Not Jace. Not the Curs. No one.
"I think I finally understand Kira," Raider whispered to himself.
This was why she was so paranoid. Even with people she trusted implicitly. Why she treated information like precious treasure. To be hoarded and hidden away. Because you never really knew a person.
Raider scrubbed a hand over his face, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief. Son of a bitch. He got it now.
Jace looked at him. "What?"
"Can you ensure Blue has no contact with anyone while in your brig?"
Jace watched him carefully. "I'd planned as much."
"I mean it, Jace. Absolutely as few people as possible. And only ones you trust."
"Okay." Jace dragged out the word, the look on his face saying that he suspected this was no simple request. "I take it this has something to do with whatever Kira is up to."
Raider answered him with silence.
Jace's lips twisted. "Figures."
Jace moved back to the desk, lowering himself into the chair behind it as Raider considered his next move.
First off—he needed out of this room. Second—off this ship. And third. Well, he'd figure that out when it came time.
"I'm afraid whatever you're up to with the Tuann is at an end," Jace declared, busying himself with the files in front of him. "The fleet is being deployed to defend several key positions against an incursion by the Tsavitee."
Raider moved his gaze from the door he'd been staring at. "What about Kira? She's counting on us for backup."
"There's still the Tuann you were traveling with. I'm sure they'll suffice."
Though Raider had expected that response, it was still disappointing to hear.
He rose, giving Jace a salute. "Of course. Sir."
Jace didn't react to the slight bite in his voice, bending his head to concentrate on the tablet in front of him.
Raider stalked out of the room, looking neither left nor right as he headed toward the flight deck.
Soon, it was going to occur to Jace that Raider had been much too accommodating just now. His history with Raider would make him realize that something was up and he'd react accordingly. Either by assigning someone to sit on Raider to make sure he didn't do anything stupid or by restricting him to quarters. Possibly both.
Up ahead, the exit to the flight deck came into view. Just as shouts came from down the corridor behind him.
Looked like Jace had finally caught on.
Raider burst onto the flight deck, moving at a quick clip. Wren spotted him first, signaling Finn.
Nova turned, the expression on his face unsurprised.
Son of a bitch. No wonder Nova and Maverick had been waiting on the flight deck when they'd arrived. Jace must have suspected this was coming.
Nova reached for the stun gun at his side.
Finn's fist dropped him an instant later.
Maverick attempted to evade, but Wren knocked him unconscious before he made it a single step.
"Nice take down," Raider told them.
Finn's mask cracked; his smile tiny.
Shouts broke out as the flight deck crew noticed Nova and Maverick's prone bodies.
Raider broke into a run. "Time to go."
Wren and Finn dashed ahead of Raider toward the ship as its engines roared to life. The Wanderer's ramp lowered. Devon strode down it with his en-blade drawn in preparation. Joule stood behind him, his hands lifted to cast a ki shield.
A pulse rifle blasted, singeing the deck in front of Raider.
"Take another step, Raider, and I’ll give the order to shoot," Jace threatened.
Raider slowed to a stop, Wren and Finn doing the same a few steps later.
"Damn it," Raider groaned, tipping his head back.
He'd really hoped to avoid this.
With a feeling of resignation, Raider faced Jace. "Impressive reaction time by your crew. How fast did you have a team scrambled? Four minutes? Five?"
It would probably have been even faster than that if Jace hadn't insisted on being present for the take down.
"What are you doing?" Jace asked, furious. "I mean—what the absolute hell are you doing?"
Nova strolled up to join those at Jace's back. He rubbed his jaw, shooting Finn a dirty look. Maverick came up behind him, his expression controlled.
"I've told you—I've got places to be," Raider said.
"Are they so important that you're willing to be considered a deserter?"
"I'd say so. Yeah."
For his daughter, he'd face the bowels of that hell his parents so fervently believed in. To say nothing of being court martialed and considered a coward by people he respected.
Jace's jaw ticked. "Give me something to work with here, Raider. Let me help."
Raider's mouth quirked. "You're really going to say that after what just went down with Blue."
Maverick and Nova frowned, their troubled expressions making it clear that Jace hadn't shared his suspicions with them.
"How long have we known each other?" Jace asked angrily.
Too long. Sometimes it felt like forever.
"Do you really think there's a chance in this world I'm working with them?" Jace pressed, seeing the answer in Raider's face. "Come on, brother. You know me better than that."
"Yeah, I do," Raider admitted, meeting the other's eyes. "You're right. You're the brother of my heart."
Jace's body relaxed, thinking he'd won.
A spurt of grim amusement filled Raider. Sorry, Jace. It wasn't going to be that easy.
"I don't want to hurt you," Raider told him, extinguishing Jace's relief. "But I will if you make me."
He meant that. It might kill him to do it, but he would.
"Don't follow me. This is your only warning," Raider finished.
Jace's face hardened. "You're an idiot if you think I'm letting you fly out of here with that bullshit excuse. You don't want to talk. Fine. Maybe you'll open up after spending a few days in the brig." To his people. "If he moves another step, cripple the ship."
"You're not going to want to do that," Wren warned.
Jace flicked a glance at him. "This is Consortium territory. You have no authority here."
Wren shrugged. "In my experience, might trumps right."
The air shimmered, several oshota appearing in their midst out of nowhere.
Amila pointed a zuipi at Jace, the energy arrow already nocked and ready. "Hello, again."
Several of Jace's people shifted to aim their weapons at her, their expressions betraying how rattled they felt.
There was a screech as a stocky oshota with orange hair sticking up from his head in tufts placed his hand on one of the small fighter craft and pushed it out of his way.
"Oops," the oshota said with fake sincerity as he sauntered forward.
"Maksym, I don't think we're supposed to cause any damage yet," another woman said, striding out of the shadows. She shook her head at the scratches on the deck. "We were supposed to wait for a signal."
Maksym shrugged his broad shoulders. "I got bored. You know how I am."
The woman rolled her eyes before dipping her chin in greeting to Raider. "It's good to see you well."
"You too, Zoella," Raider responded.
She and Maksym were two of Wren's oshota that Raider had gotten to know a little since taking Wren as his seon'yer.