Page 130 of Stars in Nova

Overhead, the Cephei hovered, cloaked in stealth mode, waiting to strike.

Kisan stood at the helm of the gunship, his fingers tightening around the controls. The throb of the ship’s weapon systems filled the air, vibrating through the plating beneath his boots.

Beside him, Sax leaned against the bulkhead, his belt loaded with enough firepower to level a small city.

‘I’ll secure her, then you can make it messy,’ the Sarabaite growled.

‘Do it. Give her a hint on what I’m about tofokkin’ attempt so she ducks in time,’ Kisan growled.

‘She’ll have the heads up, brother.’

The shrouded warrior strode away, sliding down the stair rails to the rear platform.

The airlock yawed open, and the wind rushed the interior.

From there, he launched himself into the unknown without hesitation.

Metal and debris rained down like jagged hailstones, accompanied by the deafening roar of the blast.

Samira’s Corilians guards abandoned her, fleeing toward their emperor.

She flinched as chunks of steel and concrete slammed into the ground around her.

She found a hiding place under a fallen column as shrapnel and rocks fell.

The acrid stench of burning wires filled the air, mingling with the oppressive heat radiating from the broken ceiling.

Where had the breach originated?

That’s when she heard a distinct growl above her.

She whipped her head up to see a ship throbbing overhead.

The Cephei.

Thank fokk.

Through the smoke, dust, and chaos, a shadow dropped from above, landing with a thud into a crouch next to her.

With deadly accuracy, they hurled two sleek, curved, radiant knives from his girdle. The blades found their marks, severing the power cores of two advancing cyborgs, preventing their rush toward Samira.

She jolted.

‘Well, don’t you look like hell,’ came a lighthearted growl.

‘Sax!’ Samira exclaimed, relief hitting hard.

‘Miss me?’ he grinned, tossing her a modified blaster from his glowing meta-belt.

‘Now that I think of it, not one bit,’ she shot off, taking hold of the weapon. ‘Santefor the save, but it’s another that I miss.’

He stuck a tongue in his cheek. ‘I still don’t get why Kisan hankers for such an ungrateful, acidic tongue.’

She shoved a finger in his face. ‘Fokkoff.’

‘Can’t, blessed one, need to get this party started.’

‘Where’s Kisan?’ Samira shouted over the din.

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