"I'm ordering you to forget this nonsense," Ayela demanded. "You will listen to me. That was the deal we struck."
The general's face reflected irritation.
Kira wondered if this was why Ayela thought she could control the Tsavitee, because of a deal. It was possible. The Tsavitee kept any bargains they made. It was a weird dichotomy in such a backstabbing race.
Maybe because Tsavitee bargains never really worked out for anyone but the Tsavitee in the end. They were tricksters. You had to be very careful in the wording of your bargain or they'd drive a battlecruiser right through it.
"I have orders that supersede yours. Any Tsavitee who catches the Phoenix knows what they have to do. It doesn't matter what bargain you struck," the general said with forced patience.
Kira thought this might be the first time he'd had to explain himself. Their own kind didn't second-guess a general. They accepted his word and authority as the highest form of law. That he did now was darkly amusing.
"This woman is the single biggest threat on this planet. The capture and execution of the Phoenix is more important than anything else."
Ayela’s expression was incredulous as she glanced at Kira. "Her? An untrained mongrel who hasn't gone through her majority?"
"Many Tsavitee have underestimated the Phoenix," Lothos said mildly. "They have all lived to regret it. I will not make the same mistake."
Ayela snorted, the sound inelegant and out of character for the diffident servant Kira had known. "Perhaps your kind are not as fearsome as I was led to believe."
The general bared a carnivore’s sharp teeth at her. "I'd be careful, Tuann. We’re not your pets. Push too far and you might find yourself dropped into a cage with your former comrades. I'm sure their justice will be swift and brutal."
Ayela's face paled slightly as Lothos stalked away.
Kira leaned as close to Ayela as the tight grip of the two Tsavitee holding her would allow. "Guess you're not quite as in control as you thought you were."
A sharp crack split the air and Kira's face turned slightly from the force of the smack.
She dabbed her tongue at her lip where a spot of blood welled. "I can see why they didn't let you advance in your training. You're weaker than the children. Should have used a fist. It would have hurt more."
The Tsavitee on her left moved to intercept Ayela before she could hit Kira again.
"Ignore her. She's trying to get under your skin," Lothos ordered from where he stood next to the octagon as the Tsavitee around him worked to hook up several lines.
Ayela settled back, her mouth pressed into a tight line and her eyes narrowed to slits.
"I'd say it's working." Kira's smile was nasty as the Tsavitee dragged her forward.
"Put her on her knees," Lothos said without turning around. "And if she speaks again, you may punish her."
There were hissed chuckles above her. One of them grabbed her shoulder, a blast of psychic power sending agonizing pain screeching along her nerve endings as it ripped a scream out of her.
Kira seized, her body shaking violently as they dropped her, letting her flop on the ground unhindered. The sound of their amusement a taunt above her.
Finally, her seizures slowed. Blood filled her mouth. She must have bitten her tongue at some point.
"You're supposed to wait until I've said something," Kira snarled at the two above her. To the general, she spat, "Your standard for cannon fodder has really gone down in the years since the war."
Another touch from the Tsavitee sent Kira to the ground, drool leaking out her mouth as her entire body protested the abuse.
The Tsavitee glared at her before one of them spat a glob of spit at her.
Lothos didn't even spare her a glance as he worked on melding his technology with the Tuann's. "You're right about the quality. Unfortunately, we had to grow them too quickly to replace the forces humanity decimated. Mistakes were made and it resulted in a decrease in intelligence. We'll correct the oversight in the next batch."
The Tsavitee above her didn't react to the insult. Kira couldn't tell if that was because they really were little more than obedient attack dogs, or if they truly didn't care.
Kira picked herself up off the ground, pushing herself to her knees as she glared at the general. The Tsavitee above her didn't attempt to grab her arms again.
"It seems you can learn," Lothos observed when she didn't say anything. "I had my doubts. My brothers told me you were incredibly stubborn. Almost impossible to train."
Kira held her silence. All the generals of the Tsavitee called themselves brothers. He could have been referring to any of them.
"Of course, many of them are dead by your hand, so perhaps they spoke truer than they knew," he said.
Feeling was gradually coming back into her arms and legs and the shakiness was passing.
Good.
"I will admit to being surprised to find you here. Last we knew you were dead or so close to it you didn't matter," he said. "Tell me, are you still capable of the burst?"
Kira stared at him.
"Answer me or they'll use their psions again," he said calmly.
She caught a glimpse of the Tsavitee to her left reaching for her.
"Stay and find out," she said.
He studied her, tapping his fingers against his leg in thought. "I don't think you’ll use it even if you can. Too many emotional attachments to those in this room."
Kira struggled not to react to the surprisingly on-target assessment. She didn't want him to see how close he was to the truth.
"Does it surprise you that we know your weakness?" he asked with a sly smile.
He would have been considered handsome if not for the horns and strange markings on his skin or the fact he was the enemy.
"After our last failure, we made sure to study you and your habits. You've been quiet since using the burst on Rothchild. Only using it once more during the Falling. Some might even say you've been in mourning," he said, his black eyes fixed unwaveringly on Kira's. "Tell me, how many of your friends did you kill there?"
She kept her chin lifted as she forced boredom into her expression. "There's a lot of repressed emotion in this little chat. If you're not careful, I'm going to think the generals feel something for one another."
He bared his teeth. They were those of a meat eater, pointed and sharp. The incisors longer and capable of tearing into flesh or breaking bone.
"Your death will bring much joy to the Tsavitee. The best part is when we inform her of your defeat at our hands. You know, she sometimes screams for her Phoenix."
Everything in Kira went still. Her heart clenched painfully.
"I didn't know," Kira said, her words slow. "Thank you for that. We weren't sure if she lived. I promise to visit the full measure of my vengeance on your brothers as I let them know you're the one who sent me."
It was a promise, to herself and the general. Everything she'd done for the past seven years had been aimed at finding out what had happened to Elise and if she lived. This validated all that work.
The cold-blooded monster within the general peeked out. The need to tear out her throat and bathe in her blood was easy to see. He'd done a good job hiding it until now, almost seeming refined and civilized. That's how they destroyed the first human colonies, by pretending a façade of elegance and honor. Humans had soon learned the truth about them.