Page 122 of Stars on Fire

Kainan’s sapphire gold gaze lingered on her face for a moment. ‘You’re sure, Selene?’

She nodded. ‘I can’t let you go without me. I need to be there when you rescue Sheba.’

‘Khamila,’ Kainan protested softly. She could see the stubbornness on his face.

‘This is more important than the incursion Kainan,’ Selene said firmly. ‘She’s the last member of my family that I have left. I can’t imagine not being there for her.’

Kainan’s eyes softened. ‘And your Prime duties?’

Selene swivelled to face her friend. ‘Rina, would you please act on my behalf? First, I’ll brief the Security Council and be clear with them about the mission. Given all the radio hams out there, they’ll hear about Sheba anyway, sooner rather than later. Once they’ve been briefed, I’ll hand Dunia over to you. For a little while, of course.’

‘Of course,’ Rina confirmed with a small smile. ‘I miss Sheba, and I hope this works so she can come home.

‘I trust you to hold the fort, Ri,’ Selene said quietly. ‘Thank you again, my dearest friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

She turned to the Riders. ‘I sound like a broken record but thank you, Sable Group. I don’t know what more to say or do to show my appreciation for saving our butts every time these last few months.’

‘Just keep Kainan loved up and happy,’ Riv called out with a grin. ‘That keeps him off our back.’

‘And growling less,’ Zane said, breaking out of his customary quiet nature. ‘You’d have thought there was a giant, oxygen-sucking, semi-flaming beast let loose in our offices all last week.’

‘Fokk you all,’ Kainan grumped, sticking a rude finger at his Rider brothers. However, his eyes twinkled, and Selene noticed how much more relaxed he seemed despite the daunting task ahead.

‘Let’s do this, people,’ Kainan added. ‘Let’s kick some Technocracy butt across this galaxy.’

It took two days to get their act together.

One day, for Selene to brief the Council and arrange her affairs. She shifted all the meetings and appointments she could. And reassigned the ones she couldn’t wriggle out of to Rina.

It took another day to fly to Eden II’s orbital station and load up the Phantasm and Mirage with all the needed gear.

The Sable Group’s engineers and crew techs outfitted Phantasm’s cannons with the metanoid-laced missiles and extra weapons, food stocks, and medical supplies.

Kainan kept the rescue mission crew lean, with just twenty other Sable group crew members to run the mess, engineering and ops.

He tasked Cilia with piloting the battlecruiser while he led the rescue team.

Mirage transferred her sentience to the gyrfalcon form, which was fully operational after the attack on its systems on Eden II. She flitted in and out of the parked battle cruiser at will, feeling as free as a bird.

That night, before they flew for the mission, Kainan invited Selene, Kage, Cilia and Riv and Mirage for a dinner party in his quarters on the battlecruiser.

It was a mellow evening, and Kainan had gone extra with the food, aided by Kage, whom he’d told Selene, was an excellent cook. The air was fragrant with the aroma of freshly-grilled meats, crusty bread, rich sauces and a spicy stew.

The table was beautifully set, with candles flickering and a colourful array of dishes laid out.

As they enjoyed their meal, the conversation flowed easily. There was a feeling of camaraderie and connection among the group, made even warmer and inviting by their shared purpose.

After dinner, they moved to the living area, where they lounged on comfy chairs and sipped glasses of wine. Beyond the quarter’s windows, the stars twinkled, and laughter and conversation filled the air. The jokes, laughter and constant bickering between the Riders left Selene and Cilia in stitches. For a few hours at least, they chose to enjoy the beauty of each other’s company which helped Selene forget the enormity of their forthcoming mission. At least for one evening, which turned out to be a resounding success.

Later, she watched Mirage race to the exit, laughing as the gyrfalcon barely slid between the door shutting behind the last of the guests. She began to put away dishes and straighten out the lounge area when Kainan called out to her.

‘Come here,khamila,’ he drawled. ‘Leave the cleaning up for later.’

She spotted him through the open inner doorway. He was sprawled on a bed in the generous captain’s quarters’ inner chamber.

‘This is amazing,’ Selene said, wandering into the expansive, elegantly decorated room. ‘However, all these different Sable Group quarters I’ve been in lately are all beginning to look the same.’

Kainan shot her a long, slow grin.

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