Pallas's ship was likely faster and better equipped for a fight.
Brie shook her head. "I'm afraid that's impossible. He took off early this morning. No one saw him leave."
That rat bastard. He'd abandoned Kira right when she needed him. Again.
"This is why I didn't want him involved with my business," Kira told Graydon.
Her lover's jaw flexed, his eyes chips of ice. "I see why."
Graydon's anger at Pallas's betrayal was palpable. The air heavy with tension.
"I have a team escorting the All Father to the smuggler's ship as we speak," Brie explained. "We're meeting them there."
"You've thought of everything," Kira said dryly, not sure how pleased she was about that fact. She’d always hated being the last one to know.
"Diesel did," Brie corrected, walking away.
"Of course, he did," Kira muttered.
Graydon arched an eyebrow, falling into step beside her as she started after the human. "This puts a damper on things. What are your plans now?"
"For now, we'll rendezvous with Odin. Waiting for the Wanderer to arrive is no longer an option if the Tsavitee are here."
Frustration nipped at Kira. As usual—when things went wrong, they did so at light speed.
"It might be time to think about calling in Harlow's reinforcements," Graydon put forth.
"You don't need to remind me. I'm already considering it."
For now, though, their first step was to get off the planet and find somewhere safe to hunker down while they tried to intercept the Wanderer from flying into a trap. After that, they'd see about those reinforcements.
A high whine from behind them came an instant before the trees in front of them were strafed with pulse blasts.
"Move! Move! Move!" Kira screamed, sprinting forward to weave through the trees.
Brie looked back once before doing the same.
Graydon covered their retreat, protecting Kira's back as they plunged through the forest.
"Over here," Brie called, waving them toward an embankment protected by a massive fallen tree.
Kira sailed over it, her heart squeezing when she found the drop on the other side much steeper than it had looked. She barely managed to land without breaking an ankle.
"A little warning next time would be nice," Kira growled at the human.
Brie's eyes were wide. "I didn't expect you to jump over it like that."
Graydon landed next to Kira. "Well, this is fun."
"Not the word I'd use," Kira said, dusting snow and dead leaves off her hands.
Pulse blasts hit the tree, sending bits of bark raining down on them.
Kira tucked herself further into the protection of the fallen tree. "We need to do something about that."
Otherwise, they were just asking to get sniped.
"I thought you'd never ask," Graydon said with a wink before climbing onto the top of the tree.
Brie attempted to stop him. "What are you doing? Get down from there or you'll get shot."
Kira pulled her back. "Don't worry. He'll be fine."
With a last glance at Graydon, Kira pushed Brie toward the creek bed that must have been the reason for the steep embankment. "We should get moving."
And give him room to work, Kira added privately.
Behind them the air crackled, the pressure in it causing Kira's ears to pop.
"What is he doing?" Brie asked, trying to get a look at Graydon.
Kira didn't let her, shoving her forward a little more forcefully. "Nothing you need to worry about."
There was a crack and then a flash of black light that seared her retinas even when looking in the opposite direction.
Brie dove for the ground, probably thinking a bomb had just gone off next to them.
An accurate description, Kira allowed as she glanced behind them to see the landscape obliterated by Graydon. The trees looked like they'd been snapped in half, lying on their side. The trunks splintered like matchsticks.
The snow had evaporated, leaving charred ground behind.
There was no longer any sign of the Tsavitee snipers.
"That's one way to handle it," Kira said as Graydon hopped down.
"We should do this again," he said, taking in the devastation with a pleased expression.
Kira shook her head as Brie climbed to her feet. "I'm so glad to see this is fun for you."
Graydon nodded. "It is."
Brie gaped at the destruction. "What did you do?"
"Tuann weapon," Graydon lied without changing expression. "Don't worry. I made sure no humans were in the vicinity first."
Brie's nod was distracted, her gaze still on the swath of forest that had been laid to waste.
"How much further?" Kira asked.
That seemed to snap Brie out of her daze. "A few miles."
Graydon sauntered past them. "We should get moving then."
They had only gone about a mile before the sound of battle up ahead had them slowing.
Kira joined Brie as the other listened carefully. "Is that where the ship is?"
Brie looked troubled as she shook her head. "We're still a couple miles out. There aren't any settlements in that direction either. Not for over a hundred miles. That's why Diesel chose it as a landing site for the smuggler’s ship."
Kira considered for a moment. If that was the case, then there was only one explanation for a battle to take place where there should be no people.
"Odin," Kira guessed.
Brie's expression said she agreed.
Kira and Graydon shared a look.
"We can't leave Odin behind," Kira told him.
He inclined his chin. "I guess that means we need to do our best to rescue them."
"And hope we don't die in the process," Kira muttered.
From the sound of things, Odin and their escorts were taking heavy fire. It was going to be difficult to save them and make it the rest of the way to the ship without encountering any casualties.
But abandoning Odin wasn't an option.
For one thing, they still had the J1N. No way was Kira leaving without her friend's body. The Sye was also still Kira's best chance to locate the Tsavitee home world.
Either way, Kira had to save the All Father.
"I don't suppose you'd let me handle this on my own," Graydon said, seeing the look on her face.
"Not a chance."
He smirked and walked toward the sound of battle. "Very well, then."
Brie's face showed nerves as she glanced uncertainly at Kira. "Is this a good idea?"
"Probably not," Kira admitted, starting after Graydon. "But we're going to do it anyway."
Still uncertain, Brie shouldered her combat pulse rifle before following.
A short time later, Kira and Graydon slipped through the trees like ghosts. Graydon a short distance in front of her and to the right. A dark shadow that seemed at home with the rest of those present in the forest.
Kira focused on the sounds of battle up ahead. They weren’t far now.
They'd left Brie a short distance behind them. In a sniper's perch where the human could provide cover if things went south.
Sensing something up ahead, Graydon signaled Kira.
She nodded. She’d heard it too. They were getting close.