"I didn't ask."
Mostly because she didn't care. He seemed like a nice enough person. Or as nice as someone apprenticed to Pallas and fighting for survival could be. But Kira's attention span was finite. Particularly in times of crisis. She only had so much to spare for people and things that didn't directly affect her or her goals.
That's just how it was.
To say nothing of the fact that names held a certain significance. Attaching a name to a person meant you knew them on some level. It made it more real when something bad happened to them.
Kira had more realness in her life right now than she could handle. She wasn't looking to add to it.
"No, I suppose you didn't," Lathan agreed, showing no offense at her rejection.
Well, well. Wasn't he just the understanding sort?
Lathan patted the lenacht absentmindedly. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon. I thought the meeting would take longer."
Kira’s body tensed. "You know about the forty three?"
His status as Pallas's yer'se was just barely within the realm of possibility. Just barely. She could picture Pallas picking up an apprentice from some back alley somewhere and taking him for his own.
To apprise him of matters pertaining to the forty three? No. Nuh uh.
If true, it would make Pallas the biggest hypocrite alive. All the shit he'd given her. The threats if she ever told the Curs about them. Then for him to turn around and bring a stranger to their super-secret meeting.
She'd kill him. Maybe not in reality. But in her head. Over and over again. In increasingly creative ways.
"Enough to not understand why you’re here, trying to steal this ship, rather than with your adoptive family."
Kira relaxed, lounging in the captain's chair as if it was her own. "Let's just say, my relationship with the forty three is a little complicated. We have history."
A long, fucked up history similar to that which biological siblings might have shared.
"You're angry with them," Lathan guessed, moving closer.
"You could say that."
She was also disappointed and hurt.
For some reason, she kept hoping that the forty three would act like the siblings they named themselves as. And every time they did something like this, she was reminded of how vast the chasm between them really was.
Kira was aware she wasn't being entirely rational or fair. After all, she still hadn't apprised them of Jin's predicament or what it could mean for Kira.
Maybe it would have mattered. Maybe it wouldn't have.
Damn it, Elena alone should have been enough to compel them to action. She shouldn't have to drag Jin's name into this to get them to see reason.
"Pallas advises me not to allow emotion to blind myself to reality," Lathan said.
She gave him a sardonic smile. "Does he now?"
How very ironic.
"How did you two meet, anyway?" Kira asked, curious.
"Is that relevant?"
"Not really."
Whatever the story was, it didn't seem like Lathan wanted to share. Kira's gaze dropped to the lenacht curled around his neck. Its wings fluttered at her attention. "Aren't you supposed to be finding this little one a home?"
"Lenacht roam until they find a place suitable for their needs. That could take decades. A century or more in some cases."
"I see," Kira said, staring at the lenacht.
It wasn't lost on her that she felt significantly better. Its very presence doing the same thing her garden oasis had. Offering her respite and healing simply by existing.
No wonder the Tsavitee's masters had wanted to get their hands on one. They were a valuable panacea that the masters would wish to exploit for their own purposes.
There was a clatter from under one of the consoles.
Kira and Lathan looked over to find the J1N caught underneath, struggling to find its way out despite the opening right next to him.
"Are you sure he's okay?" Lathan asked.
"Internal glitches. Nothing to worry about."
Lathan didn't look like he believed that lie as Kira fished the J1N out from under the console, tossing him into the air.
The J1N dropped, almost hitting the ground before his anti gravs caught him.
"Ah, good. You've introduced yourselves to one another already," Pallas said, striding into the room. "That saves us time."
An incomprehensible series of squawks, bleats, and oddly the grinding of gears, issued from the J1N a second before a shrill alarm started.
"Enemy detected. Kill on sight authorized."
The J1N's primary weapons whined as they charged in preparation to fire.
Pallas gave the drone an incredulous look. "Is he seriously targeting me?"
Kira lunged out of her chair. "Don't you dare. J1N, abort. Abort now! Authorization not granted!"
The siren's wail almost drowned out Kira's words.
"Do not hurt him, Pallas," Kira shouted just as the J1N fired its primary laser.
Pallas thrust a hand forward, a sheet of black ki blocking the laser in midair. A bang shook the room.
Kira snatched the J1N out of the air, maintaining her grip on it despite its struggles as she backed away.
Fury tightened Pallas's features as he reached slowly for the sword on his back.
"I wouldn't," Graydon said, holding his en-blade to Pallas's neck. "It would be a shame if I had to kill you right after the agreement your siblings and I just made."
Pallas went still. "You wouldn't dare."
"Threaten Kira or the drone again and you'll find out."
"Without me or this ship, you'll be stuck on this planet. You won't be able to go anywhere."
Graydon didn't seem concerned. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."
Pallas bared his teeth but dropped his hand from the hilt of his sword.
"Kira, you good?" Graydon asked with his en-blade still against Pallas's neck.
"Define good."
The J1N trying to murder Pallas hadn't been on her itinerary for the day. The fact that the matter had passed with no bloodshed could be considered a minor miracle.
"You can put away your en-blade. I won't do anything to them," Pallas said with a snide look at Kira.
She glared at him. "If I were you, I wouldn't trust anything out of that psycho's mouth."
Her history with Pallas said he wasn't the type to let an attack of this nature go so easily.
Pallas's gaze lingered on the J1N long enough for Kira to grow uncomfortable. "Let me guess. That's not Jin."
Kira met his gaze, ice sliding through her veins.
The corners of Pallas's lips lifted. "I thought something was off about him. Why didn't you tell the forty three that in addition to Elena, Jin is also compromised?"
"It didn't feel necessary. I doubt it would have made a difference anyway."
The enigmatic smile on his face widened. "It's so good to see you finally understand the purpose behind keeping secrets. Even when it comes to your nearest and dearest."
"Like you did with your little yer'se?" Kira cut her eyes to Lathan. "After all the threats you made regarding me telling the Curs and you reveal the forty three’s existence to him."