"Stupid of Roderick not to have placed someone up there to make sure his prisoners didn’t use them," Kira said.
"I doubt he remembers they're there. Most Luathans don't. They've fallen out of fashion."
Isla and Noor traded glances, a faint trace of scorn in their expressions. Kira agreed. A good head of security would have made it his business to search out any potential security threats and neutralize the danger they presented. That he hadn't was good news for them, bad news for the Luathans.
Blue finished fiddling with her device. There was a hissing sound and then the red glowing outline of a square appeared on the ceiling.
Seconds later a giant chunk of it fell to the ground with a crash.
"Let's move, people. They would have heard that," Jace ordered.
Outside Kira could hear the sound of running footsteps as voices shouted in Tuann. The door rattled against the furniture Finn and the other Tuann had secured against it.
Tank and Raider went first followed by Blue and Jace.
"You're next," Finn told her.
"Let the rest through first. I'll bring up the rear."
He gave her a sharp smile. "I don't think so."
Before she could protest, he grabbed her and lifted her easily up to the ceiling. Not willing to argue when they lacked time and because she was already up there, Kira grabbed hold and pulled herself up.
Jin tucked himself in after her, his running lights illuminating the shadowy space.
Jace and the others had already started moving, giving those following room. Kira crawled after them.
Blue and Jin had misled them about the size of the escape tunnels. They were little more than a narrow crawl space, setting off every claustrophobic instinct Kira had.
Her head didn't quite brush the ceiling as she moved forward, but it was close. She couldn't imagine how much worse it was for Tank or the Tuann behind her who both dwarfed her.
"You would think they could have made these a little bigger given how tall they are," Kira muttered as she neared Jace's feet.
"Only children and those who can't fight would have used these," Finn said.
Kira glanced to see if everyone had made it into the ceiling tunnel, but couldn't see past Finn's bulk.
Kira faced ahead again and wiggled forward. They wouldn't be able to stay in these long. Crawling this way took effort and stamina. She made it less than the length of one hallway before she had to rest again.
She reached behind her and wrestled with her dress, pulling its length out of the way. Again.
She’d loved the way it had looked when she’d been going to a party. Now, while crawling through a small tunnel, tripping on it every other second, not so much.
There was a loud rip as she tore the bottom off near her knees. That should make moving a little easier.
“Phoenix is getting naked,” Raider taunted from up ahead.
“You try crawling around this place lugging a bunch of extra fabric,” Kira whisper-hissed back.
There were a couple of chuckles as they all rested. Soft panting filled the air.
"You can see why these fell into disuse," Finn said in a strained voice.
Kira nodded, trying not to feel like the walls were caving in around her. She hated tight spaces. She'd deal, but her stomach would be a tight mass of nerves until she was out.
"We need to get out of these tunnels," Kira said. "They're going to know we're using them. It won't be long before they send people up here to search us out."
They’d traveled several branches already in the short period they'd been up here so it might take a while for Roderick's people to find them. Still, Roderick might get lucky.
"Find us an exit point, Tank," Jace said in a low voice.
There was a low grunt from ahead.
After a few more minutes of crawling, Tank signaled he'd found something. With Finn calling out instructions on how to find the access panel, they didn't have to resort to burning their way out.
Kira lowered herself into a deserted room, the Curs having already secured it. She dropped to the floor and straightened, looking around in curiosity. Beakers and oddly shaped items were strewn throughout.
Raider folded his arms and leaned against a table, crossing his ankles. "What's the game plan? Do you have one?"
All eyes turned toward Kira, identical questions in their expressions.
She rubbed her hands on the remnants of her dress, thinking.
"Step one was making sure you weren't a stationary target," she said. "I'm working on step two."
"We could steal a ship. Fly it out of here," Raider suggested.
Noor snorted. "This isn't one of those human holovids. Stealing a Tuann ship isn't that easy or else your kind would have dozens of them by now."
"The ships are coded to us," Finn said quietly. "You won't be able to even open the doors let alone get one off the ground.
"Not to mention the defense grid would shoot any unauthorized ship that took off from the planet," Noor said.
"What about this defense grid you say these people plan to bring down?" Blue said, tilting her head.
"There's an idea," Jace said.
The Tuann frowned in confusion.
"What is?" Isla asked.
"We wait until it falls and then we fly ourselves out of here," he said, folding his arms over his chest.
"You lack a ship," Finn reminded him.
"But we have you," Jace pointed out.
Raider straightened, an evil grin lighting up his face. "And as you said, the ships are coded to your kind."
"I'm needed here," Finn said through gritted teeth. "I have no intention of helping you escape."
Raider watched Finn carefully, his expression considering.
"Don't even think it," Kira warned.
The rest looked at her.
"You attack him, and you'll have to deal with me," she told Raider. "That's if these three don't kick your ass first."
Raider made a tsking sound before settling.
"Some loyalty you have there," Noor said, eyeing the human with dislike. "We're the reason you escaped."
"Don't fool yourselves," Raider said. "We had an exit strategy within fifteen minutes of being placed under guard."
"This isn't our fight," Blue said bluntly. "It's yours. Can't blame us for wanting to make it home in one piece."
"Your people have certainly done the same in our place," Tank observed. "Or did you forget how four of your kind snuck out of Atlas during the bombing. They could have helped those people. They didn't because they deemed their own safety more important."
The Tuann glared at the humans.
Kira stepped in before things could degenerate further. "You're not going to overpower these three, so give it up."
Jace's expression darkened. She took it as a good sign when he didn't argue. It meant he hadn't been seriously considering that path.
"But it does make sense to split up," Kira continued. "I know Himoto has a ship out there. Signal it and let them know what's happening. We may have need of them. If nothing else, they can send a drop ship for you if things get too heated."
Jace's nod was grudging. He'd probably have come up with the plan himself if he wasn't so bent on antagonizing the Tuann