She was going to kill them. Just as soon as this was all over.
Mark her words. Odin was a dead Sye walking.
Kira, the J1N and Finn following close behind, stepped onto the base to find a woman waiting impatiently for them.
Everything about the woman—from the way she was dressed in a militaristic jacket with a high collar, strong shoulders over a high-necked blouse with a keyhole located under the hollow of her throat, to her dark brown hair being swept into a soft looking side tail—was carefully curated to amplify her femininity while also projecting strength.
The thought and care she'd put into her appearance was obvious at a glance. As was the faint antagonism lingering in her expression as Kira and Finn walked over to her.
"Grace, isn't it?" Kira said by way of greeting. "It's been a while."
The last—and only—time Kira had seen the human had been on O'Riley station before she and Jace had set off to Ta Da'an to meet her cousin.
Grace acted like Kira hadn't spoken, focusing on Finn's presence. "He's to remain here."
"Sorry. He goes where I go," Kira responded, managing not to sound the least bit apologetic.
"We're heading to a restricted area. And he's not human."
Kira's expression went cold. Until that moment, she'd found the other's attempt at making her feel inferior adorable. A touch sad—but ultimately inconsequential.
However, if she was going to target Finn—and use his species as a way to do it—she would show this person just who she was dealing with.
"He does not leave my side," Kira enunciated carefully. She didn't want the woman saying she hadn't understood when Jace questioned her later. "You can either accept that and fulfill your responsibility or you can explain to Rear Admiral Skarsdale why you failed in the execution of your orders."
Kira knew who Jace would blame if Grace chose the second of those options. And it wasn't her.
Grace's mouth tightened before she spun on her heel. "Follow me, then."
Finn moved up beside Kira. "It's not like you to be so reasonable when it comes to my presence. Did something happen during your time away?"
Kira patted Finn's shoulder without looking back at him. "A few near death experiences is all. Nothing to worry too much about."
His growl made Kira smile as she sauntered after Grace. She'd thought he would appreciate that.
The base bustled with activity, an air of apprehension running throughout. The last time Kira had felt energy like this was in the early days of the last war. They knew a storm was on the horizon, but not exactly how bad it would be. That uncertainty would be the worst part. Knowing you were on the cusp of the abyss but not how to navigate it.
"Have you always been Jace's aide?" Kira asked, sidestepping a pair of humans wearing the red vests of the flight deck's ordnance crew. They hurried past her, guiding a cart filled with crates. Attached to each of their hips was an oxygen mask that would serve as an emergency supply of air should the hangar bay experience a decompression for any reason. There were also tether hooks on their waists meant to tie into any of the various safety leads located throughout the hangar to prevent them from being swept out into space.
"No, I originally served Admiral Himoto in that capacity," Grace said shortly before muttering under her breath. "Not that it's any of your business."
Kira pretended not to hear as they made their way through the corridors. "I didn't see any of the ships Luatha gave you out there."
"That's considered classified information. You don’t have the necessary authority for me to answer that question."
Kira's eyebrow twitched upward at the woman's harsh tone. "As the person responsible for procuring those ships, I beg to differ."
Grace led Kira and Finn through a set of double doors guarded by a pair of humans. One opened the door while the other stepped to the side, nodding a greeting at Grace before sweeping an assessing gaze over Kira and Finn.
"Any ownership you had of those ships ended the moment you handed them over to Admiral Skarsdale," Grace declared with an insincere smile as she gestured for them to enter the hallway. "What happens to them after that is no concern of yours."
Well played, Kira praised silently. Under normal circumstances, Grace would be right. Except she'd forgotten one thing.
"Maybe that would be the case if not for Luatha sending several of their people to help your scientists decipher their engineering," Kira said, waiting for the other woman to join them.
The ships were one thing. Centcom was unlikely to have gotten far in reverse engineering their construction in the short time they'd had them. What Kira was really interested in were those Luathans.