"You're assuming they're alive," Silas said. "One of your own betrayed you. The Tsavitee know how you operate. They'll know your evacuation routes."
"Either way, they don't need to take all of the Citadel, just some of it," Kira said. She looked at Liara "Am I right in thinking Ayela served as your personal aide? She'd know those closest to you?"
Liara closed her eyes, a wordless assent.
Kira turned to Roderick. The fight had run out of him, her words hitting home. Still, she needed to be sure he wasn't going to be a problem later on.
"You're going to cooperate, or the next time we have a little chat like this, you will be neutralized." Her hand squeezed the soft part on either side of his trachea, leaving no doubt how she intended to accomplish that.
His nod was grudging, but it was enough.
She released him and stood, carefully backing away in case he changed his mind and attacked.
Roderick's people helped him stand, pulling him away.
"That was nicely done," Silas said, his eyes on the Luathan marshal.
Kira grunted.
"I agree," Graydon said. "Where did you learn to take command like that?"
One side of her lips twitched up. She answered where she would have ignored Silas. "I was a squad leader by the end of my second year." Promotions happen fast when the people above you kept dying. "I looked like a teenager and most under my command thought they were older than me. The only way to get them to listen was to appeal to their better nature."
Graydon quirked an eyebrow at her. "Meaning you beat your authority into them."
Kira grinned at him. "Humans can be hardheaded at times."
"As can Tuann," Silas murmured.
Kira made a sound of agreement before moving off. She approached her cousin and kneeled beside her, watching the second cloaked stranger as he carefully treated Liara’s wound.
"How bad is it?" Kira asked.
"She will live. The wound didn't hit anything vital," the stranger told her. To Liara, he said, "You should take the primus form. It'll help you heal."
Liara's head moved, her gaze aimed at the floor.
She was hiding something. Kira wasn't the only one to notice either.
"I can stop you from attacking anyone if that is your worry," he offered.
Liara curled further in on herself.
"Primus form?" Kira asked, taking pity on her cousin and directing the man's attention away from her.
"It is the most powerful form our soul's breath takes. Most overlords of the major Houses have one. They have more capacity to harbor and harness the soul’s breath. It's one of the reasons why they are overlords," he said simply. "Others in the House might have a primus form if the House is blessed. The number of members in a House who can achieve primus form is a sign of the House’s power."
"Roake's overlord doesn't have a second form," Roderick pointed out. "Nor any in his House."
"Their situation is unique. He is the acting overlord and holds the position for another," the stranger said mildly.
"House Roake makes up for the lack in other ways," Silas said.
Kira ignored the hidden undercurrents in the exchange, sensing there was more to it than she understood. Now wasn't the time, the talk of primus forms, while interesting, especially in light of her own inner monster, wasn't relevant to their current situation.
Liara's face was slightly shamed as she confessed, "My primus form has not yet presented itself."
"How is that possible?" Graydon asked, undisguised shock on his face.
"There is no rule that the Overlord must have a second form," Alma said, defending Liara.
"It is greatly encouraged," Graydon said. "How does the emperor, at least, not know of her lack?"
Alma lifted her chin, the line of her jaw stubborn.
"We lied," Liara said, her gaze resting on her former adviser. "Another House was trying to merge with ours. Alma and Rayan could not hold it for much longer. I had to ascend to the position or we would have lost many things."
"If the Tsavitee knew of this, it might be why they decided Luatha was a good target," the stranger said. "They may have seen the lack as something they could exploit."
"No one in our House knew except my advisers," Liara said firmly.
Alma flinched the slightest bit.
Roderick rounded on her. "How else did you betray this House, Mother?"
"It was not my intention. You know that," Alma said, her expression pleading.
"Mother?" Kira muttered.
It explained some things, including how Roderick got his position.
"Roderick's father was the former marshal," Liara said quietly. "When I ascended, Alma asked that I make him the next marshal. She said it would look good, like the next generation was taking up the mantle."
"And it never bothered you his loyalties would always be to her first?" Kira asked.
Liara grimaced. "I didn't have many choices. Many of the oshota owed much to his father and his family. I saw him as the lesser evil."
Kira made a hmm as the drama before them unfolded.
"How could you do this?" Roderick shouted, his expression devastated.
"This wasn't how it was supposed to be," Alma cried. "You were supposed to fight them, retake the Citadel and strengthen our position. Not this."
"Our people would have still died," he roared.
"But your title would have been secured and our Overlord would have been known as the one who defeated the tsavitee," Alma said.
Kira winced as Alma admitted to not caring about what happened to the rest of them. Roderick and the rest of his people shook their heads, their expressions a mix of shocked dismay and disgust.
As imperfect as Roderick was, he and his people fulfilled the role of protector for the Luathans. To hear one of their own sought to exploit that would carry the harsh sting of betrayal.
With a muttered curse, the stranger attending Liara stood and took several steps toward where Roderick and his mother squared off.
Kira lowered herself to sitting beside Liara. They were as alone as they were going to get.
"The tsavitee will try to sacrifice some of your people to make you give up the codes," Kira said softly.
Liara jerked to look at her.
Kira hesitated, not liking this next task but not having much choice. It made her feel dirty to contemplate. It was emotional manipulation of the worse sort.
The situation was dire, and not just here. She had to take any advantage and use it, no matter how slimy it might make her feel.
"I can stop this," Kira said.
Hope shown on Liara's face.
Kira looked at her carefully. "But I'll need something from you first."
Liara's expression dimmed. "What do you want?"
Now or never, Kira told herself.
"Ten ships for the Consortium," she said in a rush. "And you rescind your House's claim."
In front of them, the stranger's head turned slightly. Kira narrowed her eyes at him. Could he hear her?
"I can't do that," Liara said. "I would be doing you an unimaginable disservice."
Kira gave her a crooked smile. "You seem to think I want a part of all this. I don't. This is a good deal. You lose nothing but a few ships."