He was the one who’d helped her come up with a protocol for if her primus ever escaped her control while on the ship.
Although he'd never been on a mission with them, she'd always considered him a Cur. Part of their family.
She'd mourned his loss when the Vega went down, and she still raised a toast to him every year on the date of his death.
"You had a war to win. Truthfully, I wasn't good company those first few years afterward anyway."
Kira's smile was self-deprecating. "I wasn't either."
Diesel let out a low laugh. "You made the entire galaxy aware of that fact, Nixxy. Everyone heard about what you did. It was what gave me the much needed kick in the ass to finally get over my self-pity."
While Diesel was speaking, he jerked his chin in dismissal at the handful of humans seated around the bonfire. They dispersed but not before shooting curious looks in Kira's direction that she pretended not to see.
When they were gone, Diesel beckoned her to take a seat next to him. Graydon hung back as Kira crossed the short distance and lowering herself into the camp chair.
Time had carved grooves into the deep brown of Diesel’s skin. The stubble on his chin and jaw had stray pieces of gray in them. He was only three years older than Raider, but it looked closer to a decade.
Diesel was studying her in the same fashion she was him. "Damn, it's good to see you, Nixxy. I had a feeling you'd come back here."
"Better late than never, I guess."
"Yes, I suppose it is," Diesel agreed softly.
Kira cleared her throat. "Your companion informed me of the memorial."
"It's nice. I think the rest would have approved."
Kira had no doubt about that. They'd have gotten a laugh at the idea of something being erected in their honor. There would have been teasing regarding how very sentimental everyone was being. Then they would have thanked those involved with a sincerity that would have made things very awkward for a couple of minutes.
"You should visit it before you leave. Pay your respects. I think it would be good for you."
Kira looked away. "You always were too smart for my peace of mind."
"Someone had to keep you lot from accidentally killing yourselves."
Kira's snort held a tired amusement. "If that's what you want to tell yourself."
Diesel's smile broadened, the goofy expression vanquishing the heavy atmosphere that had threatened to ruin the moment.
"What are you doing on Rothchild anyway?" Kira asked.
From what she remembered, Diesel was from Merit. She was surprised that he hadn’t returned home after the war.
That's what they'd been fighting for, after all. Their homes.
Diesel's expression was wistful as he trained his gaze on the moon. "I thought about going home. Somehow, it just felt wrong. You know?"
His question didn't require a response.
Diesel touched the spot where his legs ended. "This place had already claimed a piece of me. It seemed only fitting I give it the rest."
"So, you stayed."
"And so, I stayed."
Silence settled between them. The kind that was bought from the pain of shared experience and an understanding that spanned years of serving by the other's side.
"Brie tells me you're here for the All Father."
"Yeah, about that." Kira shifted to level an astounded look on Diesel. "I didn’t expect you to be the type to let Odin stay here. Let alone make use of the Vega."
That ship would have meant every bit as much to him as it did her. For him to let someone make use of it, a stranger at that, was puzzling.
Diesel leaned on the arm of his chair. "Interesting fellas, those two."
"Two?"
"Twins. A man and a woman." Diesel took a sip out of the insulated coffee mug he held. "They thought we wouldn't notice, what with them being nearly identical and all."
Diesel tapped the skin under his eye with a cocky grin.
Understanding dawned. They must have caught Odin's shift from male to female and assumed they were two different people.
"Observant," Kira said, playing along.
"They showed up a few years ago. Said they needed the Vega for something important."
"And you just let them on the ship?"
That wasn't the Diesel she'd known. That Diesel had been a hard ass who didn't give most people the time of day.
"Normally I wouldn't have, but they came highly recommended."
At Kira's interested look, Diesel's smile widened. "Jin."
"No." Kira shook her head. "That's not possible."
"Hand to the divine entity responsible for creating life in this messed up universe that I am not lying." Diesel raised his hand. "The All Father had a video letter and Jin's authentication code. Jin said the twins were helping you with something important. I didn't see much point in arguing after that."
Another thing Jin had kept from her. All these secrets were beginning to add up.
Diesel nodded at the silhouette of the ship peeking over the tree tops. "The reason the Vega is down here is also because of your friend. Those two came up with the plan to retrieve the ship and crash landed it on Rothchild. The rest of us just did as instructed."
Kira's frown was troubled as her gaze lingered on the ship.
She could see Odin taking advantage after the Vega was already on the ground. But to make the plan and head the project to retrieve it?
That was something different. Odin didn't exactly work well with others. They tended to avoid authority figures by all costs necessary. Something that wouldn't have been possible with a task of this magnitude.
Odin must have wanted the Vega badly. What was so damn important about that ship that Odin had chosen it as their base?
Its connection to Kira? The manner of its demise?
Or something else?
Diesel rested his cup on the arm of his chair. "Brie can escort you to Odin but I'll have to ask your companions to wait here."
"That's not going to happen," Graydon said, prowling toward them.
Diesel eyed the Tuann carefully. "You've got pretty good ears if you heard that from all the way over there."
Graydon's smile was faint. "It's okay. Just a little better than average."
Diesel seemed unconvinced, his bushy eyebrows lowering as he glanced at Kira in speculation. "Be that as it may, the All Father isn't a fan of visitors. My instructions are not to let anyone but Kira or Jin into Yggdrasil without their permission." Diesel bared his teeth. "You could call this nonnegotiable"
Graydon's face hardened. "She's not going in there alone."
"I never said she had to. Jin will go with her." Diesel glanced at Kira. "That's him in that other one's hood, isn't it?"
The lie rolled easily off Kira's tongue. "He's having a little bit of trouble with his positioning algorithm. A side effect of the planet's magnetic field."
Diesel relaxed in his chair. "You should have been here for the immediate aftermath. It got pretty wild for a few years."
"I can imagine," Kira said. To Graydon, "I'll be fine. Jin will watch my back. Wait here until I return."
Graydon's expression went hard, well aware that 'Jin' wasn't going to be watching much of anything.
Kira touched his hand, asking for patience. "I promise. Jin and I will be fine."