Elias kept his hands loose while Vira studied him.
Two puppet guards had rifle barrels against his chest. Their fingers rested on the triggers with the patience of dead things. The plasma cores hummed through his shirt, warm enough to remind him that his ribs were already broken and did not need help.
Kikaru stood to his left with her boot pinning a fallen rifle. Her golden system glow crawled over the white tile and made the blood look darker.
Vira had not ordered the guards to fire.
That was the only reason Elias was alive.
"Because I can open locks without alarms," Elias repeated, keeping his voice tired instead of eager. "You needed a way past Federation doors, and I need out of their cages."
Asurik gave a low laugh. The rocky Ikona on his shoulder shifted, red fissures pulsing through its body. "That is convenient timing for a man discovering loyalty in a hallway."
"Loyalty costs more than I have," Elias said. "I am offering something you can test before trusting me."
