Spartan looked up at the wall and shook his head in amazement. He'd seen the images of the old facility before but not since it had been reinforced. The Byotai had been working on the site for over a month now, and it was unlike anything he'd seen before. It was a vast structure that curved like a great dam holding back a river. It was tall, smooth, and topped with a sloped roof to shield those at the top from missiles and gunfire.
Now that is what you call a wall.
Flashes worked their way along the top as the defenders continued to blast at any clan soldiers nearby. Spartan lifted his XC1 carbine and activated its power core, signalling for Kanjana and the Black Widows to follow. Like Spartan, Kanjana wore the M-3B tactical armour that had already shifted colour to match the dust and stone around them.
"Widows, up the wall."
He then looked off to the right where the four columns of the Blood Pack were deployed. A group of Anicinàbe soldiers sporting the armour and insignia of the Red Scars were digging in against the counterattack. The Spires soldiers were much more the traditional hit and run warriors, but the Red Scars were quite different. The scarring ritual was an ancient one, and they appeared to relish combat. Kanjana had explained to him there was nothing nobler to the Red Scars than killing in personal combat, ideally with their bare hands, or with the small combat knives they were so fond of.
Strange, I thought we gave them all the boot last time we were here.
Just thinking of the battle around the shattered maglev train sent a shudder through his body. The Red Scars threw all manner of machines and creatures against them in that fight. Sometimes Spartan wondered if parts of that battle were even real.
"Khan, take your troops through the breaches and secure the settlements. Get in there and do it fast. We cannot let this raid turn into something much bigger. If this region falls, so does Karnak, and then the entire Quadrant."
"Affirmative."
There were two major breaches in the wall at this point, and one in particular had collapsed a section so that it was barely two metres from the ground. Dozens of bodies littered the gap, and more than thirty Red Scars warriors were hiding amongst the rubble. Their transports had vanished, and not one of them seemed to know where to go. A handful ran back inside the breach and was quickly cut down.
What's happening here?
Spartan spotted Khan at the front of one group clambering up the rubble to meet the enemy; gunfire engulfed both sides. He smiled, knowing this was exactly what the Blood Pack needed.
"Watch out!"
Kanjana pushed him aside just as a pair of Byotai crashed down next to them. Both were already dead and riddled with gunshot wounds. Spartan looked up and found him staring up at the faces of Red Scars soldiers. One pointed down to him and started shouting to his comrades.
"Weird, they must have dropped down from a passing Abn'dak aircraft."
Syala blasted away at them with her weapons, but they simply ducked back, using the formidable defences of the wall to stay safe.
"Yeah, that's not gonna work, sister."
Spartan leaned back just a little and used the reticule on his visor overlay to tag as many of the enemy targets as he could. A light flashed, and he lurched to the right in time to avoid a pair of gunshots that struck harmlessly on the ground. He then looked to Syala who was laughing at him.
"What's your plan now?"
"We need to take that battlement. Get up there and..."
Syala and one of her Widows moved to each side of him, ignoring him as he continued to speak.
"Hold on tight," said Syala, "I don't want to watch you fall. It's a long way down."
Flames erupted from both of their packs, and then all three were airborne and moving up the wall. Spartan had only seen them used once back on the World Ship, and the feeling as he lifted from the ground was something incredible. His awe and sense of excitement faded as they reached dizzying heights.
Don't drop me now. That is a long way down!
Spartan glanced down and found all three squads of Widows were doing the same as they were. They blasted off from the ground, some even firing their firearms as they went. It was an exhilarating journey, and he might have forgotten about the brief battle, had it not been for the shortening distance between them and the soldiers atop the wall. Spartan spotted Kanjana just to his side, helped up by two more of the Widows.
Okay, that's...well...different.
With his added weight it took longer to reach the heights of the wall, and a few of the Widows were already there before him and fighting the defenders. As they moved slightly above it, he now saw the sloped roof covering the top had been shattered, with more broken and breached than actually remained. Red Scars occupied this particular section, while the last few Byotai had retreated to a single tower.
"Put us down."
Spartan expected a gentle landing, but instead the two Widows released him from five metres up. He did his best to take the impact as he hit the ground, but even with the correct posture and roll, he still ended up covering half the width before crashing directly between a pair of Red Scars. They both carried spike rifles and carbines. One fired first, and the spike struck Spartan's collar before deflecting off and embedding in the wall.
"Human!" snapped the enemy.
Spartan leaned to the right, dodged another shot, and then took aim.
"You're not wrong, friend."
Keeping his carbine low, Spartan depressed the trigger and unleashed a burst of gunfire. The small balls of magnetically cased plasma contained the heat and energy one might expect to find only inside a ship's reactor. The XC1 was state-of-the-art, and not something seen outside of the IAB. The rounds easily bored through any armour the Red Scars soldiers were wearing before bursting apart inside the plating. The first three rounds penetrated the first soldier's chest, and the fourth hit the forehead. Each vaporised a chunk the size of a tennis ball. The soldier was dead before he struck the ground.
Now that is a weapon.
All IAB marines now carried the production version of the carbine, and though expensive to construct and maintain, they were in a completely different league to the L48 and L52 weapons normally used at standard combat ranges. Only two of them were carrying them today, though, Spartan and Kanjana, and as far as Spartan was concerned, that part of the mission was non-negotiable.
"To the right!" called out another of the Widows.
Spartan couldn't see the shape just yet, but the indicator on his visor showed the position of the tagged individuals. Spartan had one in his sights as they ran into the path of four more Widows led by Syala; each was already pointing their weapons at them. She took a step towards them and extended both of her arms towards the Red Scars. The female warriors had landed in behind them and already cleared a small area with their weapons. On their back of their forearms they carried small machine-pistols, weapons capable of being used in one hand, yet releasing similar firepower, albeit at a shorter range than most weapons in the battle.
"Drop 'em!"
The weapons opened up with an incredibly high rate of fire. Muzzle flashes extended out to almost a metre, the sound more in common with a buzz saw than an actual firearm. The Black Widows moved in amongst the Red Scars, showing no fear as they engaged them at point blank range. A few rounds struck back at them, but the heavily modified armour did its job, and just one of the Red Scars managed to survive the assault for no losses to the Black Widows. The final remaining soldier ran straight at Syala, and she pushed past the others to block his path.
"He's mine!"
It wasn't obvious if he was moving to attack or just running away. In either case, he managed to make it to within two metres before she twisted sideways and delivered a powerful kick to his neck. The soldier staggered and was shoved from the battlements by a second Widow. Spartan watched the body fall to the ground and looked back to Syala.
"Remind me to never piss you or your girls off."
Syala laughed.
"Now yo
u know what happens."
She gave him a knowing wink.
"Let that be an important lesson to you."
A rifle round whisked by and struck the wall, sending a chunk of masonry flying through the air. Syala aimed roughly in the direction of the shooting, and then turned back to check how the fight on the wall was progressing. It wasn't particularly easy to see what was happening. Smoke and dust from the air attack now blocked off large parts of the area.
"This section is clear. What now?"
Kanjana was positioned on the other side of the large breach and waving back to him. A pair of Windows flanked her, and it looked like the small group had also cleared their section in a short amount of time. Spartan fired a burst at a distant target before calling out to her.
"What is it?"
Kanjana then turned away and indicated further along the wall, where it was covered in dust. Something must have surprised her because she stepped back, dropped to one knee, and then blasted at an unseen assailant. The green flashes punctuated the dust, and then she threw her head around to Spartan and deactivated her visor. The young woman's pale white face looked back at him, showing no sign of emotion.
"I can see the breaches from here."
For a second Spartan had forgotten who she was, seeing her as simply a marine in the thick of a firefight. She was not supposed to be doing this, though, and he felt an immediate sense of worry. It wasn't that she was his personal assistant, or even an expert engineer and pilot. Her combat skills were acceptable, but not something he'd brought her along for. Kanjana was much too valuable to throw away in a frontal assault. She had a unique skill he needed more than anything right now. She was the only person there that spoke both tongues of the warring factions, and that made her irreplaceable.
"The Blood Pack are through, and the Exiles are climbing the wall from inside. The settlement is secure."
Spartan nodded.
"Good work. Now keep your head down. I can't afford to lose you. Not now."
Kanjana shook her head in mock amusement.
"Oh...great, I appreciate that."
The tone wasn't quite right, but the sarcasm was improving over time. When they'd first met, she was a quiet, tragic figure that wanted nothing more than to learn about the death of her mother in the Biomech War. She was one of the few people Spartan knew was more reviled than even he could sometimes be. The irony that she'd had no part to play in the war was not lost on him.
People can be fickle, especially when it comes to loyalties.
Spartan looked back to the Widows, Syala in particular. They moved much more quickly than he would have expected, especially with the large packs on their backs to help them climb heights, such as the wall.
"Well, then. It looks like we have this section secure. That didn't take too long, did it?"
Syala's expression was a curious mixture of excitement and glee. He found she was panting, but not from tiredness.
"Agreed."
She looked away and clambered to the edge of the section of broken wall. It gave her the perfect viewpoint to look down at what was happening on the ground. Spartan took a short run and leapt over the gap of two metres, sliding alongside her.
"What is it?"
Syala pointed down at the column of soldiers.
"The Exiles."
Both watched in silence for a moment as they moved through the dozens of gaps in the wall. One particularly large breach was big enough to let in a company-sized formation, and at its head was a single Exile.
"Tenskwatawa," Spartan said under his breath.
The leader of the Exiles was dressed and armoured just as he'd been back on the ship. His arms and legs were protected by nothing more than light clothing; only his torso encased in hastily fitted together armour. His head was bare, save for the patch that covered one eye. Spartan deactivated his visor so that his face was visible to Syala. He shook his head in astonishment.
"That fool is insane. They might venerate him, but a bullet to the head will kill him like anybody else."
Syala pointed off to where two Red Scar soldiers were kneeling and taking aim with rifles.
"Look."
Spartan spotted them and tagged the targets while lifting his carbine. He was fast, but not fast enough, they had already fired. A pair of high-velocity slugs made their way to Tenskwatawa. The computer inside Spartan's armour had already calculated their trajectory, and Spartan knew full well this was the end for the bareheaded leader of the Exiles. The first round arrived, but just as it made impact, one of the Exiles leapt forward while shouting. Others did the same, using their bodies as shields against the bullets. Two were hit, and both collapsed to the ground.
"What?" Syala gasped.
Tenskwatawa kept moving, giving the impression of a great religious figure, unconcerned with such trivialities as gunshots. The other Exiles helped their wounded comrades to their feet, and on they went. Spartan straightened his back and proceeded to scan the horizon, looking for any more stray soldiers.
"Incredible, just incredible."
Though lacking the equipment of the Widows, or the brute power of the Blood Pack, the Exiles had their own strength in numbers. Hundreds climbed the rear steps to secure dozens of wall sections, the majority rushing inside the settlement. All the time they could hear the soldiers calling out who they were, each keen to avoid incidents of friendly fire. There were very few shots fired now, and Spartan spotted small groups of Red Scars lying prostrate on the ground, surrendering to the new arrivals.
"Alert. Incoming transmission."
The sound from the internal communication system caught him by surprise, and he lifted his hand to stop the others from speaking to him. It was an urgent flash message on the command network and marked for his eyes only. Spartan activated it immediately upon seeing the source.
A transmission from New Carlos, that is...unexpected.
"Captain Delatorre, good to see you've landed safely."
Spartan couldn't have been happier at knowing one of his own ships was out there.
"Captain, it is damned good to hear your voice. What are you doing out here?"
The reply that came back was badly distorted, and Spartan sent a data request to repeat it again.
"Colonel Gun sent us to help escort the transports back. We have legal authority to escort transport carrying medical supplies, wounded settlers, and refugees. We are to transfer them once across the border. We will then rendezvous with Admiral Churchill's forces at Helios Prime. All part of the training exercises for the combined forces of Orion Command."
Spartan lifted his eyebrows at the mention of the new command structure. It had been a long time coming, but even he was pleased with the change. Time and time again the Alliance had been forced to assemble a motley collection of forces to deal with issues at different ends of Alliance space. Now there was a clearly defined territory, as well as attached units and commanders. Only time would tell if the new system had the resources required to actually function as intended. Orion Command was now responsible for everything discovered since humanity had first built the Spacebridge that brought them to T'Karan and beyond. Spartan smiled at the last part.
Training exercise.
Spartan grinned and looked to his friend.
"Of course, and right where he's already positioned a fleet...for training purposes, of course. Like the Admiral always says, the pieces continue to move."
"Major. We've entered the system and are escorting the transports back, as per the plan. During the transit vector we released four reconnaissance buoys. They will reach optimal altitude within the hour. We did detect chatter on the way in. Looks like something major is going on around Montu. There's heavy air traffic and their defences are active. We can't get to within a thousand kicks before encountering jamming and air defence systems. It looks like they're up to something big."
Captain Delatorre took a quick breath, and something beeped loudly in the background.
"If you need u
s, we're just a few hours away. Good luck, Major."
The audio channel clicked once, confirming it was fully disconnected. Spartan hadn't expected to come across IAB vessels in the area, but now he knew there was one on call, he felt a little more comfortable. One of their ships could get in and out of trouble faster than any other ship.
Okay, this is looking more like it.
CHAPTER TEN
The discovery of the Helion Nexus was much more than finding a path to a new domain; it was the beginning of first contact with a myriad of other races. First came the T'Kari, the remnants of an ancient society and kin to their more successful brothers, the Helions. These two peoples had much in common with humanity, and initial contact, while confrontational, quickly settled into something more beneficial. In a single generation contact was made with the Byotai, Khreenk, Klithi, the enigmatic Anicinàbe clans, and of course, the terrible and powerful Biomechs. Intelligent and advanced life forms had never been encountered before, and after generations of exploration, a total of seven new races were found in a single decade. The question remaining was what other life existed out there, and why was so much concentrated within such a small area?
Only one race offered an answer, and few were willing to listen to what the last of the Biomech rebels had to say on the subject. For they were now the only race with any remaining connection to the past, and held secrets that dated back to the first colonisation of the Nexus.
The Races of the Helion Nexus
Fortress of Melantias, Stone Teeth Hills, Karnak
The air pressure had already changed considerably as the small group of leaders waited in silence. This change in environment was in stark contrast to the warm, dust filled air of the defences around Melantias. The elevator took them deep underground. The mechanism made an odd screeching sound as it made its way through a vast tunnel constructed generations earlier by powerful industrial machines. The elevator itself was a large affair, and easily capable of taking something the size on an entire crawler in one piece. As they travelled deeper underground, the temperature continued to fall. Khan looked to him with a confused look to his face. Like all of them, their visors were either open or their helmets completely removed.
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