Every twist and turn of their path came with an increased feeling of pending disaster, a perfect place from which to stage an ambush.
Tension sat heavy in the air. In war, you got used to the never-ending strain as you waited for the next awful thing to happen. You learned to ignore the ever-increasing tightening of your nerve endings as your entire body attuned itself to the possibility of what was coming.
Himoto had once called war ninety percent boredom so extreme you'd do anything for relief and ten percent sheer, unrelenting terror.
By now, everyone in the Citadel likely knew of her betrayal. They would come looking for her, if they weren't already. All she could do was wait and hope she survived the ten percent of terror.
Kira was content to let Finn take the lead, remaining several feet behind him. His knowledge of the terrain was greater than hers. It made sense for her to follow.
As they approached another intersection where their hallway joined with several others, Kira's shoulders tightened, her senses hyper-alert.
Finn held up one fist, signaling a stop.
She nodded, placing her back against the wall so she could see in both directions. She remained in place as he disappeared around the corner.
She held her breath, straining to pick up even the faintest of sounds. She released the air when there wasn't an immediate furor. Good, that meant the coast was clear—for now.
"If you're going to put your plan into motion, the time is now," Jin said into her ear, several minutes later. "There are four heat signatures moving toward us from our three o'clock."
Kira hesitated, torn.
Finn rounded the corner. "Run."
Kira didn't wait to be told twice, turning and sprinting back the way they'd come. Jin flew before her, taking the lead, Finn pounding after them.
"This way," Jin yelled.
Kira followed, the sound of pursuit spurring her to greater speeds.
There was a screech of sound and then long, needle-thin arrows of green blazed down the hall. One hit inches from Kira's face as she made another turn. It burrowed into the wall leaving a thin pinhole behind.
She chanced a glance behind her, catching a glimpse of a woman in green synth armor adopting an archer's posture, holding a strange-looking contraption. In her left hand, she had a long-curved piece of wood. It looked like the front of a bow but lacked a string. As Kira watched, the woman drew back her right hand, energy coalescing at a point in front of her pointer finger until a long thin energy arrow took shape.
So that was what was being shot at her the first night.
Finn shoved her out of the way as the arrow flew free, shattering against the wall.
"Move," Finn yelled.
Kira scrambled to her feet and darted after Jin.
He disappeared between a set of double doors. Kira dashed after him, Finn close on her heels.
He whirled, slamming the doors shut behind them.
"Go, I'll hold them here," he said.
Kira hesitated. It didn't feel right leaving him to face them alone.
"Kira, come on," Jin yelled.
Her mouth firmed.
"Go, these two won't be a problem for me if you're not here to protect," Finn snarled.
"Since you're being an ass, have it your way," Kira said. She turned to leave, saying over her shoulder. "Try not to die. Otherwise, I'll have to make sure all the other oshotas know a few puny Luathans brought you down."
"Smartass," was his faint response as Kira jogged after Jin, a cold rock in her stomach despite the levity.
Only minutes passed before there was a giant crash and then a roar that told her the Luathans had made it through the doors.
Kira didn't try to be quiet as she pelted after Jin, the need for distance and speed outweighing the desire for subtlety.
She was lost within minutes as he led her through a maze of rooms, through halls and courtyards, and over more than one sloped roof.
Her legs burned as she followed, sprinting toward a garden retaining wall, running up it and grabbing the top. She pulled herself up, dashing along it as Jin took another shortcut.
Reaching the end of the wall, she leaped off it, trusting him to warn her of danger. She landed, turning her forward momentum into a roll.
She found her feet again before sprinting down a stone walkway sheltered by an arboretum covered in pale, silvery flowers.
Jin paused at a set of doors leading to a glass-covered conservatory before moving inside. Kira cautiously followed.
It was a greenhouse, similar to what she'd come across on Graydon's ship. The darkness inside, coupled with the vines crawling up the walls and the overgrown trees and plants, shielded her from the outside, while giving her a 360-degree view.
"Where are we?" Kira asked, catching her breath as he made a circuit of the room.
"A little spot I discovered. From what I can tell, it's mostly abandoned. I've only ever seen one person visit, and that person wasn’t a warrior. We should be safe enough for now," Jin said.
Kira spied a change of clothes on one of the workbenches tucked to the side. She headed over to them, shrugging out of the rags of her dress. Much as she loved the dress, she needed attire more suitable for fighting.
"How far are we from the Nexus?" Her voice was muffled as she pulled the shirt over her head. Her head popped out of the collar.
"Not far as I fly. It'll take longer for you given your big body."
Kira rolled her eyes before pulling on her pants.
"Why?" he asked, suspicion threading through his voice.
"Because that's where we need to go. If they intend to bring down the defense network, the Nexus is the best place to do it from," she said.
It was time to go on the offensive. Enough running around the Citadel searching for Graydon. There were too many buildings. They'd never find him in time.
If they wanted a chance at stopping the Tsavitee attack, they needed to go straight to the source.
Jin let out a gusty wheeze. "Why is it your asks are never easy?"
"Face it, if they were, you'd get bored."
He'd probably end up destroying half of civilization as a result.
"You keep telling yourself that, Kira. Somehow, I don't think it's me in danger of boredom," he muttered, trailing behind her as she left the glass building.
*
Finding the Nexus was easy. Not a single patrol hindered their progress.
The lack of security made her anxious. If she’d been in charge of security, she would have sealed the Nexus—the military command hub of the Citadel—first.
This didn’t make sense, Kira thought as they approached the unguarded door to the Nexus. Its large frame reached for the ceiling high above. There were no signs of the Luathans anywhere.
Roderick might have been lazy and slightly dumb, but even he couldn’t have been this inept. Right?
“What do you want to do?” Jin asked, no happier at the ease of their passage than her.
“I don’t think we have a choice, do you?”
His silence was answer enough.
Kira pushed the heavy door open a crack and peered through. Inside was as deserted as the hallway.
Curiouser and curiouser.
She slipped inside, careful to keep her movements smooth and silent.
The emptiness of the massive room felt oppressive, like even her surroundings waited with bated breath for something horrible.