Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift (9 page)

They were weeks away from the action, and there was absolutely nothing he could do, other than send messages directly to his regional commanders. He checked the tactical display for probably the tenth time and then wiped his brow.

This is going to be close.

The space station had used its turrets to beat off the shuttles as they took away their wounded. The videostreams showed at least half of those that had made it to the station were now either dead or captured. Station defenses were no longer holding back, and the small railguns and point-defense turrets caused substantial minor damage to any of the ships that strayed too close.

“There,” said the ship's tactical officer.

Admiral Anderson could already see the problem. The flashes of light along the hull of ANS Terra showed where her railguns had just fired. The Sanlav rounds split apart upon reaching half of the target distance before sending chunks of debris deep into the station's decking.

“Thank the gods they don’t have anything more than that.”

While the railguns were powerful, they were insignificant next to the power of the particle beam weapons used in the final stages of the war. The explosive energy of these direct-energy weapons was capable of exploding entire ships with a single burst. The Sanlav rounds would ultimately do the same job, but it would take hours, perhaps even days against a station as massive as Prometheus Seven.

“Sir, he’s arrived.”

The Rift alongside the station flickered and then changed in form to look like mirrored steel. From inside the odd colored shape came one, two, and then seven ships. All of them were heavy Alliance warships, each bearing the markings and insignia of the fleet. A video image on the open channel appeared on the right of the mainscreen.

“This is Captain Takei of the Alliance Navy Ship Alexander. Cease fire immediately.”

Several of the younger officers cheered excitedly at this new arrival. Admiral Anderson was silent. Unlike them, he had experience of the wills of men, and the people of Terra Nova had a strange attitude to situations like this. He was hardly surprised when ANS Terra altered her course to face the ships, and then immediately opened fire on the smallest of the escorts in the force. The initial volley of railgun fire punched multiple holes into the space armor of the ship; luckily he was able to move out of the line of fire and behind one of the larger Liberty class destroyers. Admiral Anderson sighed at seeing this.

“He has no choice now, just end this quickly.”

The other ships moved in close to ANS Terra, and they then advanced on the formation of Liberty ships. It was unusual to see such a large number of the new ships in formation without access to a full-size capital ship. Even so, they continued to put down a hail of fire, most of which was stopped by interceptor fire from the anti-air turrets on the destroyers. The Rift flickered one final time, and in came a heavily worn looking Crusader class warship. Without warning, the multiple gun turrets opened fire, each hitting ANS Terra with solid shot. The gunfire exchange was impressive, but the energy bloom showing on the screen was what caught all of their attention. Though invisible to the naked eye, the overlays simply placed the particle beam buildup onto the visuals so that the gunfire could be seen. With a single pulse, the emitters released a burst of energy so great that the front third of ANS Terra vanished in a bright blue explosion. Chunks of ship tore off, with at least one section piercing one of the nearby ships.

“This is Admiral Churchill. Cease fire immediately or face annihilation.”

Even Admiral Anderson was impressed at the few short words from the old warhorse. As surrender indicators appeared on the imagery, he turned around to look at his comrades.

“That, people, is how you make an entrance.”

He rubbed his lower lip.

“Now, let’s get this show on the road. I’m sure the Admiral is capable of resolving any outstanding issues on Terra Nova without our help. In the meantime, I have a war to fight.”

How do our forces match up with those of our enemies? Since the inclusion of second-generation technology, our ships have gained direct-energy weapons and artificial gravity. This level of advancement puts us on parity with the vessels of races such as the Helions and T’Kari. Even the Biomechs appear no less advanced than us, apart from their use of biomechanical structure for some of their ships. This level of resilience gives them great staying power in prolonged space combat.

Naval Cadet’s Handbook

Low-Orbit, Spascia, Helion Sector

There was no glimmer of emotion from Teresa as she watched the mainscreen. The Captain of the ship continued to bark orders to the crew, but for Teresa the only thing of interest was the ruined city. She had seen the images months earlier, but the sight of the ancient ruins was still a shock. Spascia had been the site of one of the many massacres in the old wars. Now whatever remained of the city was long gone.

“It’s incredible, don’t you think?” asked Commander Jameson, the ship’s XO.

“How so?” Teresa replied in a monotone voice.

“Helios Prime was destroyed from space. The bombardment flattened entire blocks of the city. Spascia is something else entirely. This destruction is from artillery and infantry assault. It’s like something from the twentieth century on old Earth.”

Teresa didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. The Marine transport was actually one of the newly commandeered civilian transports that had been upgraded to military specification. That last part she might have found amusing on any other day. The reality was that the computer systems, wiring, and paint scheme had been changed. There were also bunks where the cargo holds had once been. To the right was another of the transports, her hull streaked with fire as they smashed through the upper atmosphere. There was a single Byotai transport, its semi-biological look in direct contrast to the hard edges of the human vessels.

“Colonel, are your marines ready?” asked the Captain.

Teresa looked at the man and his worried expression. She could understand why in the circumstances. They were flying a glorified civilian transport directly into the teeth of an ongoing siege.

They aren’t my marines.

She watched them file aboard, had even spoken with all their officers. But this was no Marine regiment, battalion, or even a company. The fighting on Helios Prime had seen to that weeks ago. These were squads and platoons from a dozen different units. Some had only just arrived to replace those on the ground; others were in transit to different parts of the planet when the orders had arrived. Teresa closed her eyes for a second and recalled the imagery of the three ships; each filled with nearly five hundred marines apiece. There were more vessels following, but these carried an odd assortment of private security and ex-military forces.

“They are waiting, Captain.”

“Good, because we are coming down hard and fast.”

The Captain sounded nervous, and as the clouds of smoke began to separate, she could see why. They were flying along the path of the great chasm, and off into the distance was the mountain. The view to the left was of smaller mountain peaks and crags. It was the wasteland to the right that was the most stunning. Unlike the ruins of Helios Prime, this city had never been a tall one. The collapsed superstructures on the capital world were still huge, even in their destruction. Spascia was a graveyard for metal and masonry.

“There they are,” said the XO.

He pointed off to the right where vast amounts of gunfire could be seen. Teresa checked her overlay in her helmet that showed the tactical position.

“Yes, that’s the frontline. Last reports from General Gun said our troops had cleared an area two kilometers from the chasm. They are holding them as long as possible so we can get our ships down.”

“No, you can’t be serious. That’s the landing platforms, next to the bridges?”

The Captain looked to Teresa, shaking his head.

“Show me,” said Teresa.

The Captain gave his orders, and the helmsman changed the mainscreen to show a magnified view of the landing grounds. The platforms were wide and easily large enough for assault craft and Maulers to land. There were three in operation; the others appeared to be filled with wreckage. Teresa looked for a moment and then realized two of them were covered with the wreckage of a Khreenk heavy transport.

“Yes, that’s the spot.”

“Colonel, I can’t put us down in a space that small.”

He looked back to the screen.

“It’s impossible.”

Teresa looked at the details sent over by Gun and tried to hide her smile.

“Captain, the specifications are accurate. You will have a fifty percent margin of error for the landing. You will put this transport down on the pad, and I will get our forces out and into action in less than six minutes.”

She spotted him looking to his XO, who shook his head in disagreement. Normally, she was very restrained, but this attitude was beginning to annoy her. They’d left the rest of the fleet to join Anderson, Lewis, and the others at the assembly point off Micaya. These were all the reinforcements that could be expected for Spascia for a month, perhaps longer.

“Captain. If we do not land, then this planet will fall. We will lose the weapon, the world, and every single man and woman we sent here.”

It was common knowledge that her son was one of those fighting in the never-ending battle. Mostly assumed it was a fruitless fight, but there was nothing that could be done to quickly resolve the situation. There was no way to leave the planet, and the millions of Helion civilians that would have to be left behind. General Gun’s forces had done the impossible, and still the enemy attacked from their heavily entrenched positions.

“Captain, an urgent message from General Gun.”

He nodded and pointed to the mainscreen.

“Put it up.”

The image from the inside of Gun’s helmet appeared. The footage was slightly blurred, and bright light from nearby sent flashes and flares into the lens. Teresa stood in front of the massive screen.

“General.”

“Colonel, good to see you.”

The image flashed white. The wizened General grimaced, and the footage shook. It blurred so badly that it was barely possible to make out his face. Then it settled again, but not for long.

“The frontline is weak. My Vanguards and Jötnar have plugged what they can.”

He moved his eyes, shouting off to somebody to his left.

“Send two squads to the barricade. You, get that gun into position, now!”

Again came the flashes of gunfire as he blasted an unseen enemy.

“We can hold but not for much longer. How long till you land?”

Teresa looked to the Captain. He shook his head once more.

“I told you, Colonel, we can’t do it.”

Gun must have heard because his eyes moved to the center of his visor. It was as though he was looking right at those in the ship.

“What did I just hear?” he growled.

The Captain swallowed nervously, but Gun continued, giving him no time to reply.

“I have Marines, Jötnar, Vanguards, Khreenk, machines, and even Helion civilians fighting on this frontline. Every minute is costing us lives. You will land that ship, Captain, or I promise you, I will get to you and tear your damn throat out!”

His eyes widened as he opened fire once more, and this time it was possible to see the reflection on his visor. It was blurred and difficult to see, but Teresa was sure she could see a Thegn move right in front of him before Gun smashed it down with his arm.

“Colonel, get your people here fast. We need the bridges secured and a reserve line ready. I’ll hold for fifteen more minutes. Any longer, and we’ll be overrun.”

Teresa pushed the Captain out of her way and moved closer.

“Hang in there, Gun. We’re coming.”

Gun nodded, and the image vanished. Teresa turned around to face the Captain. Her hand slid down to her thigh and perilously close to her sidearm.

“I don’t care how you get us down. You can land with cheerleaders waving on both sides, or you can crash-land into the middle of the pad. Either way, we are not leaving this planet until every one of my marines is on the ground.”

She leaned in a few centimeters so he could see her eyes.

“Do you understand me, Captain?”

The man took in a slow breath.

“Very well, I will do what I can.”

Teresa feigned a smile.

“I can’t expect you to do any more, can I?”

The vast starship shuddered at it continued down toward the thicker atmosphere. At their speed, the thermal energy was vast, so much so, that only a vessel designed for this kind of re-entry could ever hope to survive. A few low-level alerts triggered, but nothing too serious. The XO spoke briefly with the tactical officer and then moved toward the Captain. He ignored Teresa, but she waited and listened while watching the imagery of their descent.

“Sir, the frontline has been ruptured in four places. Heavy walkers supported by infantry are inside our lines. We have two groups making a run for the chasm.”

Teresa pointed at the shapes overlaid on the mainscreen.

“Yes, in the next hour, possibly less, the Biomechs will have surrounded this strongpoint. They need to fall back to the chasm, now.”

Commander Jameson looked at her as if Teresa had just spoken in a foreign language.

“Are you serious, Colonel? If they fall back now, the Biomechs will be able to reach the chasm in half the time.”

Teresa walked to the nearest computer and spoke quickly to the junior officer. The young, nervous looking man pulled an intercom from its holder and handed it to her. She glared at the Captain and pointed to the screen.

“Get this ship down, and fast!”

He moved away, and she was left to speak on the intercom.

“General, it’s Teresa. Your frontline is broken. The enemy is heading for the chasm. You need to pull back, right now.”

The audio was much poorer quality than before, but it was enough for her to make out the voice and exertions of Gun. He was clearly right in the middle of a fight for his life, yet still he spoke.

“Understood. It’s about time one of you got here. Get a move on.”

It was short, but even Teresa couldn’t hide the smile on her face. Gun was as reliable as any man you could find. He would happily stay there and fight for the next week, or until he was physically unable to do so any longer. That was no help to her though.

I’ve got a battle to win, and somewhere out there is Jack.

The audio crackled, and then Gun spoke once more.

“Your boy, he’s here. I’ll make sure he gets out.”

It wasn’t much, but those few words from the Jötnar meant more to her than news that a thousand marines might have just landed. Just the mention of her son’s name filled her soul with a hunger for the fight. She handed back the intercom and walked to the Captain and his XO. They both looked at her as she approached, but the Captain spoke first.

“We’ll be on the ground in less than four minutes. I suggest you…”

Teresa lifted her hand to silence him.

“No suggestions, Captain. Get my people on the ground, and then prepare your ship to leave. You have the rendezvous point at Micaya. You will take whatever casualties are waiting, and then get the hell out of Dodge.”

Teresa considered grabbing his collar but did her best to stay calm and collected. There was little point in insulting the man and belittling him in front of his own crew. She still needed his help, and it was critical he understood that his job didn’t end when they hit the ground.

“Remember, this is just one battle. Anderson needs every ship he can get to fight at Micaya. Even this old bucket has plenty of fight in her, don’t you think?”

She might have been smiling, but neither of the two Navy officers found her words particularly endearing. The ship was large and carried a substantial crew, but not one of them believed for a second their modified civilian transport would stand up to much in a major space battle. Teresa could see their confusion, and she started to walk away to join her fellow marines deep inside the vessel.

“Captain. Even an unarmed ship with no armor can make a difference. Admiral Anderson is a tactical mastermind. If you get the ship to him, he will find a use for you, even if it’s just to make the fleet look larger than it really is. Good luck, Gentlemen.”

Teresa walked out through the door and left them staring at her in surprise.

“Is she mad?” asked the XO.

The Captain shook his head and sighed.

“No, but she is the wife of Spartan. Would you expect any less?”

* * *

The Three Sisters, Spascia, Helion Sector