The Crucible- The Complete Series Read online

  The Captain of this ship was part of the resistance?

  I’d always known that their influence spread far – much further than the Star Forces liked to admit. But this was incredible. The Captain of a flagship was part of the resistance….

  I was no longer aware of my breathing and made no effort to control it.

  All I wanted to do was find out more.

  “You’re all part of the resistance? But you’re in the Enforcement Unit!”

  “Which is the perfect cover. I get to give traitors a choice. Join us and be part of the group to tear down the Alliance, or submit to the Alliance’s crooked justice. I’m giving you that choice now. I don’t know what you found out – I’m not privy to that information. I just know that whatever it is, it’s valuable enough to the Star Forces that they will bury you. Forever.”

  “The resistance are the only way to bring back peace to this galaxy,” Williams insisted.

  “You must trust us, Lieutenant Commander,” the Captain added.

  I was reeling at what I’d just found out, yet I appreciated my feelings would be nothing compared to Nathan’s.

  “So these… these weapons are yours?” I heard Nathan turn around.

  “Correct,” the Captain answered.

  “What the hell are you doing with Omega class weapons? They could tear a hole in the fabric of space-time.”

  “We do not use them,” the Captain said eloquently, “not as weapons, anyway. They can be used to isolate a specific compound.”

  “What compound?”

  “They’re for me,” Williams suddenly admitted in a small voice, “and the others like me, who were made dependent on compound 78.”

  I jerked backwards, shoulder slamming against the wall behind me.

  There was a slight pause.

  I crumpled a hand over my mouth.

  I just couldn’t… I couldn’t believe this.

  I couldn’t believe this.

  “What do you mean you’re dependent on some compound?”

  “Nathan, this Alliance you love so much, they’re monsters. Absolute monsters,” Williams’ voice shook. “Monsters,” she added, tone breaking like glass. “They’ve ruined so many people’s lives. They’ve killed so many people, all to assure their continued dominance.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The Farsight Program. The Alliance’s attempt to develop telekinetic warriors,” the Captain answered simply. “Most believe it is a myth. It isn’t,” her tone dropped ominously.

  “What?”

  “We will tell you everything. Just join us,” Williams begged. “Please, join us. We need someone like you to help make a difference.”

  “A difference?” his voice shook. “You call this making a difference? Were you responsible for attacking my ship? You’re the spy, aren’t you? All that bullshit about Jenks was just to put me off the scent.”

  I reeled at the mention of my name.

  “We have little interest in Jenks. Though some have suggested she may be a candidate for the resistance – it seems she doesn’t share most people’s fervor for the Alliance.”

  “So what about all that bullshit about that explosion on the station? Why would you jeopardize this ship? Why would you attack my ship?”

  “We took your ship out of the equation, Lieutenant Commander,” the Captain said. “You may not be aware of this, but your mission to the Hari Sector would have resulted in the destruction of your ship sooner rather than later. The Star Forces had every intention of using you, your crew, and your vessel as sacrificial lambs to see how powerful the resistance has become.”

  “… You’re lying,” Nathan tried.

  “We are not. I can show you the communiqués myself,” the Captain assured him.

  Another uneasy silence spread through the room.

  “The accident aboard your vessel was also a warning to the Alliance. It is time we, the resistance, lift our heads,” as the Captain spoke, she did so with so much authority it was a surprise I didn’t salute.

  “You… I…” Nathan trailed off.

  “To destroy the Alliance, we must make sacrifices. Williams almost lost her life to the Farsight Program. I have seen countless, countless decorated officers thrown away at the suspicion of disloyalty. This treachery cannot stand. We must undo the Alliance one battle at a time.”

  “One… battle at a time? Are you mad? I don’t care how big the resistance is, there’s no way we can undermine the entire Alliance Star Forces. They’re too big. And they’re growing too fast,” Nathan said.

  It was the first time he hadn’t reacted with anger or suspicion.

  Was he softening to the resistance so quickly?

  “One battle at a time,” the Captain repeated. “One battle at a time. But the time when we attack them head on is rapidly approaching. We need people like you to help us.”

  “People like me,” Nathan repeated, tone hollow.

  “You’re a great soldier,” Williams encouraged him.

  “I’m a great….”

  “You must make a decision now,” the Captain informed him, “soon the Ra’xon will be delivered to the resistance. Decide whether you will still be on it.”

  “You’re giving the resistance this ship?”

  “It is time to fight back,” the Captain replied.

  Once more, a cold uneasy silence spread through the room.

  It was so penetrating I swore it even sunk deep into my chest.

  “Decide,” F’val demanded.

  “Help us,” Williams encouraged.

  The Captain remained silent.

  “You want me to join you. Christ… the resistance.”

  “It will be the only way you’ll ever make a difference,” F’val added.

  That same goddamn silence spread through the room.

  I was suddenly keenly aware of my heart beating hard in my chest.

  … What would he decide?

  “I’ll… I’ll join you,” he said.

  “A wise decision, Lieutenant Commander,” the Captain commended him. “Now we must begin preparations to evacuate this ship.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “I may be a member of the resistance, but I am still the captain of this ship. I have a duty to my crew. I won’t lay a finger on them. We will simulate engine troubles and I will command the crew to evacuate.”

  “… Simulate engine troubles. Was that what happened aboard the Fargo?” Nathan suddenly asked.

  “Yeah,” Williams replied. “The resistance desperately needs ships.”

  “We can discuss the requirements of the resistance later. We must evacuate this ship.”

  “Hold on, how the hell are we going to fly this thing? There’s only four of us,” Nathan pointed out.

  “At least ten percent of my crew are sympathetic to the resistance. It will be enough to pilot the Ra’xon to our main base.”

  “Which is where?” Nathan asked.

  “You’ll find out when we get there,” F’val said. “But the Captain’s right – we have only a small window to evacuate this ship and appropriate it. We need to take it now.”

  “… Alright then, what do I do?” Nathan asked.

  I would have given anything to see his expression right now. Was it muddled? Was confusion crumpling his brow? Or had he made a decision – the most important decision of his life – and had he committed himself to it, heart and soul?

  “The Chief Engineer is a part of the resistance. As soon as I give her the word, she will begin to destabilize the engines,” the Captain cleared her throat and appeared to take a powerful step backwards. “All you must do is help the evacuation. Once the rest of the crew have escaped in the allotted escape pods, we will appear to be attacked and boarded by resistance ships, who will take the vessel.”

  “So… I just stand around and help people get on escape pods. I guess I can do that,” Nathan managed, tone lighter for the first time since this fateful conversation had begu
n.

  “We need to be careful,” F’val warned. “There is every chance there are enforcement officers amongst the crew. Real ones.”

  “What?” Nathan asked.

  “The Alliance know the resistance are stealing their ships, and they’ve been putting safeguards in place, especially on ships as important as this,” F’val explained. “There may be enforcement officers on board. If they’re worth their money, they might realize what’s happening. They’ll wait till most of the crew evacuate, then they’ll try to take back this ship. They tend to operate in groups of two.”

  “… Just two? If ten percent of this ship’s crew are resistance, that’s roughly 25 people. Surely we can take them on?” Nathan asked.

  “Do not underestimate enforcement officers. Not only do they possess the Star Forces’ strongest prototype armor, but some of them are telekinetic warriors. They will pose a serious threat. That is, in part, why we wanted to ascertain your loyalty to the resistance first. You have a history of pushing back impossible threats.”

  “Ah, thanks. What the hell is a telekinetic warrior, though?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Williams promised him.

  That promise echoed in my ears as the group finally ended their conversation and left.

  I stood there with my hand pressed against a metal crate for at least five minutes.

  I couldn’t move. There was a dense, heavy feeling sinking through my knees and into my feet. It felt as if they were turning to lead.

  I’d just learnt so much.

  … The resistance were far more powerful than I’d ever imagined.

  More than that though – they had telekinetic warriors.

  There were more like me.

  Oh god, there were more like me.

  As the seconds ticked by, I finally found the strength to close my eyes. I screwed them shut so tightly it would have taken a pair of light cruisers to pry them apart.

  A few errant tears streaked down my cheeks.

  I let them track their jagged paths across my skin until they trickled along my jaw and finally onto the collar of my uniform.

  My goddamn Star Forces uniform.

  I latched a hand on it, grip so tight it was as if I was getting ready to tear it in two.

  For several agonizing seconds I couldn’t move. Then finally, finally I let my hand drop.

  I shifted backwards and faced the wall of boxes.

  Then I shifted them out of my path. With nothing but a few small movements of my hands, the boxes lifted right into the air, flowing gently to the side as I walked out from behind them.

  Without glancing behind me as I continued to walk forward, I brought my hand down, and the boxes dropped silently into place.

  I didn’t pause.

  I left the room.

  Chapter 10

  Lieutenant Commander Nathan Shepherd

  I couldn’t think.

  I could barely feel.

  Everything I’d known had been turned on its head.

  The resistance were real. And now I was a part of them.

  I kept staring at my hands as I walked through the corridors at Williams’ side.

  Occasionally I let my gaze slip towards her.

  … The Alliance had turned her into some kind of telekinetic warrior.

  I wanted to know exactly what they’d done to her. But I couldn’t ask. Not here, not now.

  We had a job to do.

  Occasionally I wondered what the hell I was doing.

  But it was too late now.

  It was too goddamn late.

  By the time we reached engineering, the game had already begun.

  Just as we walked along the wide hallway that lead to the triple reinforced trilarium doors, an alert sounded.

  “All Crew to emergency stations. There is a critical cascade in two of the engine cores. Repeat, all crew to emergency stations.”

  “This is it,” Williams said under her breath as she half turned to me.

  I nodded.

  The blaring whoops of the red alert echoed down the corridor, drumming into my skull.

  My heart beat ratcheted up to match it.

  All I had to do was follow Williams and help her.

  We raced into engineering, just as a bunch of shocked ensigns raced out.

  The Chief Engineer, a squat Raconian with six arms, was standing in the middle of the room shouting orders. For a woman who was just faking an engine failure, she was doing a hell of a good job.

  Clouds of steam swept across the floor, a few consoles on the far side of the room crackling as charges of electricity arced over them.

  “Try to get those buffers back on line,” the CE bellowed.

  A few of her engineers worked frantically at the main panels.

  “It’s no good. We can’t take the excess energy away from the cores. They’re starting to send the others into meltdown!” one engineer cried.

  “Keep trying,” the CE bellowed back.

  Suddenly a massive arc of energy discharged from the main shields that separated the engineering deck from the primary drive shaft. The bolt of electricity slammed into the center of the floor, and the CE had to knock an unsuspecting ensign out of the way.

  “That’s it, we’ve lost it,” the CE announced. “All noncommissioned officers out. The rest of you, we have to buy this ship enough time to evacuate.”

  Even though I knew it was all a ruse, I couldn’t convince my body of that. My heart slammed in my rib cage, my mouth as dry as a desert planet.

  “Get the Captain on the line,” the CE grabbed a slow ensign and shoved them towards the door with one of her many arms. “Captain, we’ve lost her. There’s nothing I can do. This ship will go down. It’s only a matter of time.”

  There was a pause. I heard the Captain take a ragged breath. “Buy us as much time as you can.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.” With that, the CE took a jolting step backwards. She appeared to see us for the first time. “You two, help the crew escape.”

  Immediately she turned back to her task, throwing her squat body towards the main control panels.

  All her commissioned officers stayed with her, and I quickly reasoned they must all be in the resistance too.

  … The resistance must be massive. And to think, I’d never known. Until about a week ago, they’d been nothing more than a legend to me.

  “Come on,” Williams grabbed me by the arm.

  She pulled me out of the doors and into the chaos that was the hallways.

  Surprised ensigns ran in every direction, officers shouting orders as they strode between them.

  A few panels here and there crackled as the excess energy being produced by the cores overloaded their circuits.

  I had to duck to the side as an access panel to my side exploded, sparks spewing out and catching onto the arm of my uniform.

  I patted them off with a swipe of my hand and started to run.

  It wasn’t hard to evacuate a ship, even one like this. Evacuation drills were drummed into your head at the Academy. You knew exactly what to do. Every new crew member was drilled on evacuation procedures when they were inducted into the crew of a new vessel.

  We all followed those procedures.

  Red lights flashed through every corridor, the alert klaxons still blaring overhead.

  Williams helped ensigns into the waiting evac pods, as I stood back and barked commands.

  Between the pounding beat of footfall and the ceaseless blare of the red alert, it felt like reality had fractured into fragments of a nightmare.

  I saw snippets of surprised, shocked faces. I saw eyes as wide as planets. I heard screams.

  And all of it was for naught.

  This ship was fine.

  When we scooped the last ensign in our section onto an evac pod and disengaged it from the ship, I stood back and faced Williams.

  Her usually perfect hair was a mess, a few beads of sweat trickling down her worry-marked brow.

  I used
to think she looked immaculate no matter what she did. Now I realized I didn’t know her.

  She’d likely faced horrors I couldn’t even imagine. Horrors that had been dealt out at the hand of the Alliance.

  ….

  She smiled. It was a small brief move, but it was enough to capture my attention.

  “Come on, Nate. We need to check in with the Captain to see if all the crew have been evacuated.”

  I nodded and turned hard on my foot to follow her.

  We ran down the corridors, the flashing red lights playing across our shiny command insignia.

  A few strands of her lose hair trailed out behind her as she started to roll up her sleeves.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Getting ready. Captain,” she tapped her communication PIP, “we’re clear in this section. Have the rest of the crew been evacuated?”

  “Unclear. We’ve lost contact with crew on deck 16,” the Captain answered. For a woman who hardly ever showed stress, I could hear it shaking through her tone like an earthquake. “Get down there and see what’s happening. Be careful, though. It could be enforcement operatives.”

  I watched Williams close her eyes.

  “… What do we do?” I asked, heart in my throat.

  She opened one eye to look at me. “We buy them some time,” she croaked. “Come on.”

  I followed her.

  The ship was still a virtual nightmare, with the red alert blaring like a continuous explosion.

  The sound of our desperate footfall could not make it over that constant drone.

  “Hurry,” the Captain’s voice coming over Williams’ communication PIP, “someone is interfering with the engines. They’re trying to initiate a self-destruct. It must be the enforcement officers. You must stop them.”

  “God,” Williams’ voice shook. In fact, her whole body shook, her now loose bun splaying over her shoulders. “Come on!” she begged.

  I matched her pace as the two of us threw ourselves towards the deck.

  When we reached it Williams did something unusual.

  She spread both her arms wide and something… something happened.

  Light – glorious yellow-gold light spilled over her arms, forming a definite angular pattern as it plunged deep into her hands.

  “What the hell?” I jerked away from her, heart slamming so hard in my chest it felt as if it would shatter my ribs.