The sound of a slow clap came as Ayela stepped from between the ranks of milling Tsavitee. The two generals stayed where they were. They might want Kira dead, but they had enough experience to know with her loose it was better to let the cannon fodder wear her down before striking.
The younger one looked stunned, his mouth agape. Lothos stared at the two dead Tsavitee with a blank expression.
"Congratulations, you've managed to survive for another minute," Ayela said sarcastically, pushing through the Tsavitee. "But you're still alone with no weapon besides that blade and you face an army.”
Pity moved across Kira's face. "That's where you and the Tsavitee always seem to go wrong. I rarely face your kind alone."
Confusion reflected on Ayela's face, before realization descended. Her mouth opened to shout orders.
She was too late.
Sound ripped through the air. “The Ride of the Valkyries” playing as Jin shot up from the ground.
Kira used the dead Tsavitee as a shield against Tsavitee fire as she dove for cover.
Jin drew a drunken path through the air as the Tsavitee turned their weapons from her to him. He returned fire, the laser gun she'd installed mowing down the dozen Tsavitee between him and Kira.
An explosion rocked the room as part of the ceiling caved in. Rope descended seconds later, several forms rappelling down them. Guns barked as those above fired into the horde.
The Curs. About damn time.
Kira abandoned her cover, tackling the Tsavitee closest to her. She buried her blade in its neck several times, leaping off it before it hit the ground. She caught another, knocking its weapon away. It fired on its allies instead.
The Tsavitee was dead in the next second.
Raider and Nova were careful to keep their lines of fire away from the hostages.
"Jin, tell me you recorded Liara’s promise," Kira shouted over the chaos.
"Of course, I did. What do you think I am? An idiot?"
Kira smiled, relieved beyond words to hear her friend—even if his voice was full of sarcasm. "Then get working on that cage and protect the Overlord and her people at all costs."
He grumbled about being given obvious orders as he made a beeline for the hostages, the song blaring. It was a little on the nose, but Kira couldn't complain given its distraction had saved her ass.
Raider burst out of the dust next to her, lifting his face shield.
"You're late," she told him.
"You're lucky we came at all. That Tuann who protects you was near frothing at the mouth when he found us. You're lucky Blue put a tracker on your ass. The other one tried to stuff us in a closet once the Tsavitee started running rampant," Raider griped.
Noor appeared beside him, removing the head of two Tsavitee in a single swing of his sword. "You are not a truthful human."
Raider rolled his eyes as he fired at several of the enemy. "Yeah, yeah. Tell it to someone who cares."
“Jace and Maverick are working on calling our ship,” Raider told her after he’d taken care of another batch of enemies.
"Jin is working on the cage. We need to protect them until he finishes," Kira said.
"You never ask for much," Raider said before turning to call out orders to his troops.
Finn appeared beside her like a ghost, his eyes glittering and blood coating the front of his armor. "We are going to have a talk when this is over."
Kira didn't bother acknowledging that statement.
"Protect the children," Kira told him. "They're the most vulnerable right now."
He exhaled through his nose, his eyes approaching slits before he stalked off, the other Tuann trailing behind Raider.
Kira killed anything that came near her. She searched the melee but both generals were long gone, having disappeared as soon as the ceiling came down.
Kira spotted Blue fending off three Tsavitee. Kira sprinted toward her, landing in the middle as she ducked one swing, delivering three carefully placed strikes in seconds.
"Help Jin," she ordered as soon as the other woman focused on her.
Blue's chin jerked in a nod and she hurried off.
The firefight intensified, the Tsavitee rallying enough to recover from their earlier surprise.
The Curs had shifted the tide, but the battle wasn't yet won.
She checked on the others, her gaze snagging on a Tsavitee as he crept along the wall, his blaster aimed at Raider's back.
"Raider," Kira screamed a warning. She'd never reach him in time.
He began to turn, dropping to one knee, the Tsavitee already firing.
Kira reached for the tangled, thorny vines at her center, the source of power that had once obeyed her without question. It surged forward, easier than it had in years, the power bright and hot in her mind as she threw it out from her, wrapping Raider in a protective layer.
The blast hit it and faded. The shield disappeared in the next second.
Raider fired, hitting the Tsavitee in the chest and killing him.
Kira smiled in relief as he turned to face her with a thanks on his lips. His expression shifted, horror dawning.
His rejection stung.
A sucking pain lanced through her chest in the next instant. Choked gasps did nothing to relieve it as Kira glanced down. Vague surprise filled her at the sight of a sword point sticking out of her chest.
A Tuann en-blade, she noted distantly, touching it in dismay. Red coated her fingers.
Ayela stepped around her, her expression gloating. "Guess I'm not so useless after all. I killed you, didn't I? Even the general failed to accomplish that."
Kira blinked at her, unable to talk, her thoughts stilted and weak.
Her gaze shifted to Raider as she tried to force sound out. Bubbles of blood formed at the corner of her mouth.
The sword had punctured her lung. Speaking would be difficult.
"Run," she mouthed.
He took off.
"Protocol Phoenix! To me, to me. Jin, get that cage down!" Raider screamed.
Jin swung toward Kira but at Raider's order, he focused on the cage with a foul curse.
The Curs streamed toward him and the cage, herding the children in front of them.
Ayela laughed as she yanked the blade out of Kira's back. "These are who you chose to ally with? Cowards?"
Kira didn't respond, she couldn't. Blood poured out of her wound as she pressed her hands against her front.
Her vision wavered.
Raider and the rest were almost at the cage.
She needed to hold on. Just a little longer.
Ayela walked toward them, not bothering to hurry. Her prey had nowhere to go.
The cage dropped. Finally.
The Curs pushed the children inside. Raider and Blue yanked Finn and Noor after them as they dove for its safety. Jin turned the cage on.
Kira smiled. Finally.
She let the darkness consume her as she toppled forward.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Graydon roared, the sound the embodiment of denial and rage as the tip of a sword burst from Kira's chest, the shock and surprise on her face echoing Graydon's. The bright flicker of her spirit guttered.
The cage fell and Graydon's muscles bunched as he prepared to drench the room in his power. It answered his call, a cold so intense it burned.
The children and humans piled in, the cage flickering into place.
"What are you doing?" Graydon shouted.