Age of Deception

  AGE OF DECEPTION

  The Firebird Chronicles

  By T.A. White

  Copyright © 2020

  All rights reserved

  To my grandmothers.

  I miss you both.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TUANN TERMS

  TUANN HOUSES

  DISCOVER MORE BY T.A. WHITE

  CONNECT WITH ME

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ONE

  Being struck speechless was a new experience for Kira, but then the man sitting across from her had a disturbing way of surprising her.

  Graydon rested his chin on his hand and raised his eyebrows at her in silent invitation.

  He couldn't have said what she thought she’d heard.

  "Would you like to repeat that?" Because it had sounded an awful lot like he'd said he was keeping her—which was absurd.

  A fact he had to know.

  Graydon smirked, a cocky twist of the lips that made her want to reach across the table and punch him. "Is your hearing bad?"

  The man known as the Emperor's Face was built like a mountain. Authority was stamped on every feature; arrogance along with it. The synth armor he wore seemed to eat the light, appearing a black so deep she was surprised she couldn't see her reflection in it. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with clearly delineated muscles even his armor couldn't hide.

  His features warned of the stubborn personality inside even as they invited you to sit and stare a while. He was handsome, almost brutally so. He knew it, too. Dark hair framed intense, stormy gray eyes and a face chiseled from granite. Thin lips that looked indescribably soft.

  Yes, handsome if not for the fact smug superiority oozed from his pores.

  Kira’s eyes narrowed.

  Was this revenge? Some type of retaliation for hurt pride?

  He'd asked her to stay, and she'd refused for reasons she couldn't reveal to him. Her mission was dangerous, requiring focus and sacrifice. Graydon was a temptation she couldn't afford.

  She wouldn't have thought it of him. He was too self-assured for such petty things.

  No, this was something else.

  "Not at all," Kira said icily. "I just wanted to see if you’re really as stupid as you're acting."

  Graydon's smile flashed again, an amused lion impressed by his prey's struggles.

  She ignored him in favor of examining the rest of those taking part in this farce. Liara, the Overlord of House Luatha, sat to the right of Graydon, her eyes bruised and her features exhausted. The battle for the planet had taken its toll on Kira's cousin.

  Liara seemed resigned to events, her careful mask providing no hint to what she thought of the current situation.

  Kira dismissed Liara almost in the same instant. Her cousin might hold a measure of familial loyalty to Kira, but she wouldn't risk the safety of her people for one she'd known for a handful of days.

  She also dismissed Shandry, the healer who’d tended to Kira during her brief stay in Shandry’s healing room. The healer lacked any true power to influence current events.

  Her attention shifted to the true threats. Silas and Quillon. Until now, they were unknowns. Maybe a little too interested in Kira, but ultimately unimportant. Except they'd proven they were capable of much more than she'd assumed.

  She'd played right into House Roake's hands. Hadn't seen the ambush until she was already caught in it.

  Kira sucked in a deep breath. Patience. Control. She needed to keep it.

  "Jin?"

  The drone who was Kira's best friend hovered over her shoulder, his round spherical body no bigger than her head.

  "They have a case," he said after a drawn-out moment where he considered.

  Kira fought the urge to curse. Of course, they did. She had no doubt she would be here if they hadn't thought out every possible outcome from this conversation.

  She was in the midst of a battle she’d had no idea was even taking place. They were three steps ahead while she was still struggling to see the game board.

  The two men regarded her patiently. The color of their synth armor was a blue so deep and dark it reminded Kira of midnight. Its design was simpler than that of Liara's bodyguards, more in line with Graydon's people. It was serviceable, meant for battle rather than to impress.

  House Roake. Her father's people. A man she had never met and hadn't given much thought to while struggling to survive the hell of her childhood.

  Until recently, Kira had thought she was the product of experiments to create a super-soldier. Someone whose DNA had been tinkered with before birth to create a killing weapon, meant to be aimed at the enemy and fired.

  Turned out she was wrong. Instead, she was apparently a member of an alien race called the Tuann. Technologically advanced with social customs more suited to the feudal societies of old Earth, they had odd notions of how long-lost members of their race should be treated. Few of their people strayed from the accepted molds, which made Kira something of an anomaly.

  "Let's all stay calm," Jace cautioned. The words might have been said to the room, but they were meant for Kira. Her former commander knew about her temper. "I'm sure there’s an easy solution to this."

  "Yeah, Kira is once again humanity's bargaining chip for their continued survival," Jin said.

  Jace slid him a quelling look. "It's not going to come to that."

  But it would. Humanity was between a rock and a hard place with their old enemy the Tsavitee back on the galactic stage. They'd barely come out the winner during their last war with the alien race known as the scourge. There was no guarantee they'd triumph again—especially with Kira not quite up to her old standards.

  The price for losing would be annihilation.

  Neither humanity nor the Consortium would risk that, not with the Tuann offering ships and people to operate those ships.

  The walls threatened to close in on Kira. Not a good feeling for someone who'd just transformed back from a monstrous creature that had ripped dozens of Tsavitee apart.

  "Calm," Jace said, meeting Kira's gaze, his expression saying trust me.

  Kira consciously relaxed, forcing panic and helplessness away. For someone used to controlling every aspect of her life—for soldiers, losing control usually resulted in death—it wasn't easy having that independence threatened. Jace had earned her trust. She’d give him a shot at this.

  When he faced the Tuann again, Jace was poised, his bearing that of the rear admiral he’d become. "This news is unexpected. I'm sure you understand if we need a little time to process."

  Silas's smile was conciliatory. "Of course. We want to make this transition as easy for the child of our House as possible."

  "You could always let her go," Jin muttered.

  "Jin," Jace warned.

  Jin grumbled but didn't say anything else.

  Silas acknowledged Jin before turning to Kira. "I'm afraid that is the one thing we cannot do. Your father was a special person for our people. His daughter will be welcomed with open arms. Please let us get to know you as you get to know us. That's all we're asking."

  Kira stared at him with
narrowed eyes.

  He seemed earnest. Caring even.

  "Why do you care?" Kira asked.

  Silas's smile was peaceful and tranquil. "Because you're one of us and shouldn't face this world alone."

  Raider snorted. "Good luck with that."

  Kira had a long history of going it alone—as evidenced by her heading off to live in a ship by herself rather than face the remnants of her old team.

  "We are aware accommodations need to be made for your circumstances," Silas continued. "We're willing to arrange what you need to be comfortable with this."

  Mighty big of him when he had driven a space cruiser through Kira's plans.

  "This is a highly unusual ask," Jace said, carefully not looking at Kira. "We will need to contact our superiors. They need to be present for this conversation."

  Raider crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, a neutral expression on his face.

  Silas inclined his head. "We understand. The Emperor's Face anticipated this request and has a deep space connection standing by."

  Jace's smile didn't reach his eyes. "How very thoughtful."

  Graydon's lips tilted up the barest bit, warning Kira he found this entirely too amusing for her comfort. He must be doing cartwheels inside at having so thoroughly thwarted her. She'd be impressed if she wasn't so infuriated.

  One of Graydon's oshota—elite warriors who were some of the deadliest fighters Kira had ever seen—stepped forward carrying what looked like a small rock. Amila's nod was respectful as she set the silvery amethyst stone in front of Jace.

  They all looked at the rock. It sat there, doing what rocks do.

  Jace's expression was befuddled while Raider raised an eyebrow.

  The rock didn't move. No tricks were performed as it lay there—inert.

  Jace cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm not familiar with this technology."

  "Place your hand on it and think of who you want to contact. The anchor will do the rest," Amila said.

  Jin made a fascinated sound as he drifted closer, pointing the lens on his front that acted as his eye, at the rock. It was an unnecessary affectation, an inside joke taken from old movies and TV shows from Earth. He had hundreds of mini-cameras built into his case, allowing him a 360-degree view of his surroundings at all times.

  "It's mental-based, isn't it? Like the Nexus?" Jin asked.

  No one answered for a long moment.

  "Yes," Amila said when the silence deepened further.

  Jace placed his hand on the rock, his forehead furrowing.

  "This is the CSS Valiant. You're using an unauthorized channel," a disembodied voice barked.

  "This is Rear Admiral Jace Skarsdale. Confirm voice ID print, code alpha, romeo, delta, sierra, one, niner, two."

  "Stand by." The voice sounded slightly startled. Seconds later, the person said, "Code confirmed. What can I do for you, sir?"

  "I want a link to Admiral Akira Himoto, top priority, highly classified," Jace said.

  "Roger that."

  There was a click, and then a man appeared at the end of the table, his hands folded in front of him, his expression contemplative.

  Admiral Himoto had been part of Kira's life almost since the moment she'd freed herself from her childhood captors. He was a father figure and mentor all rolled into one. He was the reason she'd joined the Space Force and the person who had forced her to see her unique traits as tools to be used and embraced rather than fought and feared.

  He’d told her that her abilities might have arisen from the evil acts of greedy men, but she could choose what to do with her talents. She'd never forgotten that lesson.

  Forces outside her control might shape her, but she was in charge of what she became. No one else.

  For that reason, she would always love him, even if she no longer trusted him.

  He had the weight of an entire race on his shoulders. One lost lamb didn't outweigh the duties he wore like a mantle.

  No longer the young man of her childhood, Himoto had aged in the years she'd been away. He was of Japanese descent, and his hair had more gray and white now than black, with faint lines riddling his face. Despite that, the impact of his gaze showcased that same forceful personality she remembered from their first meeting. Eyes that were calm, yet held a wisdom as deep as the ocean.

  He didn't seem surprised by his abrupt summons, regarding them calmly. "Lord Graydon, to what do I owe this pleasure? I trust Kira hasn't been too difficult."

  Graydon's teeth flashed. "You're a canny human. You knew exactly what we faced. A warning would have been nice."

  Himoto allowed himself the briefest of smiles. "I did try. It's not my fault you refused to listen."

  Graydon's chuckle was deep, but it didn't fool Kira. Despite the slight teasing, Graydon was a tiger with a man's shape, waiting for his enemy to show weakness. Only then would he pounce.

  Himoto's thoughtful gaze moved over them. To Jace, he said, "I assume since you are calling me in this manner, things have not gone as planned."

  "We've encountered a slight problem," Jace confirmed.

  Himoto let out a weary sigh. "That is always the way."

  Next to Himoto, a second man appeared. Younger than Himoto, his hair was buzzed close to his skull, creating the faintest shadow. A permanently dissatisfied frown had taken up residence on his face.

  Himoto gestured to the second. "I've taken the liberty of inviting Admiral John Kent to take part in this conversation."

  Jace looked like he'd bitten into a lemon.

  It didn't take long for Kira to guess why when the man's deep brown eyes swung her way and his lip curled. "What did you do?"

  Kira lifted an eyebrow, studying him for several long seconds. It was obvious this man disliked her despite never having met her. Why? An innate dislike for aliens? Or something else?

  "That's some greeting you have there. Did you skip diplomacy school while becoming an admiral?" Kira drawled.

  "Your reputation precedes you, Captain Forrest."

  "Heh, and that makes you an expert," Kira guessed.

  Raider's snicker was low, a smile playing over his lips before he looked down, hiding it. "He does have a point."

  Jin chortled beside her.

  Kira gritted her teeth. "Why are you here again?"

  "To make sure you don't do anything stupid, remember?" Raider taunted.

  "Good luck with that," Jin muttered.

  Kira ignored both of them, studying Himoto instead. His lips tightened faintly. He wasn't thrilled with the other admiral's presence. That more than anything else told her something was going on at Centcom.

  Politics. Great. As if she wasn't getting her fill of them already.

  Graydon caught her glance.

  "This isn't going to work," she mouthed at him.

  "We'll see," he mouthed back. "It'll be fun watching you struggle."

  Her eyes narrowed. Definitely a little bit of revenge in this ambush.

  She caught sight of Finn's carefully blank face from his position against the wall. The oshota had shadowed Kira almost since her arrival on Luatha. She'd accepted him as her shield, which made them responsible for each other in some way Kira still didn't quite understand.

  Finn's eyes met hers. He'd tried to warn her during her last encounter with Graydon that things weren't over. Kira should have paid more attention.

  She tuned back in as Jace was explaining the situation. "The Tuann have graciously decided to keep their word; however, there is a problem."

  "What sort of problem?" Kent demanded.

  "We’re happy to give you the ships," Silas spoke up. "But you will find yourself unable to leave the planet with them."

  Himoto's expression remained calm as Kent's eyes narrowed. "What good are ships if you won't let them out of your system?"

  "I don't think we're explaining correctly," Silas said, his forehead furrowing slightly.

  "It's not that they won't let us fly them home; it's that we can't," Jace sai
d.

  Kent's severe expression didn't thaw. If anything, he seemed more frustrated than before. Himoto shifted in his chair, steepling his fingertips in front of him as a thoughtful frown settled on his face.

  Kent was the opposite, aiming a look at Jace that said he thought the rear admiral was an imbecile. "Have the Tuann give you a crash course in flying one of their boats and then bring it home."

  Kira fought the urge to roll her eyes. As if flying a complicated piece of technology like a Tuann ship was as easy as flicking a switch. It seemed Kent's rise in the military hadn't come with a set of brains.

  "Our ships are keyed to our specific attributes," Silas said. "I'm afraid unless you are Tuann and are able to harness ki you will not be able to operate them."

  "And who are you?" Kent demanded, squinting at the Tuann.

  Silas smiled and inclined his head. "My name is Silas. My companion and I represent House Roake."

  "House what?" Kent asked.

  The skin around Himoto's eyes tightened the tiniest bit.

  "Real stellar leadership you have there," Kira murmured in Japanese.

  "He has many other admirable attributes," Himoto told her, again in Japanese.

  Kira resisted the urge to blow a raspberry, tempted to call bullshit. What kind of leader engaged with a hostile ally without learning the cultural mores upon which their society was founded? Not a good one—especially in light of the often fractious relationship the Consortium enjoyed with the Tuann. They'd misjudged the Tuann during first contact, and nothing since had eased the stigma their past actions had generated.

  Kent's attention came to her, and he frowned again. "What will it take for your people to teach us what we need to know to make these work?"

  Silas cocked his head as Graydon lifted an eyebrow.

  "He's being deliberately obtuse," Jin murmured.

  Raider and Jace didn't say anything. The look on their faces told her they agreed, but their ranks in the military meant they couldn't publicly chide Kent no matter how much they wanted to.

  "I think I agree with you, Jin," Kira muttered back.

  She tapped her fingertips against the table as she considered. The question was if Kent was doing it deliberately.

  It would make a deceptively useful tactic. More so when it was used like it was now, as a bludgeon to try to force the outcome he wanted.