Page 148 of Stars in Nova

His spine radiated with heat. His cutis jewels glowed, and his metanoids coursing with energy pulsated all over him as he rocked and rode through the intense release.

She held him snug, thighs crossed over his back, hands sunk into his hair.

Lips on his jawline, cheek, and temple as he slowed, slicking in and out of her as he came down.

‘Beauty, always beauty,’ he breathed into her nape. ‘Coming home to you and the kids will always be heaven.’

‘Having you here is my fantasy come true,’ she murmured. ‘I love you so much, Kisan Sable.’

‘Feeling’s mutual.’

He turned his head so his mouth met hers before nibbling on her lobe until she laughed at the tickle.

With a groan, he rose off her, and she moaned as he withdrew from inside her. ‘Need to clean up,’ he rasped.

‘We both need a shower,’ she whispered. ‘How about a dip in the pool?’

He canted his eyes to her and canted a brow, ‘I’ll never saynadato making love to you underwater.’

‘Again?’

He arched a brow. ‘Need to make up for lost time.’

She reached a hand to him, enticing him with her nude gloriousness. He took it, allowing her to pull him off the bed with surprising strength.

He dipped his lips to her nape and let her lead him to their private luminescent grotto.

The bustling camp sprawled across the rejuvenated land—a recovery infirmary for the thousands of souls the Corilians had broken and destroyed.

The clinic was a mix of high-tech medical facilities and the organic simplicity of Vaelorii design.

Wooden beams and polished stone structures framed state-of-the-art med pods.

Sandor, the chief medic, was at the forefront, orchestrating the rehabilitation efforts with meticulous care.

His tall frame towered over the former cyborgs lined up to be treated. His voice was calm yet firm as he directed his team of Vaelorian healers.

The once-enslaved soldiers were being stripped of their cybernetic implants, their humanity restored in a process that required equal parts science, patience, and compassion.

Kisan joined Samira and her children as they moved through the camp.

Liora clung to his hand, her eyes brimming with curiosity as she observed the transformations around her.

Malik darted ahead, eager to ask Sandor questions about the med pods.

‘They’re learning to hope again,’ Samira murmured, her voice filled with quiet pride. ‘It’s a start.’

Massive tents had been erected adjacent to the clinics to host reconciliation sessions. Inside, war survivors sat across from their former cyborg neighbors, family members, and leaders.

Words of apology and forgiveness mingled with tears and shaky handshakes, bridging the chasm that years of conflict had carved into their lives.

Peryn’s leader, the fiery tactician Kalix, and Raielle, Isarion’s commander, summoned via the planet’s fluid kinetic relay, were present as Sandor began work on Marius, the deposed android emperor.

Stripped of his implants, he was now a fragile figure with disfigured features and prosthetic limbs crafted from artificial bionics.

When he was stable enough to speak, he addressed the rebel commanders of the three continents.

‘I failed you,’ he said, his tone raw with regret as he lay in a hospital bed. ‘Against my wishes, I was transformed into a tool for destruction. What this taught me was the importance of freedom and autonomy. To that end, I believe Orilia doesn’t need an emperor anymore. Each continent deserves its sovereignty.’

---