retreated. "Don't do it. You know what happened the last time you went against me."
"This time’s going to be different," Jin snarled.
Electricity crackled along his shell, striking the walls with arcs of lightning. Odin jumped as a bolt impacted the floor right in front of him.
Jin chuckled, the sound echoing in the ship’s speakers. "You've never fought me on my home ground before.”
Odin smirked. “We’ll see.”
Blue arcs shot from his fingertips to the closest set of wiring embedded behind the ship's walls.
Jin cursed and flew toward him. "It's not going to be that easy."
"Auntie, shouldn't you stop them?"
"Don't worry. Jin won't kill Odin. The Allfather is far too useful for that."
But if Jin wanted to extract a pound of flesh for the many grievances he had against Odin, who was Kira to stop him?
"Have you decided on a course?" Elena asked.
"We're taking you home. I'll decide what's next after that." Kira tilted her head at the bridge. "Why don't you input the coordinates?"
Pleasure flashed across Elena's face, and there was a bounce in her step as she did Kira's bidding.
Beside Kira, Finn didn’t bother concealing his disapproval.
Kira pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need a drink for this conversation."
Kira strode away, leaving Finn to follow—or not. His choice.
It took only seconds to reach the galley. The Wanderer wasn’t a large ship by any means. You could get anywhere on it within a matter of minutes.
The galley was small, really no more than a nook filled with only the barest of essentials—a food synthesizer, a cupboard of ready to eat blocks, and a table with two sad-looking chairs pulled up next to it.
It hadn’t always been this way.
The original galley was much bigger, located in a room twice the size of this one. Since Kira was the only person who required sustenance, she’d decided it was much better to repurpose the old galley as a weapons room. The new one was relocated to an old closet.
What could Kira say—she had a lot of weapons.
Finn eyed the small space with distrust as Kira fixed two cups of chai. With his much larger body, the galley seemed even more cramped than usual.
Kira set the two cups on the table and took a seat before nodding at the chair across from her. Kira took a sip of her chai, waiting as Finn eased into it. His uncomfortable expression made it clear he didn’t entirely trust it to hold his weight.
Finn picked up his mug and sniffed. "What is this?"
"Chai. I've had better, but it fills the craving."
Finn took a cautious sip, surprise flashing across his face.
"You disagree with my choice not to return to Ta Sa'Riel,” Kira said, getting down to business.
Sometimes it was best to rip the band-aid off. Beating around the bush would only delay the inevitable. She didn’t want that.
With a guarded expression, Finn set his chai on the table.
Kira stared into her mug as if it had all the answers. "Could I land safely on Ta Sa'Riel in the current circumstances?"
Finn was quiet.
Good. He was giving her question consideration.
He tapped the table with a finger. "Not unless we call and gain clearance first."
That fit with Kira’s reading of the situation as well.
"And is there a way to establish a direct link to Roake?"
Finn opened his mouth, then closed it again. "If you had one of their communication stones."
"I don't. Do you?"
All expression disappeared from Finn’s face as he realized where she was going with this.
Kira propped her chin on her hand. "If I wanted to contact Roake, I'd have to broadcast on wide band."
Which would alert any potential enemies to their position.
Since Kira didn't have the codes for the Tuann comms nor was her ship compatible with their method of communication, she was stuck screaming into the void in the most unsecure way possible.
If Elena wasn't on the ship, she could take the risk.
But Elena was on the ship, leaving only one path before Kira. Find Elena a safe port, then reassess.
"By now, I think you have a sense of what's at stake." Kira met Finn’s gaze. "Can you promise me beyond any shadow of a doubt Elena will be safe on Ta Sa'Riel with Roake?"
"There are none in your father's House who would hurt her."
Kira raised an eyebrow. "What about Loudon?"
The traitor was now dead, but the fact he'd existed at all proved Kira's case.
Loudon was a trusted member in the highest ranks of the House. His betrayal and involvement in the events that had led to the