"Both then," Raider guessed.
Wren's facade cracked a tiny bit, enough to allow one side of his mouth to twitch up in approval.
Raider sighed. "I'd be angry you kept this from us if not for the fact it's probably going to save our asses."
He'd take the Tuann's interference over being captured by the Tsavitee any day.
"Whatever we're going to do, it should happen soon," Talon announced, firing the Wanderer's weapons. "Their ships are closing fast."
The Wanderer jerked under their feet, a boom echoing.
"I take it Harlow upgraded her weapons too," Raider said as the laser hit one of the smaller Tsavitee ships, destroying it.
Kira's little pea shooter wouldn't have been able to do that.
"Not bad," Finn said, looking over at his friend with a half-smile. "Looks like you're less rusty than I expected."
Talon’s smirk was small. "There are some things that are impossible to lose. Excellence is one of them."
"Arrogant," Finn murmured as he went back to concentrating on flying.
"Call your people in," Raider ordered Wren, coming to a decision.
Wren nodded, touching the communication panel on the forearm of his synth armor.
"Oh. Oh. Not good," Blue cried. "Another set of ships just came into range."
"Your people?" Raider asked Wren.
His seon'yer shook his head. "Doubtful. They were instructed to keep their distance until otherwise directed."
Shit.
"You two—go strap yourselves in," Raider ordered Devon and Joule.
"We can help," Joule argued.
"Go!" Raider pointed. To Wren, "How soon can your people get here?"
Wren shook his head grimly. "Not soon enough."
"Looks like it'll be a fight after all," Talon murmured.
Finn arched an eyebrow at him. "You did say you thought you were getting flabby."
Talon's chuckle made Raider shake his head. They were as crazy as the Curs. No wonder Kira and Finn got on so well.
"Wait a minute. They're human,” Blue called.
Their comms beeped, announcing an incoming hail.
"I don't believe it," Blue said, a stunned look on her face as she looked over her shoulder at Raider. "It's Jace. Those are his ships."
"Put it through," Raider ordered.
Blue tapped a button.
Jace's face appeared on one of the displays. "This is the CSS Reliance, hailing the Wanderer. Phoenix, if you're there—answer me."
Thank the God Raider no longer believed in.
"Jace, it's me. We hear you loud and clear," Raider said. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes."
He'd certainly earned his call sign of White Knight all over again today. Raider had never been so grateful for the other's tendency to appear just in the nick of time.
"What can I say—I got tired of waiting for you two to report for duty. Good thing I came. Looks like you've gotten into a little bit of trouble," Jace drawled. "Shall I handle it for you?"
"Be my guest," Raider said.
If his friend wanted to do a little cleanup, who was he to stop him?
"How did you even find us?"
Raider didn't know if it was Kira's paranoia infecting him, but Jace's arrival felt convenient. A little too convenient.
On the screen, one of Jace's ships fell behind as the other three took the lead, opening fire on the Tsavitee fleet as they scrambled several of their single manned fighters. Waveboards included.
The ship in the rear made its way toward the Wanderer. It set up a flanking position that would allow it to protect the smaller ship from any further weapons fire.
"Himoto," Jace confessed. "He tagged Kira's ship when she was on O'Riley. He was afraid of her trying to slip away unannounced. We've been tracking you since you left Tuann territory."
The Tuann—not to mention Kira—weren't going to be happy when they learned about that. Except for a few carefully selected planets that they'd allowed humans to find out about, they were careful to keep any further information—including the number of planets under their control and their location—out of human hands.
Raider cast a look at the Tuann around him, noting the stony expressions on Wren and Finn's faces.
He was certain neither had expected Roake's technicians to miss that when they were retrofitting Kira's ship. He had to hand it to his fellow humans. They could be cunning when they needed to be.
Talon's expression remained easy and laid back. The topic seeming to be of little concern to him.
"Where is Kira by the way?" Jace asked, scanning the air behind Raider in confusion.
He knew as well as Raider did that it would take a life altering event for her to allow someone besides herself to take command of her bridge during a crisis like this.
"There was a small hiccup. We got separated."
Raider didn't go into details, not wanting to share exactly how that had happened. It seemed his time among the Tuann had changed him. He now knew that there were some things best kept to himself.
Raider blamed Kira. That woman had a way of corrupting people.
"Sounds like you've had quite the journey," Jace said, not seeming too surprised about Kira having wandered off.
Then again, there was precedent.
"I look forward to hearing the details." Jace gestured to someone off screen. "There's room in my ship's docking bay. We can talk more once you're on board."
Raider's hesitation showed on his face. "About that—"
"Don't test me," Jace warned. "I don't care what you and Kira were up to. It's time to come back into the fold."
Raider kept his expression under rigid control, allowing none of the frustration eating at him to slip through.
Jace's expression held a warning as he reached forward. "I expect to see you soon."
The communication cut off before Raider acknowledged the order.
"Fuck!" Raider punched a wall, the momentary pain as the skin on his knuckles split clearing his head a little.
He ran a hand over the back of his head. "I was hoping that would go a little better."
He'd banked on Jace's history with Kira. One that predated even Raider's own. They'd come up the ranks side-by-side. If not for Jace's ambition, he might have had a chance with Kira. Instead, he'd chosen power, unwilling to play second fiddle to someone else.
That had always been the difference between him and Raider. Raider had never cared what position he filled as long as he could be with the woman he loved and respected. Second-in-command. Last. It didn't matter to him.
He'd have laid himself beneath his woman's feet if that's what it took.
"Will he be open to negotiation?" Wren asked.
"Unlikely."
"We could always tell him the truth," Blue volunteered.
"Not an option," Raider said at the same time as both Wren and Finn gave an emphatic, "No."
"This is Jace we're talking about. Not some faceless commander. He'll understand if we tell him about Elena and what she is to you," Blue argued.
Raider leveled a serious look on her. "It's nonnegotiable."