Final Game Book Three: Final Game, #3

By Odette C. Bell

The battle for Alpha-1 – and the future of the galaxy – has begun.
Stellaxia fights relentlessly. She does what she couldn't do three years ago. But she can't make a difference on her own. This time she has help, and Chris won't let her forget that.
Together, they blast through the Army. But fighting will only get them so far. The secrets continue to mount. Unless they find out the truth at the core of Celestia's rot, they will be digested by it.

….

Final Game follows a punchy princess and her prison guard fighting through real games to save their galaxy. If you love your space operas with action, heart, and a splash of romance, grab Final Game Book Three today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Jan 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393256748

Book preview

1

Stellaxia

Go, Bates said one last time.

So I went.

Thrusting out of the door, I held my sword high.

As soon as I entered the corridor, a warning alarm broke through the air like fire through dry grass.

Clenching my teeth, I parted my lips to whisper, This is it.

Suddenly, the lights in the corridor cut to half. Red strips along the base of the walls and through the middle of the ceiling flickered to this deep, blood red.

I thought I heard footfall heading my way.

There was no time to waste.

I transported several times, just to try it out, just to ensure I really was still in control of my body. Then I moved, like a blur, like a photon, like a spark on a dark night.

A security contingent arrived as an elevator opened to my side. They started firing long before I flipped right over their heads.

As I landed behind them, my sword still held firmly in my hands, I remembered Bates’ warning. He wanted me to do as much damage to the station as I could while doing as little to the people as was possible.

I didn’t need such a warning. There was no way I was going to kill unless I had to.

Twirling the sword around, I smashed the hilt of it into the back helmet unit of one of the soldiers. I sent him flying. I only used a quarter of my force, but he still smashed into his friends, collected them, and plastered them against the wall.

While they were a tangle of limbs, I headed into the elevator.

Perhaps this was a stupid move. As a warning light blipped on in the elevator, the doors closed, locking me in place.

But there was something they could not stop. I transported above the elevator into the shaft.

Though I’d only barely seen the security systems and blueprints of Alpha-1 when Bates had revealed them to me, I’d logged them in my memory.

I only had to half close my eyes now to pull up that blueprint.

It was tricky transporting to a place you hadn’t seen before. It was even trickier transporting to a place when you didn’t have a direct line of sight.

The Game was completely responsive to what I wanted. It wouldn’t warn me if I was about to transport headfirst into a bulkhead. Luckily for me, I managed to clear the roof of the elevator easily.

I darted my head up to see the shimmering silver shaft. Several lights flickered on along the sides. They told me that another elevator was headed this way.

Here goes nothing, I muttered through a hard breath. I transported again. I managed to move through the elevator and appear on the other side. I landed on the roof, pushing my feet down, crunching my body low, ensuring I didn’t make too much noise.

Placing a hand on the top of the elevator, I thought I could detect the subtle vibration of voices within. If they were making it all the way up through the ceiling plating, then whoever was talking inside was screaming with all their might.

The elevator arrived at its destination. The soldiers got out.

Pressing my lips together and letting out a dull whistle, I transported once more. I managed to land inside the elevator. I was too far over to one side. A scrap of my tunic got caught inside the wall. I went to move, but it was trapped. Oh well. I ripped it easily – far more easily than if my hand or arm had been trapped inside the wall.

I moved out of the open doors of the elevator long before the soldiers in front of me knew what was happening.

I transported right over their heads. As I flipped, I sent out small charges of energy. I wasn’t using any weapon other than my sword, but I could still use it to discharge force. It was nothing like the gun Pavarn used. And it sure as hell didn’t have the same destructive capacity that Bates’ drones had – but it was sufficient to startle the soldiers and get them to jerk back. Once I had them where I wanted, I attacked the floor beneath their feet. They were all in hard-core armor. They’d be able to survive a fall or two without it denting their plating – let alone smashing their skulls in.

With little more than a grunt, I sliced forward, smashed my sword into the floor plating beneath them, and forced it to buckle. Hell – who was I kidding? I sliced right through it like a knife through butter.

One or two of them had a chance to get off shots, but I was too damn quick. One managed to graze the side of my arm, but I was too high-level. I felt the energy moving past me, but that was it.

The higher you rose in the Game, the more your defense points went up. I didn’t need fancy shields to protect me from a blast like that – the Game would do it for me.

And yes, I understood how confusing that concept might be. It was one thing for the Game to protect you from other players who were participating in the augmented reality, but I’d just done this in the real world.

I could feel a slight shimmer of energy around me. It would be the computer of Alpha-1 using remote energy charges as a form of force field to keep me safe.

I didn’t really understand the interface. Yes, the Game was everywhere – and the AI that controlled it was pervasive. But it couldn’t be in complete control of Alpha-1, otherwise I wouldn’t be facing any resistance whatsoever.

I imagined it was some kind of arms race. The technicians and commanders of Alpha-1 would be attempting to wrest control back from the AI as the AI used every single computer process it could to assist me.

That meant one thing – time was of the essence.

So I wouldn’t waste a single second.

All of those soldiers fell through the hole in the floor I’d created. I didn’t even pause to wait until I heard them clunk onto the deck below.

Whirling around, I ran up the wall, flipped, and landed behind several other soldiers who’d just transported in. I, after all, wasn’t the only one who could utilize the transportation facilities of Alpha-1.

But I had a far more precise control of my transportation than they did. They clunked down behind me, sounding like a herd of elephants. Meanwhile, I flipped, transported, and appeared behind them, at least two meters away. Then I thrust forward, using the speed I’d always been renowned for. I twirled my sword around and struck them across their backs with the hilt. They went down like felled trees.

Before they could lurch for their guns, I sliced right through their weapons.

I landed, jerked my head up, focused forward, and moved. By now every single warning alarm you could think of was blaring through the station. They were so cacophonous, they could have woken the dead.

The training deck was located sandwiched between two scientific decks. The deck I was on was restricted to command staff and scientists only. There wasn’t a cadet in sight.

For now.

In order to complete Bates’ mission, I would have to transport through all of Alpha-1.

Maximum damage, I whispered to myself as I gripped my sword tighter. Maximum damage, I whispered once more as I twirled the sword, thrust forward, and smashed it into a power conduit lodged in the wall.

I couldn’t see the conduit, but I knew it was there.

… Yes, I’d always had a great memory. It was one of the reasons I could play the Game so well. I could automatically remember the way people moved, even the capabilities of whole groups and settings – but how could I have remembered such precise details from the few glimpses of the station’s blueprints I’d seen?

Now was no time to question. With a grunt, I shoved my sword all the way in until sparks erupted everywhere.

I was more than thankful for the fact that the Game was protecting me with body shielding. As those discharges blasted over the floor, they didn’t just singe it – some of the metal started to melt and buckle inward.

Finally I managed to slice right through the protective force field shielding the power conduit, and it exploded.

I wasn’t blasted back. I planted my feet hard, brought up my sword, and protected myself from the brunt of the explosion.

As chunks of metal hailed around me, struck my shoulders, and bounced off the floor, I turned. I had a chance to settle the sword over my shoulder, then there was more footfall.

Here we go again. I twirled the sword down and got ready.

The fight had only begun. Alpha-1 was a big station. It was one of the most important in the Celestian Empire. There was only so much damage I could do to it before I was interrupted.

"But even when I am, the fight will continue. I’m now here to stay."

I wasn’t talking to anyone. Hell, the one who needed to hear this most was me.

For years I’d done nothing. I’d rotted away in prison, bemoaning my life, hating myself for having failed to bring the horrors of the Game to light.

But my internment was over.

And I would not back down – never again.

Never again. Those words echoed in my mind as the soldiers came.

No matter how many the station threw my way, I would be ready.

I’d been ready my whole damn life.

2

Chris Armstrong

I headed to the area Commander Simpson had relayed coordinates for.

Adam was half on death’s door, half having the time of his life.

He let out another guttural laugh that made it seem as if his lungs would pop.

You need to watch yourself, idiot, I spat. You keep laughing like that, you’re going to knock yourself out.

Blacking out because I laughed too hard is sure nicer than blacking out because heartless technicians have been poking around my brain, using my closed-loop like a noose.

You have a point. But I sacrificed everything to break you out. I really don’t want you dying in my arms.

Who said I’m in your arms? He tried to push away from me.

I just held onto him tighter and gave him a pointed look. A lot of people have risked their careers for you. Don’t screw this up.

He looked at me knowingly. Why do I get the impression that, yet again, that is a comment directed at you, not me?

I jerked my head away from him quickly. I could hardly dump him and walk away – there was no way he could move without me.

He let out one last light chuckle. Then finally I made it to the correct coordinates.

Simpson had been quiet. Now he logged back into our neural communication. Transportation will begin in two minutes.

Two minutes? My voice shot up. Why wait—

Because right now the situation is going to hell. The battle for the station has begun. Resources are pulled thin. I’m having to continually fight to regain control of the transporters.

My heart shuddered. How is she—

Scarcely did I push those words out when Adam’s knowing look locked on the side of my face.

If you’re referring to the princess, she is doing as we need her to do. Maximum damage, Simpson informed me before ending the communication.

I had to arch an eyebrow at that. Maximum damage, ha? Why did I get the feeling that Stellaxia would be enjoying this?

Adam was still staring at me. When did you fall for the princess? How did you fall for her, anyway? I thought your kind were too tough to do something like that? I mean, she’s meant to be a criminal, and all. I’ve never met an Eighth who can think for himself.

Adam had just said a lot of unconnected crap. I haven’t fallen for Stellaxia, I said.

So why did you just call her by her first name? Isn’t that a massive breach in decorum for you Eighths? There’s no one meant to be more loyal to the crown than you guys.

That’s not true. My voice didn’t waver. I was not trying to prove a point now.

Why not?

I looked at him. It would’ve been pretty intense considering he was right there beside me, leaning on my arm. Our oath is to peace first. Everything else comes second.

He nodded slowly. I’m glad you figured that out and joined our side. Let’s get back to the princess. How—

I suddenly yanked out my gun.

Adam was clearly in no position whatsoever to keep an ear out for our enemies. He spluttered. Okay, so you don’t want to talk about your crush – that’s fine. There’s no need to pull out your weapon—

I jerked my gun up, shoved it over his shoulder, and fired long before a drone could shoot down the corridor beside us.

You were never meant to use drones on stations like this. There were too many targets they could accidentally hit. There was too much damage they could do, too. But obviously the rulebook had been thrown out.

Damn, Adam said, his voice shaking in total surprise.

The drone smashed into the floor, breaking apart further, sparks flying everywhere.

I whipped my gun around.

Adam tried to pull himself from my grip, but he was too weak to stand, let alone shove me off.

Stay exactly where you are, I growled at him.

I honed my senses once more. Yeah, so I was logged into my armor, and it was assisting me in tracking the path of the drones. But to be effective in a battle like this you needed to have a good battle brain, too. And I had the best.

I fired again just as two more drones shot around the corner toward us.

Adam no longer fired off glib statements about Stellaxia. He remained exactly where he was, not moving and not making any distractions.

I had to remain in this exact location. Simpson hadn’t just given me a large area of the corridor to stand in. He’d provided me with actual coordinates. They were accurate to a range of five centimeters on each side. That meant I was pretty much corralled.

It