“Warships? I understood there was just the one incident, on the Klithi–Anicinàbe border. Have there been more?”
Anderson tapped his secpad and transferred a new report to him.
“When you have a chance, read through this. It’s going to be useful for your operation.”
Admiral Lewis raised one eyebrow.
“Operation? We aren’t set to leave for another three weeks.”
Clearly from the expression on Anderson’s face, something had changed. He knew the fact that a number of Anicinàbe tribes had sided with a Biomech force was a concern, but the last report he’d read said there were over a thousand separate factions among the Anicinàbe.
How serious could it really be?
“The situation is very fluid on the ground. The Helion government has been weakened. A large number of government hardliners were killed with the failed attack on the capital two weeks ago. Those left have been trying to negotiate peace terms with the Zathee and as might be expected, the minority Irkerk, Yuulen, and the Sh'Dori ethnic groups are not happy with this. They want to retain control.”
Admiral Lewis took all the information in but still wasn’t exactly sure why any of this mattered to him.
“How exactly does this affect my orders?”
Anderson grinned ever so slightly. The man’s disinterest in politics reminded him of a time when he’d been nothing more than the executive officer on a Confederate Battlecruiser. It had seemed much simpler back then he seemed to remember.
“It is like this. The Helion government has requested Narau assistance to provide humanitarian relief and support while they try to stop the fighting.”
“Okay?”
Anderson lifted his hand to show he hadn’t quite finished.
“That is rubbish though.”
He paused; letting those words sink in.
“There are rumors they are doing this as a precaution against the Animosh. It is my guess the Animosh themselves might start a coup, with support from the other three ethnic groups if they find the right moment.”
Now Admiral Lewis understood what was happening.
“So, if we sit back and wait, we could be left with the same as before, a planet where the majority are kept in thrall to the other three cultures, but with a hardline government that has a mandate to crush the Zathee that dared to rise against them. That will turn into a full ethnic war.”
“Exactly, and that is why I have given approval for 4th to be sent in to assist with this.”
“And they said yes?”
Admiral Anderson’s lip lifted slightly, almost betraying a smile at his answer.
“I need your troops in position within seventy-two hours. We have to retain control of the situation, no matter the eventual outcome.”
Admiral Lewis looked confused.
“I don’t understand. Which side are we helping? The Helion government or the Zathee rebels?”
Now Anderson nodded without actually answering his question. Admiral Lewis understood immediately that there was much more going on than he had been led to believe. He knew enough to not push it any further and so stood up to leave. Already the complications of arranging the rapid advance of such a major force filled his mind with a multitude of potential problems, and the individual details were something he would have to work on over the duration of their trip.
“We need Helios and its colonies secure and ready to react aggressively if, and when the Biomechs rear their heads. Stability is more important than either of the two sides. Understood?”
Admiral Lewis nodded. “Admiral. We will be ready to leave within the hour.”
There was a short pause before he made for the door.
“I will be in touch when we reach the orbit of Helios. I’ll await your orders.”
The door shut and Anderson was left alone. He looked back at the screen and brought up the reports from the Intelligence Division. One in particular had arrived direct from the office of Intelligence Director Johnson. On the front it was marked with nothing but the code 57D. To anybody else it would mean nothing, but to Anderson it could mean just one thing, the internal codeword given for a decapitation strike. He opened the file, and the very first set of images showed the schematics for the government buildings, barracks, and mass transit system on Helios. The next set of pages showed an organizational tree and those in key positions throughout the government.
As I thought.
He flicked through the many pages before finally reaching the transportation hub, a massive city-sized segment of the capital that was fitted out with dozens of landing pads, platforms, and docks. The Alliance agents had taken many still images and video sequences from this part of the city, especially around the three largest pads. They were marked in red.
That is the place.
He looked at them for a few more minutes, especially the details from a number of key contacts Johnson had made among the different Zathee groups that were being known in the intelligence community as the Helion Alliance. The name implied something organized, but in reality it looked as though the Zathee groups had almost as many disagreements with themselves as they had toward the government and its Animosh state security forces. The details in the report were nonetheless impressive, not that he would expect anything less from a man such as Johnson.
That’s good enough for us. All we need now is official recognition.
He brought up another page with a list of key officials in the government and the Zathee community that promoted peaceful revolution. Most had been flagged as agitators and were being hunted by Animosh security units. He stopped when he came to the dark skinned face of an old Helion.
Naglou, so, you are the one chance of ending this without total war on Helios.
The details around the Helion man showed he was actually one of the Sh'Dori, the largest of the ethnic groups on Helios after the Zathee. In theory, the Sh'Dori should have little interest in helping the Zathee gain any degree of power in the Helion administration. According to information sent from Alliance agents on Helios, he carried a great deal of weight among many of the factions on Helios, even those normally anti-Zathee. The information on Naglou suggested he was something different. Although Sh'Dori, he was married to a Zathee woman and promoted a program of equality and rights for all Helions. He double-checked the numbers once more before tapping the camera unit on his desk and activated the secure video log.
“This is Admiral Anderson with a priority one message for General Rivers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, concerning Operation 57D.”
* * *
“Jack, look at this!”
He opened his eyes and glanced to his left in the direction of the sound. He was sure he’d only just fallen asleep after yet another extraction training exercise with units from the other two battalions. He was finally starting to enjoy himself, yet the fatigue and depression always returned after coming back. A group of at least a dozen marines were crowded around the communal computer unit they used for news reports, public briefings, or for catching up on entertainment in the few hours of downtime they received each week. He recognized at least a few of them, but there was no sign of any officers, not even Wictred, who seemed to be wherever the unit was.
“What is it?” he asked, without climbing from his bunk.
Private Frewyn separated from the others and walked the short distance to Jack. He grabbed his foot and tugged at him.
“It’s started.”
Jack rubbed his eyes and then grabbed at the side of the bunk to avoid being pulled from it. He kicked out and caught the marine in the shoulder, much to his chagrin. For a second he felt bad, but the shouts of excitement from the others distracted him.
“We’ve recognized the Zathee government in exile. This is it.”
Jack was a little stunned at the news. The last he’d heard the rebels had attacked the government, but they’d been repulsed, and the feared political paramilitaries were engaged in reprisal attacks.
“It�
��s Helios. The Animosh have assault the government buildings and taken over in a coup. Have you heard of this guy? He’s called Lyssk, a senior commander in their forces. He’s been granted a full term as something called a Justitium.”
Jack sat up and looked at them with a bemused expression on his face.
“Justitium, it’s just a fancy term for a temporary dictator.”
They had been on their way for the last two days, yet this was still a surprise. Everything he’d heard so far suggested the uprising would drag on for months, perhaps years. He rubbed his chin while thinking.
“I thought the government was negotiating peace terms with the Zathee rebels? Now this Lyssk is in charge. What the hell happened?”
He jumped down and landed hard on one foot. The pain ripped through his body, but he simply chose to ignore it and limped over to see what was going on. The computer unit was a combined virtual presence for the command staff and a multi-layered visual display unit. In the center was a briefing from the Alliance News Network; around it were a dozen smaller feeds showing sub stories. He looked for his secpad but couldn’t find it to hand.
“Hey, Jana, your secpad?” he asked the black haired Private.
Without answering, she reached down and tossed the device over to him. His hex access code gave him the same front page as on his own device. He then lifted it up to the news feeds and dragged the current stories to the device. It was a seamless transition, and now he could examine the extra pages of detail on his own. The first thing that caught his eye was that the military government forces appeared to be in control of all the important locations. All government and military installations were under their control with only a few exceptions. Even so, it seemed that the Zathee had come out in force to the streets, and there were pitched battles right across Helios.
“This could go really badly,” he said quietly, but Jana still heard him.
“What do you mean? The Zathee have taken over ninety percent of the urban areas.”
Jack handed her back the secpad. He’d seen enough already.
“The Zathee already occupied three-quarters of the urban areas down to their numbers. The Animosh will regroup and then starve them out, or turn the big guns on them. Don’t forget, there are three other ethnic groups on that planet. I tell you; unless somebody helps stop this, the revolution will turn into a massacre. What if the other Powers send in troops to help them? The Zathee are not ready or equipped for war.”
He looked away so that they couldn’t see his face.
They aren’t soldiers. If this Lyssk is smart, he could crush them in days.
Jana sighed as she walked back to the rest of the group and stopped. For a second she contemplated asking another question, but the latest report took her attention from Jack and back to the display unit.
“I don’t believe this,” said one of the marines.
Jack moved closer and nodded at the scrolling piece of information. It was as if the new report was directly answering his points. Another of the marines called out, this time a stunted looking man with an arrow-shaped tattoo on his cheek.
“The network says the Alliance has voted to assist the civilians. What the hell does that mean? Assist? Which civilians?”
The door opened and in walked Wictred, as well as Sergeant Stone. They were as menacing as any two people could ever be. Both wore their black Marine Corps uniforms and were equally grim. Sergeant Stone looked serious, much more so than normal, whereas Wictred looked almost excited. As a juvenile Jötnar, he wasn’t as big as his cousins such as Khan and Gun, though he looked just as dangerous. Even so, he still looked like a troll compared to the others in the room. He nodded briefly at Jack before speaking to them all. He glanced at the Sergeant who simply nodded.
“You’ve heard the news?” he asked.
Most of the marines nodded, but Jack spoke first.
“The fighting is getting worse on Helios, and we have recognized the government in exile.”
“Almost. It’s much worse than the press are saying,” replied Sergeant Stone, with no obvious emotion.
Wictred nodded in agreement before continuing.
“The coup by the Animosh and their commanders was just the beginning. Harlan, the Minister for the capital was killed along with most of the civilian command structure. With the earlier losses in the uprising, there are very few left with any idea about what’s going on. A small number of survivors are in hiding with the Zathee, but they won’t last long.”
Every one of the marines seemed excited at the news, even though none of them had a single idea what their role would be in whatever might unfold over the coming days or weeks. Sergeant Stone could see the video feed behind the group and spotted one of the clips he had watched just twenty minutes earlier. It showed a civilian transport that had been shot down while trying to make a break for the atmosphere. The burning wreck was scattered over twenty city blocks, and the casualties were substantial. He looked back at the marines with his hard, cold eyes.
“They have sent in their troops to put down the uprising. Casualties are over sixty thousand so far, and it’s going to get worse and fast.”
“Sixty thousand?” spat out Jack, “When news of this spreads, the Zathee will turn this into a full-scale war. This will go on for decades, and now we are involved?”
Sergeant Stone opened his mouth as if about to speak but instead took another breath. All the marines watched and waited for him.
“That’s why in eleven hours we will be joining units from our sister battalions on the surface of Helios.”
He looked at each of the marines, and all but Jack seemed ecstatic at the news.
“That’s right, marines, we will be part of the operation to stop this before it becomes a full-blooded war. The military coup was against what was left of the civilian government. Those that survived have contacted us directly and requested military aid. We will end this in the way only we can.”
“End what exactly, Sergeant?” asked Jana.
Wictred beamed at her, his large uneven teeth glaring.
“The fighting. The other Powers have voted to use the Narau to intervene to halt the bloodshed. But we will be landing with the first wave, and we will do things our way.”
Wictred and Sergeant Stone walked closer to the marines, not that it was necessary anymore, as each was listening intently to everything they had to say. Sergeant Stone finally stopped and stared at Jack.
“The rest of the Corps will assist in humanitarian operations; we have a different job though. You up for this, Private?”
Jack looked up at him, seeing nothing but the cold, emotionless eyes of the Sergeant. It was strange, but the idea of battle seemed to fill Jack’s body with adrenalin, and in an instant the depression and the bitterness had vanished.
So, this is it then? Fighting is the cure, for now?
“Yes, Sergeant, I’m ready!” he shouted out, and for the first time in days, he felt human.
CHAPTER FIVE
The realization of the ancient Helion prophecy would focus attention on a hundred worlds. One of the most peculiar would be the old worlds of Sol. Long abandoned by those with the money or means to do so; the worlds of Sol were a shadow of their former selves. Their natural resources had been squandered over millennia of abuse, and of those areas still populated, many had long ago turned to crime. Earth itself, the cradle of humanity was a desolate planet with poisoned oceans, polluted skies, and a populate that had been forced to shelter in massive shielded cities dug just below the surface. Long ignored by the prosperous worlds of Alpha Centauri, Earth would return to significance in ways that the citizens of Helios or Terra Nova could never imagine.
The Lost World
General Daniels surveyed the strategic map inside the heart of ANS Conqueror with great interest. This part of the ship had been extended and improved as part of the massive repair work undertaken following the ship’s last unfortunate incident in orbit around the planet. A dozen other officers m
anned the computer units at the mapping unit that filled the center of the room. The walls were made of smoked, semi-transparent aluminum, and one of the sides was open and led directly into the CIC of the ship. He could make out the form of Admiral Lewis as he managed the fleet. A middle-aged Captain Hardy approached and saluted. He was the liaison officer between the Navy and Marine Corps, and the critical link between the vast forces now in position around the planet.
“Sir, all ships’ captains confirm the fleet is in position. We have forward elements from the 8th and 17th ready to drop.”
He nodded at the Captain and then looked back at the three commanders of the battalions. Of the three, the only one he knew particularly well was Gun, the Colonel of the 17th Marine Battalion. In the middle of the group of officers was the young Lieutenant Colonel Diego Koerner, another veteran of the last year of the Uprising and the commanding officer of the 8th Marine Battalion, the force that had already seen action in this part of space. The wildcard was Colonel Horst Brünner. He was by far the oldest and looked like he was in his early seventies. He wore a white mustache and looked every part the upper-class officer of Terra Novan ancestry.
“Well, there we have it. Zathee forces are reeling from chemical weapons, and the Animosh are leveling airstrikes on the urban areas. I have the authority from Admiral Anderson, commander of the Orion Sector, to contain this situation. You have seen the plan and made your preparations for operations in the capital.”
He tapped a button and up came a schematic of the areas under dispute. There were four large red spots on the map; each centered on government buildings, precincts, military bases, and landing platforms. A fifth in the center was larger and darker than the rest.
“You will note the entire planet is one massive urban area and technically a giant city. Our numbers are limited though; we will perform surgical strikes at key areas in and around the capital.”
He pointed at an area almost a hundred kilometers in diameter.
Star Crusades Nexus: The Second Trilogy Page 8
