The Crucible- The Complete Series

by Odette C. Bell

  “Alyssa, Alyssa? It’s okay.” I ducked my head down until I saw her face.

  She blinked languidly, but managed a smile. “How is it okay? I… I didn’t know what I was doing.”

  I swallowed, a rush of nerves cascading down my back and making every hair stand on end. “What do you mean?”

  “Professor Axis gave me new implants,” she said through a swallow, throat pushing hard against my arm.

  “He gave you what?” Fear stabbed through my heart.

  “He captured me. Knocked me out, took me back to my cell,” I could feel as she clenched her teeth and spat that word. “He gave me new implants and threatened that he could control me… and….”

  I could feel her start to tire again.

  I wrapped my arms harder around her back. “Alyssa, it’s alright. Just rest. Just rest. Help is on the way. Help’s on the way.”

  “He gave me new implants,” she said anyway. “They’re… they’re so strong. I can’t… control myself.”

  I stiffened. Every muscle from my feet all the way up to my neck suddenly became as rigid as a sheet of steel.

  “Nathan, I’m so scared,” she admitted.

  It was the first time I’d heard her say anything like that. Despite everything that had happened to Alyssa Nightingale, she always appeared so strong.

  Now I realized how weak she truly was.

  Naturally, instinctively, I wrapped my arms harder around her back, drawing her close. “It’ll be okay,” I promised weakly. “Alyssa, everything is going to be okay,” I said with more determination.

  “I hope you’re right,” she managed. Then Alyssa Nightingale lost consciousness.

  Chapter 3

  Annabelle Williams

  What happened next happened quickly.

  The Captain wasted no time organizing a boarding party.

  I wanted to be on it. I begged to be on it, but she denied my request. Said I’d lost my objectivity long before the battle had begun.

  It wasn’t fair.

  I wanted to see him. Had to see him. Axis.

  Finally under our control.

  I didn’t care about the Miracle. It was a ship. And as for its technology, it would help the resistance, but it wasn’t the same as Axis.

  I would abandon everything if I could get my hands on that man.

  …

  Dig site, Mari Sector

  It had been a couple of hours since anyone had received word from the Miracle.

  Due to the growing hazards on this moon, she’d pulled further back into the sector. But several times a day she radioed in to check on progress.

  It had been over six hours now. The other ships protecting the dig site had tried contacting her, but it seemed as if her communications were down.

  More bad news.

  Everyone attending that dig site knew the risks, knew the costs, and knew what was waiting if they could just pull through.

  The level of technology beyond the wall would be astronomical, unimaginable. It would eclipse everything else in existence. From the pirates to the resistance, to the enemies at the Alliance’s border – no one would have a chance.

  Greed pushed them on, but fear wasn’t too far behind.

  More… accidents were happening.

  Mangled bodies of crew who hadn’t been careful enough.

  There was a general feeling of nervous tension that jumped between everyone like sparks.

  Even the elite forces soldiers weren’t immune. Though they all wore their faceless black armor, you could see it there – the fear, in every movement and every snapped word.

  The longer they spent on this moon, the worse the fear became. It climbed up people’s backs, it sank deep into their hearts.

  There was a… presence behind that wall. It was more than metal.

  And that presence reached out, beckoning them forward.

  It seemed something was beginning to stir….

  …

  Lieutenant Commander Nathan Shepherd

  God, it was over. The danger, at least. Everything else was just about to begin.

  It didn’t take long for the boarding party to find us. All they had to do was follow the destruction.

  I immediately had Alyssa transferred over to the Ra’xon to receive medical attention. Scans appeared to suggest she was stable, but I wouldn’t relax until the Doc gave her the all clear.

  Axis… had done something to her. I still remembered her fear as she’d looked up into my eyes and told me he’d given her new implants.

  Those very same implants had done this. This astronomical damage. It was on a level I could barely comprehend. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact somebody had done this. Not a gun, not a cruiser – a person.

  Alyssa.

  My mouth felt as if it were permanently dry, as if I’d swallowed a desert planet. My stomach was clenched, too.

  The Ra’xon’s security team were quick and efficient in locking down the Miracle and rounding up the crew.

  It didn’t take too long until I found myself on the bridge.

  I’d seen it elsewhere on the ship, but up here it was undeniable – the Miracle was light-years beyond any other ship in the fleet. Its technology was dumbfounding.

  That dry mouth of mine got drier and drier until I could hardly swallow.

  I couldn’t deny the fact I was relieved. We’d won. We’d beaten the goddamn Miracle.

  Yet that uneasy feeling was still gathering in my gut like a growing storm.

  The Captain had stayed aboard the Ra’xon, and as I was her second-in-command, that meant I was now leading the boarding party on the Miracle.

  It was my responsibility to question the high level crew and mop up this mess.

  First things first, I went through the crew complement, and quickly discovered that some had managed to escape.

  The Captain of the Miracle was amongst them. My father wasn’t.

  My father had been taken to the brig.

  Just thinking about that made my stomach curdle.

  I hadn’t forgotten what he’d told me. The Elogian Factions were the puppet masters behind the resistance….

  Every time I remembered that, my stomach clenched tighter and tighter as if I were trying to pulverize steel.

  “Lieutenant Commander,” I received a sudden communication from the Captain. I’d been provided with a communications PIP by the boarding party, and despite the fact the Miracle’s external communications system was off-line, her shields were down, and the Ra’xon could transmit messages just fine.

  “Yes, Captain?”

  “Have you secured the high-level targets yet?”

  “The Captain has somehow escaped. My… father,” I managed, only capable of spitting the word out as I clenched my teeth, “is in the brig.”

  “And Axis?” someone asked. It wasn’t the Captain. It was Williams. And I could tell from the snapped, urgent nature of her interruption that she’d spoken right over the Captain.

  I let my gaze drift back to the crew complement.

  I’d been looking for Axis for the past five minutes.

  I’d scanned the ship and rescanned it.

  It was time to admit he wasn’t onboard.

  “Nathan,” Williams snapped. “Where’s Professor Axis?”

  “Lieutenant Williams,” I heard the Captain reprimand.

  “It is… I just… Nathan, tell me he’s still onboard.”

  I felt sick. I looked down at my hands and shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me.

  “Lieutenant Commander,” the Captain pressed, “is he aboard?”

  “No,” I managed.

  I couldn’t see Williams’ face, but I knew how she’d be feeling. How crushed she’d be. She’d sacrificed everything to get him.

  Now he’d escaped.

  “That is regrettable,” the Captain said, tone neutral. “Still, this mission was a success.”

  “Any update on Alyssa?” I asked immediately.

  “Th
e CMO has stabilized her. It doesn’t appear she is injured. Just fatigued.”

  I nodded, neck stiff. I wanted to ask more about what was happening with her implants, but realized this was a question for later.

  I balled my hands together and tapped my knuckles against the smooth white-blue console before me. “It’s gonna take us a while to overhaul this ship,” I got back to business. “Our main priority should be getting the engines online and securing the command codes so we can move her. The Star Forces are going to throw everything they have at us.”

  “I concur.”

  “Is there any indication the Miracle managed to send off a distress call?”

  “No. The four Star Forces ships in orbit around Moon Alpha 98 have not moved.”

  I let out a sigh, feeling it reverberate through my chest. “That’s good news. Still… we aren’t out of the woods yet.”

  “Indeed. Your first order of operations should be to question senior staff.”

  I swallowed. Hard. It was a surprise my neck muscles didn’t spring out and snap across the floor. “I… understand,” I managed. It wasn’t what I wanted to say. I wanted the Captain to repeat her order, I wanted to ask if she was serious. If she wanted me to question my own goddamn father.

  I… wouldn’t be effective. He knew me too well. I’d been hiding from my father for too many years.

  “I believe in your abilities,” the Captain said succinctly. “Report if you have any information. I have already sent the Chief Engineer over to start work on the Miracle’s engines and command codes. You will lead all operations on the Miracle.”

  “Understood.”

  “Good luck, Lieutenant Commander.”

  “Aye.”

  With that, the communication ended.

  I stood there, tapping my knuckles on the console, listening to the hollow ring as it echoed around the expansive bridge.

  Finally I took a step back, jerking my head around as I swiveled and faced the doors.

  … Question my father.

  I winced, and pushed forward.

  …

  Alyssa Nightingale

  “How’s the pain?” the CMO asked as she shifted forward and scanned me.

  “It’s getting better.”

  “The headache?”

  “Still there.”

  I watched her press her lips together, frown, and type something on her matter scanner.

  I… couldn’t believe I was here. Alive. Sane.

  As I’d smashed my way through the middle of the Miracle, I’d honestly thought it would be the end. That I’d die in a fiery ball of power as the implants consumed my mind like an explosion.

  I brought up a hand, closed my eyes, and pressed my fingers across my eyelids.

  “You must be tired,” the CMO said as she took a step back.

  I shook my head, locking my hand against the side of my face, letting my thumb trace along the line of my jaw.

  I must have had a distracted look, because the CMO dipped her head down and gazed at me. “We’re all thankful for what you did, Alyssa.”

  I looked up slowly. “I can’t even remember what I did. These implants…” I clenched my teeth hard.

  “I’m looking into them. I’ve taken as many scans as I can, but they’re shielded. It’s going to take a while to penetrate their defenses. But don’t give up hope,” she countered quickly, a serious look in her eyes, “we’ve captured the Miracle. There will be technology on-board that will be able to help you. Don’t give up hope,” she counseled once more.

  I nodded, pressing my lips together.

  I’d already given up hope so many times in my life that I knew even if you abandoned it, it would always come back.

  I’d thought I would die on the Miracle, then Shepherd had come along. And he’d….

  I let out a sigh.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll catch him.” The CMO nodded sharply.

  She thought I was sighing about Axis.

  I wasn’t.

  It didn’t surprise me that Axis had fled the Miracle. He was not the kind of man to go down with his ship. He would never give up fighting.

  Plus, it wouldn’t be so easy to capture him. Nor should it be. He was one of the greatest minds in the Milky Way.

  Everyone else was surprised and disappointed he’d escaped. But to me… it kind of felt right. I’d always known I’d have to try harder to defeat him. My final battle with Axis would not be fought and won in a few precious minutes.

  “… Is there any news on,” I swallowed, gathering my courage, “Shepherd?”

  “He’s leading the team over on the Miracle. It’s going to take a long time to get that ship under control.”

  I nodded, hiding my disappointment.

  I wanted to see him. I could admit that to myself.

  I brought my hands up and stared at them, turning them over, gazing at every line and whorl.

  I wanted to thank him. He hadn’t just saved me from the Miracle; he’d save me from myself.

  I could still feel the shadow of his arms wrapped around my back.

  I wanted….

  To thank him.

  …

  Lieutenant Commander Nathan Shepherd

  I was dog tired. I’d had to take some stims just to keep my eyes open.

  I’d left questioning my father until last. Until I was sure there would be no more security threats aboard the Miracle.

  Now I stood outside of the cell door, heart hammering in my chest, hands sweaty, eyes wide.

  I could see myself in a reflection off to my side.

  I looked like hell. No, worse – a terrified little boy. While my face looked haggard from fatigue and shock, my expression was that of a terrified kid.

  My father always made me feel small.

  I blinked my eyes closed, grated my teeth back and forth, then walked towards the door.

  It opened.

  There he was on the other side of the room, locked behind a large level III containment shield. The force field was orange, and it sent a flickering light crackling over his expression. Which was blank. His body language was easy going, too. It gave nothing away.

  He sat with his hands clasped in his lap, his legs resting easily over the side of the long plain bench cut against the wall.

  “Son,” he said as I entered.

  I stiffened. “I thought we weren’t allowed to acknowledge our relationship while we were on duty?”

  He smiled. It was a slow move. I swore I could see every single muscle in his neck and cheeks contract as his lips pulled wide over his teeth. “Neither of us are on duty anymore, are we?”

  “I thought Star Forces soldiers were permanently on duty? Permanently serving the Alliance? Even behind enemy lines.”

  He didn’t answer. Instead I saw him analyze me, those clear eyes darting over my form.

  I hated this feeling. This feeling that I was being watched. And more than that, judged. Every time I was judged by my father, I came up lacking.

  My stomach clenched again, a rigid tension driving deep into my gut.

  I took a quick step forward. My fingers were tingling, and I had to clutch them hard behind my back to chase that unpleasant sensation away.

  “What do you want to know, son?” my father asked as I approached. “You’re here to interrogate me, aren’t you?”

  I didn’t respond. Instead I stared at him.

  He hadn’t aged much. These days humans often lived well into their 200s.

  He looked almost exactly the same as the man who’d haunted my childhood. Piercing blue eyes, a black well-kempt beard, and a strong powerful build that matched his personality to a T.

  “What do you want to know?” he prompted again.

  “Did the Miracle manage to get off a distress call?”

  “No.”

  “Are you lying?”

  “Why would I lie to you, son?”

  My jaw locked with tension. He was playing me. God, he was playing me.

  Not
for the first time, I realized I wasn’t the right man for this job. My father could see right through me.

  Still, there was no one else. And to be honest, I wouldn’t allow anyone else to endure this.

  He was my old man; he was my responsibility.

  I took another snapped step towards that flickering orange force field. It played over my uniform. My Star Forces uniform. I’d changed into it because it was more appropriate than my civilian clothes.

  I saw my father’s eyes lock on it, zeroing in on the collar and my command pips. “I’m sorry I missed the day you were promoted, son. I would have liked to have seen it.”

  He didn’t ask me why I was wearing my uniform. That would be too easy.

  I made no movement. Not a single twitch. “Where’s Professor Axis?”

  “He used the long-range transporter. The Captain did the same.”

  “Where did they go? The moon?”

  He shook his head. “He accessed an escape ship waiting in subspace.”

  “The Ra’xon picked up no such ship.”

  “And?” He crossed his arms. “That surprises you? The Miracle possesses technology beyond anything the rest of the fleet has seen.”

  “If you’re lying—”

  He brought his hands up. “As I said before, why would I lie?”

  “You know it’s treason to share information with an enemy of the Alliance, don’t you?”

  “Thank you for reminding me,” he said simply.

  From his expression to his stance, he was calm. I knew instinctively that if I brought up a bio scanner, his blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate would all be normal, too. Because this wasn’t an act. He really was nonchalant.

  He’d been captured by the resistance, and he didn’t care.

  He was a psychopath.

  I ground my fingers hard into my palms.

  I watched his gaze flick down from my shoulders to my hands, then back to my face. “This is hard on you, isn’t it, Nathan?”

  “I’m doing just fine.”

  “Are you? Have you thought more about what I told you?”

  I twitched. Goddammit, I shouldn’t have twitched, but I couldn’t control myself.

  Maybe he smiled under the girth of his black bushy beard. I couldn’t see, but his eyes widened with mirth.

  “Tell me about Moon Alpha 98,” I demanded, changing track, needing to control this conversation if only for a second.