Page 112 of Stars in Nova

‘Got it,’ he said, slipping the data cube he found inside into his pack.

As they turned to leave, a groan echoed through the room.

One of the Ccyths stirred, his glowing eyes flickering as he rose unsteadily. He snarled something in his guttural tongue, rousing the others.

‘Time to go,’ Sax said, his voice tight.

The largest of the jewelers—a towering Ccyth with arms like steel beams—lunged at them, his movements quick for someone so massive.

He swung a heavy, clawed fist at Kisan, who ducked just in time. The blow smashed into a workbench, sending tools and shards of metal flying.

‘Big guy’s awake!’ Sax shouted, dodging a second swing. He drew a compact shock baton from his belt, jabbing it into the Ccyth’s side.

The leviathan snarled but just flinched with a slight wince.

‘Your gassing gadget sucks,’ Kisan growled, landing a kick that sent another jeweler sprawling.

‘They weren’t supposed to wake this fast. Big guy needed a larger dose!’ Sax retorted, narrowly avoiding a strike. ‘I thought they’d be dreaming about gemstones for hours!’

The giant charged, his roar shaking the walls.

Kisan and Sax moved in tandem, ducking and weaving as they landed coordinated strikes. Despite their best efforts, their attacker didn’t slow, his glowing eyes blazing with fury.

Samira’s voice crackled over their comms. ‘You two better hurry. The flyer’s ready, but we’ve got company outside. The external guards must have caught wind of something and headed your way.’

‘Figures,’ Sax muttered, throwing a wrench at the massive Ccyth’s head before bolting for the door. ‘Leg it, brother!’

Kisan followed, his boots pounding against the floor as the jewelers gave chase.

They burst into the alley, the cool night breeze hitting their faces as they sprinted toward the waiting flyer. Samira wasalready in the pilot’s seat, the engines whining as she prepared for takeoff.

‘Get in!’ she shouted.

Kisan vaulted into the hovering craft, yanking Sax behind him as the enraged Ccyth security team closed in.

The hatch slammed shut, and Samira hit the throttle. The vessel lurched into the air with a jolt, sending them sprawling.

As they soared over Trivina’s glittering canals, Sax leaned back against the wall, catching his breath.

‘Thought you were a fighter,’ Kisan needled him with a grin.

Sax smirked, wiping a streak of blood from his lip. ‘I’m also a man who knows when to run. Those Ccyths? No joke. That big ‘un appeared like he’d have me for dinner.’

Samira glanced over her shoulder, her expression amused. ‘Glad you two had fun.’

‘Loads,’ Sax muttered. ‘Next time, let’s rob akhatshop instead. Everyone’s chilled, relaxed, laid back, happy, and high. None of this jacked up, edgy Ccyth shit.’

Kisan shook his head, a smile breaking through his frustration. ‘Still can’t reconcile how you look like a padre and swear like a trooper.’

‘I’m genius level, brother, hack it.’

Secrets Beneath the Surface

The Cephei broke through Orilia XIV’s thick atmosphere, its sleek hull glinting in contrast to the planet’s burnished tones below.

Four days of snarky, laughter-filled flight had brought the trio to the edge of the Thalassa continent, its vast shoreline stretching along the horizon.

The land here was rugged and primal, the dark magma boulders scarred by ancient eruptions that had shaped the region.

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