Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle #2)(111)

But it’s not the whole truth.

I’m not afraid to fight, I tell her. But it’s always been for something. Family. Faith. Maker, even peace itself. Fighting for the sake of fighting— I was born for war, Tyler Jones, she tells me, those perfect brows drawn together in a perfect frown. And if you are worthy of the Syldrathi blood within you, you had best become acquainted with that notion. Because we will need to carve our way off this vessel if we mean to escape. We must paint this ship red.

We’re Folding. Everything is black and white.

Her face sours. Ah. That wonderful Terran sarcasm.

I shake my head, jaw clenched. These people are following orders. They’re soldiers doing their jobs. The Ra’haam is the enemy here. The GIA, not the TDF.

They tortured me.

You murdered their friends!

That makes it right in your eyes?

I breathe deep. Looking over the bruises on her face. She knew how I’d answer that question before she ever asked it.

No, it doesn’t. But my father taught me that to be a leader, you have to set the example. To be a leader, you have to be the kind of person you’d want to follow you.

Yes, she hisses, sitting up taller. A warrior. Unconquered and unafraid.

No. Better. We need to be better than the enemy we fight. The Ra’haam wants us to tear each other to pieces. It wants us at each other’s throats. All it needs to do is stall here. To sow chaos and confusion long enough for it to hatch from those seed worlds and then out into the Fold.

Saedii crosses her arms, shaking the hair from her eyes.

I know not if my father understands the purpose of the Weapon he has claimed. But we must get off this ship and warn him of this greater enemy. We are Unbroken. We are no one’s pawns. To say he will be displeased at being manipulated is an understatement.

Displeased enough to still blow up my planet even if we get you back to him?

Her stare narrows at that.

If I am returned, Earth will be spared. Believe me when I say, Tyler Jones, my father has no wish to use the Neridaa unless he has to.

He seemed pretty eager to use it on Syldra.

That was a matter of honor. It was also the first time he unleashed the Weapon’s full potential. He will not be in a hurry to do so again.

… Why not?

Saedii stares at me, cold and calculating. I can see her suspicion fighting with her instinct. She knows we have to trust each other. And all this is far bigger than she first believed. But still, it’s a long time before she answers.

My father paid a price when he used the Weapon, Tyler Jones.

What price?

I was not with him when it fired… . She shakes her head. But even aboard Andarael, six thousand kilometers off the Neridaa’s stern, I felt it. As if the essence were being drawn from me like water into a sponge. And my father stood at the Weapon’s heart when it was unleashed.

You mean it … drained him? Like a battery?

She just shrugs. It took him many cycles to recover.

So he can’t just go around firing this thing on a whim. Are you saying his threat to destroy Earth is just a bluff?

Oh no. My father is as ruthless a man as ever walked the stars. If I am not returned to him, he will make a desolation of your home. He has taken steps to ensure that the next time he is forced to use Neridaa, the drain will be lessened. A battery of his own, so to speak.

For a moment, I sense a small shiver run through her.

But he will not waste it unless he is forced to. I must return to him.

I tilt my head and meet her eyes. Well, you’re just as much a tactician as I am. Do you see any way out of this cell? Let alone down to the docking bay?

When the guards enter to feed us. We overpower them. Take their weapons.

That assumes they’re going to feed us at all, I point out.

Then I will pretend my injuries are worse than they are. Hold my stomach. Collapse. When they send medical personnel and security, we strike.

Feign weakness, I nod. Yeah, I thought of that. But they send these boys in packs of six, in case you missed it.

I most certainly did not, she glowers.

So even presuming we overpower half a dozen fully armed and armored TDF marines, that camera above the door will flag us as soon as we jump them. The whole ship will be locked down before we get off this level.

Perhaps you would care to make a suggestion instead of criticizing mine.

Hey, don’t get snippy with me, missy.

Saedii’s glower grows hot enough to burn through the cell door.

Do you refer to all females you wish to insult as “missy,” boy?

Only the ones who call me “boy,” missy.

I look around the cell, sucking my lip. I’ve studied TDF ships since I was a kid. Good news is, if we can get out of this cell, I know exactly how to get down to the landing bays. Bad news is, I also know exactly how these cells are constructed, and how impossible they are to break out of.

I cast my eyes over the wreckage of the bio-cot I smashed during my little temper tantrum. My stare roams to the sprinkler system above. The tiny, narrow grilles leading into the ventilation systems. I conjure up plans, then discard them just as quick.

We’ve got no edge here at all.

Well? Saedii demands. Impress me.

I can feel myself getting frustrated again. The thought of everything that could be happening out there while we’re stuck in here is derailing me. I feel helpless. Useless. I breathe deep, clenching and unclenching my fists. My mind racing. I know no jail cell is perfect. There’s no problem that’s unsolvable. Somewhere, somehow, there’s a key to be found here. I just need to know where to look.