Stars in Nova (The Sable Riders #6)

Freakin’ Water Ruses

A fter some tweaking, Mirage reset the Rider’s suit.

She added a shield disruptor device to his chest piece.

‘It emits a focused pulse to disrupt the energy field for a short time without alerting anyone on the other side,’ the AI told him.

‘Good thinking, 99,’ he quipped, referencing an old Earth holo series.

Mirage chuckled. ‘You’re good to go. I’ve modulated its stealth capacity to match the tunnel’s shield frequency, allowing you to pass through it.’

‘ Sante .’

He made his way toward the tunnel entrance.

The electric surface shimmered as Kisan approached.

Carved into the jagged rock, its mouth disappeared into shadows framed by the glow of the shield in the dark of night.

The Guardian paused just outside its reach, eyes narrowing as he studied the shimmering veil.

‘Mirage,’ he murmured, his rasp tight with tension. ‘I’m going in. Stay on standby. If I lose contact-’

‘I get it,’ the AI node replied. ‘I’ll monitor from here and maintain the ship’s systems in stealth. Be careful, darling.’

Kisan nodded and tapped the disruptor.

His suit shimmered, matching the shield frequency.

With an inhale, he stepped through.

The energized blockade let him in.

He paused, sighing in relief, as he stood inside the labyrinthine corridors of the Vaelorii’s sanctuary.

The sudden loss of his neural connection was immediate and freakin’ disorienting, leaving him alone in the strange stillness of the cavern.

The tunnels were vast and irregular, their walls carved by natural forces and the deliberate work of Vaelorian hands.

Bioluminescent algae clung to the surfaces, casting the space in a soft green-blue gleam that flickered like candlelight.

Kisan moved with caution, his boots crunching over the uneven floor.

The tunnel ahead branched into multiple passages, each one disappearing into darkness.

He activated his noids, the glow radiating pale as they drifted in front of him like ghostly sentinels.

The corridors twisted and turned, their irregular paths leading the Rider deeper into the subterranean.

He took a left turn, following the traces of nitrogen concentration, but he ended up at a dead end. The passage narrowed to a jagged stone wall, its surface damp and slick.

He cursed and retraced his steps, giving his metanoids a fresh command. They found a new trajectory, their soft green glow illuminating the path as they searched for openings or hidden routes.

Another tunnel led him to a chamber filled with abandoned mining equipment—rusted carts and tools scattered randomly across the floor. The air was heavier here, and the scent of rust and decay clung to the interior.

Kisan searched the area, his hands brushing over the corroded metal, but his HUD scans did not show any recent activity or signs of life.

‘This place is a maze,’ he muttered, echoing off the rock partitions.

His metanoids flickered in his peripheral vision, their signals pulling his attention to a narrow route partly concealed by fallen rocks.

The Rider crouched and squeezed through the tight space, wincing as his suit brushed past the jagged edges.

The passage opened into a larger tunnel, the din of running rivulets reaching his ears.

The new path was smoother, its walls marked by deliberate carvings that hinted at Vaelorii craftsmanship.

Intricate patterns flowed across the stone, depicting scenes of lakes, rivers, and the flowing water that defined their culture.

The bioluminescence here was brighter, casting the engravings in soft hues that seemed to pulse with life.

Kisan’s metanoids hovered ahead, their glow leading him further into the depths. He followed, his senses sharp, every sound and shift in the air sending a prickle of anticipation through his body.

The tunnel began to slope downward, the atmosphere growing cooler and more humid.

Like a river, the drip and stream of gushing liquid grew louder, accompanied by the echoes of movement—perhaps the whispers of distant voices or the shifting of something significant and unseen.

His grip on his rifle tightened as he continued, his mind racing. He was alone now, penetrating unknown territory without contact with the outside world.

Samira was here. Somewhere in this labyrinth of stone and shadow, she held the answers he sought.

He would find her, no matter how deep he had to go.

The intruder moved through the shadows with practiced ease, like an experienced warrior or infiltrator.

Samira stepped silently after them, her steps silent as she navigated the familiar tunnels.

Alerted by one of their water drones, she’d come to investigate and found the trespasser in no time.

They’d somehow eluded the barrier shield.

How? Who the fokkin’ hell were they?

Was this the kinai responsible for the unexplained kinetic attack on the cyborgs just before her assault at the same position?

It’d given her unit a massive advantage, and she almost wanted to thank whoever the fokk had helped them.

The silhouette slipped and disappeared. Its outline was familiar, yet she couldn’t pinpoint who it was.

Her senses danced on high alert as she tracked the intruder through the labyrinthine caverns.

She moved like a ghost, her presence barely disturbing the stillness around her.

However, they were no novices, and their armored suit was cutting-edge tech, stealthed so that no EMF registered on any bands.

They shimmered in and out of view, sometimes even turning them into ghosts.

Nonetheless, this was her territory, and the moisture dripping off the cave walls allowed her to transmit her kinetic energy and keep her existence hidden from him.

The intruder, too, was using some kinesis. She also sensed nanobots traveling from them, which she aborted, sweeping them away in rushes of tiny precipitation showers.

They turned the corner into a quieter section of the grotto, and she followed, pausing to peer around the bend of the cavern wall.

‘Twas desolate, not a soul to be seen.

‘ Fokkinhellshit ,’ she groaned under her breath.

With care, she eased forward, on alert, crouching beside the walls.

The air was cooler here, and the ever-present trickle of water soothed the tension thrumming through her body.

She let out a slow exhalation, allowing herself a moment of respite when a shadow moved in the periphery of her vision.

‘ Fokk ,’ she whispered, startled, her voice catching in her throat, clutching her weapon and, with a jerk, aiming it at the silhouette.

The stranger stepped out of the shadows with an almost predatory grace, his tall frame blocking the passage ahead.

‘Twas a man, given his looming physique and sculpted muscles under the attire.

He tapped the side of his helmet, which folded away and disappeared into the back of his suit.

The bioluminescence of the cavern walls illuminated him, casting an eerie glow across his chiseled features.

She stared at him in shock.

‘What in Pegasi hell?’

‘Searching for me, soldier?’ he drawled, those familiar aqua eyes of his, vivid and alive, burning through the dim light as they fixed on her.

His menace was unmistakable, his presence undeniable.

Fokk , he bristled with it.

He loomed over her in all his meta Rider glory, glaring.

Hands crossed over his massive torso, muscles rippling, sinewed limbs locking as if he was controlling himself from leaping for her throat.

She froze, her heart pounding in her chest.

Her shock was evident, her silver and gold eyes expansive as they darted over his face. ‘Kisan.’

She was catapulted to their time on Eden II, the most intimate moments, and the lingering kisses they’d shared.

‘Samira,’ he growled.

She jolted at the rage in his voice.

Yet a tremor lingered below the profound utterance.

The betrayal he felt was still raw and bleeding, even though his expression had hardened into a mask of indifference.

It pulled her back to the present, grounding her even as it twisted the knife in her gut.

She forced herself to stand straighter, even though her heart thundered.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but he raised a hand, silencing her.

‘Don’t,’ he rasped, his bass laced with menace. ‘Whatever excuse you have, whichever reason you think I want to hear—it’s too late for that.’

She flinched as his ragged growl cut deep, like a dagger to her chest.

‘I have an explanation, please,’ she whispered.

A flicker of something—regret?—crossed his frigid face, but she tagged his nostrils thin with an inhale.

Kisan wasn’t going to fold over without a fight. Fokk .

He stood, rigid and defiant, iced over. He jerked his chin, waiting for her to speak.

‘How?’ she attempted. ‘How are you here? How did you even find me?’

He stepped forward, his imposing presence filling the narrow space between them. ‘You made it difficult,’ he snarled. ‘Your wrist comm shared your location. I’ve had to contend with your shielded tunnels and the interference since, but de nada —while you did a superb job hiding, I located you. Not hard for a man who hunted his enemies and annihilated them not so long ago.’

His threat and its ominous warning was clear.

Her hand tightened on the grip of her weapon, her finger switching the neuro-toxin button on.

‘You shouldn’t be here, Rider,’ she clipped through a clenched jaw, hating the rush of emotion at seeing him.

He arched a sardonic brow. ‘Shouldn’t I?’

‘ Nada .’

He sucked his teeth and leaned in, eyes glinting. ‘How was I to resist? All your drama immersed me. It’s quite the war you have on your hands up there,’ jerking his chin to the surface.

Samira’s core pounded as she stared at the imposing man whose physique filled the narrow cavern passage.

His viridescent eyes glowed in the light of the dim bioluminescence, a searing intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

She hadn’t expected to see him again—not here, in the heart of her resistance’s stronghold.

Dammit! He still had the power to ratchet up her emotions and get her pulse rate racing.

Her feelings for him had never left her, and just by taking one look at him again, her need for him flared up once more.

Hell, she’d been aware of what she was walking into when she’d worked her water magic on him.

She suspected that as much as she tried her wiles on him, his charismatic, seductive, and brooding energy would stamp itself on her soul.

She’d walked away from him, but in her dreams, even in her every waking hour, her pull to him had endured.

Right now, staring at him, she was shocked with her soul’s elation, at the instinctual joy at seeing his brutish yet oh-so- fokkin ’ sensual silhouette backlit by the luminescence of Thalassi’s ambiance.

She kept her breathing steady as the tension in the air thickened.

‘This isn’t your battle,’ was all she whispered.

His gaze sharpened, and he stepped closer, his boots scuffing against the rock. ‘Well, it turns out you can fight on more than one front, and I’m bringing my war to you, woman. One declared the moment you stole from me,’ he growled. ‘My mask, Samira. I want it back, right fokkin ’ now.’

Her breath hitched, her mind racing.

‘I can’t give it to you, but I’m willing to show you why,’ she muttered.

Still cautious, her fingers stroking the steel of her weapon, aware of how dangerous the Rider was and how much was at stake.

‘I don’t care for your reasons,’ Kisan drawled. ‘The artifact is fokkin ’ perilous and needs to be back on Eden II under lockdown. It’s also a part of me, and you had no right to take it.’

Her shock gave way to a simmering frustration.

‘I had every right,’ she shot back. ‘You think I took it without months of consideration? I stole it because my people required it.’

‘What the ever-lovin’ toxin did you use on me?’

She took in a ragged inhale, jolting by the quick shift in his interrogation.

She spoke fast, her words tripping over themselves. ‘It’s a kind of batrachotoxin found in the skin glands of the underwater frogs of our continent. We’ve used it for centuries when hunting and found ways to incorporate it into our bodies. We’re immune to it and can carry it in sacs in our mouths. The toxin acts by preventing voltage-gated sodium channels from closing in nerves. It’s very potent and can override even nanobots, eliciting convulsions, muscle contractions, salivation, and death. Other symptoms include respiratory paralysis and muscular paralysis. We use it in controlled doses, thus my directive to you that your symptoms would fade soon.’

He arched a brow and then continued his interrogation.

‘How did you know where to find my mask?’ he growled.

Samira hesitated to answer, then chose brutal honesty. ‘One of the window cleaners at Sable HQ is Orilian. He volunteered the information after he saw it through a window hanging on your wall.’

‘How did he know to look for it?’

‘I advertised I was after it. I was desperate and sent word to everyone in our network.’

‘Desperate for what?’

‘You saw the cyborg army out there. We require it to win, to survive, that’s why.’

‘Don’t justify your shitty behavior for some cause. You used me,’ he growled, his anger flaring. ‘You seduced me, lied to me, and then left me to chase shadows.’

Her expression faltered, remorse flashing across her face. ‘You sound butt hurt, soldier. Get over it.’

She tagged a surge of emotion in his eyes. Disappointment? Anguish?

Hit with guilt, Samira sighed. ‘Look, Rider, I didn’t have a choice. We’re at war with a relentless enemy. We needed the advantage we believe your mask provided.’

‘You always had an option,’ he said, his voice softer now, though the anger remained. ‘You also might have asked.’

‘ Nada , I did not, and you wouldn’t have agreed. You’ve seen what we’re dealing with on the surface. Lives are at stake, and the mask can help. I witnessed what it was capable of when you were Ankis. There’s footage of you up against battleships and flyers using the vibrations and pulses the artifact emitted to defeat machines, disrupt them, and turn their power to counteract them. That’s what I need. I thought -.’

Her voice trailed off as Kisan stepped even closer, his towering presence forcing her back a step. ‘You thought to use it for its worst capabilities without me?’ he gritted, his tone dripping with disbelief. ‘That it would just function for you? I bet you and your tech crew are stymied on getting it to wake. Am I right?’

She tilted her head, mulling his words. ‘You are. However, it will work now that you’re here to show us how. Thank fokk for that.’

‘Hell, nada . Give me back my shit, and I’ll leave and get off your freakin’ planet,’ Kisan growled, his rasp hoarse, taut with restrained anger.

‘I wish I were able to,’ she clipped. ‘It has more use than just being hung on a wall like an altar to your past. It might save lives.’

‘In wrong or inexperienced hands, it may eviscerate millions of souls. I’m not leaving without it,’ he rasped, stepping forward.

Samira stepped back, her fingers twitching as she drew moisture from the dripping walls.

The cavern echoed with the rush of running streams, a reminder of the power she could summon. ‘Don’t come any closer, Rider.’

She raised her weapon.

He arched his brow, then lunged, a blur of dark armor and raw energy.

His speed surprised her as they collided in a tangle of limbs.

He pressed her up into the rock, his armored frame radiating scorching heat.

His hands gripped her shoulders, holding her in place. Their faces were close enough that his breath brushed against her cheek.

She shuddered as she felt the rising scorch of his thickening cock throbbing against her stomach.

Her chest tightened as their eyes locked, his raw intensity pulling her in despite herself.

For a brief, maddening moment, she forgot the fight or why they were even here.

Her nipples stiffened, her core convulsing, on the verge of cumming in his presence.

The space between them was charged, their anger blurring into something more dangerous.

‘Let me go,’ she whispered, her pulse jumping.

‘Make me,’ he rumbled with menace, almost daring her.

He smirked and, with a growl, flicked her tits that were distended through her suit.

She jolted and instinctively arched her back.

He growled in satisfaction and pinched the aching nubs.

‘ Nada ,’ she groaned and, with a twist, attempted to wrench herself from him.

‘Kisan, please,’ she murmured, her heart pounding.

Kisan’s lips twisted into a wry smirk. ‘I can keep this going. I won’t let up until I see my mask.’

‘You’re relentless,’ she said, her clit still pulsing. ‘So am I. This is my fight, my world.’

He grinned, eyes flicking to his wrist.

Where a jewel sat embedded into his skin.

She’d seen it before and assumed it was one of his embellishments.

It was not, for she tagged the shimmer of a silver cloud emanating from it.

‘The fokk ?’

She didn’t have the chance to say more when she was enveloped by a glittering shroud that melded into her suit, worming its way into the folds of her armor.

She gasped as the synth fabric stiffened into a rock-hard prison.

She tried twisting her arm but was unable to.

He grinned. ‘My noids have immobilized your armor. Sound familiar?’

‘ Fokk off.’

‘You’re the one who fokked around beautiful,’ he growled. ‘Playin’ dirty with the one man in all Pegasi who can play the dirtiest.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ she uttered, heart aching, voice soft. ‘However, if you have an iota of compassion in you, which I know you do, having studied you on Eden II, you’ll hear me out. Perhaps even be persuaded to our cause.’

He arched a brow, scoffed, and sucked his teeth. ‘ Fokk off, woman.’

‘Please,’ she pleaded.

Silence fell between them, his cold eyes raking hers.

He closed his for a moment, lost in thought.

When he opened them, he gave her a searching look from head to toe. ‘You violated my trust, woman.’

‘I hate that I had to,’ she whispered. ‘It won’t happen again. Let me show you why I did it.’

Kisan’s lips curled into a smirk despite his predicament. ‘You’d better have a damn fokkin ’ plausible explanation.’

‘I do,’ she murmured.

He sucked his teeth, eyes hard.

At the same time, the glittering cloud of tiny receptors rose from her suit and melded back into his armor, releasing her from his lock.

She freed her hands, gripped one of his, and led him deeper into the caverns.