Page 58 of Stars in Nova

The sky was a sickly gray-brown, veined with streaks of amber and crimson as the day star struggled to penetrate the polluted atmosphere.

Zephyrs occasionally stirred the ash clouds, shifting them like restless phantoms in the vault above.

Despite the devastation, life persisted.

Kisan spotted small forms darting between the rocks—slim, scaled insects and lizards with lengthened limbs and eyes glinted like polished stones.

Their movements were quick and fluid, their exoskeletons blending with the cracked earth and charred trees.

Overhead, eagle-like avians with leathery wings circled warily, their cries sharp and echoing like distant whistles.

Near a rare patch of water—a shallow, muddy pool that reflected the dim heavens—Kisan tagged a group of quadrupedal animals drinking.

Their elongated snouts dipped into the moisture before they raised their heads, their ears twitching as they surveyed for danger.

He turned to scan the cyborg camp below.

The androids moved in precise, mechanical formations, their luminous optics sweeping the area in synchronized arcs. Massive capital ships loomed overhead, their scarred hulls blotting the horizon like spectral behemoths.

‘Still no sign of her or any Vaelorii,’ the Rider muttered, frustration lacing his tone.

‘Whatever’s down there is scrambling my scans,’ Mirage groused through his neural node, her voice tinged with annoyance. ‘The rock is dense with conductive minerals. It’s acting like a natural shield.’

‘Fokk.’

‘I’ll keep looking, but these Vaelorii can hide well.’

Evening fell as Kisan kept moving to stay hidden.

He used Orilia’s terrain to his advantage, his black gear blending with the shadows cast by the jagged cliffs.

Mirage sent a location marker to his neural node.

It was marked up with a pulse point.

‘I sense something interesting about a tunnel I’ve found that seems to disappear deep into the mountains,’ Mirage reported. ‘I’m detecting high nitrogen levels in the air from its entrance.’

Kisan’s emerald eyes flicked toward the outline of a passageway.

It was obscured by jagged rocks and the remnants of machinery, but he tagged the shimmer of a shield wrapping the entrance in an impenetrable veil. ‘Nitrogen? That’s unusual for this atmosphere.’

‘Very,’ Mirage agreed. ‘This planet’s surface has been stripped bare, and what remains is laced with ash, sulfur, and carbon residue. Nitrogen in this concentration can only mean one thing—life. Not just flora or fauna. We’re talking about many people, breathing, exhaling, and existing somewhere below.’

Kisan’s brow furrowed as he scanned the tunnel portal through his enhanced visor. The shimmer of the shield rippled, its energy humming just out of audible range. ‘If a settlement exists underground, that would explain how Samira’s people have managed to stay hidden.’

Mirage huffed. ‘The barrier is layered to block scanning and tracking systems—like mine. I can’t get a read on what’s beyondthe shield. The frequency it’s emitting is designed to deflect any intrusive scans.’

Kisan leaned back, his jaw tightening as he considered the implications. ‘That takes more than just strategy. It demands a hella lot of infrastructure.’

‘Exactly,’ Mirage said. ‘Whatever they’ve built below ground must be extensive. Air circulation systems, food production, housing. They’re not just hiding; they’re surviving.’

Kisan studied the shielded entrance again, his thoughts racing. The invisible screen shimmered, a barrier as much psychological as physical.

‘So how do we get through it?’ he asked.

Mirage was silent for a moment, her presence flitting in his mind. ‘You don’t. Not yet. That shield is a fortress. You’d need specific access codes or a disruptor strong enough to affect the field without alerting everyone inside. I’ll get working on it. For now, we focus on observation.’

Kisan exhaled, the frustration simmering just below his calm exterior. ‘Observation’s not going to bring me answers.’

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