13. Defying Gravity
13
Defying Gravity
Ki’REMI
D awn broke in a blaze of pinks, reds, and gold.
The jungle stirred with the slow rhythm of waking life, from the buzz of insects rousing to the distant calls of predatory birds piercing the morning mist.
A thin layer of fog drifted over the treetops, curling around the massive, ancient trunks like spectral fingers and the peaceful hamlet nestled in the valley’s embrace.
With a rumble and bass boom of braking jets, the sky split open.
A resonant drone rumbled across the forest canopy, followed by the shimmer of a descending vessel.
The Perseus Prime had arrived.
It slowed to a hover above Lothakin, its massive silhouette almost blacking out the rising sun.
Through the thinning haze, its rear hold opened, and from inside, the sleek silhouette of a military-grade lander emerged.
It descended through the clouds, its reinforced hull gleaming under the rising sun.
The blast of its thrusters kicked up swirls of dust and leaves as it levitated at the village’s periphery, over a field as its engines slowed.
A waiting party stood by.
Elder Okaban, flanked by the other head leaders, was stationed beneath the massive tree, eyes on the arriving transport.
Behind them, villagers gathered in quiet clusters alongside the Perseus’ crew awaiting lift-off.
As the landing struts met earth, a ramp hissed open, and Admiral Rhye stepped down and strode forward, flanked by his XO and an Eden guard.
He clasped Okaban’s forearm in a firm grip. ‘Your hospitality is appreciated, Elder. You have the gratitude of the Perseus fleet.’
Okaban inclined his head, eyes assessing. ‘You have ours for returning our daughter.’
The Senior led the Admiral to a set of chairs, where he settled in as a steaming clay vessel was pressed into the Admiral’s hands.
Kahawa .
Allorian black coffee, rich, spiced, brewed over the embers of last night’s fire.
Another Elder handed him a small tray of honey cakes, their golden glaze still warm from the morning bake.
The Admiral smiled as he drank and ate. ‘This will not be our ultimate visit. We will return with more aid.’
Okaban gave a slow nod. ‘You will be welcomed.’
Ki’Remi lingered a few feet away, eyes on the exchange.
He wasn’t a man for long goodbyes, but he respected the tradition of this moment.
The Allorians had sheltered them and trusted them with one of their own.
They were owed more than a rushed departure.
He turned to where his team stood. Bear, Riva, Juno, and Ghost were packed and ready, standing near the waiting cruiser.
Issa, too, canted up to the rising sun, her face bathed by its rays, eyes closed as if receiving its welcome.
His soul lurched, recalling their conversation the night before, how she’d mentioned that she’d be gone before her hunters came round next.
The thought of her future absence had twisted a storm inside him all night.
He now sucked his teeth, eyes on her as she worshiped the rays.
Fokk , she was like a goddess.
The villagers approached, offering their final words of appreciation.
They touched their hands to the shoulders of their visitors in a simple, sacred gesture.
When Zera stepped forward, she stopped before Issa.
Ki’Remi saw a tiny flicker of mischief in the young woman’s eyes.
Issa winked and hugged her, whispering something only the Allorian could hear.
Ki’Remi didn’t hear what was said. He didn’t need to.
He’d witnessed what had led to their silent understanding.
Ki’Remi was the last to step onto the ramp as the crew boarded, and all paused as one taking a final look at the village.
At the huts, the towering jungle, the winding stone pathways, and the flickering morning torches, worlds apart from the sterile halls of Perseus Prime.
The villagers waved goodbye, some giving solemn nods, others sharing quiet smiles of gratitude.
All due to one woman.
As the hatch sealed shut and the engines roared back to life, Ki’Remi moved toward the cabin, where he strapped in with his crew.
He and Rhye exchanged nods, promising a conversation. Through the viewport, the rainforest stretched below them in an endless sea of emeralds and mist.
Alloria’s wild, unrelenting beauty gave way to the blue skies and atmosphere as the cruiser ascended higher.
The village became small, a dot in the vast, untamed wilderness.
The Rider swiveled his head, scanning and finding the curly-haired beauty in her seat.
Their eyes locked and then sliced apart.
Ki’Remi was suddenly flooded with melancholy as if he were on the cusp of destiny, after which nothing would ever be the same.
On the Perseus Prime, Ki’Remi took the lead in debriefing the admiral on their operation.
He noted Issa’s escape as she sidled out of the rear deck and left Ki’Remi to fill in the details of the mission with his boss-not-boss.
He walked with the Admiral back to his ready room, unpacking the events.
‘The attackers were foreign, not familiar at all, and you know we Sablemen have just about encountered every war-capable species in Pegasi. Give me a few days, perhaps with Mirage on the case, and I’ll furnish you with a more detailed report,’ he told the Admiral.
Lucien had no choice. When it came to covert galactic security, the Riders overrode him.
‘Keep me posted,’ the Admiral said as Ki’Remi exited his office.
As for Issa, the Sableman let her run, unsure whether he was in the mood to chase after her, even if his hardass logic said otherwise.
He needed time to mull all of her.
Also, to get as much intel from Mirage.
He sent a neural node request to the omniscient AI and then rolled right back to work, keen to occupy his mind.
Except she didn’t permit him.
They were en route to his home of Eden II, the moon planet nestled in the orbit of Dunia, its sentient neighboring world.
The journey was slated to take a few days, so he avoided her for most of it.
Despite his efforts, however, Issa assaulted his senses.
He kept bumping into her all over the ship like he was drawn to her spirit by some invisible tether.
Lift, corridors, mess, even the freakin’ gym.
He gave calm and polite energy, and she delivered pleasant and professional.
His daily routine, however, was going to shit, with ceaseless thoughts of her bombarding his mind.
He tried keeping to his quarters, but that was going nowhere because, notwithstanding his reluctance, he had to fokkin ’ work with her.
Today, the Rider was supervising her in surgery.
Ki’Remi stood at the edge of the sterile surgical bay, arms crossed over his chest.
His expression was carved in pure granite as he observed Issa.
Her patient, a middle-aged Rhesian engineer, lay semi-conscious on the hover bed.
His cranium was secured in a cerebral stabilizer frame, and his skull opened to reveal the delicate web of glowing neural pathways within.
‘This is a case of advanced neurocystic gliomatosis,’ Issa murmured. ‘A rare, aggressive invasion of microscopic cysts entwined around the brain stem. The approach requires absolute precision and zero margin for error. One wrong cut, a misstep, and the subject might lose voluntary motor control.’
‘As the lead surgeon, I have decided the best course of action is a hands-on, tactile-guided procedure instead of relying on automated neuro bots.’
Ki’Remi’s jaw ticked.
‘You do realize,’ he rasped in a warning growl, ‘that operating with this method necessitates real-time sensory feedback direct into your cerebral cortex. If one misfiring impulse in his brain registers in yours—’
‘I know exactly what I’m doing,’ Issa cut in, her voice maddeningly steady, unbothered, as she adjusted the neural interface module attached to her temple.
Ki’Remi’s brow furrowed, irritation tightening his spine. ‘You’re linking yourself to a half-awake patient with active motor functions. The risk of sympathetic response is—’
‘Minimal,’ she countered, not even looking at him.
‘Arrogant,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘Realistic,’ she corrected, her fingers flying over the surgical console as she calibrated the depth of the neuro-link.
Ki’Remi exhaled, running a frustrated hand over the back of his neck.
She was relentless, but he had to hand it to her. She was good.
Still, he had to object.
It was his duty, even though he’d seen countless examples of how her energy transference and healing approach worked. Never had it harmed anyone. Yet.
‘Issa,’ his utterance like smoothed steel, ‘we have an entire fleet of high-precision automated assistants designed for this type of case. Why the hell are you trying to be the scalpel?’
Issa sighed through her nose, her eyes flashing with something sharp, something exasperated.
She finally turned to face him, her expression a mix of irritation and absolute conviction.
‘Because, Sable,’ she said, her tone quiet but cutting, ‘a machine cannot feel.’
He stared at her. ‘It doesn’t need to.’
She lifted a single brow. ‘Then why are we here at all?’
A silence stretched between them, heavy, fraught with the undeniable significance of their differing ideologies.
Ki’Remi clenched his jaw.
‘ Fokk , why do you have to defy every clinical methodology?’ he grumbled.
‘I prefer to use instinct.’
Hell, he hated that she was forcing him to acknowledge the gaping chasm separating their approaches.
Logic vs. instinct. Precision vs. intuition. Mechanical vs. mortal touch.
He didn’t have time to dwell on it because his second in charge and the attending neuro-specialist cleared his throat from across the room.
‘I don’t know about you two,’ Trevayne muttered, eyeing them both with weary amusement. ‘But while you’re standing here having a domestic, we still have a patient with an exposed brain stem.’
Ki’Remi exhaled, long and slow, dragging a gloved hand down his face.
He had no right to hound her, given that he was simply supervising as Head Surgeon. He had to trust that she would eventually make the appropriate call.
Issa, ever the infuriating serene enigma, smiled at him.
‘Now, if you’re done trying to micromanage me, Commander,’ she murmured, already returning her focus to the patient, ‘let me work.’
Ki’Remi ground his teeth, but he stepped back.
‘Fine, proceed,’ he gritted because he trusted her despite every screaming rational bone in his body.
That was the freakin’ problem.
He didn’t want to, not when he had proof of the power she wielded against their assailants.
It gave him pause, for she was more potent than anyone he’d ever met other than Kainan, his Sable brother.
While keeping her in line was sometimes critical, he sensed he needed to tread carefully and give her freedom with caution.
Maybe she’d let down her barriers and give him insight into why she was being pursued.
Perhaps in a less stressful environment.
Where she’d let down her guard and share with more readiness.
Maybe even give him more than he asked, admitting to himself that his craving for Issa Elaris was ratcheting.
ISSA
Since coming back from Alloria, Ki’Remi avoided her unless they were in surgery or discussing a case.
Issa discerned the shift, and it bit at her craw.
He didn’t serve her with abruptness, nor did he outright ignore her.
Still, he maintained a deliberate distance, calculating, brooding, sorting through whatever storm was unraveling in that mind of his.
That was fine. She needed the space, too.
When she wasn’t in theater or doing her hard rounds, she remained in her quarters, taking full advantage of the days off she’d been given and freakin’ earned.
She showered, read, and napped.
Most of all, she thought of her past now chasing her and the enigmatic, sensual as fokk man who witnessed her secret.
She hoped he’d keep it that way.
In time, the dreadnought was in orbit over Eden II.
The lunar planet loomed through her quarter’s window as the stealth cruiser exited the cold abyss of open space.
The surface, often a ghostly shade of silver, glowed diamond-bright under the System’s twin suns.
Blue-gold light cast arcs of illuminance across the high-rise skyline of the extensive moon sphere.
Its duplicate rings floated around it like jeweled circles.
Sky Spires jutted upward like gleaming obsidian pillars, the massive solar collectors thrumming with the paired stars’ gathered energy.
Below, the city thrived in levels.
Air lanes teemed with sleek transports, hover bikes, elevated trams, and maglev trains, weaving through the atmosphere in an artful dance.
The surface streets were lined with polished duracrete walkways, towering glass structures, and neon-lit holo billboards flashing adverts in every known language.
It was a metropolis that never slept or ceased moving.
Issa leaned against the viewport, unseeing eyes gazing out, heart restless.
When the Perseus docked at the spaceport, she gathered her duffel bag, locked her quarters, and moved toward the exits.
She entered one of the crowded banks of lifts that brought crowds of the crew from the inner bowels of the mighty dreadnought to the massive rear deck.
She stepped off and was about to descend the sloping ramp when Ki’Remi’s rasp slowed her.
‘Elaris.’
She turned, arching a brow.
He stood by an elevator with a sizable sable duffel slung over his chest.
This only emphasized the deep purple hue of his form-fitting tee, accentuated his sinewed body, and accentuated his shifting meta silver and gold ink.
Utility dark pants hugged thick thighs, ending his black chunky military footwear.
Her eyes shot to his locs, now in a loose wave over his deltoids.
So freakin’ handsome, his skin flippin’ glowing, and his mouth quirked.
So freakin’ unfair.
He raked those gorgeous, luminous eyes over her in her simple jumpsuit and boots as if measuring something.
‘We have unfinished business. A drink. At The Osirian. Tomorrow evening, 1900.’
Issa blinked, caught completely off-guard.
Twas no ‘invite’.
She masked her reaction, angling her head. ‘That an order, Commander?’
The barest ghost of a smirk curved his lips. ‘ Nada, a request.’
This made her pause.
Issa crossed her arms, tilting her head as she narrowed her gaze at him.
‘You’re persistent,’ she drawled. ‘You don’t let go. You like the hunt.’
Ki’Remi exhaled, long and slow, his jaw shifting as he sliced eyes at her.
Then, without blinking or hesitation, he strode to her, looming so close she scented his musk.
He stared down at her with his meta-silver intensity. ‘It’s not the quest for the truth that intrigues me, Issa.’
Her breath hitched.
His voice was roughened velvet, burred and gritted, edgy and chaotic.
‘It’s your curls, the way they defy gravity, untamed as you are,’ he continued, his eyes glinting with dark and unreadable emotion. ‘It’s your lush mouth, the way it curves like you’re always about to laugh or ruin a man’s sanity.’
He took a step closer.
Issa refused to back away.
His nostrils flared, his gaze dropping to her lips before dragging back up to meet her eyes.
‘And it’s your incandescent eyes,’ he murmured in a rough, gritty, fokkin ’ sensual rasp. ‘Like they hold the essence of far-off galaxies that I’ve never had the privilege to walk.’
She swallowed as searing need arced straight to her clit.
The heat in his stare was not playful.
Not teasing.
Not lighthearted flirtation.
Twas a predator on the prowl, his piercing gaze cutting, possessive in ways that made her pulse hammer against her throat.
The whiplash almost had her keeling over.
What the everlovinfokk ?
Hadn’t the man heard of fair warning, she thought as she inhaled through the gut punch that hit hard.
What had happened to his relentless pursuit of her secrets, or was this just a charm offensive to get her to spill?
Still, twas intriguing.
Hell, he was freakin’ evocative.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Issa forced an upturn to her lips, pretending the words hadn’t shaken her entire internal universe.
‘A poet, Commander,’ she quipped, laced with breathlessness. ‘Who knew?’
Ki’Remi’s lips curved, showing a hint of his teeth in a predatorial smile.
‘Must be that I’m spending too much time around you, Elaris, because you’re full of it.’
More sentiment flickered in his eyes, with a gleam she couldn’t quite pin down.
Issa let the silence stretch, then flashed him a slow simper. ‘About that drink, I’ll think about it.’
She turned, sashaying away, sensing the scorching drag of his eyes over her backside.
Behind her, his rumbled, deep growl followed, uncompromising. ‘I’ll see you there.’
Her heart jolted.
In freakin’ anticipation.