Let me see."

"You want to try to go in from above," Raider guessed.

Kira nodded. "If you can’t go through, go around. Isn’t that what Himoto taught us?"

Though, the admiral probably hadn’t meant for his advice to be used in quite this way.

"One problem—how are you going to get through? The floors are reinforced. They’re at least three feet thick. They’d hear if we used explosives or tried to cut our way in."

True.

Kira glanced in the direction of the curtain wall. "Too bad we already used Blue’s device."

"Actually—" Blue trailed off.

"Don’t leave us in suspense, Blue," Raider ordered.

"Kira’s suggestion isn’t entirely without merit."

Raider frowned. "I thought those were the only rods."

"Okay. Don’t be mad, Kira," Blue started.

Why was it that whenever Blue used that statement it always preceded something that was definitely going to make Kira upset?

"I maybe made a few modifications to Jin’s spawn."

The low rumble that issued from Kira’s throat had caution spreading across Raider’s face. His gaze moved from her face to her hands, noting the shadow of violet symbols.

"Easy," Raider warned.

Kira struggled to contain her anger, the thought of Blue damaging Jin’s spawn almost too much to manage.

"They’re okay. Obviously," Blue rushed to add. "I was very careful in my modifications. I would have passed it by Jin, but he didn’t answer any of my calls. Given what we were up to tonight, I thought it best to act and ask for permission later."

"You made the right choice," Kira forced herself to say.

It was growing increasingly difficult to separate the cache of Jin’s spawn from Jin himself in her mind. A part of her viewing them as an extension of her friend.

Except they weren’t Jin. And never would be.

"You sure?" Blue asked, sounding uncertain.

She probably didn’t understand why Kira was so upset. To her, the spawn were an intriguing puzzle her friend had made for her to play with. She didn’t realize that they and the J1N drone that had once housed Jin’s soul were all Kira had left of him at the moment.

"Uh huh," Kira said in a stilted voice. She pinched the bridge of her nose, suppressing the tide of emotion threatening to sweep her away. "The modifications you made. They’ll get us in?"

"The theory works the same. Though the window they create will be much smaller."

Raider squeezed Kira’s arm in support before focusing on the conversation. "Big enough for a person to drop through?"

"In theory."

"It could work," Raider said with a glance at Kira.

"Alright," she agreed. "Where do you need us to go?"

They followed Blue’s directions into the bowels of the Hold, descending several levels until they were on the floor above where they suspected Aeron was being held.

"This is the place," Raider said after they slipped into the room Blue had identified. He cast a probing glance at the bare walls and floor. "Does it seem a bit odd to you that this place was left unguarded. Careless, don’t you think?"

Kira did.

The entire journey felt too easy. Their path suspiciously free of obstacles. Except that one patrol in the beginning and another on a different level, they hadn’t encountered any problems.

"Think it’s a trap?" Raider asked, his line of thought mirroring Kira’s.

"We’ll find out soon enough. Blue, how much longer?"

"Not long. They’re close."

"Why aren’t they already here?" Raider griped.

"Well, excuse me for not being perfect," Blue retorted. "You know, this isn’t as easy as it looks. Jin’s spawn aren’t exactly user friendly."

Raider rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, enough with the complaining. Just get here."

"Doing my best," Blue sang.

While the two argued, Kira moved to keep a look out. She eased open the door they’d used to enter and peered through the crack.

Adrenaline jolted through her at the sight of a group of oshota in the matte black of the emperor making their way down the hallway. A few split off to check the empty rooms they passed.

As quietly as she’d opened it, Kira shut the door again.

"What is it?" Raider asked, seeing her expression.

"It looks like the Tuann aren’t as careless as we thought. There’s a patrol making their way toward us as we speak."

"Inquisitors?"

Kira shook her head. "I’m pretty sure they belong to the emperor."

"How long?" he asked.

Kira backed away from the door. "Seconds."

"Blue, this would be a really good time to come through for us," Raider snarled, joining Kira.

"Almost there."

Raider and Kira looked at each other.

"What happens if they catch us?" Raider asked.

"Arrest? Possible execution? Your guess is as good as mine."

The only thing Kira was certain of was that they’d be detained. Probably long enough to eliminate any hope of getting to Elena and Jin in time.

Resolve formed on Raider’s face. "Kira."

"I know."

For all Kira’s words before about not burning their bridges, neither were willing to let themselves be caught.

She reached for the hilt of the folded up akieri sword at her side. "Hopefully the emperor can forgive us for any concussions we cause."

"You can put your weapons away," Blue interjected. "They’ve arrived."

Kira’s gaze dropped to the bottom of the door to find a small, bug-like creature that looked like a beetle with jeweled wings and an emerald body squeezing through the opening it had drilled into the wood. The edges around the hole still glowed white hot from its laser.

The beetle waddled toward Kira and Raider, followed by three other spawn. A cute looking crustacean and two tiny mammals that Kira had seen on Ta Sa’Riel during one of her runs through its forest.

They crawled toward the middle of the floor as Kira hung back to melt the metal in the doorknob and latch, turning it into a hunk of useless scrap that welded the door shut. It wouldn’t hold long, but hopefully it would be enough.

"Like I said before, the window they create probably won’t be very big," Blue warned. "My calculations suggest two feet by two feet is the limit."

Raider backed away from the door toward the spawn. "Plenty big enough."

"I’m also not sure what this will do to them. The power surge could destroy them."

Kira’s stomach dropped.

"They’re not him, Kira. They’re not Jin," Raider said gently.

No, they weren’t. And if they could aid in getting her even a little closer to her objective then their sacrifice would be worth it.

"Do what you have to, Blue," Kira instructed.

"Standby."

The same sharp buzzing that had come from the rods started. The spawn levitated off the ground as pressure built.

Raised voices came from outside.

"Looks like they’re onto us," Raider said, glancing at the door.

"Come on, Blue," Kira whispered as the spawn emitted the same electricity as the rods.

The door rattled.

There was a crack as a sheet of blue burrowed into the stone. Raider raised a hand to shield his eyes as the floor grew transparent.

There was a violent heave from the door, dust particles exploding outward from the force.

"Time to go," Kira said.

"See you on the other side." Raider dropped through the floor as the door flew off its hinges. A woman wearing synth armor stepped into the room. Shock replaced her fierce expression as her gaze landed on Kira.

"Sorry about this, Amila," Kira said, offering her a wave. "Blue, self-destruct as soon as I’m through."

Ki gathering around Amila as she started forward. "Wait!"

Kira dropped. Her heart in her throat as she landed. The floor closed an instant later.

"Close one," Kira said, staring up at the ceiling.

If Blue’s timing had been off, that would have cut her in half.

"It certainly was," a man rumbled, the familiar voice washing over Kira.

She froze, her gaze locked on the ground as her breath hitched. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t be here. He was supposed to be recovering. Not pulling guard duty for a Tsavitee general.

An eternity passed before Kira gathered her courage to turn. Her world tilted as her gaze locked on the man next to Raider.

Suddenly, she could feel everything. All the anger and pain she’d been suppressing. The rage that felt like it might incinerate her if she breathed wrong. The heartache of impending loss. A part of her already preparing for what might come.

The odds weren’t in their favor. She knew that.

But if the Phoenix was ever to pull off the longest of long shots, she needed it to be now.

Kira wobbled as she rose. Her nerves raw and exposed, leaving her a little off balance. Uncertainty holding her in check. Even as his name fell from her lips like a benediction.

"Graydon."

Her lover. And the man who’d probably be arresting them in the next few seconds.