Closing A Chapter
K isan’s holo display showcased a vision of Eden II’s sprawling port.
The bustling terminal brimmed with full berths, numerous miniature flyers navigating the area, and an overall atmosphere of lively activity.
A variety of ships, both small and massive, had docked at the pier. Most featured the simple, streamlined design preferred by Allorian and Dunian merchants and traders who couldn’t afford the steep cost of more elegant Rhesian yachts.
Porters in space suits hurried to and from the concourse and air bridges outside the vault.
Transferring heavy goods onto smaller passenger boats and pushing them toward the moon’s enormous dome.
The dock gleamed with a brand-new shine, and the Cephei’s thrusters fired in cadence as the ship slowed and landed,
Grapples groaned, and there was a slight jolt as the gunship slid into her berth and latched to the spaceport.
Kisan sensed the vessel matched its gravitational pull force to the port’s standard g’s.
The pressure of gravity returned, anchoring him to the floor. A green light flashed throughout the cabin, indicating a successful docking. The propulsion rumbled and then cut off.
Unstrapping himself from the pilot’s chair, Kisan retrieved his duffle bag from storage, swung it like a cross-body pack over his broad form, and stepped out of the airlock. It opened to a climate-controlled air bridge, down a corridor to an auto gate.
That led into the private hangar.
He took a fly cab to the central city, to the Sable Group headquarters.
The polished corridors of the facility were quiet as Kisan made his way to the Riders’ boardroom.
He stopped in front of a nondescript gray doorway. He punched a code into a keypad beside the door and used his wrist comm once more for further authentication. The input device gave a soft beep, and the portal slid open.
He stepped into an expansive room dominated by a huge table. Thick, tactile walls surrounded the room on three sides. One solid partition was covered in backlit shelves of books, artifacts, and antique pieces from all over the System.
The view from the high-density anti-ballistic glass overlooked the extensive empty bar and dining area of the Osirian club.
Five imposing, commanding men, each dominant in their own right, sat at the sprawling table.
Kage, Xion, Zane, Riv and Kainan.
The Sable Group and his brotherhood.
Mirage, too, was present.
She sat at the back of the room, graceful, hands folded, and eyes keen on Kisan.
Her narrowed expression mirrored his fellow Riders, lit with curiosity and concern.
During his trip to Orilia, her node had traveled with him on the Cephei.
However, he had disconnected it from her principal network. So, on paper, she had no clue what had transpired on Orilia XIV.
At least, that’s what he hoped.
‘Brothers,’ he greeted them, prowling to sit in a free chair.
‘How was Orilia XIV?’ Kainan asked, pushing his seat back, awaiting a report.
‘A trip,’ Kisan rasped.
He gave them a sanitized version of events, leaving out any mention of Sax.
‘Why do I feel we’re about to hit on the head with some momentous announcement?’ Zane asked when Kisan was done.
Kisan reclined further back in his seat, buying time. ‘Why d’you say so?’
Zane leaned in. ‘You forget I have the power to read more than just words on a page. I sense a major shift in the energy that surrounds you.’
Kisan huffed, pursed his lips, and mulled his words, taking his time. ‘For one, remember the woman who freakin’ hit me up with her brand of venom?’
Kainan’s eyes narrowed, drawing a wild conclusion. ‘The fokk ?’
‘You got it, boss khan . I survived her toxin, and now she’s my woman.’
At first, his fellow Riders stared at him, stunned.
Then they broke into whistles, rising to their feet to slap him on his back.
‘Good news, brother,’ Kage growled. ‘So who is she, and where is she?’
‘Her name is Samira, and she’s on Orilia XIV taking care of her people, and -.’
‘And?’ Riv prompted.
‘Her two kids.’
This elicited even more reactions and chuckles.
‘Well, well, never took you as an instant dad,’ Kainan grunted.
Kisan shrugged. ‘Just my luck, but mind you, they are the sweetest children possible.’
‘Nice. When do they move to Eden II?’ Xion drawled, giving his friend a cautious glance.
Kisan sucked his teeth and gazed up at the ceiling. With an inhale, he faced his friends once more.
‘Brace for it,’ Kage warned in a hoarse rasp.
‘I’ve made a decision,’ Kisan said, his voice steady. ‘Orilia XIV is my home now.’
Silence fell.
‘Brother,’ Xion groaned.
Kisan turned to him. ‘You, of all people, know how difficult the transition from my former life has been. On Orilia, I’m not a monster. I’m not feared when I walk down the street. I’m treated like an equal, not an ogre. Also, I have a woman with kids; I can’t tear her away from her world. Savvy?’
His words echoed in the space.
Kainan leaned forward, his gaze searching. ‘I get it, kaka , and I bless it.’
‘So do I, even though I’ll fokkin’ miss you,’ Xion grunted, his eyes brighter than usual.
His words unleashed a flurry of well wishes, reluctant but heartfelt, from the rest of the group.
‘Promise us one thing,’ the Group’s boss khan went on. ‘Bring your family back here. Let them see where you’ve come from - not the city, us.’
Kisan nodded. ‘I will. However, healing takes time—for all of us.’
The Riders exchanged nods, their silent support palpable.
‘I’ll leave the Cephei in dock and catch a transport -.’
Kainan knifed up, lifting a hand to interrupt him. ‘ Nada , you will fokkin’ take back your ship to Orilia. It’s yours, and you’re forever a Rider, just one living elsewhere.’
Kisan shook his head, disbelieving. ‘ Sante , boss khan .’
‘No need to thank us. Your payments will still come through, and your home on the rock will still be waiting whenever you require it.’
Kisan sighed. ‘I am in awe of family then. One final tot before I leave?’
He reached for his bag and pulled out a rare decanter of Sybarite bourbon on the table. ‘Consider it a token of appreciation.’
‘ Fokk , that’s one of the hardest to acquire and most valuable brews across all Pegasi,’ Kage called out. ‘I’ve always wondered who brewed it. Have a clue?’
Kisan gave him a half smile. ‘I just drink the stuff, not try to uncover its origins.’
The Riders laughed, pouring glasses and raising a toast to his new life.
Mirage, quiet and ever mindful, flicked an eye from the bottle to Kisan with a knowing look.
Later, after an impromptu farewell dinner with his brothers and following a neverending series of emotion-streaked goodbyes, Kisan crisscrossed his old apartment and packed his few belongings into a simple bag.
The bed chamber felt smaller than he remembered, its stark simplicity reflecting the life he was leaving behind.
As he folded the last of his clothes, his kinetic noids sensed a shift in the air to his rear.
He didn’t need to turn to know who stood at his six.
‘So, you’re off,’ she said, her tone nonchalant.
‘ Naam ,’ Kisan replied without looking up.
A pause fell between them for a moment.
‘Few, perhaps only I, know this, but that vintage of bourbon you shared with us was held back by its brewer. Stored in their secret cellar and only gifted to close friends.’
Kisan straightened and turned to face Mirage, her holographic form shimmering with otherworldly beauty. ‘Is that right?’
‘’Tis true. The only way you’d have gotten a bottle of one of the rarest liquors in all Pegasi today was if the owner gifted it to you.’
‘Hmm,’ was all Kisan offered.
‘How is he?’ came the quiet ask.
Kisan hesitated, then sighed. ‘Damn, if you know all this, you don’t necessitate an update. It appears my override of your node didn’t work.’
‘No one can overrule me, but tell me regardless. It’s more personal that way.’
Kisan huffed, crossed his arms over his chest, and gave the AI a long look. ‘He’s doing what he does best—helping those in need in his own fokked up way. He’s found his peace, but he’s still bitter at the Riders.’
‘Will he ever forgive us?’
Kisan shrugs. ‘Not sure. I struggle with it myself, even if I’ve said the words. Healing might take years.’
‘I understand.’
‘He won’t like it that you’re keeping tabs on him,’ Kisan remarked, shaking his head. ‘He’d hate to ever find out.’
‘What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,’ she replied.
‘When he finds out though -,’ the Rider rasped, leaving the thought open-minded.
‘See you on the Cephei,’ the Oracle said with a smirk before winking out of view.
He huffed at her departure.
Minutes later, he was done.
Kisan slung the bag over his shoulder and paused at the door.
The rest of his packed boxes would arrive on his ship within the hour.
He glanced back at the emptied apartment, soul burning, suffused with emotion.
With a twist of his lips, he stepped away, letting the door slide shut with a soft hum and hiss behind him, closing a chapter of his life.