Page 74 of Stars in Nova

Kisan’s strikes remained precise, his focus unyielding, but the toll was inevitable.

Every pulse of the mask pulled at his very essence, yet he refused to falter.

His mind locked on one thought: victory.

As another wave of mechanical beings surged forward, Kisan met them head-on, his rifle blazing. The battle was far from over, but his mask fluctuated with each strike.

It pulsed erratically, its glow dimming and flaring as its power wavered.

‘My metanoids and the artifact can’t keep up,’ he shouted to Samira by his side. ‘I won’t last much longer but can reach my ship for additional firepower.’

‘Why didn’t you call it sooner?’

‘Didn’t want to alert the Corilians unnecessarily to my lucky charm.’

Her eyes searched his face, and she shook her head. ‘Do it,’ she called out with a chin jerk.

Samira barked another order to her unit, holding the line as the cyborgs advanced.

The ground beneath her feet trembled as Kisan’s voice cut through the din. ‘Mirage, do you read me? We’re in a battle withthe freakin’ Corilians at my neural location. We need airborne support.’

The buzz of a response came through his cerebral comms. ‘Reading you loud and clear. Incoming.’

Moments later, the sleek silhouette of the Rider’s gunship appeared on the horizon, its engines roaring as it descended.

The ship’s cannons unleashed a blinding surge of kinetic force, amplifying the output of Kisan’s mask.

The wave tore through the cyborg divisions, their bodies sparking and disintegrating as the energy overwhelmed them.

The silence that followed was deafening.

The battlefield was littered with the remains of cyborgs, their circuits fried and their forms crumpled.

Samira’s soldiers stood panting; their weapons lowered as the realization of their victory sank in.

Kisan staggered, his hand reaching for the void on his face as its radiance fluctuated and died.

He collapsed to one knee; his breathing labored as the device hissed and detached. The dim glow of the bioluminescent walls flickered in and out of focus. Sparks danced along the mask’s surface before fading, making it inert.

Samira knelt beside him, her hands steady as she examined his pale, sweat-slicked face. ‘Kisan,’ she murmured, quiet but firm. ‘Are you—’

‘I’ll live,’ he rasped, his voice hoarse. ‘However, the artifact is toast for now.’

Sharin approached, her expression grim as she studied the object, turning it over in her hand. ‘Its energy emitter is fried. We’ll need more than hope and luck to reanimate it.’

Samira’s jaw tightened as she gazed out over the battlefield. The skirmish was won, but the war was far from over. ‘We’ll figure it out.’

She stood, offering Kisan her hand.

He took it, and she levered him upright, his grip strong despite his apparent exhaustion.

Together, they led the survivors back to the enclave city.

Each step was laced with their victory, a fragile flicker of hope against the darkness looming over Orilia XIV.

A Phoenix Reborn

The cavern settlement of Thalassi thrummed with quiet celebration as the Vaelorii soldiers returned, battered but victorious.

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