And not just because of paranoia either.
There was no certainty that him knowing about Elena would make a difference. Considering his mentor was Himoto, a man who had always chosen the greater good over the self-interests of even his closest confidants, there was a real chance Jace wouldn't care about what they had to share.
Raider didn't want to risk it.
"We just received the docking coordinates. Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it soon," Talon drawled.
Raider stared at the view of space, thinking. Worst case scenario—Jace impounded the Wanderer and reassigned Raider and Blue to the Curs in preparation for deployment. Chances were that he'd allow Wren and the rest to continue on their way afterward.
Of course, they'd lose valuable time. And if Jace found out about the prisoner they had on board all bets were off.
That brought him to the real problem.
Finn was good, but there was no guarantee he'd be able to locate Kira on Rothchild. He didn't know what signs Kira might have left for them to find and follow.
Raider did.
Finn and the rest also weren't prepared for the nuisance that was Odin.
Raider was part of the team originally tasked with hunting that criminal. They would have caught Odin too if not for Kira's sabotage.
Something Raider was still sore about.
"How soon until your people can arrive?" Raider asked Wren.
"An hour. Two at most."
Raider nodded. "Okay then."
"Okay then?" Blue asked in an outraged voice that betrayed her upset. "What does that mean?"
Wren's gaze was steady. He nodded once. As if to say it was already done.
Appreciation rumbled through Raider. He and his father-in-law seemed to share the same mind when it came to this. Maybe there was hope for them after all.
Raider focused on Blue. "It means that if Jace becomes a problem, they'll be there to get us out. By force, if necessary."
Blue sputtered. "That's—"
"Mutiny. I know," Raider agreed grimly. "I'm really hoping it doesn't come to that."
Twelve
Kira – Haldeel Abandoned Planet
An hour later Kira slammed her hands down on the console in frustration. "Why isn't this working?"
Since sitting down, she'd gotten nowhere. Every attempt to penetrate the computer system in charge of the ship's controls—things like piloting, navigation, and life support—had been rejected. It left her stuck firmly at square one with no path forward.
She didn't think this was a problem of time either. One hour. Two. It would make no difference. She could try for the next five days and be no better off.
"You won't be able to access that. Pallas thought you might try so he locked the system down before he left."
Kira's hands clenched, her only reaction to the unexpected intrusion as she shot the J1N a narrow eyed look. "Seriously? No warning at all that we're about to have company?"
The J1N spun, his 'eye' ending up pointing somewhere in the vicinity of the ceiling. "The owner of the ship has returned. This can no longer be classified as a salvage operation. I cannot be of any further service to you."
Kira slumped in her chair. "Don't worry—you were never 'of service.'"
"What's wrong with your friend?" the intruder asked, venturing further into the room.
Kira leaned her head against the chair. "Where should I start?"
The question was rhetorical, giving her time to think. Kira never expected to see the wanderer she'd met during the adva ka again. As helpful as he'd been, he wasn't high on her list of people to keep track of.
But maybe that was her antisocial nature coming out to play.
"I guess Pallas really is your seon'yer," she observed.
The wanderer ventured further into the room. Unlike the last time they'd met, there was no hood with weird shadows to obscure his features. Like all Tuann, he looked deceptively young. His ears pointed and his age somewhere in his early twenty’s human-wise. Older than Devon but not by much.
He had white blond hair that was short except for two braided locks that hung near his temple. His hazel eyes were striking against his darker skin tone. The contrast made his appearance memorable.
Kira now understood why he'd chosen to use a cloak and hood during the adva ka. His face was the type you didn’t forget. For someone like him who drifted along the edges of society, that could be dangerous.
It was better to keep a low profile until he had the power and strength to protect himself.
His armor was of Tuann origin. It had been repaired so many times throughout the years that it looked like a patchwork quilt. The result of being on his own in a violent universe with no House to protect him or proper resources with which to fix his armor.
Still, she could see the care that had gone into maintaining it. Likely hours of intense work to get his welds perfect.
"You doubted me?"
Kira shrugged, restlessly swiveling the chair back and forth. "Don't take it personally. My history with Pallas makes it hard to see him as any sort of mentor."
Unless he was teaching someone how to be the most extreme and crazy person in any room they walked into. Pallas would be perfect for that.
There was a trill from the hallway. A second later a creature the size of a small cat glided into the room. It landed on the wanderer’s shoulder, hooking its claws into the collar of his armor and hugging his neck with its tail. From its perch, it regarded Kira through eyes the color of gemstones.
"Hello, little one," Kira greeted with a soft smile.
A series of whistles came from the lenacht. A greeting.
In Tuann, lenacht meant blessing. The Mea'Ave's blessing. They were born only once in a great while, for the purpose of going out into the universe. A seed, ferried by their chosen guardian. In this case the man in front of her.
He would convey the lenacht to a destination of its choosing where it would then take root to become a new Mea'Ave. The source of the Tuann's strength.
Strangely, Kira was a quasi-god parent to the lenacht. If the wanderer fell or was unable to continue in his duties for some reason, Kira would be the one to step in and pick up his mantle.
"The last time I saw you, you had just turned yourself into millions of sparkling lights before diving into his body," Kira said conversationally.
At least, that’s what had seemed to happen.
Currently, the lenacht was a lot more solid-looking. Crimson danced along its paws and the horns on its head. The rest of its body was a whitish blue. Its lower half similar to a lu-ong's with no back paws. Just a serpent-like tail that it thrapped against the wanderer's chest in happiness.
The wanderer cupped the lenacht's body, shifting it higher on his shoulder to a position that was more stable. "Using me as a temporary host after its birth was necessary for it to gather strength. As long as it is in a healthy state, it will remain in this form."
The lenacht nuzzled the wanderer's cheek.
"It's Lathan." At her questioning look, he added, "My name. I'm assuming you didn't know."