Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift (34 page)

“How do you know this?”

Spartan licked his dry lips and found the taste odd.

“Because If I was out there, this is exactly what I would do. Cut off the head, and the animal will die. They are outnumbered. Their only chance of victory is to get to me before they lose all their ships.”

“And what if they do?” One-Zero-One asked.

Spartan laughed at the suggestion.

“I have never been beaten in battle before, and this ship is too strong and well protected to be destroyed in time. They can fight for as long as their fleet remains. The numbers are simple; they will have to come here and board this ship, and we will all be waiting for them.”

The machine seemed nervous.

“You want to bring them here?”

Again Spartan laughed.

“Of course, I am counting on it.

* * *

ANS Hyperion, The Black Rift, Helios Sector

Khan twisted about and struck his head against the bulkhead inside the Mauler. He was fully armored, and there was no chance of his sustaining even a bruise. Even so, it reminded him that while the battle raged, the only danger he’d faced so far was his own vessel. He straightened himself up and growled.

“What the hell is going on? We have a battle to win. Come on.”

He had been waiting since their arrival at the Black Rift for a worthy target, and still they held back behind the protective screen put up by the Liberty escort. The videostreams on his visor showed him the mighty battle, and even he could feel it was the fight to end all fights. He just wanted to be a part of it. Finally, an image popped up. This time it was the Byotai general.

“What do you want?” Khan asked.

The General hissed words back to him while Khan waited for the translation.

“Anderson has given us a new target. We’re losing ships too fast. We need something to change.”

Khan crashed his fists together.

“Then let me fight. Give me a target.”

“Don’t worry, Khan, you have one. You’re to lead the assault on their flagship. You have command of all my ground forces at your disposal. I am releasing them to you now. Spartan has destroyed more than twenty of our ships already. He must be stopped.”

The reptilian alien almost seemed saddened at what was happening. Khan, on the other hand, was nothing but frustrated.

“End this battle, Khan. Bring me his head.”

Khan lifted his arms high to the air.

“Yes!”

The image of General Makos vanished, and he found himself almost alone, with just his small entourage of two comrades nearby.

“We have a target, my friends, and it will be glorious.”

“What is the plan?” asked Olik.

Knaprig remained silent, but he did lean in a little to listen.

“The flagship. We are to lead the assault. Are you ready?”

Both of them roared approval.

“Good. We will stand alongside Spartan once more.”

Both of his friends seemed overjoyed at the chance for battle. Even as they continued their celebration, he found himself remembering the last fight on the Rift Engine. The great battle where he’d been unable to reach his old friend in time.

I failed you, Spartan. I promise we will meet one last time, but one of us will not return alive from the fight.

Olik noticed the glum expression on Khan’s face. He must have been all too aware of his feelings about what they had to do.

“Brother, do not worry about such things. We’ll probably be dead before we reach him!”

Khan barely heard him, though. All he could do was think back to that last meeting before the battle. Where he, Z’Kanthu, and Spartan had spoken of the plan, and of what was to come. It was then that Spartan had asked him to promise to carry out his wishes, no matter what he saw. It had meant little to him at the time, and he’d easily agreed. Even Z’Kanthu had been eager for him to agree.

Look where that got the old machine? He’s just as lost to us as Spartan is.

He shook his head and then moved into his old routine. One at a time he checked his armor, seals, power levels, and weapons, then the high-speed communications between each of the units under his command. He sent status requests, and each of them came back. The first was from Major Terson and Tajt.

It simply read, ‘We are ready.
’

The worlds of Sol rose to greater importance at the same time as the arrival of Comet C34. Earth and Mars had become backwaters, yet the discovery of hidden machines in the asteroid belts turned the attention of the Alliance military back to these old colonies. Never again would the old worlds of humanity be forgotten. With renewed interest came tougher Alliance control. It would not be long before Earthsec itself would be consigned to the history books.

A Brief History of the Alliance

The Bastion, Old Spascia City, Helion Sector

The column of Alliance Bulldogs moved quickly over the rough terrain. They had been working their way along the narrow trail marking the end of the chasm. The powerful vehicles left a trail of dust behind them that both provided cover and also warned the enemy they were coming. Right above them hovered two reconnaissance drones.
 
Gunfire from nearby Eques walkers landed around them. The rearguard Bulldog took a heavy hit that blasted away one of its wheels. Incredibly, the tough armored vehicle kept going, its other five wheels maintaining balance and traction. A familiar voice popped into her head.

“Teresa, we’ve just had word from Anderson. They’ve smashed the Biomechs at Micaya.”

Teresa smiled at the news, but even with all the noise going on, she could tell there was more to it.

“That’s good news. We might have a chance.”

“Yes. Don’t waste time. Get them out of here, and meet me at the mountain. We need to talk.”

He disconnected before she could ask any more.

Typical Gun, mysterious to the last.

Jet engines screamed overhead, and a pair of Alliance fighters rushed past the column and strafed at a line of approaching Thegns. The Bulldogs ignored the threat and climbed the last ridge. Finally, the Bastion defenses came into view.

“Okay, Marines, this is it. I want this done and fast, no heroics. Just grab them and get back in.”

She checked her own carbine and looked back to the view from the front of the vehicle. The Bastion was an impressive name for what amounted to little more than additional piles of debris. They hit another bump, and then they were just meters away from the temporary barrier that served as a gate.

“Here we go!”

They crashed through just as it pulled apart and raced inside. Teresa’s Bulldog was second to go in and skidded to a halt. The door swung out, and then she was on the ground. Shots rushed in from two directions, and the constant chatter of machine guns and carbines told her they were under heavy attack.

“Everybody inside. We’re leaving!”

Handfuls of marines and Navy officers pulled wounded comrades and carried them to the vehicles. A female officer helped a Navy Commodore who lifted his hand to make her stop.

“Colonel Morato, good to see you.”

“Commodore. We don’t have much time.”

The man nodded.

“Tell me about it. There is a convoy of machines coming from the south. I have SAAR robots in a rearguard three hundred meters back. They won’t last long.”

Teresa tagged the location and sent the two Bulldog Mobile Guns into position. They crashed into what remained of the Southern wall and turned their heavy gun turrets on the distant targets. Each of them was equipped with a heavy 60mm Bulldog railgun. They concentrated fire on the heavy walkers and blasted them with repeated volleys of fire. Almost immediately, they were answered with fire from the Thegn skirmish screen and the remaining Eques walkers.

“In here!” called out a lieutenant from the fourth Bulldog.

More of the survivors came out from their defenses and to the waiting transports. Overhead the screaming sounds of Biomech fighters were joined by newly arrived Hammerheads. The heavy Alliance fighters were well equipped to deal with the lighter enemy craft and showered them with turret fire.

“All done,” confirmed the officer.

Teresa was already at the door of her Bulldog and waved the Commodore and three more marines inside. After what felt like an age, she jumped in and hit the button for the door.

“Marines, get out of here!”

The armored personnel vehicles were out first, leaving just a single SAAR robot to defend the bastion. The mobile gun variants began to pull back, but a triple burst of fire from the quickly approaching Eques walkers hit one of them. It caught fire and then spun out of control before tipping over. Teresa watched in horror as another walker clambered over the Southern wall and fired at point blank range.

They had no chance.

She didn’t even know the names of the crew inside that vehicle, and now they were dead; all volunteers for the rescue mission. She breathed slowly and looked across to the Commodore.

“Looks like you had a hard fight back there.”

The man nodded, but his face showed he was in a great deal of pain.

“Colonel, your status?” Gun asked over the communications channel.

“We’re heading for the bridges. ETA three minutes.”

“Good, don’t hang around. We’ve got trouble on the way.”

Teresa shook her head, more of annoyance than surprise. She activated the external feeds and connected to them via her helmet interface. The old city of Spascia was ablaze and surrounded by smoke. Apart from that she could see little had changed.

“What is it?”

The audio crackled before Gun spoke.

“They are bringing in the last of their ships, and I mean, everything. Their course will bring them directly to our current position.”

“You think this is the big one?”

“Based on what’s happening everywhere else, yes. This is the Biomechs’ big push. Get over the bridges fast, Colonel. I am blowing them the second you cross.”

“Understood.”

The remaining Bulldogs made the trip in substantially less time than it had taken to get there. As they streamed across the bridges, it was clear that Gun was taking no chances. All Allied forces had moved back, leaving nothing but sentry units and SAAR robots to provide a modicum of defense. As they reached the halfway point, a massive barrage began. The entire side of the chasm nearest the mountain was filled with flashes, as everything from railguns, mortars, and the Helion mountain guns and the exotic weapons of the Khreenk joined machine guns.

“What’s happening?” asked the Commodore.

Teresa shook her head in astonishment. She tapped a button, and a large display unit activated toward the front of the vehicle. The footage was grainy but gave a good view from exactly three hundred meters above their current position.

“It’s a defensive bombardment. The Biomechs have the city, and they are almost at the bridges.”

One of the marines gasped as the narrow, most northern bridge vanished in a series of blasts. The other bridges quickly followed, and the man looked back to Teresa, his face white with nerves.

“What about us?”

Teresa nodded.

“Don’t worry. Gun won’t kill us.”

The man seemed far from reassured. Even so, they reached the last section of the bridge and skidded past the landing pads that were already being abandoned. No sooner had the final mobile gun variant crossed than the first three Decurions reached the opposite side.

“Look,” said Teresa.

She pointed at the shapes moving onto the bridge. At the same time, a pattern of flashes started at the strong points and mountings. Then one by one the long span sections tore away and dropped down into the chasm. The small number of wounded cheered inside the Bulldog. It was half-hearted, but the relief was clear. They continued up the trail to the blast walls the marines had been constructing. Each line was at least five meters tall, thick, and topped with razor wire. Metal towers were spaced apart at regular intervals and fitted with standard heavy weapons. The videoscreen changed as it was overridden by Gun. The imagery showed him inside the mountain, surrounded by his personal guard.

“We have detected incoming radiation signatures. This may be an atomic strike. All forces are to withdraw to secure locations in the mountain or in your vehicles. The first impacts will take place in…sixty seconds.”

“No way, man,” moaned the pale-faced marine.

Teresa disconnected her harness and pulled open the hatch leading to the driver’s compartment. The two marines at the front were chattering nervously while maneuvering around the scores of personnel running for the mountain.

“How much further?”

The second marine, who had been waving his arms to the front, looked back at her and answered, “Colonel, uh…just a few more seconds. The Helion blast doors are right there.”

He turned back around and pointed to the vast doors. They were meters thick and big enough to drive multiple vehicles through in one go. The space off into the distance was completely black, in stark contrast to the muted light outside.

“Hold on,” said the driver.

They hit a bump where the corrugated road laid down by the marines joined up with the ancient Helion surface. It was a minor surface change, but it still threw the occupants about. Then they were inside the mountain, and the exterior lamps on the vehicle activated. That, combined with the lights inside tunnel, showed the mass of refugees from the outer districts of the city. They moved on another fifty meters and into a vast underground parking pool. Ramps went both up and down, and dozens more military vehicles were ferrying people about. They moved onto the lower ramp and to the level that ran alongside a vast parade or assembly ground. Hundreds of marines were scattered about in clumps, while dozens of Vanguards moved about among them.

 
“Everybody out.”

The Bulldog skidded to a halt, and Teresa jumped out. As her feet hit the ground, she felt the rumble of guns. These were not the artillery strikes from before; these were the smaller turrets and gun mounts firing.

Air defense, they are here
.

She looked to her right and found the massive armored form of Gun and six of his bodyguards approaching. Behind them came another platoon of marines with the odd Khreenk straggler staying with them.

“Colonel, good work,” said Gun.

A loud thump made her turn around. She could just about see the entrance to the tunnel that they had recently entered. The light faded and then vanished.

“We’re sealed in?” she asked.

Gun nodded, moving closer.

“I’ve positioned units on every level. This is the lowest central complex. The tunnels on this level move out to the armories, medical bays, and vehicle pools.”

A great rumble shook the ground, and handfuls of dust fell from the high ceilings. Teresa looked back at the vast open space and the waiting warriors. Looking up the chamber seemed more like the inside of a volcano. Ramps led off at the flank, and right above them was a ceiling made from solid rock.

“Six levels up; that’s where the weapon is fitted. We’ve got it working again, and it’s operating in a schedule. Orders from Anderson are to hit the Black Rift, whether it’s open or not.”

Teresa grabbed his arm.

“What did you want to tell me? Have you had news about Spartan?”

The wizened warrior’s expression changed at the mention of the name. He looked at her, his expression suggesting he was thinking, perhaps deciding what to say.

“Come on, tell me.”

A triple blast echoed from below, and the ground shook as though an earthquake had just occurred. Gun ignored her question and pointed up into the hollowed out mountain.

“Teresa, I need response teams to cover their assault. Drone scans show they are coming here with a purpose. There are ships heading this way, and I think they intend on ending this today.”

He pointed at Teresa.

“I want you to take a team to the top. If they try and burn their way through, they will be bastards to dig out.”

“And you?”

Gun beamed at her.

“I will be three levels down with the siege guns. Captain Tycho is with the Vanguards. He will operate our rapid reserve. Anything we need, he can send up the mountain through the shafts.”

Teresa nodded in agreement.

“What’s this place like?”

“Complicated. Our engineers counted over sixty kilometers of tunnels.”

Teresa looked at him and found herself surprised at how far he’d come. On Prometheus he’d been a monster, but one with a conscience. Now he was an articulate leader of men, a warrior that millions would follow into battle. Even her.

“And my son? Where is he?”

Gun indicated to the entrance near the ramps leading to the next levels up. He’s in the medical bay, along with the other wounded. He’s on the grid. You can monitor his progress.”

Teresa did just that. With a few levels of authorization, she had the real-time information. She shuddered at seeing his prognosis. It wasn’t good.

“He’s still in a coma,” she said quietly, shaking her head.