Star Crusades Nexus: Book 03 - Heroes of Helios (24 page)

Birth of Prometheus

Teresa watched from her standing position aboard the aircraft. She’d only been able to give the vessel the briefest of looks before being trundled inside. It was larger than an Alliance Hammerhead but smaller than the old heavy landers used by the Confederate Army in the past. There were four massive ducted fan engines fitted to each corner, and the center contained nearly thirty heavily armed paramilitary forces. Attached to rails on each of its sides were three small bike type devices.

“Who are these?” she asked.

“They are the watchers of the city,” Vigilis answered.

Teresa recalled how he had styled himself as the Watchman of the City of Helios. It was an interesting title and unlike anything she had come across before. The implication was that he operated a form of planet-wide police force, yet the watchers he referred to looked more like paramilitaries to her.

This isn’t right.

She reached for her secpad, managing to grab it before the vessel banked heavily to the left. The magnetic straps held her firmly in position, and she almost dropped the device before pulling it closer to her body. Vigilis watched her and then looked away to speak with the others on the craft. A message had just arrived from General Rivers, and she was keen to check for news. It was short and cryptic.

Communication with Conqueror lost, Alpha One preparing. Watch back. R.

She looked at the message, and her mind rushed off in a dozen directions. It was a very short message to begin with, and contained little information that could be used by a third party. Alpha One was a code used to indicate a rapid response unit, though it didn’t distinguish between rescue and assault. Her first thoughts were for the crew on the ship, but then moved on to the strangeness of losing communications with those on the ground. The ship was equipped with powerful multi-band communications equipment, and the only reason the signal would be blocked would be if something else were deliberately jamming it. She looked at Vigilis, who twisted his head slightly, his eyes on his own people.

Was he just watching me?

Teresa was now starting to get that feeling in her gut, the kind of feeling she had when on patrol with her marines in a jungle or on board a ship without power and expecting trouble. That moment when you were convinced you were being watched, but in her case, it was usually being watched down the sights of a rifle. Instinctively, she hit the lock icon on the secpad. The device locked itself from use, as well as wiping the last message from its memory. Even though the Helions didn’t have the same technology, there was no reason why they wouldn’t be able to access the device.

“Vigilis, how far are they?” she called out.

The Helion ignored her, continuing to speak with his own people, finally turning to look at her. His face was expressionless, but his eyes seemed to gleam, as though he had just been privy to some great secret to which now only he knew.

“Major, we will be landing in a moment,” he paused and mumbled something before adding, “I’m afraid there has been some bad news.”

Teresa felt a pulse of adrenalin kick through her body like a strong injection. The ship carried well over a thousand people when fully crewed, and Jack was supposed to be there as well. The vessel shook again, and she could see buildings whooshing past them from the small observation slits.

“What is it?” she called out, unable to wait any longer.

This time the Helion completely ignored her. She even shouted over to him, but he acted as though he couldn’t hear a thing. Even as the vessel settled onto the ground, there was no reply. Doors slid sideways on both side sections of its hull, and a strong gust of fog and dust blew inside. The clamps released around Teresa just in time for her to lift her hands and cover her face. She could feel the warm dust moving past and then it was clear. She lowered them to see four of the watchers waiting and looking at her. Vigilis was outside on a masonry platform with more of the same people. The two nearest watchers beckoned for her to approach. She stepped close, and they moved to follow her.

“Tell me, what is going on?”

They said nothing, however, and she walked out and into the open street. Vigilis had walked away, and the watchers were spreading out in small groups. That was when she realized they had landed directly opposite the great Alliance warship. Hovering fire tenders moved about and blew liquids over the hull while a number of heavy built engineer vehicles maneuvered about it. There were many small fires but none apparently from the ship.

It looks intact.

Then Teresa came to a sudden realization.

Where the hell is the crew?

Near the fires were dark shapes, and as she drew closer, she instantly recognized Alliance naval uniforms. Vigilis had stopped near a line of shapes, and she broke out into a run, stopping alongside him. Arranged in a neat row were the bodies of a dozen crew, including a senior officer. She knelt down and rolled the body over so she could see the man’s face.

“No!” she cried upon spotting the insignia of the ship’s Captain. As an automatic reaction, she reached down for her sidearm, but Vigilis had already stepped away and was pointing at another body, this time a Helion in robes. He finally spoke to her.

“These are the bodies of Zathee rebels. I think we understand what is going on here.”

Teresa, on the other hand, looked at them with barely concealed anger. It was incredible that a heavy alliance starship, one capable of transporting a battalion of marines, and over a thousand crew, could have been brought so low. Even worse though was that the survivors had been murdered where they stood. She pictured Jack and was tempted to rush about looking for his body.

Calm down, either he’s here or he isn’t.

One of the watchers moved from another group and spoke with Vigilis. The Helion’s voice was low-pitched and almost impossible to hear even from just a few meters away. She looked at his clothing, helmet, and weapons and wondered quite why an internal police unit would be created like this. Vigilis nodded and sent him away before walking to Teresa. He turned and pointed out into the distance and at a large dark structure.

“My watchers say a group of prisoners from your ship has been taken to a rebel stronghold.”

A flight of a dozen ducted fan bikes flew overhead in a loose formation. All were flown by one of the watchers, apart from a slightly larger model. This one was easily triple the size and fitted with four bigger fans and a large open topped crew section. This particular craft was filled with at least five more of the watchers. Vigilis shouted over to another of the squads moving around the crashed ship. Teresa picked up just one word, but it was used often.

“What is Animosh?” she called out.

Vigilis looked at her as if he was going to ignore her. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation, and he quickly gave in.

“Animosh, it is the Helion word for our watchers.”

“They are in pursuit of the rebels?”

Vigilis nodded.

“Yes. I suggest you stay here and assist my people with recovery. Apparently, there are signs of life near the rear of the ship. It might be Zathee. It might also be your own people.”

Teresa was tempted, but only for a second.

What is he hiding?

A sound from near one of the damaged landing legs caught her ear. She spun about to see a small group of scruffily dressed people. They were definitely not Animosh, but they also looked very different to the Helions she had seen back in the more prosperous parts of the city. They moved closer and appeared non-threatening. One of them noticed Teresa and pointed directly at her. Vigilis called out to his guards, and they move in closely around him, each with their weapons raised.

“Wait!” she called out, lifting her hands as a warning.

The nearest of the new group pulled open his robe and held up secpad so that she could see it. Whether they wanted to trade it or give it to her, she had no idea. Either way it didn’t matter because the next words from the mouth of Vigilis resulted in its destruction. The Animosh opened fire with their firearms as a single unit. In just a single second, all of them had unleashed thermal rounds that burst against the Helions’ flesh, instantly melting whatever they touched. The entire group was dead and scattered before the secpad hit the ground.

“Stop this!” she cried, but none of them were interested in the words of an Alliance officer. She tried to move closer to the bodies, but a pair of Animosh were among them and shooting again at those they thought might still live. She was finally there and looked down to see the device had taken a thermal round to its center. She lifted it up and dropped it when the heat sent pangs of pain through her body. Vigilis kicked over the bodies with no respect for who they were, or even the fact that they were his kin.

“These Zathee wanted to trade your people for weapons, explosives, and prisoners. I suspect they are the ones responsible for shooting your crew.”

And now we can’t interrogate them, can we?
she thought bitterly.

While Vigils continued to issue orders to his people, Teresa turned away and pulled out her secpad. The connection to General Rivers was still active but was starting to experience signal degradation, presumably for the same reasons the ship itself had lost contact. The old General’s face appeared, and she was surprised to see he was no longer where she’d left him. Instead, he was on board a ship of some kind.

“General?”

“Major Morato,” he replied sternly, “have you heard the news about the rebels?”

She shook her head.

“No, General, what is it?”

“According to the security officials here, there has been an attempted coup. The capitol is on lockdown, and ships are unable to land.”

Teresa looked at him but wasn’t convinced at the news. She moved her face closer to the device so that nobody nearby would hear her.

“I don’t trust them, General. There are no survivors from the ship, just bodies of those that stayed on board. They are blaming the rebels.”

“You don’t agree?”

Teresa moved the device discreetly so that he could see the ground through its built-in cameras. She walked a few meters but held it down low over the bodies of the obliterated Zathee. She didn’t stop and moved past and then toward a wrecked escape pod that was still sealed from the inside and empty. It must have ejected when they hit the ground. Her interest was not in the smashed piece of equipment; it was more to block the line of sight between her and the Animosh. She looked at the secpad and the face of the General.

“I don’t trust them. According to Vigilis, a group of rebels have taken our people prisoners. There are no survivors here.”

He nodded at this and appeared to not be particularly surprised.

“Reports from the escape pods show most have concentrated in one of the urban districts. Gun is coordinating their recovery.”

“Gun?”

General Rivers smiled.

“Not even the Helions will refuse his demands. He’s taken half the Hammerheads and shuttles to assist. If you need him, just call.”

Teresa knew exactly what he meant it, and it reminded her of quite how vulnerable she was out in this part of Helios. She glanced about, watching the Animosh watchers as they dragged bodies away from the damaged buildings or continued searching.

What if they turn on me?

It was as if Vigilis had read her mind. He finished whatever it was that he was doing and started back toward her. Four of his watchers marched at his flanks with their weapons ready but lowered. She moved her hand down and alongside her holster.

“Major, the rest of your people are being cared for in our city barracks. I understand your Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is helping arrange their safe return.”

He then pointed at the large structured in the distance. The fog and smoke were continuing to clear, and the damage to the Zathee district was even more obvious to see.

“I have word that your prisoners are in the heart of rebel territory, right there. My watchers have tracked them and await my order.”

As if to emphasis the point, he lifted a hand, as though all it would take would be for him to make a simple gesture and it would all be over.

“I have my best extraction team on standby and ready to move in. Would you like to join us?”