RESURRECTION (RIBUS 7, #5) Read online

  SHAE MILLS

  RIBUS

  7

  Love and life reborn

  Copyright © 2019

  RESURRECTION by Shae Mills

  All rights reserved.

  NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of the author.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is greatly appreciated.

  Author's Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To my sons.

  Because of you,

  all things are possible.

  To my Dad.

  I know you would be proud.

  To my Mom.

  You are my biggest fan.

  Acknowledgments

  MANY OF MY READERS know that I was drawn out of the writing world for a time, my focus completely redirected for the better part of ten months. I will admit that I got to a point where I was quite content to allow TALON to be my final book. My fifth manuscript, like my others, was written decades before, but it was only a rough outline. It needed to be totally restructured, and I no longer had the drive or the desire to dedicate myself to that endeavor.

  However, just after TALON was released, I began mentoring a gentleman, a person I knew had ample talent to write, and who was blessed with an incredible imagination that needed to be tapped so that others could enjoy what he had to offer. Though we had known one another only a short time, that person, T.R. Davis, nurtured me through my ten-month ordeal and then gently coaxed me to slowly sink into my last book. Without his encouragement and support, RESURRECTION would never have seen the light of day. So thank you, Terry, for being all that you are. I am forever grateful. You helped clear the murk that had encased me and showed me that there could be light again.

  Of course, I would also like to recognize my family and all my loyal fans who have stuck with me through thick and thin, and who steadfastly supported me when I was wallowing in so much indecision. You also provided much-needed encouragement when life was at its bleakest. And so for all of you, here it is at long last: RESURRECTION.

  Enjoy!

  For information about the author, visit:

  www.facebook.com/shae.mills.54

  www.shaemills.com

  Table of Contents

  Author's Note

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  ALL EIGHT OF THE GIANT battleship’s engines roared to life. With thrusters on full, the mighty vessel lifted away from its dry dock. Then, all was silent. Engaging the antigravity mechanism, the thrusters ceased, and like a feather in an updraft, the massive ship rose into the Iceanean night to join its sisters.

  Ilan paced back and forth on the Bridge as he monitored the ascent.

  “Clearing ice rim,” came the voice of the helmsman.

  “Iceanean security shield, back up, Sire,” reported the Chief Science Officer.

  Ilan leaned into the command chair, his relief palpable. “Okay. Take her to Sector 8 of our solar system. Then direct all sensors and weapons toward the Metra Nebula. That is the last area to be covered.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  KORBA’S SWORD CLASHED hard with his opponent’s, metal mating with metal. Then came the messenger bolting across the training field. “My Lord!” the man shouted. “RIBUS 15 is up. It is happening!”

  Korba nearly lost his balance, staggering backward.

  Lethiason’s eyes sparkled. “You were distracted! I could have killed you!” he shouted triumphantly.

  Korba dropped his weapon. “You missed your chance.” And he turned and ran from the training area, leaving a wake of warriors in his path.

  Lethiason grabbed the discarded weapon and tossed it and his own both to the side. Then he too broke into a sprint, in hot pursuit of his Emperor.

  Korba dashed through the corridors, security scrambling in all directions. His naked upper body glistened with sweat; his heart pounded. Wild-eyed, he burst through the Palace Command Center doors, startling Zane and Yanis with the abrupt entry.

  “What is happening?” he shouted as he ran to the monitors.

  Zane smiled. “All is well, my Lord.” He chuckled. “But I see you are not.”

  Korba placed his hands against the console and slumped forward. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths. “I am okay,” he whispered.

  Zane and Yanis grinned at one another. Then Lethiason exploded through the doors, his black shroud flying about him like the wings of Lucifer’s angels. He stopped in his tracks and eyed the men before him. “Well?” he prodded.

  Korba straightened and turned to him, still trying to calm himself. “All the battleships are deployed. RIBUS 15 is in position over us. The planet’s defenses are fully operational, and the Palace is secure.”

  Lethiason motioned with his hands, his eyes beckoning. “I figured that! And?”

  Korba peered beyond Zane and Yanis to the hidden doors of his private chambers. Then he looked frantically at Lethiason. “And... I do not know.”

  Zane slapped him hard on his bare back. “You had better get in there, then. These things do not wait.”

  Lethiason nodded. “No time like the present, my Lord.”

  Korba swallowed hard. He began ever so slowly past his men. Then he heard the scream, and he sprang into a run. He skidded through the doors in a complete panic.

  Stose turned and looked at him. “My Lord, you are just in time.”

  Korba tried to catch his breath. He looked beyond Stose to the bed, and then he became still. Chelan sat quietly on the edge, her head hung, her hands gently massaging her swollen belly. Her eyes were closed as she took several deep, slow breaths.

  Then she peered up at Korba and smiled. “My Lord,” she whispered.

  Korba went to speak but was distracted by the entry of the other three men from the Command Center.

  Chel
an nodded to them and then rose awkwardly to her feet. She wore a floor-length flowing white gown, her golden brown hair swirling about her to just below her breasts. She straightened and arched back slightly, digging her fingers into her lower back. Then she began to walk slowly.

  Korba’s eyes darted to Stose and then back to Chelan. “My Lady,” he croaked. “How are you?”

  Chelan stopped and looked over at him. “I am fine,” she offered genuinely, her face aglow.

  Korba stared at the doctor skeptically. “I heard a scream, Stose. How is she?” he asked firmly, his composure returning... somewhat.

  Stose’s smile was as broad as his shoulders. “Ah, the scream was more than warranted, especially considering what she is going though. But overall, she is doing admirably, my Lord.”

  Korba approached his cherished woman, his hands brushing over her shoulders as he peered deep into her eyes. “I love you so much,” he whispered.

  Chelan grinned. “Stick around; you may have second thoughts soon.”

  Everyone chuckled. Marri had been reclining on the bed. Now she sat up and stretched her long, muscular body. “Actually, my Lord, your Lady is handling this all very well. But I can tell by your insipid complexion that you are faring only marginally.”

  Korba smirked at her. “You forget, Marri, I am new at this.”

  Marri laughed. “Oh, I have not forgotten. Consequently, I am wondering whether or not Stose will have two patients on his hands very soon.”

  Chelan chuckled, but then her breath caught.

  Korba stepped back from her, unsure what to do. Then he watched with distress as she hunched over, clutching at her tummy and groaning. His eyes cut to Stose, but the doctor simply smiled. “She is well, my Lord, I assure you.”

  Chelan took several deep breaths and then turned back toward the bed. There she sat down gingerly, her eyes once again closed, her fingers softly tracing circles over herself.

  Korba began to pace. He ran his hands through his thick blue-black hair. “When did this begin?”

  Stose looked at the Emperor. “Only about an hour ago.”

  “Why was I not called then?”

  Chelan shook her head and glanced up at her mate. “I was not sure I was in labor.” She straightened, her smile returning, her body relaxing. “I summoned Stose anyway. When he checked me I was already dilating. So then we called you.” She looked around at Marri and the men in the room, her eyes finally lighting back on Korba. She shrugged. “Then we called everyone.”

  Korba took a tentative breath. “But the ships?”

  Zane cleared his throat. “Actually, Yanis and I just happen to be here speaking with my Lady when her contractions began, my Lord. When Stose confirmed her labor, we set everything in motion immediately. We knew you would want to focus on our Lady rather than on the security.”

  Korba tossed his head back, his unruly hair cascading down his back. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  Chelan pushed her cumbersome body to her feet and began to walk once again. This time Korba shadowed her motions, coiled like a panther, ready to catch her should she falter. Finally, she stopped and glared up at him. “Why don’t you go sit down somewhere?”

  A chuckle went through the group. Korba forced a smile and then backed up. Resigned to leaving her be, he found a chair and sat down stiffly.

  Chelan rolled her eyes at him as she rubbed her lower back. Then she began to shuffle about, but within moments she doubled over again, and Stose moved to support her. Korba leapt to his feet.

  Marri flopped back against the pillows of the bed and grinned with amusement as she observed the befuddled Emperor. She could only shake her head.

  Chelan panted for air but then cried out, her agony escalating.

  Korba became frantic.

  Lethiason finally moved to Korba and placed an arm over the Emperor’s shoulders. “Calm down,” he ordered. “She has done this before.”

  Korba’s eyes were fixed on his woman, her pain felt just as acutely by him. Shaking free of Lethiason, he moved to her, crouching in front of her. He helped her to straighten as the contraction subsided. “Talk to me, pretty woman.”

  Chelan’s forehead was beaded with sweat. “I am okay.”

  “Tell me what you need.”

  Chelan hugged into him as he stood. “Just you, my Lord,” she whispered. “Just you.”

  They embraced a long time, and finally Stose interrupted. “You should walk, my Lady, if at all possible.”

  Chelan drew back and smiled at her mate. Her fingers traced his strong jaw as her senses absorbed everything about him, his handsome features soothing her.

  Korba finally, reluctantly, released her, and she resumed walking. Zane and Lethiason sat, but Korba could not. When the next contraction hit, he was beside himself at the sight of her torment. “Stose! Help her,” he ordered.

  Stose aided her to the bed and sat her down. “There is nothing I can help her with, my Lord. I cannot birth the child for her.”

  “What about the pain?” Korba demanded.

  Chelan raised a hand to him. “It is okay, my love. I want to experience it all. I asked Stose not to intervene unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”

  Korba relaxed only marginally.

  Marri’s eyes twinkled as she scrutinized her Emperor. “My, we are nervous,” she commented with mirth.

  Korba shot her a not-so-friendly glance.

  Marri chuckled. “I must admit, my Lord, in all our years together, I have never seen you like this.”

  Korba glared at her. “I have never been in this situation before,” he countered.

  “You are just not used to not being in control.”

  Korba frowned at the warrior. “What I am not used to is my woman being in so much pain,” he returned coolly.

  Chelan looked up at the ceiling. “Oh, shut up, the both of you, or I will kick everyone out.”

  Marri grinned, but Korba looked stunned. Chelan finally peered up at her mate and crinkled her nose at him. She smiled. “You should calm down though, my love. As it was mentioned, I have done this before.”

  Korba tried to relax, but despite decades of having supreme control over himself, his muscles would not obey. He was strung as tight as a spring, coiled to release explosively. Nothing in the galaxy would dare harm his woman again, but this threat was nothing he could fight. This threat was his child within her, and he was helpless.

  Stose smiled at the distraught Emperor. “The good news is that she did birth Jason successfully and he was very large. Our little girl here is of her mother’s mold. The babe is just over seven pounds in Earth measures. That is perfectly normal by Earth standards, and perfectly manageable by our fair lady here. The baby is in a proper position, Chelan is dilating normally, so all is fine.”

  Korba finally slumped into a chair out of necessity, his heart twisting. “I fear their loss,” he admitted candidly.

  Stose sat beside Chelan and rubbed her back. “I will not lose them, my Lord. You know that.”

  Korba put his head in his hands and rested his elbows against his knees. Then he looked at Stose. “I want to help,” he whispered.

  Stose nodded. “Then come here.”

  Korba approached Chelan slowly and knelt before her. “How can I help?”

  “You could rub my aching back, my Lord.”

  Korba finally smiled. Stose moved out of the way as Korba slid in behind her. His strong hands began over her lower back, his expert touch working to ease her tense muscles.

  “We will get you trained yet,” Marri teased.

  Korba’s azure eyes pierced into the warrior. “You are enjoying having me at a disadvantage, aren’t you!”

  Marri smiled. “Actually, no. But it is nice to see your love so fully displayed, your vulnerability laid out so unabashedly. You are normally so reserved. This is a pleasant change.”

  “What intrigues you most, my love or my vulnerability?”

  Marri shrugged. “Both, I guess. It is inter
esting to watch what Chelan can elicit from you. It is not often we get to observe the galaxy’s greatest Warlord succumb to such powerful emotions.”

  Korba continued to massage Chelan. “I do not know if such a display is wise. Either way, absorb what you can because it will not last long.”

  “Oh, come now, my Lord. You are about to watch your child being born with only your most trusted warriors in attendance. If ever an Emperor is allowed to become disheveled, it is now.”

  “Hear, hear,” concurred Lethiason. “We are all moved by such an event. Why should you be any less?”

  Chelan sighed. “Can we cut the psychoanalysis for a moment?”

  Korba ceased all motion and Stose whirled around. “What is it, my Lady?” the doctor asked.

  But Chelan could not talk.

  It was Marri who sprang to her knees on the bed. “Her water just broke.”

  Korba edged away as Marri took Chelan by the shoulders and eased her back into the pillows. Stose pushed her legs up and, as gently as possible, reached deep inside her. “Baby is coming,” he informed everyone jubilantly.

  But Korba was far from happy. The pain etched across Chelan’s face caused his heart to bleed.

  Stose glanced up. “My Lady... breathe.”

  Chelan gasped and then began to cry and pant at the same time. Korba reached for her hand. At his touch, she looked to him. “Soon, my Lord, you will have a beautiful baby girl.”

  Korba smiled but chose to remain mute. And if truth be told, he was at a complete loss for words.

  Stose stood momentarily and reached for a monitor. He placed it on the bed next to her and then raised her gown up over her belly. He knelt on the bed between her legs as Marri held her head in her lap. Stose nodded at her. “Okay, next time, we push.”

  Lethiason and Zane stood and moved near, while Yanis remained by the door monitoring security.

  Chelan tucked her chin down and clenched her fists. When the next contraction hit her, Marri propped her up while Stose coached. “Deep breath... and push.”