Page 17 of Stars in Nova

Most Pikas were descendants of space pirates. As the hard-living progeny of the first residents on this rock, they preferredtheir tough, scrabbling life in the subterranean tunnels under the streets of Eden II.

However, the shanty towns that hugged the Old Town quarter were home to refugees from Alloria to Falasians, discarded by war and forgotten by their rulers.

They fashioned new lives for themselves here, in the shadows of the dome’s glittering sectors.

It burned Kisan’s craw that he had caused some of the wars they’d fled. These souls were well acquainted with his past, for it had affected them. They were the ones most likely to loathe his guts.

What good was a man like him here?

A man who had spent most of his life destroying rather than building?

Still, he moved forward, his luminous aqua eyes scanning the streets for signs of unrest.

He volunteered for night duty as often as possible, driven by the guilt gnawing at him like a living thing.

It was the only way he knew how to feel useful, make amends, and lessen his regret.

A shout rang out, piercing the air—a child’s.

Followed by the growl of an angry grown man and the husky tones of an enraged woman.

Which only spelled trouble.

Kisan twisted around.

Down the street, a trio ofkinaissurrounded a woman shielding a young lad.

The men loomed, snarling at the more vulnerable pair.

The boy clutched a small bundle to his chest, his face pale with terror.

Kisan didn’t hesitate.

He moved with a speed that belied his size, closing the distance in a heartbeat.

The men twisted as he approached, their expressions shifting from aggression to uncertain realization.

They recognized him and stepped back.

‘What’s the problem?’ Kisan growled, edged with steel as he prowled onto the scene.

He didn’t draw his weapon.

He didn’t need to.

His presence was potent enough.

One of thekinais, braver—or perhaps more foolish—than the others, advanced with a threatening swagger. ‘This isn’t your concern, Ankis.’

The meta’s eyes burned, the viridescent flecks in his eyes glittering with gleaming light, not with anger but with something colder. ‘Badge says this patch of Eden II is my concern. Care to challenge me and discover how much concern I can show?’

The man faltered, and the group backed off, their bravado crumbling under Kisan’s unflinching gaze.

They disappeared into the maze of shanties, leaving the kid clutching his package and the woman who stepped back.

Her head swiveling, her features hidden by her shroud, her eyes canted away from him, on the lookout for more trouble.

He bypassed her for now and focused on the youth.

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