Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,37
the building exposed.
"That race is little more than suicide to those who decide to compete," she finally said after several moments.
Finn paused in his actions.
Kira waited, but no questions came.
Finn resumed polishing his dagger as if she hadn't said anything.
Her lips quirked. Smart. If he'd pressed, she'd likely have clammed up. Since he didn't, he left it up to her whether to continue or not.
Her first instinct was to suppress the memories, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was being here again in an unfamiliar place that still managed to feel familiar.
"The Curs were the first to pair waveboards and racing." Kira made herself more comfortable on the table. "That's not to say someone somewhere wouldn't have eventually come up with the idea."
It was a given that any new mode of transport would eventually give way to the act of then racing it. The mentality was as natural to humans as breathing.
The Curs couldn’t help but pit themselves against each other to see who was the best.
"They always were competitive little shits,” Kira murmured.
Eventually, the races became a morale booster for the rest of the military and the populations of the planets they raced on. It helped that it also provided a way to give the Curs a mental break from the rigors of war while also further sharpening their skills.
Quiet fell again as Kira closed her eyes.
"The Dragon Circuit isn't a race you undertake lightly. It has a mortality rate of sixty percent."
Some of that was the difficulty of the race itself. The rest was the competitive nature of the sport. It wasn't unheard of for teams to sabotage each other. Even during the race, it was considered acceptable to dethrone a rider—which was a fancy way of saying you knocked them off their board.
Only in that race the surroundings were highly dangerous, making it difficult for the safeties to react in time. Lose your board and chances were you wouldn't survive.
"I was a different person then." One who didn't care if she lived or died. "The me of today wouldn't be so reckless."
As promises went, it was weak.
Kira didn't like to think of those days. Revealing some of it to Finn was an apology of sorts for the current situation.
She knew he didn't exactly approve. Still, he didn't try to strongarm her or talk her out of her plan. It showed a flexibility she hadn't thought possible in the Tuann.
It was something to consider for the future.
*
"Let's go over the plan again." Jin floated in front of Kira as the three of them made their way to the race's starting point. There were a half-dozen other racers in the tunnel, but none were paying attention to her party. "What position are you going to come in?"
"Second or third," she answered, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Jin bobbed in a nod. "Very good. I want you to remember that. Second or third. Not fourth or fifth and definitely not first."
Kira listened to Jin's spiel with a bored expression. This wasn't the first time he'd said this, nor was it the second.
He was beginning to sound like a broken record.
"Now, what did I say?" he asked.
"Not any position but second or third," she repeated by rote.
"Good. You've got it. Don't even think about coming in first."
"Don't you think it could be fun," Kira said suddenly.
Jin choked. "No. No, I don't think it would be fun."
Kira looked in Finn's direction. "How about you?"
The upraised hood made him seem even more mysterious than normal, hiding his expression and making him impossible to read. "It would be an interesting sight to be sure."
"See, Jin. Finn doesn't mind first place."
"I don't care what he thinks or how bored you are. We have a plan; stick to it."
The "or else" went unsaid.
Kira eyed the drone. "Sometimes I really wonder how you see me."
Did he really expect she'd do anything to jeopardize the mission?
"Without tinted glasses of any sort," Jin retorted in a flat voice.
Kira snickered. She really couldn't argue with that.
"I'm warning you, Kira."
She flapped a hand at him. "Yes, yes, master. I hear and understand."
"Good," Jin grunted as they approached the end of the tunnel.
Kira grabbed Jin before he could exit.
"What are you doing?" he cried.
Kira didn't answer, instead facing Finn. He let her grab his shoulder to force him to bend. She reached up and stuffed Jin in his hood.
Finished, she patted Jin on his casing. "You have to stay hidden. Remember?"
Jin sputtered. "You can't—This is—Kira, I object to this treatment!"