The explosion that saved the planet from invasion had contained enough force to knock the moon off its former orbit, pushing it closer to the planet itself. A consequence of this was a shift in Rothchild's magnetic field which had yet to fully stabilize.
It made navigating on the surface difficult. Instruments were notoriously unreliable post moon blast.
The planet's inhabitants had adapted but those visiting were often caught unawares. It was why only experienced pilots now tried to land on the surface. Without the help of their ship’s navigation, they'd be flying blind.
Lathan moved closer to the window. "How did you survive that?"
Wonder tinged with disbelief was in his expression as he looked at Kira. Like he thought her survival was a miracle so unexpected it should have been impossible.
Kira agreed.
No one should have walked away from that. Particularly her.
Yet she had.
Video of the incident, taken from those ships nearby and the planet below, showed a bright flash coinciding with the moon's eruption. Her burst. It was likely what saved her life.
Too bad it hadn't saved Elise and the Curs as well. Or the CSS Vega.
That was what tortured Kira some nights. The thought that she could have saved them if only she'd been better. More skilled.
Pallas’s expression was inscrutable as he flew the ship. "I never figured you for a masochist."
Kira flicked a glance at him. Since his declaration regarding the forty three, they hadn't really talked. He'd shut her out immediately afterward, treating her to an icy silence that she wasn't sure she wanted to breech.
There was a chance that this was all a mind game Pallas was playing for some unknown reason. He did have a history.
Something told her he wasn't lying though. That every word had been the truth as he understood it.
Pallas tilted his head at the window and the planet below. "What down there is so important that you'd be willing to come back here?"
The lenacht perched on Pallas's shoulder lifted its head, looking at her as if it was wondering about that too.
"Just get us down there, Pallas. That's all you have to do."
Pallas's eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding from me?"
Kira's face was hard as she faced him. "I agreed to let you tag along. Nothing was said about me having to answer your questions."
The moments slipped by as Pallas examined her. It wasn't until the lenacht chirped and butted its head against his cheek that he relented.
"Have it your way then," Pallas drawled, turning back to the ship's controls.
Kira didn't listen to him, occupied with staring out the window at the moon.
Twelve years. Twelve long, agonizing years.
That's how long it had been since she'd stood on a ship much bigger than this one with Rothchild and its moon glistening orbs below. The last time she was here her life had been knocked off course and her happiness stolen.
How fitting then that the place that had taken everything from her was now the thing that would give it back.
Graydon joined her, his hand brushing hers in a soft caress. "Have you been back since it happened?"
While he waited for her response, Graydon entangled his fingers with hers. An anchor holding her to the here and now.
Kira released a silent breath, shaking away the sad memories.
"Jin ensured we avoided this section of the galaxy."
It wasn't something they'd ever talked about, but Kira knew he was the reason she'd never received any salvaging missions for the Tsavitee fleet the moon's blast had destroyed. Just one of the many ways he'd taken care of Kira over the years. Sometimes subtly. Other times more obviously.
Seeing the concern in Graydon's gaze, Kira understood what he was really asking.
She offered him a tiny smile. "I won't lie and say I'm okay. Being here—" Her gaze wandered to the window. "It's a reminder."
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.