3013: CLAIMED (3013: The Series)

by Roma, Laurie

  Jax and Archer had tried to keep in touch with her, but it was difficult to do when they were always working. It wasn’t until two years later, when they were able to get reassigned back on Earth, that they came face-to-face with a sixteen year old Serra. Seeing her again had taken their breath away, and that was when those simple protective feelings changed to something more.

  Something deeper and harder to explain.

  Serra had turned into a beauty while they had been stationed off planet. At sixteen, she had lost the softness that came with youth, and there was a new confidence in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. Jax and Archer had only to share a look to know they were in complete accord. They knew that the little girl they had adored with veiled amusement and affection would be the woman they’d one day claim as their chosen.

  Unfortunately, they weren’t aware their reactions to her were being observed until it was too late. Tania Lysander-Dobbs, Serra’s overprotective mother, had taken note of Jax and Archer’s interest in her daughter, and had been alarmed by their attention. It wasn’t long after their reunion when Tania had pulled Serra out of the Academy and entered her into an internship program off planet.

  That had been almost eight years ago.

  Jax and Archer had watched with pride as she’d become one of the brightest minds the Alliance ever had working for them, and they had wanted her. Serra’s development of the shield that protected Earth and all of the Alliance bases throughout space kept her traveling. During the years that had passed, Jax and Archer’s contact with Serra had been reduced to random letters they received from her. They always responded, but she kept their correspondence infrequent, driving them crazy with her resistance to come home. She had an important position, and they knew that, but it didn’t mean they’d been happy about it.

  Back before she had turned eighteen, Serra had been granted special status due to her contributions to the Alliance when she had signed on as an official inventor. Her new status allowed her to choose her own bonding partners, warning any overzealous elites that there were extreme consequences if she was claimed against her will. It had soothed Jax and Archer’s anger when she made it clear she wasn’t interested in any other men during her travels.

  Still, they’d kept track of Serra wherever she went, watching out for her however they could. She had been appointed three sets of guards who rotated the duty of keeping her safe, and all six men having been warned that if they tried to touch her it would mean their death. Jax hadn’t fucked around when he’d made that statement to each of the guards, and he had let them see the truth in his eyes.

  Archer had been more subtle with his protection of Serra. Perhaps it had been a little over-the-top, but he had placed a tracker in a small heart necklace made of xithradite he’d given her before she had left all those years ago. Xithradite was a precious metal found on the Helios planet that shimmered and constantly changed colors, which made it perfect for jewelry. The necklace was beautiful, but it also allowed them to know where she was, in case she ever needed them. Archer had once told Jax that he would delete the program if she ever chose a bonding pair instead of coming back to them, but she never had, so the link remained active.

  They knew in their hearts that she was meant for them. She knew it too, but something held her back—something they didn’t understand. They had been willing to let her work up her nerve to come to them. Over the last few years they had seen her briefly, and the hunger for her had been growing into a gnawing ache that needed to be sated. Now the time had come and they wouldn’t wait any longer.

  They had a past, but more important…they had a future.

  Jax’s patience was at an end and he turned away from the two regents, heading to the door of the viewing room. He had to force himself not to snarl as his father reached out to grip his arm, stopping him before he could open the door. He didn’t pull away because the hold was gentle, and he respected his father too much to dishonor him by doing so.

  “Jax, this is too important to just let go. We may not have any evidence that she was the one who sold the shield tech, but we cannot let this new stealth technology get into the hands of our enemies.”

  “She isn’t behind this. Where are her guards? I want them questioned.”

  Regent Ian Spartan released his hold on Jax and huffed out an impatient breath. “Already done. They were also taken into custody when they landed. Two members of the SI Division are with Officers Meyers and Rhine now.”

  “I’ve called in my own interrogators from SI. Hold them until my men can interrogate them,” Jax ordered. He knew that all the officers of the SI Division were capable, but his friends were the best, and he and Archer would only trust them with Serra.

  As soon as Jax had discovered that Serra had been taken into custody, he had made the call to the Capital’s Director of the Security and Interrogation Division, Dominic Stryker. Dom was known as a bad-ass that could make a suspect spill his guts with just one hard look of his piercing black eyes. He also had the added advantage of working with Arik V’Dir, one of the few members of the D’Aire alien race that had decided to make Earth his home.

  In the year 2960 a new alien race came to Earth called the Zyphir. They’d been a colony race of insect-like creatures that stood on two feet. What they came for was total annihilation of the human race, after which they’d planned to take over Earth and deplete the world of all resources until moving on to the next planet that suited their needs. A three year war ensued, during which a large portions of Earth were destroyed. Not just by battle, but by an unknown virus the Zyphir carried that nearly wiped out the entire population. Without the aid of the Arcadians, Krytos and the D’Aire alien races, Earth would have been nothing but a memory.

  Regent Spartan’s eyes narrowed. “Who have you called in?”

  “Director Stryker and Ambassador V’Dir.”

  With a satisfied nod, Regent Spartan said, “They are the best. If she’s innocent, they’ll clear her. The information we have is that the sale for the new stealth technology is set to be held on New Vega in a few weeks. Serra Lysander is booked on a private shuttle for New Vega before the deadline. That is highly suspicious. Even you have to admit that.”

  “And why is she back on Earth now?” Regent Marks asked. “She hardly ever comes back on planet, so why has she decided to check out the drones we’re testing the stealth tech on? We aren’t set to add it to the fleet for another three months, so why is she here now? She arrived here in the Capital. If she is here to examine her creation, why didn’t she arrive in Light City where the testing site is? We need to know what the hell she is trying to hide!”

  Jax stared at the regents, knowing the older men saw the hard edge that gleamed from his own eyes. “Archer,” he snapped.

  Knowing what Jax was asking for, Archer stepped forward. “Serra Lysander comes back to Earth every year for a two week period this time a year so she can attend the Freedom Day Gala. She’d never fly into Light City unless she has to, because that is where her fathers are stationed. Since they’re more interested in spending their free time with their mistress instead of seeing their daughter, Serra doesn’t bother with them. Tania Lysander-Dobbs is sure to stay clear of Earth if Serra is going to be anywhere near her fathers.”

  “Why would Serra have handed the technology over to the Alliance if she just wanted to sell it?” Jax asked. “If you’ve looked at her accounts, you know she doesn’t care about credits. She hardly spends anything, and has more than she could spend in a lifetime anyways. All her time is focused on work.”

  “Still, that doesn’t explain about the timing of the sale,” Regent Marks argued.

  Jax turned to glare at the regent. “It’s not her, and you’re wasting time thinking it is.”

  Regent Spartan sighed. “Jax, we are doing what we have to in order to protect the Alliance. Hell, to protect Earth. This new stealth program Serra has created far surpasses everything we have to date. Christ, even our systems can’t pick it up on
scans. Can you imagine what would happen if one of our enemies had that tech? They could get within range to destroy our shields before we even knew they were there. There is too much at stake for us to simply let her go because you believe her.”

  “Our people are working on a system to detect the stealth mode, but they’ve hit a wall and can’t figure out how to do it.” The irritation in Regent Mark’s voice was clear. “We have to figure out who is selling our tech and track the buyer so we can shut it down from that end. We need information, and that woman is the key!”

  The grin that crossed Archer’s face was anything but amused. His amber eyes had a dangerous gleam to them that warned everyone in the room that he wasn’t a man to cross. “We’ll figure out who is behind this. Believe me.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Jax.”

  Jax nodded then pulled the door open, striding out into the hallway. The two regents scurried out of the room after them, their protests falling on deaf ears. Jax simply glared at the soldier standing guard in front of the closed door to the interrogation room and watched with satisfaction as the poor man shifted to the side with a hunch of his shoulders as if trying to escape notice.

  “Jax! Stop ignoring me. You can’t go in there,” his father growled.

  “Watch me.”

  “Damn it, have some sense! You have no authority in this!”

  “Oh, but I will. Anything that has to do with Serra is our business, and therefore gives us the authority to act on her behalf.” Jax’s smile was feral. “She belongs to us. Consider her claimed.”

  ***

  Chapter Two

  Terror was a living, breathing entity inside of Serra.

  Since she was young, she’d always had an issue with panic attacks whenever she felt stressed or anxious. Over the years, she’d learned how to stave them off a little better, but right now all of the training she had instilled in herself had disappeared like a puff of smoke.

  Treason.

  Just the word alone sent icy shivers of fear tingling down her spine. Seeing the watchful way Regent Wyland-Ross and High Commander Newgate studied her from across the table had anxiety spiking through her system like a turbo-booster. They wanted answers she couldn’t give. Wanted explanations to things she didn’t know what to say in response to, because she simply didn’t know.

  Her throat felt like the deserts of the badlands, and she tried to hide the shaking of her hands by gripping them together tight. She wanted to explain that the way High Commander Newgate was glaring at her was making it more difficult for her to speak, but she couldn’t. The ramifications to whatever response she gave were just too crucial.

  If she said something wrong it could cost her everything…even her life.

  She was a scientist for the Alliance, an inventor who created technology that helped protect the people of Earth, its allies and throughout space on stations and ships that traveled the galaxy. She had dedicated her life to keeping people safe. Why in god’s name would anyone think she had betrayed everything she believed in? And for what, credits? The mere thought was utterly insulting, and more than a little hurtful. She might have been able to stir up more outrage over everything if she wasn’t so fucking scared.

  Serra had just arrived back on Earth after a long voyage from Alpha Station: X20 when she and her two guards had been taken into custody. Her first reaction had been a mixture of confusion and irritation, but after she had been shown into the interrogation room, that had turned to fear.

  She’d been doing upgrades on the shielding of all the outposts between X20 to Earth, making sure that each station located in Alliance territory was well protected. She had built the system, and adding additional layers to the shield ensured that everyone remained safe.

  It was a duty she took very seriously.

  It was her technology, and no one knew the specs or algorithms like she did. Traveling so much was draining, but it was necessary for her to be onsite to do the calibrations, so she dealt with it. The good thing was that the upgrades took very little time to install, giving her time to work on her other projects during the long journey from station to station.

  Serra knew she could get lost in her work, and she was grateful that her mother didn’t complain…too much. Since she’d begun traveling, Tania had insisted on accompanying Serra. At first, Serra had been too young to argue, but over the years they had fallen into a companionable understanding. Tania made sure Serra remembered to eat and took care of the day-to-day details that she didn’t want to be bothered with.

  Due to her status, Serra was often treated like an honored guest wherever they went. She didn’t care about the pomp and fuss, but her mother enjoyed the benefits bestowed upon them wherever they went. At times having her mother with her was a strain on Serra’s nerves. They didn’t really see eye-to-eye on many issues, but Serra knew she needed someone to take care of the small things that allowed her to focus on her work. Sure, she could have simply hired an assistant to take care of those things, but Tania was basically her only family, so it was important to Serra to try and keep that connection, no matter how tenuous it was, and Tania’s own assistant took care of most of the details anyways.

  When Serra had scheduled her trip back to Earth, she had felt a little guilty because she knew a part of her needed a break from her mother. Tania Lysander-Dobbs wouldn’t set foot back on Earth if there was any chance she would run into Serra’s fathers. Throughout the years, Serra had heard countless stories about how horrible it had been for Tania to be claimed by General Cade Lysander and General Andrew Dobbs. Her mother had a tendency to exaggerate, but after neither man had come after her, Serra assumed that what Tania had said was true.

  There was a price to pay for being a scroll.

  When a woman was chosen, the two elite soldiers that claimed her would have their initials tattooed on the left side of her face, marking her as theirs for the world to see. In return, the men would have a similar tattoo placed on their left neck, shoulder and arm as a sign of pride to have claimed a woman. These markings took the place of archaic symbols such as wedding bands to declare them a bonded unit…if there was love within the pairing.

  There was no love between Serra’s parents, and there never had been. Serra’s fathers had never gotten the bonding tattoos. Theirs had been an arranged bonding, an alliance of three powerful families that was more for political gain than anything else. Growing up, Serra was never very close to either of her fathers. Even as a young girl, she knew that no one really understood her, and it became clear that her entire family saw her as an oddity.

  After receiving the enhancements when she turned ten, Serra had known she was an anomaly. When she had scored perfect on her placement tests, the trainers had given her further testing as it became evident her intelligence was far more advanced than most elites. To everyone’s surprise, they had discovered that she was able to use more of her brain than others, even with their genetic enhancements. The change made her incredibly intelligence, but it had also made her even more different when all she wanted was to be like everyone else.

  Serra had never gotten her wish, and it became painfully obvious that she would never be normal. Doctors had diagnosed her with a rare disorder, similar to what used to be called autism back in the past before medical technology had removed such anomalies from genetic coding. The condition had been aggravated due to the genetic enhancements, and there was nothing they could do for her once she had gone through the change.

  Her grandparents had cut her out of their lives when she had only been a child. At first they had been proud of her intelligence, but when they discovered she was socially awkward and prone to panic attacks, they had written her off as flawed. Perhaps she was, but it was something she lived with, and had even come to enjoy.

  She wasn’t like anyone else, and that uniqueness made her special.

  But special didn’t mean accepted…

  Her fathers had never been able to relate to her, not that they had ever really tried. She h
ad simply faded away from them over the years. As she’d matured, they had made no move to reconnect to her. She had thought to try and bridge the gap between them two years ago, but when she had gotten their response saying that they had no place for her in their lives, she’d given up. Cade and Andrew seemed far too busy with their own lives, spending time with their mistress instead of worrying about their chosen or their daughter.

  As a child, she’d been terrified that her parents would hand her over to the medical staff. She had heard some doctors say that they wanted to study her brain to find out how she was able to use a portion that they had previously been unable to stimulate. She’d had nightmares for weeks about doctors wanting to cut her open to study her like they had done with the Zyphir after the alien invaders had attacked Earth.

  Serra had been relieved when she had been transferred into the Academy in the Capital, where they were better equipped to handle someone with her capabilities. It was there she finally found a place where she’d felt like she belonged, only it wasn’t the place…it was with Jax and Sully.

  Jax Spartan and Sullivan Archer had been two of the older members at the training facility, and upon her arrival they’d made it clear to the others that she was to be left alone when other recruits wanted to mess with her because of her age. Although they had been tasked with looking out for the new recruits and everyone at that facility followed them without hesitation, it had taken Serra some time to understand she was truly safe with them.

  They had become her protectors, her friends and confidants.

  It had almost destroyed her when they’d been sent to a space station for their first assignment. Serra had started to write letters to them, forgoing vid messages to tell them of her days on Earth. They wrote back when they could, but Serra used her letters to them as a sort of diary, allowing her to write her feelings and thoughts down when she had such a difficult time expressing them to others. She’d liked knowing that Jax and Sully knew about her life and what she was doing. It made her feel closer to them, even though she was light years away, and it gave her the illusion that she wasn’t so alone.