But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Kira had tried to forget. To run and not look back.
It hadn't helped.
Sometimes to heal, you had to lance the wound and drain away the pus infecting it.
When she'd decided to block everything from that time period, to wall it up so she didn't have to deal with the emotional aftermath, she'd also locked away all the good things too.
The little things. Like the way Commander Berry would always hide whenever his XO was on the warpath over the crew burning through their supplies too quick. Or how Walker had a stupid rivalry with Bates over pretty much everything. It had always driven her crazy, but Jin loved it. She was pretty sure he was the instigator behind some of those incidents.
Yes, being here was painful. But it no longer felt so overwhelming.
"Any word from Raider or Wren?" Kira asked in a low voice.
Graydon shook his head. "No, and I'd know if they were in the system."
Kira glanced at his forearm where the comms for his synth armor were located.
"I do not like this. They should have beaten us here," Kira said.
With the detour Pallas had forced on her, she'd expected the Wanderer to be waiting for their arrival. Either in orbit around the planet or already on the surface.
To now hear that they weren't even in the solar system was worrying. She had a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach that usually heralded trouble.
"What about the rest of your pod?" Kira asked, referencing the group of oshota who served Graydon. "I know you ordered them to follow at a distance."
An approving gleam entered Graydon's eyes. "You know me too well."
"Hardly." Kira smirked. "It's just what I would have done if the situation were reversed."
Graydon moved closer, his voice lowering to a seductive rumble. "Maybe that's why we work so well together—we're the same."
"Oh yes. You do seem like the type prone to reckless behavior such as prison breaks involving your people's sworn enemies. Followed by a virtual suicide mission accompanied by the biggest psycho you know." Kira made a show of looking Graydon up and down. "I always thought there was a rebel inside of there somewhere."
Graydon's smile was slow. Wicked as heat entered his eyes.
Kira swallowed as his gaze dropped to her lips, all too aware of their audience. Even if Pallas and Lathan weren't paying any attention to them as they concentrated on preparing the ship for its descent to the planet.
Just the fact that they were present in the room made the tension between Kira and Graydon reach a boiling point.
Especially when Graydon used his grip on her hand to reel her in closer, lifting his other to brush a finger across her cheekbone. The look on his face so incredibly gentle. "For you—I'm willing to be whatever you need. Pirate. Wanderer. Rebel Tuann. You name it."
Kira swallowed hard.
Graydon rested his forehead against hers. "You hold onto that when we're down there."
"I will," she whispered.
"If you're done, I suggest you get strapped in. We'll be landing soon. It's bound to be a bumpy one,” Pallas said.
Kira drew away from Graydon, her gaze moving to the lenacht still sprawled across Pallas's shoulders like an intricate scarf.
"Problem?" Pallas asked. He didn’t look in Kira's direction, just focused on flying the ship.
"I'm still trying to decide," Kira said as the lenacht slipped off Pallas's shoulders and into his lap where it curled up to sleep.
Pallas finally looked at her. "Well when you do, be sure to let me know."
Kira read the hard look on his face that seemed to warn her away from this avenue of questioning.
"I'll be sure to do that," she said before taking her leave.
Graydon waited until they were off the bridge to shoot her a look. "What was that about?"
Kira shook her head. "I'm not sure."
The only thing she knew was that the forty three were up to something. And the lenacht was involved in their schemes somehow.
Elena - Tsavitee Planet
Elena and the rest of the children marched into a mammoth room that seemed to run throughout the heart of the spire. She craned her head back, looking up and up to the ceiling far, far above.
Wide stairs on the opposite end of the structure waited, leading to a platform several hundred feet up.
Unerringly, Kai headed toward them.
No one said anything as they reached the stairs and ascended as a unit.
Elena counted—there were a hundred steps to the first landing. Then seven more landings after that.
Overlooking them was a tall window the height of the space. Its immense weight supported by the ornate buttresses that intersected in the center. Light splayed over the steps, tinging everything with an orange glow from the stained glass.