The Starborn

Chapter 5

Nova tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Nova,” she repeated softly, leaning back against the wall. “That’s my name. Not that it matters, since I’m sure you’ll call me ‘prisoner’ anyway.”

Quinn ignored her jab. “Why are the Ravagers after you?”

Nova’s eyes flicked to his for a moment, then away, her fingers tracing idle patterns on the fabric of the cot. “Why indeed?” she said lightly, her voice evasive.

“You’re not answering the question,” Quinn said, his tone firm.

“And you’re not much fun,” Nova countered, tilting her head with mock disappointment. “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. Maybe I’m just unlucky. Or maybe they’re after me because I’m cute.” She grinned, but her deflection was obvious.

Quinn stared at her, unamused. “This isn’t a game.”

She gave him a long look before shifting the conversation. “Is it true?”

“What?”

“That you can’t feel emotions. Or pain. Or… anything at all.”

Quinn’s jaw tightened, though he kept his voice steady. “I don’t feel emotions. And physical sensations are… dulled. Almost nonexistent.”

Nova raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. “So if I were to strip down completely naked right now, you wouldn’t feel anything?”

The question caught Quinn off guard. His posture stiffened slightly, his hands curling into loose fists. “That’s irrelevant,” he said flatly, though the way he quickly redirected the conversation betrayed a hint of discomfort.

Nova leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand, her expression playful. “Oh, it’s very relevant. You’re like a walking machine, but you still hesitate when someone pushes the right buttons. Curious.”

Quinn kept his composure, his voice like steel. “This isn’t about me.”

“Maybe not,” Nova said, her smile softening into something more thoughtful. “But it’s fascinating, don’t you think? A soldier so broken they had to make him feel nothing at all just to function.”

Her words cut deeper than Quinn expected, though he didn’t show it. “You’re deflecting,” he said simply. “Why are the Ravagers after you?”

Nova’s playful demeanor faltered for a split second, her eyes flashing with something unspoken, but she quickly recovered. “Maybe they just really like me. I can’t blame them—look at me.”

Quinn stared at her for a long moment, his patience thinning. “If you won’t give me answers, someone else will extract them. Your choice.”

Nova’s smirk returned, though it was weaker this time. “You wouldn’t like what you’d find, soldier boy.”

Even though Nova was testing his patience, Quinn couldn’t deny that he was intrigued by her. She was unlike anyone he’d ever encountered—sharp, confident, and far too deflective for her own good.

Before he could push further, VERA’s voice chimed in his head, her tone unusually somber. “Quinn, I’ve picked up whispers. If she doesn’t start talking soon, Dr. Morven plans to send Victor-05 to extract the information—his way.”

Quinn stiffened. He didn’t need VERA to elaborate; Victor’s methods were ruthless, and Nova wouldn’t survive an interrogation like that.

“She’s just a teenager, Quinn,” VERA added. “Maybe try a different approach. Less force, more… understanding.”

Quinn exhaled sharply, the weight of the situation pressing on him. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Victor would treat her as nothing more than a target, and something about that didn’t sit right with him.

Making his decision, Quinn reached up to his helmet. The air hissed softly as the seals disengaged. He pulled it off, tucking it under his arm.

Nova’s smug expression faltered, her eyes widening in surprise. He wasn’t what she had expected—not even close. His sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes, and dark, slightly tousled hair caught her off guard. For the first time since they met, she was speechless.

Quinn narrowed his eyes on her, his voice calmer, though no less firm. “I’m trying to help you, Nova. But I can’t if you keep dodging my questions.”

Nova hesitated, clearly thrown by the shift in his demeanor. She studied him for a moment, her usual playful smirk replaced with something more uncertain. “Help me?” she echoed, her voice quieter now.

“Yes,” Quinn said simply. “But I need you to trust me. Just talk to me, Nova. Why are they after you?”

She looked away, her defenses visibly cracking as she chewed on her bottom lip. For a moment, it seemed as though she might finally let her guard down. Her lips parted, and she whispered, “They’re after me because—”

The station shook violently, cutting her off. Both Quinn and Nova braced themselves as alarms blared throughout the room.

“Ravager breach detected. All units report to combat stations immediately,” an automated voice announced.

Quinn cursed under his breath, his helmet snapping back into place in one swift motion. He activated his comms. “VERA, give me a status report.”

“Multiple Ravager ships just breached the perimeter. It’s a full-scale assault, Quinn.”

Nova’s face paled, and for the first time, the cocky façade slipped entirely. “They’re here,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Quinn glanced at her. “Stay here. Lock the door behind me. Don’t let anyone in unless it’s me.”

Nova nodded quickly, her usual confidence replaced by fear.

He paused briefly, glancing back at her, before stepping into the chaos outside. The war had followed them home.

The station quaked violently as the blaring alarms intensified. Red emergency lights bathed the corridors in a strobe-like glow, highlighting the chaos that had erupted. Quinn moved like a phantom through the base, his sleek armor shimmering as he engaged the Ravagers head-on. The air was thick with smoke, screams, and the unrelenting growls of the alien invaders.

Ravagers poured into the halls, their grotesque forms illuminated by sporadic sparks from the damaged lighting. A hulking Brutalon charged forward, its massive arms swinging wildly. Quinn didn’t flinch. With lightning-fast reflexes, he sidestepped the beast’s blow and planted a magnetic explosive on its chest. The Ravager bellowed, but before it could strike again, the device detonated, sending shrapnel and viscera scattering across the hall.

Another Slythar lunged from the shadows, its spindly limbs and sharp claws aiming for his throat. Quinn’s enhanced senses caught the movement, and with pinpoint precision, he fired his rifle, the bullet punching clean through the alien’s elongated skull. It collapsed in a heap at his feet.

“VERA, how bad is it?” Quinn demanded, his voice steady despite the chaos.

“The base’s power systems are failing. Ravagers have breached critical areas, and Dr. Morven has already ordered an evacuation. You need to get out now, or you won’t make it,” VERA replied, urgency lacing her voice.

Quinn cursed under his breath. “I need to get to her first.”

He fought his way through swarms of Gralks, their smaller, stocky forms overwhelming the narrow corridors like a tide. His movements were precise and efficient—each shot a kill, each strike lethal. A Ravager General roared in the distance, commanding its forces deeper into the station.

When Quinn finally reached the corridor leading to Nova’s holding room, he found the door jammed. Smoke and debris had warped the metal, sealing it shut. No time for finesse, he thought grimly. He stepped back and delivered a powerful kick to the center of the door. The enhanced strength of his armor combined with his own augmented power made short work of it, the door crumpling inward with a deafening crash.

Nova stood in the middle of the room, eyes wide with a mix of relief and fear. “You—” she started, but Quinn cut her off.

“Follow me. Now.” His voice left no room for argument.

Nova hesitated, her gaze darting to the chaos beyond the doorway. “But—”

“Now,” he barked, his tone sharp and commanding. She flinched but obeyed, quickly falling in step behind him.

They moved through the crumbling base, Nova sticking close to Quinn as he carved a path through the Ravagers. She couldn’t help but marvel at his precision—every move he made was calculated, every action deliberate. A group of Gralks rushed them, but Quinn dispatched them with brutal efficiency, his blade slicing through alien flesh like it was nothing.

“Stay close!” he shouted over the deafening sounds of combat.

Nova followed him without question, ducking and weaving as explosions rocked the base. The heat from a nearby blast singed her cheek, but Quinn was there, shielding her with his armored frame.

As they neared the emergency shuttle bay, a Brutalon and a pack of Slythars blocked their path. “Stay back,” Quinn ordered.

Nova watched as he charged the group head-on, his movements fluid and unrelenting. The Brutalon swung a massive fist, but Quinn ducked under it, planting a knife in the beast’s side before using its own momentum to throw it into a wall. The Slythars darted in, but Quinn’s rifle fired with machine-like precision, taking them down one by one.

“Move!” he commanded, grabbing Nova’s arm and pulling her toward the shuttle.

The bay was in chaos as soldiers scrambled to evacuate. The overhead lights flickered, and the sound of distant explosions grew louder. Quinn pushed Nova into the shuttle and climbed in after her, slamming the hatch shut as the engines roared to life.

As the shuttle lifted off, Nova turned to look at the base through the viewport. The once-mighty station was now a crumbling ruin, engulfed in flames and smoke. Moments later, it exploded in a blinding flash of light, the shockwave rocking the shuttle.

Nova stared in silence, her hands gripping the edge of her seat. Finally, she turned to Quinn, who sat across from her, his helmet resting in his lap.

“You saved me,” she said softly.

Quinn didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back, Finally, he looked at her, his piercing gaze steady.

“I wasn’t going to leave you behind,” he said simply.