The tight feeling in her stomach that had been there since she'd left Joule behind loosened. Her nod was sharp, conveying her gratitude.
"Thanks," she told him. "I couldn't have done this without you."
He might not like that she'd drawn the primus off, but his actions had likely saved the initiates. That was well worth any harsh feelings he might have.
His expression thawed the faintest bit, and his nod was slow. Graydon's oshota appeared out of the trees, Maida and several from Roake at their side.
With effort, Kira gathered herself, straightening with an internal wince. She might want to collapse into a puddle on the ground, but what would that say to her audience?
Right now, she looked like a badass. The evidence of her abilities strewn all around her. No need for anyone to see how much this had cost her.
Always keep them guessing, as Jin would say.
"You destroyed one drone," she told Graydon. "Don't go getting a big head about it, or else I'll point out all the ones you didn't destroy."
Those who'd joined them looked at the truth of her words. Kira knew how she must look, her skin covered in red welts, her clothing torn and dirty, broken drones all around her like a scene out of a holovid science fiction nightmare.
Now to seal her badassery for the ages. Walking toward Graydon was an effort every bone and muscle in her body protested, her vision going gray along the edges, her head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.
Graydon remained motionless as she pulled abreast. "We're going to have a long conversation about this later."
Kira had hit her wall, not even those dire words could summon more than faint alarm. "But not now."
The skin around his eyes tightened. "No, not now."
Good. Whatever had put that look on his face could wait.
Walking out of here was going to be a bitch and a half.
Disbelief and awe were on the faces of those she moved past.
Kira wavered, almost toppling as she forced her feet to move. Finding a deep dark hole where she could rest and regain her strength had become a priority.
Willpower only took you so far, and she'd just hit the end of hers.
Graydon's hand settled under her elbow. "Don't spoil your little demonstration by collapsing now."
"Easier said than done."
Graydon raised his voice, speaking to their audience. "Clean up this mess and get Devon to the healers." To Kira, he murmured, "So you do have a limit; how very human of you."
Kira snarled silently. She forced one foot in front of the other, then did it again and again. The tree line closing with agonizing slowness.
Finally, they were there. Kira made it two steps into its cover before her legs collapsed.
Graydon caught her as she fell, lifting her to cradle her against his chest. "Good girl."
He strode through the trees, his pace fast as her head lolled on his shoulder. She was too spent to give a token protest. She'd make sure to do that later when she could move her limbs again.
Over his shoulder, Kira caught the concerned look Finn and Amila shared, worry written on their faces.
The path she'd taken through the trees had seemed so short with the primus chasing her, but now it felt never-ending as Kira struggled not to lose consciousness.
Graydon jostled her when her eyes closed for a second time. She blinked slowly up at him.
Concern and anger warred in his expression. "What possessed you to take on a primus?"
She forced herself out of the darkness's embrace. Tempting as it was to slip away and escape the pain radiating through her body—her very cells feeling swollen and tender—she couldn't. Not until she was safe.
Her lips lifted in a halfhearted grin. "I don't think I did so bad, considering I can't reach my ki."
Graydon's pace increased, not quite running. Her old drill instructor would have said he was moving with a purpose.
Kira nodded off, waking herself at the last second.
"Not far now," he assured her. "That course is meant to be taken with two oshota pods. Not by a single woman with suicidal impulses."
"I see the conversation you wanted to have couldn't wait," Kira observed, her eyes drifting shut. Her words slurred. "I got skillz."
Graydon bounced her in his arms, jarring her awake. "No, you don't get to fall asleep now. Stay awake."
Kira moaned. So annoying.
"At least this time, I saved you. I think I deserve a reward," Graydon said, his voice tight.
Kira knew what he was trying to do. He wanted a fight.
It worked. From somewhere, she summoned enough strength to fix him with a glare. "Bullshit, you killed one. I destroyed nearly two dozen."
"In battle, it doesn't matter how many you kill if the last enemy still gets you," Graydon taunted.
A thin growl escaped her. "I would have had it. You didn't need to interfere."
He raised an arrogant eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because it looked to me like you needed saving."
"You should take off those goggles you're wearing. They're impeding your vision," Kira said, disappointed to find her words lacked the appropriate bite.
"I'd like to know how you managed to reset the parameters while being chased by an infuriated primus," Graydon said in a silky voice.
"I thought we weren't doing this now."
His smile held teeth. "Soon then."
Her head sagged. No amount of taunting or will power was going to keep her upright much longer.
"We're there." He set her on her feet.
"Oh goody," Kira muttered. Resignation filled her.
They moved out of the cover of the trees, Kira taking those last few steps on her own, her pace slow and measured.
"See the conveyance," Graydon murmured. "Make it there, and you're done."
She could do that. She'd pay for it later, but she could do it.
The trek across the small distance felt interminable. The edges of her vision were fading as Graydon snapped a few words. The Roake near the conveyance moved, opening the door and stepping back.
Graydon was careful not to touch her during the forced march.
Kira reached the conveyance and stopped, staring at the two stairs standing between her and blessed unconsciousness. They might as well have been a mountain guarded by a fast-moving river, that was how much of an obstacle they presented.
"One step at a time," Graydon murmured.
One step at a time. Like everything else in life. Focus on the next thing. Only then could you look up.
Kira didn't know how she made it up the steps, her vision entirely gone, her head spinning. Finally, she collapsed inside, Graydon crowding in after her. She was past caring who saw or judged. Her body was done.
Darkness reached up for her; she reached back.
*
Kira groaned on her return to consciousness. Her body hurt, but not to the extent it should have. Before, it had felt like she'd burned off a couple of layers of skin. Now, she felt better than she had any right to, not good as new, but close.
She blinked up at a strange ceiling.
"Jin, we're going to need to talk about what you term non-lethal," she muttered.
She sighed when he didn't answer. She wasn't surprised since the comms had gone dead somewhere in the middle of that last barrage, the energy coursing through her system from the laser fire probably shorting them out.