Machine Gods (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 2) (34 page)

“
Right. So, what are
we going to do, and when are we going to do it?”

The Multi-role Logistics Drone, also known as the
‘Mule’, was developed before the Great Uprising and saw its first
use in those early, yet brutally violent struggles. Initially
created to carry equipment and ammunition, some later variants
carried weapons and were used in an assault role. The latest model
of the Mule features a three-day powerplant that allows it to
operate independently in almost any weather conditions. It has a
combat module that can be configured for cargo or weapons, and
sometimes even as a medical stretcher.

Equipment of the Alliance Marine Corps

General Daniels
watched with a satisfied look on his face as wave after wave of
Alliance fighters strafed the Helion station. Each attack run
reduced the defensive fire and opened the target for more attacks.
The Lightning fighters had been forced to withdraw, following the
devastating flak defenses of the station. Luckily, the new
Hammerheads were proving perfectly suited for this job. With their
strong defenses and powerful weapons, they’d destroyed over half
the turrets. It was the only aggressive action the group of six
battered Alliance ships had taken so far. He looked briefly around
the CIC, trying to avoid the smell of blood and fear that permeated
the place.

“Clear the wounded and get me more crew in here!” he
growled.

Marines were already
inside, helping to carry the wounded and dead from that part of the
ship. He could see on the status indicator on the cracked main
display that there were casualties on other parts of the ship as
well. It made his next decision much easier to choose. He grasped
the intercom, looking back as Admiral Anderson was helped to a
chair. Blood dripped from a head wound but he seemed conscious. He
was tempted to try and check with the Admiral, but the sight of so
many casualties swayed his opinion.

Why are we trying to keep the peace? What peace?

Lieutenant Powalk twisted his head around quickly,
instantly catching his eye.

“
General, the T’Kari
have finished collecting their wounded and are falling back to the
Rift.”

“Good.”

General Daniels seemed satisfied at the news and
took it as a signal to move to the next phase of the action.

Now we get out of this place.

Their escape wasn’t
going to be that easy though. The
ship’s
sensors flashed bright once more, as the powerful energy weapons on
the station targeted ANS Serenity. The defensive turrets poured
fire in the direction of the attack, but it was futile. The heavy
beam struck the starboard of the Crusader class ship, exploding a
section almost fifteen meters long. As they watched the
destruction, a detail of three junior officers, one with a bandage
on his head, ran into the CIC and took up their stations. The
youngest, a short Asian man fitted on his headset before speaking.
He looked around, trying to find General Daniels.

“General, a message from Serenity. Their main
engines are offline. They estimate two hours, assuming no more
damage.”

He nodded in reply.

So, this
is it. We evacuat
e our ship
and run with our tail between our legs...or we stay, and
fight.

Where
as the Admiral was calm,
collected, and dispassionate, General Daniels was a marine at
heart. Giving up ground after paying a high blood price rankled
him. He gave the first choice a moment’s decision and made up his
mind.

“We are ending this, right now! All Alliance ships,
you are clear to fire. Bring your ships into a dispersed assault
pattern on three axes. Protect the fighters and ready your primary
weapons!”

Admiral Anderson
tried to stand, lifting his right hand as if to plead for him to
stop. General Daniels couldn’t afford to waste time, so he
concentrated on the few officers remaining. With the helm and
tactical stations remaining functional, the ship was still in the
fight, albeit with reduced capability. He dreaded to think how many
losses they’d sustained in the continuous bombardment from the
station. The sound of the fighters’ crew crackled near the desk of
the CAG. He listened to one excited voice.

“
It’s a hit, her air
defens
es are down!” called one of the
fighter commanders.

General Daniels skimmed through the icons moving on
the tactical map and found the point on the station where the gun
system had been weakened. It was slightly to the right of the upper
levels. A quick glance told him where he suspected he could do the
most damage.

“
There!” he swore
under his breath. The computer had already analyzed the station and
pinpointed likely areas for power generation and ammunition supply.
All the weapon systems, including the main gun that was proving so
devastating, were drawing power from this section. He tapped each
of his ships on the display and connected to their
commanders.

“
All ships, on my
order, concentrate your fire on this location.”

Each
returned an acknowledgement. He swallowed as he
realized his voice sounded distorted. The mainscreen showed the
other Crusader class warships were moving around him in a wide
crescent formation, each presenting their bows to the enemy. The
previous ship designs had been equipped with their main weapons on
the flanks. These new designs could only be used from the bow or
stern, as the systems ran most of the length of the ship. As the
heavy warships edged closer and closer, they moved apart so that
they could strike from six directions. This had the effect of
putting hundreds of kilometres between each of them.

“
General, we’re in
position,” s
aid Lieutenant Scookins, the
ship’s helmsman.

General Daniels
nodded. It was his first major command, but commanding a battle
fleet was something he’d never expected to have to do. With The
Admiral out of action, and the Captain killed, he could either take
charge or rely upon one of the other ships’ captains. In the
Alliance, the Marine Corps and Navy were closely entwined, and it
was assumed that senior officers would exchange roles if required
in combat.

Is this
what the Admiral would do?
he thought, a
moment of doubt entering his mind. He looked back at the CIC and
spotted two marines carrying out the XO. He was quickly reminded of
how many losses they’d sustained.

“Lieutenant, how is the XO?”

The officer shook his head and continued towards the
door.

“
Not good, General,
he took an impact in the throat. He’s gone, Sir.”

That was all he
needed to hear. The Alliance ships had taken a pounding, and still
the enemy refused to stop the attack.

Maybe this will make you think twice.

He shouted down the intercom in a tone that was much
louder and angrier sounding than he intended.

“All ships, open fire!”

All six Crusader
class warships opened fire with their powerful particle beam
weapons. In an instant, a series of flashes and blasts appeared
across the outer sections of the station. The high-energy pulsed
beam of subatomic particles from the capital ships triggered a
single massive explosion that tore a large section from the
station. It was a powerful attack, and General Daniels pondered on
how many Helions would have been killed by its ferocity.

“Admiral, an emergency signal from the civilian
fleet on the other side of the Rift. They are under attack! A
dormant vessel is heading for the Rift.”

Anderson looked back
at the video feed of the stable Rift. It was still operational,
though he doubted it was safe to use this close to the Helion
station, except under the direst of circumstances. T’Kron had
already reminded him twice that all of the eight races had the
technology to destabilize the Rifts.

“
General,
something
is coming through!” Lieutenant
Powalk called out with a nervous groan.

Daniels looked back
to the mainscreen that had now shifted focus behind the fleet and
toward the Rift they’d entered from. The small group of T’Kari
ships was already slinking back through the Rift. He cringed at
their approached and tried to move the thought aside of what would
happen if the Rift was destabilized when the vast bulk of a ship
crashed through. One of the scout ships was instantly disintegrated
before they could change course to avoid its massive
size.

“What the hell is that?”

“
Unknown, Sir,
checking the computer now,” said Commander D'Vani.

“
General, the guns,
they’ve stopped firing,” said Lieutenant Powalk, looking intently
at the second display. “No, wait, they are turning their flak
weapons onto the new ship!”

General Daniels
looked at the mainscreen so intently that he didn’t even noticed
the form of Admiral Anderson at his side. The battered and slightly
unsteady officer reached out to rest his hand on the General’s
shoulder. He spun around to spot the blood-soaked man.

“General, what the hell is going on?”

“Admiral?”

Anderson moved two
steps forward and held onto the outer rim of the unit supporting
the tactical display. He spotted the massive ship exchanging
gunfire with two of his Crusader ships that had already turned on
it.

“
That is a Guardian
ship, the class used as a heavy warship by the enemy that attacked
us in T’Karan,” he explained, pointing at the newly arrived
ship.

Lines of gunfire
from the heavily damaged station ripped into the monstrous vessel,
yet little damage seemed to be caused.

“
Look!” said
Commander D'Vani.

A stream of energy
shot out from the Helion station below and directly into the mouth
of the Rift. The effect was slow to start as the shape started to
shake and distort. Then with a bright flash the entrance to the
Rift turned into a raging storm of energy. Admiral Anderson opened
his mouth to speak and then stumbled. General Daniels caught him
and moved him to one of the chairs. A marine rushed over to assist,
but he waved the man off.

“No, I will not leave until this battle is decided.
The T’Kari, where are they?”

“
All gone but
T’Kron, Admiral,” explained General Daniels. “His ship stayed back
and is in position well inside our defensive line.”

“And the Helions? They have turned their fire on the
Guardian ship?”

He nodded in reply.

“
Yes, but we’ve
already destroyed their primary weapons. I doubt their last point
defense systems will do anything but scratch its surface. At least
nothing else will be coming through.”

Admiral Anderson
sighed, more out of frustration
at their
situation than toward any decision that had been taken.

True,
but now we cannot
get
back.

“
Ve
ry well, this is our one
chance. We need to let them know we are with them, not against
them. A few volleys of fire should do the trick.”

The wounded
A
dmiral beckoned for General Daniels to
approach. He did so with haste; now starting to worry the massive
ship that was already increasing in speed would strike
them.

“
What is their
course?” called out the Admiral to the crew still standing in the
CIC.

“
Best estimate is
the asteroid belt at approximately twenty-seven astronomical units
away. They have fixed their course, and their main engines are
powering up,” replied one of the junior officers that had arrived
with the replacements.

Admiral Anderson
didn’t recognize the tall man, but he had neither the time nor
inclination to find out more. He looked at the plotted location and
spun around to face General Daniels.

“The Rift!” said both of the senior commanders at
the same time.”

“
T’Kron has an
urgent message,” a
nnounced Commander
D'Vani, who now operated a science station as well as
communications.

Admiral Anderson
nodded, and the image of T’Kron appeared.

“Admiral, they must be stopped!”

Anderson wiped some
of the blood from his face and replied.

“Really, and why is that?”

T’Kron paused as
though what he was about to say was some great secret. The enemy
vessel must have encouraged him because his voice turned to a
high-pitched squeal as he spoke. It took even longer than normal
for the translators in his suit to convert the sounds.

“The ship, we have detected captured T’Kari
technology deep inside it.”

“
So what?”
s
aid General Daniels abruptly, “Where can
they go? The Helions will finish them off in this system. Or maybe
they’ll escape. So?”

He looked at the
face of the T’Kari, looking for a hint or sign of what the alien
was thinking.

“
You don’t
understand. T
he ship could open up the
Black Rift. They have obtained copies of our coding equipment for
their Rift.”

Anderson sighed and shook his head knowingly.

“The what?”

“
The Black Rift, it
is the entrance to the outer domains of the Enemy. The Rift was
sealed during our war with them. Only one of the remaining races
can open it using our technology. If the wrong codes are used, the
Rift destabilizes. Like that one.”