Kira stared. If a Mage could create the illusion of an opening in a wall that didn't have one, why couldn't a Mage create the illusion of no opening where one had been?

She turned at the same time as she drew her pistol, flipping off the safety and readying it.

A number of people strolled the sidewalk opposite them. Others leaned against buildings, some talking to each other.

Kira saw people running toward her and Jason from both sides along the street. Their retreat was cut off and at least a dozen people were rushing them. Where was the Mage who had created the illusion of rock filling the tunnel? Whoever it was, the Mage had to have a clear view of the sally port. She could almost feel where the Mage was. Somewhere. Somewhere. Kira strained at something that she didn't really understand, trying to get it to work.

There. That woman leaning against the building opposite. To Kira's eyes, the woman's body glowed with the power being put into the spell.

Kira raised her arm toward the woman, then stopped, staring at her hand and the object in it. What was she supposed to do? How?

Jason grabbed her other arm. "Kira! What's going on?"

Kira shook her head, feeling as if the world had jerked around her. She blinked her eyes to clear them, looking back at the woman. She was still there, but Kira could no longer see the glow of the spell-work even though the female Mage was obviously still concentrating. Kira's arm was already up, the pistol in her hand pointed toward the Mage. She hastily aimed and fired, the shot tugging at one of the woman's sleeves.

The female Mage dodged away, losing her sight of the sally port as well as her concentration on the spell.

The sound of Kira's shot echoed down the street. Anyone not already aware that something was happening began running.

She backed toward the sally port, turning to see that the nearest attackers were almost on Jason, too close for him to run. Daggers gleamed in their hands, but Jason was between Kira and them so she couldn't get a clear shot. If only there had been time on the ship to teach him more than basic self-defense moves.

At the last moment, Jason leaped toward the two, throwing off their own attacks. The man went one way, the woman another, and Jason stumbled to a halt in the center before dashing back toward Kira.

As the man rose to slash at Jason, Kira lined up her shot and fired, the impact of her bullet knocking him back. The woman hesitated as Jason joined Kira, giving Kira time to shove him inside the tunnel, then back in fast herself, pulling the armored door closed behind her, holstering her weapon to use both hands.