Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift (32 page)

Khan nodded slowly.

“Well?”

“It’s Spartan all right.”

Both of them looked to the display.

“What is he telling us? There’s something about his body language. Is this threat serious?”

Khan’s expression moved from disappointment to almost glee.

“Oh, the threat is definitely real, but so is the invitation.”

Even though the warrior was a giant compared to the Admiral, that didn’t stopping him from grabbing his arm and pulling him back to face him.

“What do you mean?”

Khan lifted the right of his lip in a weird expression.

“Spartan will come here if he has to. That is what his mouth is saying. His body is saying we need to go to him. He wants us at the Black Rift, and before he uses the atomics.”

“Khan, he’s a prisoner. They’ve brainwashed him, turned him against us. If he wants us to attack him, then why the hell would we listen?”

The tactical officer hit a button, and the mainscreen shifted to show a group of thirty warships moving in front of one of the newly opened Rifts. As they waited, their gun ports opened and out came dozens and dozens of missiles. Each pushed out into plain sight and pointed at the Rift.

“Admiral, they have ships doing the same at all five of them.”

Anderson wiped his forehead, instantly understanding the threat. Captain Decker was a little slower, but then the horrible realization almost made her wretch.

“They have nukes pointing at every planet, and they can hit them at will by using the Rifts.”

Captain Decker nodded in agreement.

“What can we do?”

Khan spoke first.

“Simple. We mount up and meet them at the Black Rift, all of us versus all of them. If we are quick, we can hit them.”

Anderson licked his lower lip.

“And what about Spartan?”

Kahn’s eyes flickered slightly at the question.

“Get us to the Rift, Admiral. We will find which ship he is on, and I will deal with him myself. With Spartan gone, we can beat them. We’ve beaten them here, we’ll go and do the same at the Black Rift.”

Admiral Anderson looked to the tactical display and the widely spaced out formation of ships. He counted just under two hundred vessels close enough that they would be able to come through and assist, but only by leaving Admiral Lewis on his own. That included the Byotai and Klithi contingents that were still mainly intact plus a handful of Helion cruisers. Admiral Anderson continued sending assembly orders throughout the fleet. At the same time, videostreams of General Makos and Admiral Lewis appeared on the mainscreen. General Makos was first to speak.

“The Cephalon is gone. What is next?”

His voice was gruff and emotionless as always, with the translator doing little to curb the way he sounded. Admiral Lewis joined in.

“The Biomechs have ANS Explorer surrounded. I’ve deployed all of my forces in a defensive screen, but we can’t holds them back forever. If they attack, we will be…”

His face flashed three times as a computer screen out of view lit up his face.

“Dammit, they are coming for us.”

He moved closer to the screen.

“Admiral, I’m outnumbered three to one. I need help and fast!”

The imagery crackled and then vanished for a second before returning. The expression on the Admiral's face was grim but determined. Flashes in the background indicated each time something exploded nearby and was reflected back to the camera. General Makos grunted as his translator kicked in.

"I will be there soon."

Admiral Anderson felt a pain in his stomach, like a knife stabbing deep into his flesh. He knew what was happening, and he could already see the Biomech plan had been changed in a matter of minutes. The CIC was dark, but even through the red lighting and the long shadows he could see the grim expression on Khan's face.

"You have to make a choice, Admiral. The fleet or the System?"

He already knew this, and that was what was killing him. He could save Admiral Lewis and the seventeen Alliance ships, but only if he sent in the bulk of his remaining forces.

If I do that, I'll leave every planet at the mercy of these damned weapons.

"Damn you, Spartan. You've signed these people's death warrants."

 
He looked into the face of General Makos and the blinking display with Admiral Lewis.

"I am going to take the fight to them. It was always the plan, now I have no choice. I'm sorry, Admiral.”

"What?" snapped back General Makos, "My ships will be there in minutes."

Anderson pointed to the tactical display and the markers for all the ships and astronomical objects in the Micaya System. He isolated the Rift that led to the Black Rift.

"They will use this Rift, along with the others to unleash their atomic strikes. Every world will suffer unimaginable losses; the shipyards and any of our ships will vanish in nuclear fireballs."

He looked back to General Makos.

"No, in the time it would take you to get to Admiral Lewis, you could be half way to the Rift with me. Even at full-speed, we will reach the gate with two, perhaps three minutes to spare."

Without checking with them, he lifted the intercom and selected all friendly forces.

"This is the Admiral. All fully functional ships are to make for the enemy Rift. Assemble at the designated point and wait for my arrival. If you are unable to reach the directions within the timeframe, you will move to assist Admiral Lewis. Make haste, people. Lives hang in the balance."

The video feed cut completely to Admiral Lewis as the Biomechs intercepted, scrambled, or blocked the transmission. Instead, Admiral Anderson took in a long breath and nodded.

“What if the enemy collapses the Rift and destroys our ships?” Khan asked.

Admiral Anderson only needed a few seconds to consider the argument.

“We send the ships through in groups of no more than six at a time. That will be the limit of our exposure. There’s no time to redeploy once we get through. I want the capital ships brought down first. Then we destroy the Rift machines as quickly as possible.”

There was silence, but already the forward view had changed as ANS Warlord amended its course to make for the Rift. There was a barely perceivable shift in gravity; the inertial system compensated for the increasing thrust.

"Khan, General Makos, Captain Decker. You heard my orders. Get everybody ready, and meet me at the rendezvous. Hurry!"

They saluted, or nodded in the case of the General, and then moved to their posts. Only Khan remained.

"What about your Black Ships?" Anderson asked.

Khan smiled.

"They've been waiting in their moorings at the Rift control station. Their life-support systems are offline, and they are leaking radiation from their engine coils."

"What? You lost the ships and the warriors?"

Khan smiled.

"It was a precaution. Major Terson and I agreed that until the fleet returned they would wait in silence. The machines have powered down, and the Thegns are back in hibernation. All it will take is a few minutes, and they will be back in the fight.”

Admiral Anderson walked to Khan and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Khan. Send the signal; we’re going to need every warrior you can muster. The last of The Twelve is the one trick we have remaining.”

Khan nodded, but he had somebody else in mind.

The SAAR project created a whole array of machines, of which only one made it into combat in time for the events of the Black Rift. Other projects that required further investigation were space-based assault robots. These machines, nicknamed crabs, were modified construction vehicles fitted with shuttle components. They would be launched in battle and attached to enemy vessels. The robots would then tear apart whatever they were attached to. Crabs would ultimately have been modified for launching directly from warships via low-velocity railgun sleds.

Robots in Space

Battleship Retribution, Black Rift, Helios Sector

The vast glowing sphere rotated just meters in front of Spartan. Now that they had traveled through the Rift and entered the Helios System, the data had been updated by the second. He could see formations of Biomech ships and bandon of warriors in scores of locations, some of which he’d never even realized. He lifted his hands and examined the short but deadly blades he’d fitted. The empty forearms had been annoying him, and these new, brutal weapons were just the thing.

There is a Thegn cell still operating on Hades, in the T’Karan sector. Fascinating.

The enemy vessels were spread out, but he could see the primary threat was the fleet under the command of Admiral Anderson. He counted at least two hundred ships, and each was making its way toward the Rift he’d instructed his forces to open.

“The fleet is ready, Spartan. The Rift Engines are in position and stabilizing the bridges,” said One-Zero-One.

The large structures had half entered each of the Rifts within seconds of them opening. Now that they were correctly positioned, they could stop any of the Helion or T’Kari weapons from collapsing them.

“What about their planetary defense weapons?”

“What about them? They can do little more than be a distraction. At short ranges the disruption is just seconds long. Our engines can keep the Rifts safe, providing the engines themselves are protected.”

Spartan turned his attention back to the shapes marking out his own newly arrived forces. The vast horde of warships, including the six battleships and the hundred Despoiler transports that lay alongside his monstrous army. Spartan looked at the forces arrayed before him, and his mind ran wild with possibilities. With these numbers, and the technology at his disposal, he could mold and shape the star systems into a strong and stable society. His very blood seemed to pump harder as he envisaged scores of star systems with his Biomech allies managing the entire thing. Something moved in his mind, a memory, almost a voice, and then vanished to the back of his mind.

“What now?” asked the machine.

Spartan turned to the machine and hissed his words back to him.

“I am in charge of this attack, am I not? So wait and listen. When I have orders, I will give them. Understood?”

The machine was silent and then finally spoke in a hushed tone.

“Yes.”

Spartan lifted his arms and looked out at his warriors still waiting in long lines. His raised position was the perfect platform from which to give his orders. There were other similar platforms throughout the ships structure, but all of them were empty. He did notice the large number of Decurions and other much larger and more advanced looking war machines. Many of them appeared to be looking at him. He looked down at his armor and smiled.

“I’m quite liking this new body.”

He lifted his eyes and watched as shapes appeared through one of the many Rifts he’d ordered to be activated.

“Should we close the Rifts, Spartan? They could destroy our machines, just as happened in the last attack.”

He closed his eyes and took in a breath.

“No, unlike your last effort, we will not fail.”

One-Zero-One tilted a few degrees to the right.

“Fail? No, we achieved our objectives. We sowed terror in the hearts of the creatures of Helios, and we allowed the greatest of their warriors to reveal themselves to us. We had no idea you were one of our secrets. The hidden warriors found and prepared by our outcasts.”

The machine pointed again to the Rift.

“Now, what about them?”

Spartan sighed.

“No. Trust me. The only chance they have is to strike hard and strike now. Why do you think I gave the order for our forces to finish them off at Micaya?”

The machine made calculations, and then faced the ethereal figures of the other Biomech leaders that were watching the events in silence. The glowing figures hovered around like a circle of demi-gods, and not one of them spoke in such a way that Spartan would understand. One-Zero-One turned back to Spartan.

“We do not understand. We can cripple their forces as they come through.”

Spartan shook his head and pointed toward the machine.

“Don’t you dare! Defeating their ships is just one part of the strategy. They must feel they have a chance, no matter how slight. We will not defeat them while they sleep or when they are unprepared. When they are defeated, it must be when they feel they can win. This will make them throw all that they have at us, and their pain will be that much stronger upon their defeat.”

“It is too late. They are through.”

In small groups the ships of the enemy vanished from points at the Spascia shipyards and then reappeared just twenty thousand kilometers away from the Black Rift. Their numbers were small, but every few seconds more arrived. One-Zero-One pointed at the Rifts connecting to Spascia and Helios Prime. Nearly thirty more shapes came in via those Rifts and accelerated to join the others.

“They are sending in every warship they can find against us.”

Spartan watched with interest as more and more came in.

“Good. How many are left?”

One-Zero-One scanned the Rift points on the holographic model in seconds.

“Three more ships.”

“As soon as they are through, you will pull back the Rift Engines and deactivate the Spacebridges.”

“I see,” said the machine.

Spartan wasn’t sure if that was true, but it didn’t really matter.

“That is it, all of their forces are here.”

A flashing series of icons at the dormant control station off to the right caught his eye. With a quick movement of his right arm, the model shifted about and zoomed in to show multiple vessels pulling away and powering their weapons.

The Black Ships.

He smiled to himself as he remembered being inside them, seeing the lines of warriors waiting, much as inside this battleship. The fleet under Admiral Anderson closed the distance with surprising speed, and after only a few more minutes, the Black Ships drifted into the rest of the formation. One-Zero-One was engaged in a lengthy discussion with his kin when Spartan tapped his shoulder.

“I have news for you.”

He pointed to the center of the fleet.

“I had no idea they were still here. Those ships, they house the last of The Twelve, plus their own warbands of warriors.”

There was no need for translation when each of the ethereal beings heard the words. The very mention of their hated former brothers sent a chill through the ship. Spartan could sense the change, even deep inside his suit of robotic armor. The one taller creature at the center spoke directly to him for the first time.

“Spartan. Bring us the heads of our lost brothers, and your place among us will be confirmed.”

Spartan nodded happily.

“Very well. I will offer them the prize they seek. They will put out their necks, and when they are too exposed, I will personally cut them off.”

With a series of gestures, he selected the squadrons of ships and transports as he had been taught in the training scenarios. They responded instantly to his commands, no matter how unexpected.

“Put me on the videostream. I want to speak to everybody.”

“It is done,” said the machine.

Spartan flexed his muscles and moved to the edge of the precipice.

“As leader of this host, I gave you a guarantee of peace. Surrender your fleet, and lay down your arms. Or suffer our eternal vengeance. The Helios Sector is ours.”

There was no reply, no audio message, not even a flash of light from a signaling system. Instead, the gun ports of two hundred ships from the Alliance of different races opened up. Energy signatures from the Byotai and Alliance indicated they were preparing to fire their direct-energy weapons. Even the great ships of the Klithi were there, each waiting with their bows facing the Biomech fleet. One-Zero-One looked to Spartan.

“They have given their answer. What are your orders?”

There was no way to see it, but Spartan’s smile had widened.

“Reply to them. Let the Helios Sector burn!”

* * *

ANS Conqueror, Micaya Shipyards, Helion Sector

The Alliance fleet at the Micaya Shipyards burned like the French fleet had done on the Nile. Each had been holed in a hundred places, yet this time the Biomechs were not destroying the crippled vessels. With each of them knocked out, the victorious enemy moved in around them and launched wave after wave of shuttlecraft.

“Why are they not just finishing us off?” Captain Marcus asked.

Alarms sounded in every direction as the Battlecruiser sustained a massive assault upon its left flank. Blast after blast marked where missiles and gunfire had penetrated the spaced armor and now crashed deep inside the hull. Another missile struck, and Admiral Lewis was knocked to his knees by the impact. Captain Marcus rushed to help him and lifted the man up as a series of flashes knocked out five displays.

“It’s as Anderson predicted. The machines think they have already won. We are not just an enemy to beat; we are a resource. They can melt down or cannibalize our ships.”

“And us?”

The grim expression from Admiral Lewis should have been enough for him to understand.

“You’ve seen what they do to the dead and dying. They are experts at recycling.”

Another explosion rumbled; this time much deeper inside the Battlecruiser.

“Admiral, they’ve made it past the barricades,” said Lieutenant Vitelli.

Captain Marcus looked at his commander as a trickle of blood ran down from his mouth.

“The escorts are gone. Explorer is abandoning ship, and the last of the reinforcements are holding on as long as they can.”

“I know,” said Admiral Lewis.

“It’s our turn to make the hard decision. We will not surrender, and we will not give ground. We will fight them in every part of the ship.”

Another flash at the doorway marked the use of grenades, and the Marine guards rushed outside to do battle with whatever monsters were heading their way. Admiral Lewis went to the nearest wall, hit the arms lock, and removed a cut down L52 carbine. Captain Marcus did the same.

“All of you; prepare yourselves. They are coming.”

The emergency doors hissed into position to barricade off the CIC to the rest of the ship.

“Take cover!” Captain Marcus called out.

There were almost twenty officers in the CIC, and each wore the latest issue PDS Navy armor. Half carried L52 carbines, and the rest a mixture of sidearms and thermal shotguns. One by one, they moved behind the broken screens and the tactical display, training their weapons on the two entrances into the room. Admiral Lewis and Captain Marcus knelt down behind the corner of the tactical display and took aim.

“Is this how you thought it would end?”

Admiral Lewis smiled.

“I always knew I would go down with my ship. No matter what happens, there’s no way they are keeping her.”

It was only then that Captain Marcus noticed he’d been busily entering in security data into his personal secpad. He tapped it one last time and then passed it to his XO.

“I need your codes to finish the sequence.”

Captain Marcus looked at the timed autodestruct sequence and shook his head.

“Admiral Anderson could have stayed back with us.”

“Yes he could, but for what? We win here, but lose the war. He’s looking at the big picture, and for us to have a chance to win, we will face death.”

With that, Captain Marcus entered in his codes and activated the routine.

“There, we’re on a ten minute destruct sequence. Either of us can stop it at any security point.”

A bright flash was all that marked the destruction of the first door. Chunks of broken metal scattered about, and then in came the Thegns. Admiral Lewis opened fire first, putting four rounds into a creature before it staggered and fell to the ground. Another clambered over the body and succumbed to gunfire, but not before it dropped a small sphere to the floor. The device rumbled along the floor and then exploded. The blast sent hot fragments of metal in all directions, hitting computers, Thegns, and Alliance officers indiscriminately.