Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy

by Michael G. Thomas

  This time the noise from the assembled marines increased in volume. It wasn’t much, but he could definitely sense the improvement.

  “Now, to your landing craft and Spascia. Report to your junior commanders and get to work. We have a lot to do and little time to do it.”

  * * *

  The Alliance deployment over Spascia was as impressive as anything Admiral Lewis had ever seen. General Daniels was now long gone, along with the entirety of his senior command staff. They had left with dozens of other landing craft and Maulers as they made their way down to the surface of Helios Prime, just minutes before the ship had entered the Rift to Spascia. Colonel Gun had remained at his side to watch as the fleet assembled, and he seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of another confrontation with the enemy.

  “They did as they promised,” Gun said calmly.

  Admiral Lewis nodded.

  “True. Every ship that said would be here, is here.”

  “Did General Daniels tell you the news from Eos?” Gun asked.

  Admiral Lewis turned his head and looked a little confused.

  “What news?”

  Gun could sense the raw nerves as he asked and realized he’d been a little too vague in his comments. He’d been getting much better, but even experienced commanders like Admiral Lewis were vulnerable to the impact of difficult news.

  “A message got through to me less than twenty minutes ago from Eos. It was rerouted back from General Daniels. There’s news from Eos and Captain Carter.”

  The name took a moment to register.

  “Ah, the man we sent down to Helios Prime. Yes, he is one of our Black Ops specialists. What is the news?”

  Now Gun found it hard to conceal his pleasure.

  “Wictred and a handful of marines have found him, and they are assisting in the defense of settlements against the last Biomechs. By all accounts, the NHA is finally doing something useful.”

  Admiral Lewis looked less impressed.

  “Well, we did hit the bastards hard with a barrage of nukes. Still, if they can clear Eos, it would give us a place to operate from away from these new arrivals.”

  He looked back at the fleet ahead of them. Gun nodded slowly.

  “I agree. Eos could prove a real pain for them to deal with later on.”

  The Admiral watched a pair of Crusader class warships move across their beam and toward a small group of Alliance transports that had just moved in through the Rift.

  “Gun, that isn’t what worries me though. Just look at all of this.”

  Gun did as he said and couldn’t quite see the problem. The 4th Heavy Strike Group was now just a component in what was being called the Spascia Fleet. Additional ships had arrived, including a fourteen first generation Crusader class ships. He could tell the difference by the hull configuration. There was even a small number of the new Liberty class vessels, ships capable of performing the role of frigate and light-cruiser equally well.

  “What’s the problem? I see lots of ships.”

  Admiral Lewis looked as glum as he'd been ever since they'd withdrawn from Eos.

  “True, we have over thirty Alliance ships, quite a fleet in anybody’s eyes. It would be even bigger if we'd been able to bring the damaged ships with us too. On top of ours, we have a similar number of Khreenk ships and seven Helion cruisers. Even so, sixty-seven ships will not stop the kind of forces I’m expecting from the Biomechs.”

  Gun looked out at the formation.

  "This number would have stopped them at Eos."

  The Admiral looked at them for a little longer.

  “You’re right. We could have stopped the assault before most of them even made it into orbit.”

  He then looked at the screen to his right and the details obtained so far on the objects breaking away from the comet.

  “These things are unlike anything any of us have ever seen before. Even the T’Kari say there is no precedent. The object heading for Spascia has expanded and lengthened in the last few days. It is now over five kilometers in length. Initial readings show it is constructed in the same way as the rest of the comet, but most of its mass is artificial and extending out behind the remnants of the comet.”

  “So they’re breaking off chunks of the comet and directing them to the orbit of the Helion planets. I thought you said they were manned?”

  Admiral Lewis tapped the image to show just one quarter of the nearest.

  “They are powered by something massive, a reactor of a level we’ve never come across. They are capable of course change, and we’re detecting massive levels of digital communication. They are not just mobile rocks, Gun. Each of them is a self-contained starbase or massive battleship, and if our estimates are correct, they could be carrying substantial space and ground forces. It’s why we’re calling them Arks. At least until somebody comes up with a better name.”

  Gun rubbed his right hand along his chin.

  “So, they’ve spent the last hundreds of years constructing space Arks, for what reason?”

  The image shifted to show Spascia.

  “I believe they intend on putting these things in orbit around each of the Helion worlds. From there, they will conduct an assault of the like never seen before. They will hit the Doomsday weapon systems and then attack the Black Rift directly.”

  “And then the rest will come through,” Gun added.

  “Worse than that. Once the Black Rift is opened and uncontested, they will unleash whatever terrors they’ve been mobilizing since their banishment. Helios will go, and then so will every single race that has helped them.”

  Gun grasped his right fist and squeezed.

  “Well, Admiral, if they were looking for a fight, they’ve come to just the right place.”

  Admiral Lewis tried to smile, but the magnitude of the threat facing them made that impossible. He looked again at the motley selection of ships and wondered how many of them would stand when the enemy Arks were in range.

  Will they fight to the last man, or will they surrender or retreat at the first sign of battle?

  * * *

  Jack’s head shuddered as the Mauler smashed through the upper atmosphere with a thump. The descent was a lot rougher than he’d expected, and it felt as though he’d been struck on the side of the head. He looked to his right and watched the lines of other marines as they shook about on the way down. The couplings holding them in place were firm and reliable, but that never seemed to stop the feeling something bad was going to happen. Riku saw him looking about and tapped the top of her helmet to get his attention.

  “Jack, don’t fall out!”

  She wasn’t serious, but Jack had heard the horror stories of when magnetic couplings failed, and marines had been thrown from the safety of their harnessed seating. There were rumors that during the assault on the Titan Naval Station, an entire platoon had been smashed to a pulp when a landing craft had been hit by gunfire. Power had apparently been lost, and the marines had slammed into each other and even the metal framing of the craft itself, instantly killing dozens of them. Jack swallowed and felt his throat drying up. Images of Hunn and the others returned from Helios Prime, and that first major battle with the robotic killing machine.

  Get a grip, Jack. You’ve been in much worse since then.

  Adrenalin began to pump through his body, giving him a feeling of excitement, dread, and fatigue all at the same time. He could feel something almost like sickness in his stomach and resorted to striking his head with his right hand. It was an odd gesture, but seemed to do the job for now.

  “Jack?” Riku asked.

  He ignored her and concentrated on his routine. There were a number of checks to be performed before a combat drop, even if they weren’t expecting trouble. It was every marine’s responsibility to ensure that once they hit the ground, everyone was ready for whatever needed to be done. A flicker of movement caught his eye through the tiny flank portholes in the craft, and he was convinced he could see the burning shape of another
Mauler coming down alongside them.

  Not long now.

  The craft joined the many other Maulers and Hammerheads that had been dropped while the fleet remained in orbit. From this far down, there was no chance of seeing the tiny dots that were the fleet, but the small windows and the video feeds inside Jack’s helmet still gave him a detailed view of what was going on. Icons moved around the distant ships, and he could see that a number of them, including ANS Conqueror, were already turning back to the Rift.

  This is a critical front, my ass. The real fight will be wherever Lewis goes.

  It really shouldn’t have mattered to him what the fleet was up to, or even what their posting on this unusual planet was all about. A frontline was much like any other. They would dig in and prepare, and if things worked in their favor, they might live. It wasn’t that, it was more that Jack knew this fight was going to be unlike any they had seen before. This comet looked like it had been converted into a number of orbital bases the size of small moons, and each one had the capacity to carry numbers of ships and soldiers more than equal of anything the Alliance could throw at them. If Jack was going to be in a fight, he wanted it to be in the one that counted.

  Just my luck to get posted to this backwater, when the real fight is over there.

  He looked to the icons showing the leaving ships, wishing he were still on board one of them. It was quite clear to him the savaged marine battalions were being taken away from the real frontline. Gun had said otherwise, but Jack failed to see why such a combat proven unit would not be placed right where it could do the most good.

  Hell, even General Daniels has left us for Helios Prime.

  As he sat there considering his situation, an image of Lieutenant Elvidge appeared. It would be the same for every other marine in his platoon, and a much better way of passing on orders than via a communal video display. Jack was very surprised to see the man. It was the first time he’d seen his face since their fighting withdrawal from Eos. He recalled the gunshot wounds, and it surprised him even more to see him on the visor.

  He must be fit and ready for action. Weird, I thought he was being sent back to Terra Nova for some R&R.

  “3rd Platoon, we have a job to do, and it ain’t a pretty one.”

  An image of the surface of the planet popped up and rotated about to show a desolate region in the north. It zoomed in until finally reaching the shattered ruins of Spascia city.

  “Spascia is the largest of the seven cities on this continent, and it is built on both sides of the deep valley here.”

  The imagery blurred as it zoomed in closely, showing the valley that split the city into two main areas.

  “Ninety-five percent of the city is based on this side of the valley. The remainder is built on the eastern side and is protected by substantial artificial and natural defenses. The base of the valley leads into the mountain fortress used for the Doomsday weapon. 3rd Platoon will be assisting with the defense of the southwest perimeter of the city, and this valley is the only way into the facility.”

  The image changed again to show the northern continent of Spascia.

  “The cities are spread out over a wide area, with waterways, woodland, and mountains blocking multiple routes. Defense of the other six will come down on the NHA. Alliance and Khreenk forces are taking the lead at Spascia. We will be linking up with two more battalions from the Marine Corps 22nd Regiment; that gives us near to six thousand marines plus change.”

  Yeah, and what were our numbers on Eos? Jack wondered.

  “Sergeant Stone, I want the entire platoon deployed at this point.”

  The Mauler shuddered once more, and Jack almost twisted his neck with the impact. Only the thick padding around his head and upper body stopped him sustaining a serious injury, and his vision blurred for a moment.

  “Our battalion is joining the Khreenk to establish a defensive line along the western front of the city. Spascia volunteers manning weapon platforms will assist us. Good luck, people, I will see you on the ground shortly.”

  His image vanished, and Jack found himself staring directly into the visor of the marine sitting opposite him. The man didn’t seem to notice, and Jack found it almost impossible to make out much in the way of detail on the man’s face.

  So, we’re on the frontline again. This had better work better than last time.

  “Three minutes to the landing zone. Get yourselves ready, marines!” growled Sergeant Stone.

  Jack twisted his head about to spot the man standing at the end of the Mauler. His body was being held in place by two vertical clamps and gave him the perfect view of the rest of the marines in the Mauler.

  “When we land, you will move out to the designated position to assist in the defenses. I want a clean deployment and quick work. The enemy is coming, and we need this city ready for the second coming!”

  He looked from left to right before saying his last words.

  “You get me?”

  “Yes, Sergeant!” came back the chorus from the entire platoon of thirty-six marines, most of whom Jack had never even seen before. He selected the forward view from the Mauler, and his visor filled with a wide panoramic view of the horizon and the approach to the city. The first thing he could see was the vast tear in the ground that was the valley. They moved along it until in the distance he could see the shape of a low mountain peak. The valley ran almost directly to the mountain and then split a short distance in front. It was at that split where the bulk of Spascia City lay. Although it covered hundreds of square kilometers, it was the sectors nearest the valley that included the tallest and most well developed buildings. On one side the city covered it as far as the eye could see, while on the other bank it was almost completely devoid of buildings. What stood out the most was that this section was made up of jagged rocks and mountains that from a distance looked like a saw blade.

  “Jack, can you see it?” Riku asked.

  Jack nodded. He wanted to speak, but his throat was still dry and rough, and he doubted he was capable of much in the way of decent conversation right now. Instead, he turned his attention back to the display. They were now directly over the entrance to the mountain, and he could see large numbers of vehicles and equipment moving around it. The entire approach and entrance to the mountain were surrounded by tall structures covered in guns.

  “Marines, what you are seeing below is what our engineers have been working on for the last four days in a row. They are called the Three Sisters.”

  Jack looked at the odd structures and wondered who could have come up with something so large and so ugly. They were massive, and by his estimates at least forty meters tall and almost square in shape. He counted to himself and found it was actually a sixteen-sided building. Small platforms extended from the flank from which batteries of railguns had been installed, but it was the guns fitted to the top of the Sisters that surprised him the most. Sergeant Stone spotted him shaking his head.

  “What is it, Private?”

  Jack looked up and continued shaking his head.

  “The guns on top of those things, aren’t they naval weapons?”

  The Sergeant smiled.

  “You bet your ass they are. One of the first tranche of Crusaders gave up her guns while she’d being upgraded. Some wise guy engineer by the name of Sanlav suggested they could be installed on the ground.”

  The engines blasted at a different angle, and the large Mauler slowed down and began its final descent. Its nose lifted slightly, and it dropped several hundred meters toward the city. The Mauler’s cameras angled downward to show the city in even greater detail.

  “What you’re looking at here is the pinnacle of military engineering. Three fortresses, each built with four-meter thick walls and four twin-mounted 128mm railguns that are powerful enough to damage a frigate. Each tower carries additional eight quad-mounted 20mm coilguns for short to medium ranges. If anybody thinks they can land troops within a kilometer of this part of the city, they will pay with body parts.�
�

  The Mauler banked sharply, and the view changed to show a vast open area running alongside the east flank of the city. There were dozens of landing strips and platforms cut directly into the rock. Massive road bridges connected the landing areas to the main parts of the city.

  “Here we go, marines, thirty seconds!”

  Jack’s body tensed, and every meter they traveled brought them closer and closer to their ultimate objective. It seemed to take an eternity, but finally the Mauler touched down on one of the many landing strips. The doors hissed open, revealing the bright daylight of the ruins of Spascia City.

  “Everybody out, now!”

  Riku was on her feet at the same time as him. Without even thinking, the unit was out of the doors, down the ramps, and onto hard rock. The sensors on his suit confirmed the temperature, humidity, and composition of the air around them.

  All breathable, apparently!

  He was no fool though and kept his visor in position. Long columns of marines marched from many more craft and toward large groups of Bulldog armored vehicles. Six pulled up in a small column, and right behind them came two of the mobile gun variants. Jack almost stopped upon seeing so much hardware in one place. No matter where he looked, he could see hundreds, if not thousands of marines, and all of them had somewhere to go and something to do.

  “Marine, watch your step,” said somebody to his right.

  Jack twisted about and found himself looking up at the shape of five Jötnar, all wearing their heavy JAS armor that gave them a look more like metal giants than of artificially created men. The sergeant of the Jötnar unit stared at Jack, but there was no sign of recognition. He shook his head, and the group then moved away to be replaced by Sergeant Stone.

  “Private, get your ass into the Bulldogs, ASAP!”

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  He followed the rest of the column, and they moved two-by-two to the Bulldogs. Three filled up and moved away to make space for the next few vehicles. As he waited for the doors to open, another vehicle drove up and stopped nearby. This one was tracked and slightly longer than the Bulldog. It appeared to be unarmed and lacked any discernible markings. The side doors slid open and out came a pair of Khreenk warriors. Both carried two-handed blades on their flanks and carbines hung in slings along their chests.