Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,23
her companions reached their destination, a massive room filled with small ships arranged in neat little rows.
On one side of the room was the black of space, the planet taking up a large chunk of the view. A small membrane ensured those who entered weren't immediately sucked into the vacuum of space.
A disturbance mere feet away drew Kira's attention from the breathtaking view.
A group of humans faced off against a Haldeel.
The person in charge was a short man with a barrel chest. He, like his companions, was dressed sharply in a uniform of tailored pants and a tight-fitting jacket.
Like the humans Kira had passed earlier, the emblem of Zepher was displayed prominently over the left side of their chest.
"There are plenty of other vessels. There's no need for you to allow these aliens to board ours," the man was saying.
Kira glanced at the people he indicated, feeling her heart lurch at the sight of five people clad in the forest green of Luathan synth armor.
Speak of the devil and he shall arrive.
Liara's gaze was cool as she watched the drama with an impassive expression. Unlike the first time Kira had met her, Liara’s armor was more subdued. She’d left off the long cape in favor of blending in with her oshota.
Next to her, Roderick’s face displayed his displeasure at the humans’ behavior.
"We, too, would prefer not to share space with ones such as these." Disdain dripped from Liara’s words.
The Haldeel in front of them inclined his upper body in a small bow. "I apologize, esteemed guests. Our ships must be filled to capacity before they are released to the planet. You can wait for others in your party if you would prefer."
The humans from Zepher didn't look happy at that response.
"Our party is taking part in the quals. We don't have time to wait for the necessary numbers," a woman standing beside the man said.
"Then your path is clear," the Haldeel said, unfazed by their argument.
Luatha looked on dispassionately.
"We will wait for another ship," Liara said.
The Haldeel inclined his head. "That is also an option."
Luatha and the Haldeel moved away, leaving the humans standing in front of the transport ship.
"Fucking wizards and squids," one grumbled.
"Hush," the man in charge said. "I don't want to hear you talking like that while we’re here. You never know who is listening."
The man grimaced but didn't argue further.
"They might be squids, but they have their uses," the woman said, looking around her. "We can't afford to offend them."
The humans from Zepher shot a glance in Kira's direction as she moved past them.
Finn picked up on Kira's dislike. "Those humans—they're not like your Curs."
Kira's pace was steady as she made her way to a dropship on the other side of the hanger, choosing one at random.
The quals weren't for another couple hours. Judging by how quickly people were pouring in and ships were taking off, even if Kira wasn't at the front of the line, she should still make it in time.
"You could say that again," Jin said from inside her hood.
"I didn't recognize their affiliation," Finn ventured after a small pause.
"You wouldn't. Zepher didn't contribute a lot to the war." Kira kept her gaze focused on the ship, looking neither left nor right.
Finn paused. "How is that possible?"
Jin answered when it seemed Kira wouldn't. "The planet Zepher enjoys a unique natural defense. It's located in the middle of a perpetual solar storm. Only those who have a map can reach the planet. Anyone else risks their ship being ripped apart from the fluctuating gravitational fields and ion winds."
Those attributes allowed them to ride out the safety of the war from the comforts of their own planet. While the rest of the Consortium was in a fight for their lives, Zepher sat back and watched.
They contributed the bare minimum to the war effort.
That hadn't stopped them from a shameless power grab afterward. Since they'd suffered little in the way of losses, it had allowed them to attain a position of power in the Consortium, bought in large part by the sacrifices of others.
Kira could have forgiven them for that. After all, who wanted to send their sons and daughters to war?
However, Zepher was also highly xenophobic. Anything that smacked of aliens was abhorred and treated with extreme prejudice.
"I'd be on your guard with them," Jin advised. "They're tricky little bastards."
There was no love lost between Zepher and them. If Kira had her way, she'd stay far from anyone associated with that planet.