Star Crusades

by Michael G. Thomas

  They moved onwards, pushing past floating wreckage and into a passage half torn open and exposed to the elements.

  “Valentine. Report in,” said Sergeant Jablonsky, “Found anything yet?”

  “Negative, just wreckage and bodies.”

  She had to pull her arms in tight, as they floated through two more sections and then worked their way further inside the ship. Blue light still ran along parts of the interior, though most was as cold as the air outside.

  “We’re past the worst of the damage.” They passed on by two more bodies. These were fully intact, though their limbs were bent back into impossible positions.

  “Blunt force trauma,” said Kallias, “They hit something hard.”

  As they pushed forward, Valentine spotted something ahead.

  “Sergeant, I’ve got a bright light directly ahead. I’ve tagged it and moving in to investigate.”

  “Good work. Check for traps, and then check again.”

  “Yes, Sarge.”

  They moved another few metres when a great gout of gas erupted from the right. A moment later it ignited and sent a cloud of fire towards them.

  “Get back!” Kallias yelled.

  He tried to grab Valentine, but she used her thrusters and pushed through the fire. Some of her armour ignited, but the lack of air and the frozen temperature stopped it as quickly as it had begun. She pushed on ahead, while Kallias watched her.

  “Val, you’re crazy!”

  “Up to you, Kallias. Stay there, or come with me.”

  He grunted and then followed through the fireball. As he reached the other side, he had to veer away before almost crashing into Valentine. She was floating in the middle of a ruined space filled with half-functioning displays, as well as another group of bodies.

  “I can’t believe it.” Valentine looked at the data, “We’ve got it. They were in the middle of escaping when they were crippled. Look!”

  “What do you mean? How can you tell?”

  “I’ve seen these glyphs before. Tex is running a translation on them now.”

  Valentine reached forward and pointed to the star system shown in the display. It was one of several and surrounded by a blinking marker. Whatever it was, the place was clearly the most significant in the entire area.

  “That right there. That’s where they had set their coordinates for their escape. And the glyphs next to it, they’re a name or marker for the place.”

  “Yeah? What is it?”

  Valentine shrugged.

  “We have nothing on their pronunciation or speech, if they even have it. But those marks match the information taken from them in the fighting around Mars. We already have the coordinates for their star, but now we have a lot more. Look.”

  She pointed at the planet, and then moved her arms. The imagery pulled back and showed an entire star system and its array of planets and countless moons.

  It took a second, and then a smile spread over his lips.

  “Wait, you’re saying we’ve got an entire map of their home system. Planets, moons, distances, the lot?”

  “Better.”

  She pointed to the tagged planet.

  “There’re marked coordinates on the planet. It must be important, maybe a capital world or a station. This means we won’t be arriving blind.”

  She looked back at him as Sergeant Jablonsky and the others entered the space.

  “This ship has got a few minutes left at most. It’s time to…”

  He stopped and moved closer to look at the data.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. The Boss will be happy about this. Grab what you can and then bug out. It looks like we’re going to be busy.”

  “Yes, Sarge.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Morato Class Frigate ‘Nautilus’, Deep Space

  27th May 2475

  Valentine kept her eyes closed as she ran her mind over the recent events. She’d had a lot of time to think about what she’d seen onboard the alien ship, but now her mind had begun to compare that to everything else she’d seen and learnt in the past. The only communication had come from intelligence stripped from the damaged or destroyed ship or taken from the minds of their dying warriors. She remembered the times she had been close to them when they’d called to her and numbed her mind.

  What do they want with us?

  “Val?” asked a familiar voice, and in that moment all thoughts of the creature faded, to be replaced by Alexis. She opened her eyes, and there she was, dressed in her duty uniform and sporting standard limbs.

  “I’m here.” Valentine’s vision focused more acutely, “Problem?”

  “No, no problem. I still can’t believe what we’re doing.”

  Valentine leaned back in her bunk and lifted her leg so that she could see the knee. With no more than her underclothes on, she could get a good look at the new body parts and reached out to touch the artificial skin. She knew right away that it was not hers, and yet the touch and feel were remarkably close, almost like touching a gloved hand.

  “Not bad,” said Kallias from his own bunk, “Need a second set of eyes to take a look?”

  Valentine shook her head in mock annoyance.

  “Cute, Kallias. Why would I need your help? I can look at my own legs, and you spend far too much time looking at your own.”

  “Yeah!” Hawkins laughed as he continued a series of sit-ups in the middle of the space, “Val’s not wrong. You spend way too much time in the mirror. Should I be worried?”

  The two continued their banter, while Valentine focused her attention back on Alexis. The woman looked troubled, and that instantly put Valentine on edge. She swung her bare legs off the bunk and hung them just off the metal flooring.

  “Talk to me. What’s up?”

  “Oh, a few things. You can tell, huh?”

  Valentine smiled and then nodded.

  “Of course.”

  “Well, first up. It’s Tsarkov. I can tell something is going on. Whenever I’m near him and he’s alone, there’s this look on his face. Like he’s planning something.”

  “You’re serious? He doesn’t look the type.”

  “Oh, not like that.” She snapped back in surprise, “No, I think he’s trying to get the eye of the Lieutenant, maybe pushing for command of the lance.”

  “Jablonsky is in command, and he’s not going anywhere.”

  “No, that’s not what worries me.” She leaned in closer, “Just watch your back. He’s all about himself and his career. Trust me, he’d see us left behind and torched if it meant a promotion.”

  Valentine looked past her and noticed that Tsarkov was out on the landing platform currently being used as a training space. Like most ships, space was a premium, and it would be used for whatever was required at the time. Tsarkov was running through combat drills with his people, and they seemed to be working well.

  “Okay,” said Valentine, “Got it. Now…who fancies a little…”

  A shape moved onto the deck, and they all snapped to attention.

  “Officer on deck!”

  Valentine was still in her underclothes and quickly grabbed her tunic before the Lieutenant strode into view. He nodded to the others, and then came right into 3rd Lance’s quarters.

  “Stand easy,” he said as he moved inside.

  He noticed Valentine wasn’t fully dressed and nodded to himself.

  “Lance Corporal, I thought you’d like to know that the data you and Private Kallias obtained has been verified by our analysts. You’ve brought attention of the Platoon to the General, and he’s impressed.”

  “Yes, Sir. We were just following orders.”

  “Indeed. In any case, this information is being used at this very moment for the planning of our operation, and it will be put to good use. Good work out there, Novas.”

  He turned and walked away, leaving a confused Valentine and Alexis. Alexis spoke first.

  “He does remember that he was with us, right?”

  Valentine laughed.r />
  “Maybe, maybe not. Who can tell with most of these officers anymore?”

  Valentine reached for the rest of her clothing and dressed as quickly as she could. Alexis watched her as she finished buttoning her blouse.

  “You’re looking a lot better,” she said with a smile, “You heal faster than expected.”

  Valentine was not quite sure what to say to that.

  “Well, my body has had a lot of practice.”

  A light blinked in her eyes, followed by an urgent message warning. She looked to Alexis who was also looking at something projected inside her mind.

  “Same?” Valentine asked.

  “Yeah. Jablonsky wants us on the deck in ten minutes.”

  “Another briefing?”

  Alexis shook her head.

  “No, he’s got something else planned today.”

  Valentine took a step to the door, but Alexis reached out to stop her.

  “You need your combat limbs for this one, trust me.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  * * *

  Valentine moved out from her quarters, past the armoury, and towards the waiting Novas. Those from the other lances were going through different exercises, but all of her attention was focused on Sergeant Jablonsky and something next to him covered in black material. Tsarkov’s platoon was waiting in silence, and she was sure one of his privates sneered as she moved closer.

  What’s his problem?

  “3rd Lance, we’re going into action in the next three days, and this time we’re going in with more experience than ever before. You know the mission, and it’s a simple one. We’re knocking down their front door, and we’re moving in.”

  “Hell, yeah!” Private Colston said. A few others must have heard because one clapped his hands, and then quickly stopped as he spotted the withering glance from the Sergeant. Had these been regular marines there would have been series implications for their behaviour, but the Novas were anything but regulars. They were veterans; combat experienced, and had suffered mutilation and death. They were granted leeway, but in exchange for that leeway they were expected to do the impossible.

  The Sergeant turned and moved slowly in front of them.

  “The Ski’ligs are no longer a surprise to us, but that doesn’t mean we have nothing to learn. If Deimos taught us anything, it’s that the enemy is tenacious and deadly. We cannot under any circumstances underestimate its power.”

  He pulled off the fabric cover to reveal a bizarre robot mannequin. One of Tsarkov’s men whistled in a low tone, and then stopped as the Sergeant’s gaze moved towards him.

  “Anybody seen this before?”

  No one answered until Valentine angled her head slightly.

  “Sergeant, it looks like a combat Grunt, but with a few changes to look more like a Ski’lig warrior.”

  “Exactly, the core is a combat Grunt as used by the IAB. A subset is being trialled for use as security support on stations and bases. This is one of those machines but modified for our use.”

  “We’re being swapped out for robots?” asked a disappointed Tsarkov.

  “No, Lance Corporal, we are not.”

  He tapped the machine on the head.

  “This unit is programmed for a limited series of tasks, one of which is to simulate close combat threats. Based on data captured by our armour over the last year, the boffins at Taxxu have created something we can use for our training.”

  He gave the machine a nod, and it rose almost half a metre taller. Its arms lifted, and one of the Novas gasped as improvised wing components expanded out with the arms. Sergeant Jablonsky whistled, and a tech came running in with a perfect replica of a Ski’lig rifle. He pushed it towards the Grunt, and it took the weapon, gripping it in both hands. What happened next caused three of the Novas to even take a step back. The Grunt adopted a fighting stance that perfectly mimicked a Ski’lig, with its heels raised and its head pushed out from the hunched stance.

  “Lance Corporal Tsarkov, two of your lance have not seen combat with this threat before, have they?”

  “No, Sergeant.”

  The two men looked unimpressed as Sergeant Jablonsky circled the robot.

  “Well, what have you heard about these creatures?”

  The first of the two, the most arrogant of Tsarkov’s new recruits, seemed particularly taken with it. He nodded towards the machine and to its wings.

  “Some kind of bird species. Light bones, some type of harpoon weapons, and a serious attitude. Novas seem like overkill to deal with them.”

  Sergeant Jablonsky did not seem overly impressed by his summary, so he turned to the second.

  “Private Peterson, can you enlighten us with your wisdom?”

  “Colston covered it, Sarge. They’re bird people, like the ones that fought Ming the Merciless.”

  That drew laughter from some of the others.

  “I see,” said Jablonsky in a tone the more experienced of the lance recognised right away.

  Man…you’ve done it now, Valentine thought.

  Alexis glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow in amusement.

  “Disappointing,” said the Sergeant, “These creatures are strong, adaptable, and highly capable warriors. Their technology is far superior to ours in many ways, and they can do things we have never dreamt of.”

  He shook his head and moved back to the Grunt.

  “Birds do not have hollow bones. The Ski’ligs are similar, and use a hexagonal structure inside, like a honeycomb. It gives then stronger bones than our own at a fraction of the weight. Their society is different to ours, and so far we only have knowledge of those we have met in combat. Corporal Kleinlercher. Explain what they are like to fight.”

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  She moved in front of the creature and tapped its weapon.

  “The Ski’ligs appear to be a hunter focused race, or at least those that travel away from their worlds. They are light, fast, and can fly in most environments. Their suits are sealed, and they are equipped with a form of thruster tech to move in zero gravity at speeds we cannot match.”

  She took the rifle from its hands and checked it was safe before continuing.

  “Their weapons can penetrate even Rhino armour at close-range, and they prefer to maim instead of kill. This matches our understanding of their hunting prowess.”

  She fitted it back into its hands.

  “And then there is its ability, one we do not understand, to numb the mind and to manipulate those it captures.”

  “No way,” said Colston, to the surprise of all those there other than Peterson.

  “The Corporal is correct,” said Sergeant Jablonsky, “Left unchecked, the Ski’ligs can turn a population in a matter of days, sometimes hours. Each of you will spend the rest of the time until we arrive either training or researching these creatures.”

  He pointed to the newcomers.

  “Do not underestimate your enemy, gentlemen. I would hate to see you turned against us in battle by those you deem unworthy. I’d have to put you down, personally.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence, and as Colston looked towards Valentine, she flashed him a smile. His cheeks quivered slightly, and she knew she’d got under his skin. It was a minor moment, but a small victory.

  “Enough talk, it’s time to fight. Lance Corporal Valentine, front and centre.”

  Valentine hadn’t been expecting that, and it quickly wiped the smile from her face. She moved to the front of the lance and faced off against the motionless machine.

  “Now…Valentine here has opted for the less potent combination of weaponry when it comes to ranged combat.”

  Somebody sniggered, much to the Sergeant’s irritation.

  “You, Colston. Here…now! Your strength will be cut down to a third. You will hit it, not destroy it. This machine is a training aid.”

  The man moved to the front and positioned himself alongside Valentine. There was little difference in height bet
ween them, though his torso was so much bigger he looked like a tank next to her. He carried a pair of assault limbs, the type Valentine favoured for her right. The hand could be used as a mace in close combat, and also featured the L52S Mark II Assault Pistol built into the forearm. At his shoulder was a gun rig mount for a cannon.

  “Close combat weapons only,” said Jablonsky, “Visor up…Fight!”

  Colston looked stunned as the robotic Ski’lig came for him. It moved in quickly and slammed its rifle towards his face. The visor was not in position yet and struck his cheek, spraying blood that hit Valentine in the face. She moved in to defend him, but Jablonsky called out to her.

  “No, get back!”

  Valentine did as ordered, but she still called out to him.

  “Turtle up, they’re faster than you.”

  Colston glanced towards her, and then back to the machine.

  “No way,” he grunted, “I don’t hunker down against Xeno parasites.”

  “Big mistake,” said Alexis.

  The Ski’lig sidestepped three times and then kicked down at his armoured leg. A Human limb would have shattered instantly, but the Rhino armour simply buckled, and he lost his footing for a moment. That was enough for the Ski’lig to strike him in the back.

  “Listen to those that came before you,” said Sergeant Jablonsky, “Use their experience to make you stronger.”

  More blows came in, and still he lifted his arms into something more akin to a boxing stance. The strikes hit near his face, and this time he was able to ward them off.

  “Create openings,” said Valentine, “Let its confidence become a weakness. Know where it is attacking, and be ready to…”

  “Okay,” he said as he stepped to avoid a strike, “I heard you!”

  He lowered one arm and snarled.

  “Come on, you damned bird. You want some of this?”

  The Ski’lig shrieked, and he began to laugh. At first it appeared he was being the cocky, arrogant soldier as before. But Valentine could tell otherwise. His arms might be hanging down, but they were ready, and he was up on the balls of his metal feet, ready to move quickly.

  Better. Maybe he’s not such a fool after all.