The Crucible: Leap of Faith Read Online Free PDF

Admiral’s transmission had ended.
    I stood there and stared at the
comms panel with its softly blinking lights. Then I took a step
back, opened my palms, and pressed them against my face. I took
another step back and another until I felt the curve of my bed
pressing into my knees.
    Crumpling, I let myself lie back
on the bed, and dropped my hands from my face.
    Then I stared blankly at the
ceiling.
    I was a good soldier. I’d grown up
hearing that. From my father, from everyone. I was the kind of
soldier who followed orders and never asked questions.
    I never asked
questions. Even when they started to burn a
hole through my gut.
    I hadn’t received my full orders
yet. The Admiral wanted me to track down the leader of the
rebellion first. When I found them, I would receive my next
orders.
    Orders I may not agree
with.
    The rebellion was just a myth, or
that’s what an ordinary person would say. The Alliance had ushered
in a new peace to a once tumultuous Milky Way. Why would anyone in
their right mind jeopardize that?
    The rebels, if they existed, must
be arrogant, dangerous fools intent on destroying the safety of
others.
    So it was right to track them down
and eradicate them.
    … Right?
    I balled a hand into a fist and
struck it onto the bed clothes beside me. The move was
weak.
    I was weak.
    Protecting the galaxy from
scavengers and pirates I could understand. Turning against the
Alliance’s own citizens… that was harder to accept.
    I suddenly pushed myself up,
feeling nervous tension build in my body.
    I glanced towards the window. It
showed the inside of the Argus Service Cluster fueling station. My
ship was still in dry dock, after all.
    Suddenly the
Admiral’s advice came back to me. Enjoy my
last night of rec leave.
    Though I was bone tired, I still
pulled on some casual clothes and walked from my room, hands stowed
firmly in the pockets of my jacket.
    It didn’t take long to make it out
of my ship and along one of the metal gangways that connected my
vessel to the primary docking ring.
    With my hands still stowed in my
pockets and my shoulders hunched, I kept to myself as I passed crew
from various other ships.
    Without my uniform, I was just
another civilian.
    Staring at my boots as I walked,
listening to the slight echoing bounce of the metal gangway as I
took every step, I tried to lull myself into a false sense of
calm.
    By the time I reached the main
civilian areas of the station, a glum frown had set hard around my
lips.
    There was no way I was going to
enjoy this last night off.
    Though I walked past several bars,
and even saw a few of my own crew, I did not join them.
    Instead I headed to the main
observation deck and then right past it. There was another small
observation area tucked in behind it that few people used. Rather
than show an unimpeded view of the planet below, it was directed
out at space. Due to the light pollution of the station, you could
barely see any stars.
    There wasn’t much to look at, and
that was the point. Nobody would disturb me.
    I entered the secondary
observation deck, hands still stowed in my pockets. Head still
directed at my shoes, it took me a moment to realize I wasn’t
alone.
    There was a woman sitting on the
single small couch that was directed towards the circular
window.
    Her hands were rested in her lap,
her head angled down to stare at them.
    A prickle of recognition escaped
down my spine as I realized who it was. From the short
strawberry-blond hair to her morose disposition, it was Ensign
Jenks.
    I hesitated, wondering whether I
should just leave.
    She turned before I
could.
    Her gaze flicked towards me. You
couldn’t say she had pretty eyes. They were nothing compared to the
stunning white-blue of Argoza’s pupils. But there was a certain
quality about Ensign Jenks’ stare. It was the type of gaze I
imagined a trapped tiger would give. Wary, guarded - someone who
had not given up hope of escape.
    My lips twitched into a smile.
“Sorry for disturbing