Stars in Nova (The Sable Riders #6)

Tempest of Fury

K isan descended into the underground city in a fit of rage.

He hurried through the tunnel network, his mind churning like a tempest, his soul waging war against the burning desire to rip Orilia apart to rescue his woman and avenge her kidnapping.

Guilt hit him in waves, too, as did dread, worried about what he would say to Samira’s children and aunt.

How would he explain that Misandra’s amazing niece and those precious children’s mother had been fokkin’ kidnapped by the Corilians?

He burst into the cavern’s main hall, striding past the shell-shocked crowds who had heard all was not well.

Sharin made a few frantic calls via the Vaelorii relay network when they descended into the tunnels.

News spread fast, and Kisan sensed the Vaelorii’s shock as they spoke in hushed tones in small groups. The aftermath of the attack was still fresh in their minds, and the loss of their leader was top of mind.

They noted Sharin’s bowed shoulders, Kisan’s cold eyes, and Sax’s tight expressions, giving them a broad berth.

He let the Chief Engineer and Sax deal with the soldiers, sweeping past the garrison towards the living quarters.

Eyes followed him along the cavern’s corridors until he pushed open the door to Samira’s dwelling, stepping inside to find her aunt seated with the children.

Malik and Liora gazed up at him, their eyes searching his face for answers. Their innocence hit him like a blow, but he steadied his voice.

Sharin had already sent Misandra a message to prepare the kids for Kisan. The older woman’s eyes were crowded with worry and misting with tears as she held Samira’s two most precious ones to her side.

‘Kisan,’ Malik called out, wriggling away from his aunt and launching himself into the Rider’s embrace.

They hugged until Kisan lifted the boy and placed him next to Misandra.

‘Your mother’s gone on a mission,’ he rasped, the guilt almost too hard to bear as he knelt before them. ‘She’ll be back soon.’

Liora tilted her head, her small hands gripping her brother’s arm. ‘She promised not to leave us again.’

‘She’ll keep that promise,’ Kisan assured her, his eyes meeting hers. ‘She’ll come back. I swear it.’

Malik studied him, his young face hardening with a maturity that seemed too old for his years. ‘You’ll bring her back.’

Kisan raised a chin. ‘I will.’

Standing to the side, Misandra stepped forward as the children returned to their seats.

Her stern gaze bore into Kisan, keeping her utterance hushed. ‘You’re hiding something.’

Kisan hesitated, then relented. ‘She was kidnapped. The Corilians attacked while we were testing the weapons. We fought hard, but—’ he paused, sucking his teeth, ‘they overwhelmed us.’

The older woman’s face tightened, her hands trembling as she clenched them into fists. ‘Alive?’

He nodded. ‘As far as I know.

‘You surrendered her, allowed her to be snatched?’

‘I didn’t let anything happen,’ Kisan growled, his tone taut. ‘They ambush came from nowhere. I - we tried to rescue her, trust, but I failed, so I’ll fix it.’

Misandra’s eyes narrowed, terror lurking in her gaze. ‘You’d better. She’s all those children have. She’s all I have.’ She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. ‘Promise me you’ll bring her back, Rider.’

Kisan met her stare, his jaw tightening. ‘I swear.’

Sax jerked his chin at Kisan when he returned to the packed armory, his gaze communicating his concern for his woman’s family.

The same worry was reflected in the faces and eyes of the soldiers milling before him.

From Garner, the sniper with unerring aim, whose dark eyes stormed.

To Jessa, her countenance framed by shock-red hair, jaw clenching, fired up for a fight.

Talin, the quiet strategist, was by a table with a first aid kit, tending to Sharin’s injuries.

She waved a med device over the engineer’s cuts and bruises. As soon as the Rider strode in, both women turned their eyes, faces hard and bitter, toward him.

With an inhale, Kisan faced the waiting group, staring at him.

‘I trust you’re up to speed with the shit storm we endured on the surface.’

Jessa growled. ‘ Naam , Rider, get on with it.’

He arched a brow at her. ‘I’m feeling this as much as you are.’

Her face softened, but a tic still went off in her jaw. ‘Like I said, soldier, move on. We’ve lost the commander, but I’ve checked you out, so here’s hoping we have a fighting chance.’

‘We’re storming Cygnus,’ Kisan began, his voice carrying through the space. ‘It’s their stronghold, where they’ve taken Samira. We’re not going in blind—we’re going in with every ounce of firepower available.’

Sharin stepped forward, her expression resolute. ‘I need two days max to have the weapons ready, calibrated with enhanced kinetic disruptors, and adjusted for what we now know. The Corilians won’t know what hit them.’

Sax leaned against a nearby pillar, arms crossed, his smirk razor-sharp. ‘If they do, we’ll make sure they regret it.’

Kisan’s gaze swept over the group. ‘We slam them hard and fast. The goal is to disable their fleet, rescue Samira, and make it out alive. Everyone clear?’

A chorus of nods and murmured affirmations filled the hall.

‘Get to it.’

His words sounded hollow even as he growled them.

He clenched his fists, frustration and helplessness gnawing at him, forced to wait and plan while the woman he cared for was in enemy control.

Kisan worked alongside Sax, tamping down his need to scream and rage at the world.

Sharin and her engineers also stayed up late into the night, the armory alive with the sound of tools and the whir of energy fields.

The lead technician adjusted the disruptor rifles with deft hands, her eyes sharp as she fine-tuned the weapons’ output.

‘These should penetrate even their enhanced shields,’ she said, passing Kisan a recalibrated rifle. ‘The pulses will hit their automated framework and scramble the cybernetics controlling them.’

Kisan inspected the weapon. ‘Good. But we’ll need more than handhelds for Cygnus.’

He turned toward the Cephei, parked in the hidden volcanic hangar. The ship loomed in the dim light, its dark hull gleaming like a predator waiting to strike. With Sax and Sharin’s help, he accessed its propulsion systems, his mind racing with an idea born from his darkest days as Ankis.

‘Back when I was Ankis,’ Kisan began, his voice grim as he tinkered with the Cephei’s power core, ‘I weaponized my ship’s Alcubierre drives. I used them to unleash kinetic beams that collapsed shields and obliterated fleets. It’s time to bring that back.’

Sax raised an eyebrow. ‘You sure about this? That tech’s dangerous.’

‘So are the Corilians,’ Kisan shot back. ‘We’ll recalibrate the drive to emit a kinetic particle burst. It’ll penetrate their ships, scramble their brains, and leave them dead in the water.’

Sharin frowned, her fingers tracing the schematics. ‘It’s risky. If the calibration’s off, it could blow back on us.’

‘That’s why we do it right,’ Kisan said, his aqua eyes glowing. ‘We don’t have the luxury of safe options.’

The work progressed rapidly with Mirage’s node integrated into the Cephei’s systems. The AI provided precise calculations, her calm voice cutting through the tension as they fine-tuned the drive.

By the third day, the ship’s guns were loaded, their cannons enabled with kinetic energy, and every firing mechanism primed for the assault.

The strain in the air was palpable as the team gathered one final time before departure the following day.

The glow of the cavern’s bioluminescent pools reflected in their hardened faces. Kisan stood at the center, his presence commanding.

‘This isn’t just about rescuing Samira,’ he said, his voice steady. ‘It’s about showing the Corilians they can’t take what’s ours. We’re going to Cygnus, and we’re bringing her home.’

Sax clapped him on the shoulder, his grin sharp. ‘Hell yeah, we are.’

Kisan glanced toward the Cephei, its sleek form radiating a quiet menace. ‘We leave at dawn. Be ready.’

The team dispersed, their resolve unwavering.

As Kisan stared out over the cavern, the sound of water echoing around him, he allowed himself a moment of silence.

The most important fight of his life was coming up. He knew, with utter clarity, he’d go to his death to ensure Samira lived through this shit show.

Kisan made his way back toward Samira’s chamber.

The buzz of activity in the subterranean city faded, leaving only the trickle of water from unseen streams.

Samira’s aunt, Misandra, had insisted he sleep in his woman’s bed, reminding him sternly that he needed rest for the mission ahead.

Kisan, however, was anything but tired. His mind was a storm, his thoughts circling back to Samira.

Her absence felt unbearable, a hollow ache he couldn’t shake.

Suddenly, a small figure stepped into his path as he turned into a quieter passage.

He arched a brow in surprise as Liora gazed up at him with questioning eyes.

‘Kisan,’ she whispered, spine against the wall, her hands clutching a small stuffed animal. ‘I want the truth. Where’s my mum?’

Kisan crouched to her level, his luminous, viridescent eyes meeting hers. For a moment, he debated lying, but the solemness of her gaze made him relent.

She deserved the facts.

‘She was abducted,’ he murmured, keeping his inflection soft. ‘The Corilians took her from us.’

Liora’s lip quivered, dark curls shifting over her shoulders, but she didn’t cry. ‘You’re going to get her back?’

‘I swear it,’ Kisan said, reassuringly touching her shoulder. ‘I won’t stop until she’s home.’

Liora studied him, her small hands clutching the fabric of her nightgown. ‘You’re strong, right? Stronger than them?’

Kisan managed a smile. ‘I’ve faced worse, and I’m not doing this alone. Your mum has a lot of people who care about her.’

She nodded, her voice firmer now. ‘I feel better already. You’re going to rescue her. I know you will.’

Kisan stood, took Liora’s hand, and led her toward the children’s chamber.

He helped her climb into her bed, pulling the blanket to her chin. Liora held onto his hand for a moment longer, her tiny fingers tightening around his.

‘Promise you’ll come back too,’ she whispered.

‘I swear,’ Kisan rasped, thick with emotion.

He brushed a stray curl from her face, waiting until her breathing slowed and her eyes closed.

Only then did he step away, his chest heavy.

In Samira’s room, Kisan lay on the bed, staring at the smooth stone ceiling.

He turned onto his side, his arm instinctively reaching for the space where she should have been, inhaling her fading scent on the pillow.

His thoughts churned. Where was she now? Was she hurt? Scared?

The image of her fiery defiance filled his thoughts, followed by the hollow ache of missing her laugh, her voice, the warmth of her body curled against his.

He shut his eyes, willing himself to sleep, but his mind refused to quiet.

So he made himself a promise.

He would face the Corilians, no matter the cost.

He would bring her back.

For her. For her children.

For the promise of a future he hadn’t dared to dream of before meeting her.

With that thought anchoring him, Kisan finally drifted into a restless doze, his dreams filled with her face, her voice, and the battle to come.