“Yeah, but it’s hard to do anything about it while I’m dangling like a hooked fish,” she griped. “I can jam it, assuming I can reach my arm, but not for long.”

“How long is not long?”

“Thirty seconds, give or take,” she said. “Longer than that and we risk a backup timer setting it off.”

Once Torran had control of the physical trigger, we would have to get the vest off Cien, and then retreat far enough that the explosion wouldn’t kill us, while also fighting a telekinetic and two trained soldiers. We outnumbered them, but it was still a lot for thirty seconds.

Torran had continued trading barbs with the other telekinetic, but I hadn’t been paying attention to what exactly they were saying. “I’ll be the distraction,” I said over the comm. “I’m the one she wants. Trade me for Cien and figure out where the trigger is. Kee can block the signal from the remote detonator while you remove the vest.”

“Tavi, no!” my team shouted.

I ignored them. “Once Cien is safe, you can worry about me. My armor will protect me until then.” I hoped.

“I grow bored of this,” the telekinetic said. “Give me the humans now or watch the child die.”

Torran waved aside the table blocking the hallway and stepped into the room. I hovered by his side, the nimtowiadwu in front of me.

The telekinetic held up a hand. “Careful, General.”

“Show me the trigger,” Torran demanded. When it seemed like she might balk he continued, “Or do you not have an override after all?”

Cien groaned as his body was spun around.

“Tell Kee to jam the signal, then be ready,” Torran whispered in my mind. I relayed the order. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was getting ready for, but if it was anything like before, it was going to be a shitload of pain.

“Signal is jammed,” Kee said over the comm.

A control box in the middle of Cien’s back had a depressed red button. “It’s all yours,” the telekinetic said, “but you don’t know where the override is. Try anything and I’ll kill him.”

“Go,” Torran said telepathically.

A Valoff appeared in front of Cien. Based on the height and build, I guessed it was Nilo, but I had no idea how he’d gotten there without me noticing. I hit the ground as the two soldiers’ plas rifles jerked toward the ceiling.

Nilo reached up and Cien fell into his arms. They dropped backward and by the time they hit the ground, Cien’s vest was gone.

Not taken off, not removed—gone.

Nilo rolled over and covered Cien’s body with his own. I snapped out of my shock and brought my gun up. I hit the soldier on the left, but his armor protected him from the worst of the damage.