Raider gave a jerky nod. "You heard her. Get to work on the exit strategy."
"Roger that," several of the humans said.
They moved quickly, bending and placing putty in a ring on the floor.
"Graydon, you’re not going to let this happen, are you?" Silas asked urgently.
His former mentor wasn't going to leave her side willingly.
"I'm not leaving either," Liara said. Her face was pale and slick with sweat. Her objection mostly for form's sake.
A derisive snort escaped him. She should have thought about her cousin's health before making that asinine deal with her in the first place.
Graydon met Kira's expectant gaze. He let out a low sound of frustration. "I'll do it. I'll get them out safely," he told her.
She inclined her head.
There was really no other choice. He had a duty to his people and the Luathan Overlord. As much as he'd like to stay and fight, some things came first. "Follow the humans."
His first task was to see those assembled to safety. He'd come for her after that.
He chanced one final look behind him, mentally ordering Kira to stay safe until then. She'd better be alive by the time he returned.
"Do it," he ordered Raider.
Raider nodded. "Take cover."
Raider and the other humans crouched, curling in on themselves, covering their ears and tucking their heads down.
He looked up at Graydon. "You should do the same."
Graydon rolled his eyes. "We're not as weak as you."
Raider shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Graydon wrapped his soul's power around him and the others, creating a small bubble of protection seconds before the small space exploded.
The group disappeared into the gaping hole, gone in seconds.
*
Kira felt the vibration from the explosion.
The Curs might be human, but they knew what was at stake. They'd protect Liara and the others to the end.
Throw in Graydon and the others were as safe as she could make them.
She bared her teeth, ones every bit as sharp as the Tsavitee general's had been. She looked over her prey.
Now that the others were out of the way, she could take off the chains keeping her in check.
Time to go hunting.
*
A short time later, every Tsavitee in the chamber was dead. She stood over their bodies victorious, covered in blood. She tilted her head up and basked in the moment.
A slight warning beep from the platform shook her from her exultation.
She opened an eye and scowled at the offending sound. It ignored her displeasure, merrily beeping away.
She growled and stalked over to it, her clawed feet clicking against the stone. At some point she'd lost her shoes, not that that bothered her. Her feet were more powerful this way, and shoes irritated the claws.
Kira eyed the space. A small button glowed in midair.
Someone was hailing the command center.
She stared at it for several seconds, the urge to go back to enjoying her kills strong.
The beeping continued.
She jabbed her finger at the button.
"What?" she snapped.
"Tuann ship the Valiant hailing the Luathan Overlord. This is Commander Kai requesting immediate assistance."
Kira struggled to think past her immediate needs, the berserker rage of this form making difficult.
"Please come in," Kai said, some of his strain getting through to her.
Kai. She knew him. He was one of Graydon's people. She liked Graydon. He'd called her beautiful and kissed her. She sometimes wanted to bite him then force him to chase so she could run. He brought parts of her to life, made her feel whole and safe.
"What do you want?" The words were stilted and unnatural, not sounding like Kira in the least. This form wasn't meant for long conversations, it was meant for killing.
"Your second line defenses have gone online and are targeting my ship anytime we get close. There is a Tsavitee warship bearing down on us. My ship is a diplomatic ship. It’s not equipped to withstand the firepower of a dreadnaught. Let us pass through your defenses so we can land."
Kira looked at the array. "Don't know how to do that."
Silence crackled over the line. "This is Luatha command, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then you should be able to turn the defense off or at least point them toward the enemy," the commander said in a strident voice.
Kira's head tilted. "Impossible."
"What do you mean impossible?"
"Incident down here. Overlord set defenses. Can't be undone."
"Then find her," he shouted.
"Not possible."
There was another length of silence as she could feel him considering, weighing her words.
"Are you Luathan?" he asked suspiciously.
Kira chuckled. "No."
"The enemy then," he said it as a statement. There was resignation in his voice.
"Not the enemy," Kira said.
She could feel his interest. The longer she stood near the Nexus, the more she thought she understood it. Graydon had said it was controlled by the strength of your mind and will.
That was before the Tsavitee had run their lines and hijacked the link. She might not know Tuann tech, but she knew Tsavitee technology.
It might be enough.
She wasn't weak-willed. She might be able to help the ship above, or she might burn her brain up trying.
She paused. Would Liara consider being brain-dead a breach of their promise?
The concern floated away as quickly as it had come. Emotions were fleeting and hard to reach, locked behind a barrier of ice.
"Stand by, trying something," she told Kai.
"Of course, it's not like I'm going anywhere. There's just a warship heading my way," he said sarcastically.
Kira stepped onto the platform and waited. A force clamped on her mind, slicing through any natural barrier she might have had like it was butter.
She grunted at the feeling, gritting her teeth as she rode the pain. It was easier in this form, insulating her from the worst of it.
When it eased slightly, she found her mind split. Half of it was high above, standing on the bridge of a Tuann ship. The rest was standing in the stone room, her expression frozen.
She lifted her hand and stared at it as the Tuann near her jolted back, their eyes wide. She ignored them as she rotated her hand, fascinated by the slight translucence. She held up her other arm, seeing the same ghostly, insubstantial effect, her body shimmering in and out of view.
Someone cleared their throat next to her. She looked up to find the captain’s eyes fastened on her, his gaze nonplussed.
He seemed to be able to see her. Fascinating.
She dropped her arms. "Can't bring down the defenses without risking the planet."
And she wouldn't do that.
He shut his eyes. "Then we're dead."
"Not necessarily," Kira said.
He leaned in, a reserved hope in his expression.
"Full ahead. You need to take the fight to them," she said. "I'll guide you in."
His lips parted and then he gave a nod, barking orders at those around them. She could feel the ship accelerate, or maybe she saw it accelerate. Here in this space, it was hard to distinguish what input was from her senses and what she was picking up from this strange melding.