Star Crusades

by Michael G. Thomas

  “Who are they?”

  “Like the Sarge said, we got filled out. Platoon’s at capacity again, but with a lot of newbies fresh from the frontline.”

  She leaned in and whispered into her ear.

  “We’ve got some new blood from Carthago in our lance.”

  “Carthago?”

  “Oh, yeah. Been there?”

  “A couple of times, it reminded me of a museum that somebody had dropped a bomb on.”

  “Well. Good luck. In my experience they’re arrogant and the least tolerant people I’ve ever met. Either you’re a Carthago citizen, or you’re nothing but a provincial yokel that bends the knee to the Alliance Council.”

  Valentine laughed, and then noticed Hawkins was back, and at his side a fully repaired Nova.

  “Kallias?”

  She moved up to him and embraced.

  “I thought you’d bought it in our last fight.”

  “Me, too.”

  She held onto him for an uncomfortably long time, and as they released, he looked over to Alexis and then back to Valentine.

  “Are you okay?”

  Valentine’s mind was already wandering, and right back to that brutal last minute on Deimos. She could see it now as though she was there, the great spike that had punched through Kallias’ body. It was a powerful blow that must have severed his spine and central nervous system, and would have killed him in minutes, if not seconds.

  “I thought you had died on…”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he said happily, “I don’t remember a thing, but I’ve got the scars to prove it.”

  She moved her right hand to his armour and placed it over the point where the spike had entered. She closed her eyes and saw it all happen again. When they reopened, a few tears ran down to her cheek.

  “You died again, my friend. Don’t do that again. Okay?”

  He laughed, but this time it sounded faked.

  “Whatever you say, Val. What about you? You’ve been out of action longer than all of us combined. From what I read, only four of you were left from the last assault, and you were all found under a heap of bodies. That must have been traumatic. I can’t believe that…”

  Valentine was no longer hearing him, but instead she could see nothing more than blackness. And through that blackness came hands, claws, and blades. She visibly shuddered and then put on her best smile.

  “Me? I’m good to go, trust me. You know what it’s like, it takes a few days to get back into the swing of things.”

  “Well, let’s get inside,” said Hawkins, “We’re launching soon.”

  They moved back towards the entrances to the four quarters for the embarked marines, each of which was big enough for a dozen individuals. A final passage connected them and led to a communal area, as well as showers and toilets.

  “Wait,” said Valentine, “I need to visit the armoury first.”

  She nodded to the doorway to the left, leading to the armoury space.

  “Yeah, get those limbs checked out,” said Alexis, “and then join us in the rec room. We’ve all got a lot of catching up to do.”

  Valentine looked to each of them and then nodded.

  “I won’t be long.”

  She turned to the transparent door leading into the expanded armoury and fabrication bay. It was built onto the side of the landing deck and adjoined the barrack space, and as she saw inside, she thought back to how it had looked before. It was a big space, with racks along the walls, and several heavy metal tables and clamp-fitted chairs that could be angled about.

  They’ve cut down on the barrack space, haven’t they?

  Correct, replied Tex, much to her surprise and pleasure.

  She moved to the door, waiting as it scanned her before she was allowed inside.

  “Lance Corporal,” said a voice to the right, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Valentine turned and was surprised to see Lieutenant Jack Fletcher inside, as well as a junior tech specialist making adjustments to one of his legs. The ship’s artificer nodded towards her. He was a grim looking man, bearing the insignia and demeanour of a master sergeant. His eyes seemed too small for his head, yet his gaze seemed to burn through her body. She felt immediately on edge, as though she had just done something terrible.

  “You’re late.”

  “It’s okay,” said Lieutenant Fletcher, “There was a delay with the Lance Corporal’s firmware patch. It happens.”

  The man’s nostrils twitched, and he looked at her more carefully.

  “So, you’re one of the last survivors of the Deimos siege?”

  “Yes, Master Sergeant.”

  “That was some good soldiering.”

  He indicated her to come forward and took a good look at her.

  “So, you’ve had the firmware upgrades. Have you been told of the changes to hardware?”

  Valentine shook her head, and at the same time an alarm sounded through the ship. The noise didn’t concern her. In fact, she was quite pleased to hear it.

  “This is the Captain. Buckle up, we’re leaving Deimos immediately.”

  A moment later the ship began to shake, and then a hum spread through the craft. Valentine knew it was the motorised landing gear and thrusters that had such an effect on the hull and structure of the ship. No matter how complex or advanced the design, it was almost impossible to disguise so significant forces on her hull.

  “Goodbye, Deimos,” said the Lieutenant, “I for one am not sorry to be leaving this place.”

  Valentine tried to imagine what was happening and inadvertently activated her Cortex.

  Show me where we are.

  Imagery appeared in her mind, as though she was remembering something that happened to be streaming live. It was a strange feeling, and as she turned her head, she could see from several of the active video feeds.

  “Camera feed through your Cortex?” asked the Master Sergeant.

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  “It’s a useful feature, if your mind can handle it. Access to the cameras is limited to lance and platoon leaders only. It is likely to be disabled once we join the fleet. Enjoy it while you can.”

  He was about to say more, but the Captain’s voice returned. Valentine listened, and she watched in fascination as the ship moved up higher and higher through the tunnel. There were weapons installations in several places along the inside, and she could make out a number of work crews installing more heavy equipment throughout.

  “Next stop, rendezvous with the fleet,” said Captain Regina, “We will remain in the system for only an hour before heading to the Rift, and to war.”

  Valentine looked to the Lieutenant, and the feed to the outside faded as quickly as it had arrived. She instantly felt boxed in inside the ship, with it seeming so much smaller than the world she’d just experienced.

  “What do you think?” The Lieutenant rose to his feet and then tested the movement of his adjusted leg. He grunted happily as the actuators shifted the lower leg with ease. It took a second before Valentine realised he was talking to her.

  “I…uh, sorry, Sir. What do I think of what?”

  He nodded to his right.

  “The armoury? As a refit ship she’s got more space than before. Barracks are larger inside, with room for two platoons of marines or eight lances of Novas.”

  He then grinned.

  “We take up more space.”

  With his right arm he pointed off to the racks. Valentine looked to his limb and felt a pang of loss. It was the one thing being a Nova had left her without, the ability to touch, and to be touched. The artificial body parts she’d been fitted with did connect directly through her nervous system, but it was not the same, not even close.

  “Very well, I need to get you all ready. Check the equipment fits, and then be on the deck for your briefing at the top of the hour.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He moved away, leaving Valentine with the Master Sergeant.

  “Lance Corp
oral?”

  She looked back at him but found it impossible to make out much from his lack of expression.

  “With your upgrades you can now use the mark four prosthetics.”

  “Mark four? I didn’t know there were…”

  “Until now you’ve been using the 1st gen tech. Mark four hardware is classed as 2nd gen.”

  He rose to his feet, and only then did Valentine realise he had artificial legs. They were a strange hybrid, with what looked like normal proportion, yet with the power and mobility of Nova hardware. He lifted the fabric up to his knee to show off the design.

  “Wow,” said Valentine.

  “Fresh from the fabricators onboard Deimos and based on the designs from Taxxu. Enhanced synthetic skin fitted over the new combat chassis system.”

  “You mean I could have normal arms and legs again?”

  The man smiled, and for a second Valentine gained a peak inside the mind of the man.

  “Not normal, but they will at least look more the part. Hell, you might even get a date with these on. We don’t have any onboard for you Novas.”

  He could see the change in expression on Valentine’s face, the disappointment.

  “But when you return, I understand these new designs will be standard issue for Novas, and for injured veterans with the required hardware.”

  He walked to one of the many weapons and equipment racks. The first was packed with weaponry, and Valentine found her eyes drawn to the gear she had already used extensively on Deimos and other worlds. There were standard arms twice the thickness of a human limb, armoured, and reinforced for heavy combat. There were also those with integral firearms and close combat weapons.

  “Let’s try some of these on, shall we?”

  He whistled, and a young Private emerged from behind one of the racks.

  “Yes, Master Sergeant?”

  “Over here, we’ve got a Nova in need of new parts.”

  Valentine smiled as she moved towards the locking clamps. They were remarkably like those used on dropships for marines to lock personnel into in flight. She moved into position and waited as clamps moved around her. She could move her arms and upper body, but her torso was now locked so she would not fall.

  “Let’s start with the legs.”

  The Private moved to the racks, and then used the motorised mount to move several of the heavy limbs towards Valentine. She looked at them with interest. For starters, they appeared brand new, with few marks on their plates. The harsher angles were also gone, making them far more pleasing to the eye.

  “The upgraded design is the same size as before.”

  “Isn’t that always the same?” she said while nodding, “Nothing ever gets smaller or lighter in the military. If it does, it will just have more attached to it.”

  “Oorah,” said the Master Sergeant, “And because of those improvements you get twice the armour, thirty percent more speed, and attachment points for future upgrades.”

  “Upgrades?”

  The Master Sergeant chuckled.

  “For the future.”

  Valentine turned her attention to the right as her second leg was removed. She felt a pulse of energy through her body, and then the new leg was being pushed into position. As she looked to the racks of parts and equipment, she found her eyes drawn to several of the new arms.

  “Master Sergeant. What about the weapons? Have they been upgraded?”

  “Show her.” He indicated towards the Private, “I think we have some new pieces of equipment the Lance Corporal will very much enjoy.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Morato Class Frigate ‘Nautilus’, Mars, Sol System

  26th May 2475

  Valentine watched in silence as the men and women of the platoon formed up in half lances. They’d been in space a matter of hours and already she could tell the ship was moving away. There was a subtle, yet discernible feel when the main drive was active, even with the ship’s advanced artificial gravity engaged. Her interest was not on the ship this time, but towards the people. Combat, followed by her long recovery on Deimos, had left her separated from much of the unit and people in general.

  “Not bad?” Kallias whispered towards her.

  She angled her head back and smiled.

  “Yeah, it’s about time.”

  “Eyes front!” said a gruff voice from the front.

  Valentine was in the second rank and right behind Acting Corporal Alexis Kleinlercher, the leader of her half lance. Behind her were Hawkins and Kallias, and all fully armoured up for inspection.

  “1st Platoon…Attention!”

  Each stiffened up as Lieutenant Jack Fletcher marched onto the hangar deck. At his flank was the platoon’s artificer, the gruff old Master Sergeant that had helped Valentine with her upgraded components. A corporal or sergeant led each of the five lances, with two more junior NCOs commanding the half lances.

  “At ease.” The Lieutenant looked out at the entire platoon, “About damned time.”

  Valentine began to smile, even though she tried to force herself not to react. It had been quite some time since she’d seen many of the others, and even longer since they’d been a full platoon. More than half were complete strangers, with no two of them looking the same. The Novas used a mixture of different hardware, some carrying heavy assault equipment, and others nothing but firearms.

  “Novas! We’ve been mobilised for one reason only.” The Lieutenant looked to each of the lances from his position at the front, “Epsilon Eridani calls for aid, and we’re answering the call. That is right, ladies and gentlemen, we’re going into action once more.”

  “Yes!” said a voice behind her.

  Valentine looked back, but all of the Novas acted as though it hadn’t been one of them. As she watched, she thought Hawkins winked with one eye, but she could not be sure.

  “Fleet is already about to breach the system, and we’ve being held in reserve at the border with the Interstellar Assault Brigade.”

  Some of those present muttered in frustration at what they were hearing.

  “We are the response team. If our people run into trouble, we will be there to save them. And to do that, we have been seconded to the IAB assault squadron. They’re bringing six ships to the fight, plus our six heavy frigates.”

  He placed his hands on his hips and smiled.

  “God help the Skils if they choose to pick another fight. Now, I have several meetings with the IAB commanders. We will be working closely with IAB units, that means the best marines they have available, plus Maverick combat platforms and assault Grunts.”

  Alexis looked back towards Valentine, who still seemed relatively unimpressed by the news. The Mavericks in particular were something many of them had aspired to in their previous lives, even if they now carried similar equipment and weaponry attached to their armour.

  “You’ll be briefed closer to the time. In the meantime, I suggest you work on your fireteam and lance drills. Any questions?”

  Valentine waited, but other than a few grumbles and some at the back muttering, none had any actual questions for the Lieutenant. In the past, Valentine might have tried to think of something to make sure she got the attention of the CO, but not anymore. She was no rookie and had seen enough combat to have impeccable credentials. This time she had several concerns, but she decided to focus down on just one, being as nobody else was speaking. She cleared her throat and then spoke out.

  “Sir. You’re saying we will not be going into action as a complete company?”

  “Correct, Lance Corporal. IAB commander, General Gun has requested Nova platoons to be divided up amongst his units to augment IAB companies.”

  The mention of the legendary war hero seemed to garner significant interest in the men and women on the deck, though some had less than positive things to say about the old warhorse. Love him or hate him, the General was a figure known to every Marine and Nova, much like General Rivers, Admiral Jarvis, and the infamous Spartan. Names now closer to
characters than anything a normal Human could live up to. Perhaps more important, he was known as a soldier that would not hold back from action. If they were going in alongside General Gun’s forces, they could expect to be in the thick of the action.

  “Anything else?”

  One of the men in the rebuilt 1st Lance spoke up. His accent was so thick Valentine could barely understand him.

  “Yes, Sir. What is the state of the system now, Sir?”

  “A good question. The plain and simple truth is that Epsilon Eridani is a ruin. While we were struggling to hold Mars and her moons, the Ski’ligs ran rampant through the system. They destroyed what facilities we had left and then moved back to their ships. But contrary to the media, the enemy remains there. Perhaps they are preparing to leave, or perhaps they are there to lay a trap.”

  He then shrugged.

  “All I can say is that we have two objectives. One…we find the Ski’ligs, wherever they may be. And two, we go in and kick their asses so hard they’ll never think of returning.”

  That drew a chorus of laughter and pleasure from the Novas.

  “Novas, more than anybody else, are looking for some payback. And you’ve earned it. The first time we met they kicked us down hard, and we lost a lot of good people. Worse than that, they turned our citizens against us, and that has spread fear back home.”

  Valentine hadn’t heard this before and angled her head a little to listen more clearly. She could have asked Tex to amplify the sound, or simply to record it, but sometimes it was difficult to shake off the old habits.

  “I’ve seen the stories on Prime, Kerberos, and Terra Nova. There’s a real fear that other lifeforms may be able to exhibit similar control over us, and that we’re vulnerable.”

  He nodded along as his eyes locked onto Valentine’s.

  “So once the system is clear, we will follow their trail back to wherever they live. Our ships have long legs now, and we will bring the fight to them. When this is over, the very thought of us will infect their minds and grip their bodies with terror.”