Chapter 47

Selene sprinted toward the Aquila. Her crew followed, firing at any Syndicate soldiers in their way.

As the ship powered up, she glanced back.

Lucas was still on the ground, struggling to get up.

Their eyes met one last time.

Then she stepped onto the ship.

The engines roared, lifting them into the sky.

The Aftermath

Back on the Dominion warship, Admiral Orin greeted them with a pleased smile.

“Well done,” he said. “The Syndicate took a serious hit today.”

Selene didn’t feel victorious.

Lucas was still alive.

And he wouldn’t forget this.

Orin must’ve noticed her expression. “This isn’t over, I know. But it’s a step forward.”

Selene nodded slowly.

For the first time in a long time, they weren’t just running.

They were fighting back.

And she wasn’t going to stop.

Selene stood in the dimly lit command room of the Dominion warship and stared at the holographic map. The battle was over. Yet, far from over, was the war. Lucas Raine still breathed. And with that, it meant he would come back—and with a vengeance. Stronger, angrier, more perilous than before.

Across from her, Admiral Orin looked her up and down. "You did well today."

Selene folded her arms over her chest. "Lucas won't take this defeat lightly."

Orin smirked. "Good. Let him be angry. It'll make him reckless."

Selene wasn't so sure of that. Lucas wasn't the kind of man to lose control. If anything, he'd be more calculated now. More ruthless.

Dante shifted to stand beside her. "So what now?"

Orin tapped the control panel, and the map flickered to show a new location-a small planet in Syndicate-controlled space.

We found something," Orin said. "A hidden facility. One of Lucas's research bases."

Selene frowned. "Research?"

"Experiments, weapons, technology. We're not sure exactly what's inside, but it's important enough that Lucas has kept it hidden for years."

Wren leaned against the console. "And you want us to break in?

Orin nodded. "It's heavily guarded, but you're good at slipping past defenses. If we can get intel on what Lucas is working on, we can use it against him."

Selene glanced at her crew. None of them looked particularly enthused about sneaking into another Syndicate stronghold.

Xara sighed. "When do we leave?"

A Dangerous Landing

It took two days to reach the hidden facility. Selene barely slept, her mind replaying her last encounter with Lucas over and over, wondering if she should have pulled the trigger when she had the chance.

Now, she had to finish what she started.

The facility was buried deep within the rocky cliffs of Kessar Prime-a planet with constant storms and unstable terrain.

Selene piloted the Aquila through the thick clouds, avoiding the facility’s scanning range. The ship shook violently as they entered the storm.

“Hold on!” she shouted.

Lightning crackled around them. The controls flickered.

Kade cursed. “We’re gonna crash!”

Selene gritted her teeth. “Not today.”

With a final, desperate maneuver, she guided the ship down, landing hard on the edge of a cliff. The Aquila groaned in protest but held together.

Dante let out a breath. "Let's never do that again."

Selene smirked. "No promises."

Infiltrating the Facility

The storm gave them cover as they approached the facility. There were guards patrolling the perimeter, but for once, the darkness was their friend.

Xara took out two guards with silenced shots. Wren hacked into the side panel, disabling the security sensors.

They slipped inside.

The facility was gigantic. Long corridors of cold metal stretched upwards, lined by doors with odd symbols on them. The smell of chemicals in the air carried a hint of sterilization.

Selene knew her gut; this place harbored something of great importance.

They moved efficiently, checking one room after the other. Many were filled with old equipment and storage crates, but then they came before a door, heavy with locks and reinforced by steel.

Wren plugged herself into the system. "Give me a second."

Selene nodded. "Hurry."

Suddenly, alarms blared.

Dante cursed. “We’ve been spotted.”

Wren’s fingers flew over the controls. “Almost there—got it!”

The door slid open, revealing a massive chamber filled with tanks of glowing liquid. Inside those tanks were people.

No, not people—experiments.

The Horrifying Truth

Selene’s stomach twisted. The figures in the tanks had wires hooked into their bodies. Some had cybernetic implants. Others looked… altered. Stronger. Faster.

Lucas wasn’t just building weapons.

He was making them.

A sick realization hit Selene. These weren't volunteers. These were prisoners. Test subjects.

Dante whispered, "What the hell is this?"

Before she could answer, a voice, one with which she was intimately familiar, spoke from behind.

"I was hoping you'd find this place."

They turned.

Lucas Raine stood in the doorway, flanked by heavily armed guards.