Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy

by Michael G. Thomas

"Our boy here is not convinced about digging in to the ground."

  Elvidge smiled.

  "It's certainly not the kind of work we're used to, but in the past the marines made use of trenches, when and if they were needed. These are different though, have you seen the pattern?"

  Jack looked down at the trenches still being scraped out by the CES teams. The machines moved very much like the Biomech robotic warriors, but they allowed substantial amounts of work to be done and in a short period of time. The trench works were long and changed direction as they worked back into the city. He looked back up to his officer.

  "No, Sir, not really."

  Sergeant Stone shook his head.

  "That is why he's the officer and you're the private, Son."

  He looked back and pointed to the building being established as the next strongpoint. It was barely visible in the distance but did have perfect line of sight to their position.

  “These trenches are not for our combat forces to fight from.”

  Jack looked confused, but Callahan had heard what Sergeant Stone was saying.

  “Supply?”

  Sergeant Stone grinned.

  “Give that man a cigar. Exactly.”

  He looked back to Jack.

  “The Private is right. When this fight starts, we’re going to need a way to get supplies and reinforcements into position. After Eos, we’ve learned how to do things differently. They might command the skies, but they can’t hit what they can’t see.”

  Jack watched as a CES engineer lowered a plate over a section of one of the trenches, instantly turning it into a lightly armored tunnel. Jack might have been impressed, perhaps even excited at this change in tactics. In reality, he knew it was something very different.

  They aren’t expecting a quick fight, not even a battle.

  He watched as Riku and Corporal Frewyn helped lifted a twin-mounted gun system onto a lower window frame. They grunted with the effort as they clamped it down onto the mounting bracket.

  This is going to be a long fight, and we’re gearing up for it.

  He could feel his heart pounding and try as he might, Jack couldn’t shake the images of Helios Prime and Eos from his head, the waves of enemy soldiers and the shattered bodies of his comrades. The voices began to slow down and soften, and his vision began to blur.

  No, not now! Get a grip, you fool.

  He tried, but his legs felt weak, and he found the walls beginning to spin about. He hit his knee on the ground and then vomited on the floor. The force of the retching knocked him down to both of his knees, and then there was nothing but darkness. As his vision faded, he could hear slow, monotone voices calling out. The last one he heard was the raspy growl of Sergeant Stone.

  “Medic!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The assortment of ground units assembled to defend Spascia included robotic ground troops. These were not simply just the Rams as used by the marines. The modular SAAR robotic system was deployed into combat for the first time. This vehicle joined the Ram to offer a semi-autonomous tracked machine to remotely position sensors and weapons systems for the defense of forwards bases and outposts. SAAR robots outfitted with 40mm grenade launchers and a single L56 Mark III support weapon were the first models into action, with more variants following shortly afterwards.

  Robots in Space

  The crackle of rifle fire reverberated throughout the interior of the four access shafts in the habitation zone for the underground facility. Each one was large enough to drive a Bulldog armored vehicle through, and it gave the Alliance forces quick access to the center of the complex. There were signs of battle and bloodshed at almost every turn now as the Alliance marines and Jötnar of the Red Watch hacked and blasted their way through. It was the larger of the two refinery sites serving the greater City One area, and also included a substantial habitation and retail complex that was the largest on the Mars Colony, outside of the city itself. The marines moved cautiously, but they held nothing back upon reaching any signs of the Biomechs and their dreaded soldiers. They were taking no prisoners.

  “Hostiles, behind you!” shouted one of the Jötnar.

  Three Thegn warriors leapt out with their guns blazing. A fourth dropped from a hiding place in an air duct above them and landed directly on Khan’s head. A metal arachnid machine scuttled from the shadows to join in with the ambush. The Thegn falling from the ceiling hit Khan with such force, that the two of them crashed into the wall. Khan dropped to his left knee and instantly twisted, so as to land directly on the creature. The heavy impact broke several of its bones, but that wasn’t enough for Khan. He lifted himself up and then used the carbine in his right hand like a club to smash down on the warrior.

  “To the right,” came the familiar voice of Spartan.

  Khan had fought alongside Spartan long enough to know when he was being serious. There was no need for Khan to even check, and he just lifted his right arm to take aim with the second TEK40.

  Got them.

  He squeezed the trigger, but it was too late. The two Thegns dropped down with holes in their skulls where Spartan shot them with perfect precision. The final one tried to embed its blade into Khan’s face, but he grabbed it about the neck and snapped it like a piece of rotten wood. The lifeless corpse fell to the ground, and Khan found himself unable to move properly.

  “Dammed armor, I thought this was the latest gear?”

  “It is!” muttered another.

  Only the metal arachnid machine remained, but the column of marines had been expecting trouble and was ready. A barrage of coilguns did what the TEK40s could not. High power blasts of magnetic ammunition tore holes through its arms and body until it dropped to the ground, a lump of wrecked and smoking metal. Khan laughed happily at their destruction.

  “It’s about time we got some decent weaponry!”

  He felt an impact and lifted his arms to defend himself as a pair of Jötnar warriors struck him. He spun about and deflected one of the strikes with his shoulder, and then pulled back his fist to hit back, only to find them hammering down a bent section of metal. He lowered his eyes and watched as they hit it again to force the Jötnar armor back into shape around Khan’s immense frame. With a final kick from the shorter one of the pair it clicked into place, and Khan could finally lift himself back to his feet. He twisted about from left to right and tensed his chest to make sure every part of the unit moved as it should.

  “Yeah, that’s better. Good to see Jötnar engineering hasn’t changed.”

  The armor was a special version of the standard marine issue equipment but enlarged and reinforced as befitted its wearers. Unlike the JAS armor used by most Jötnar, this design allowed them full mobility and movement, without making them much larger than they normally were.

  “I’m missing one thing, though,” he said almost jokingly.

  He bent down to pull the modified TEK40 carbines he’d embedded in the skull of a Thegn soldier. A massive mechanical weapon system moved in front of him and blocked his path. He almost struck it aside before spotting the hands of the Jötnar holding it.

  “Can I recommend this fine vintage instead?” said the shorter Jötnar sarcastically.

  He handed the short multi-barreled weapon and dropped it into Khan’s outstretched arms. Even with his strength, the weight made him adjust his stance.

  “Welcome to the L56 Mark III, the latest toy for our armory.”

  Another Jötnar lifted a combined power pack that included the double battery system and ammunition packs for the main weapon. It clipped directly onto Khan’s back with a dull clunk sound. The first Jötnar then dragged two metal feeds to the gun’s body and tapped a lever on the side.

  “There, you’re good to go.”

  He moved about at the waist, testing the flexibility of the feeds. He was able to move it further than expected before the feeds pushed tightly to his body.

  “Yeah, this is much better.”

  That was when he spotted the Jötnar warrior
from the original landing. This one bore a number of markings, insignia of a kind directly onto his chest and helmet. It was both unfamiliar and also vaguely recognizable, yet he couldn’t put a finger on it. Khan watched the Jötnar marine move around him, eyeing up the battered Khan carefully. His armor was dull, but the crimson paintwork still showed through like a layer of fresh blood. In fact, as he looked more closely, he realized half of the red actually was blood, with some of it even covering his visor. The warrior wiped it with the back of his left arm, and the visor opened with a gentle hiss.

  “Olik?”

  The Jötnar opened his mouth and beamed with his set of crooked teeth.

  “Khan, old friend, about time!”

  He threw himself at Khan, and they crashed together like a pair of Biomech machines engaged in some kind of titanic death struggle. Khan struck Olik in the chest and pushed him back so hard, he had to stagger and then lock his foot to the ground to stop him from hitting the wall.

  “What the hell are you doing here? And who are these Jötnar?”

  Olik pointed upwards.

  “I’m with Colonel Morato, commanding her Jötnar contingent. We’ve just come from Prometheus to save your asses!”

  Khan’s eyes narrowed and he looked intently at his old friend.

  “These are from the garrison on Prometheus. They are called the Red Watch.”

  “Because of the color of their armor, right?”

  Olik sniggered.

  “Maybe. They are a good unit, Khan, an entire marine force that is one hundred percent Jötnar. They’ve been kitted out with the best armor and weapons.”

  Khan looked at Olik and several of the other Jötnar as they continued to file past toward the sound of battle.

  “I can see that.”

  He turned his attention back to Olik.

  “What happened on Prometheus?”

  Any other marine might have looked worried, but Olik couldn’t hide his pleasure. He stepped closer, crashed his hand onto Khan’s shoulder, and they moved on to follow the others inside the structure.

  “You missed one hell of a fight, Brother. The Biomechs assaulted the entire planet, and we crushed them. Colonel Teresa Morato, Admiral Churchill, and Osk were all there, and we cut them down in the hundreds and thousands. It was like…poetry or something. There were dead and dying everywhere, rivers of Biomech blood.”

  Spartan and Teresa followed a short distance behind the Jötnar, but close enough that they could hear the discussion between Khan and Olik.

  “Is that true?” Spartan asked.

  “Which part?” Teresa replied.

  “Prometheus. Did the Biomechs really hit the planet that hard?”

  He looked at her face, and her facial muscles alone answered his question. Spartan shook his head.

  “Why Prometheus? Surely High Command could have intercepted them before they landed?”

  Teresa stepped over the body of two Thegns and then stopped. She lifted her hand and waited for a moment. Spartan kept his weapon trained off into the distance, ready the instant a target might appear. Her body language softened and then they continued onwards.

  “Spartan, things have become a little complicated since you left. We’ve met many races and forged a long-term Alliance with the Helions.”

  Spartan had already found most of this out during his time aboard Dauntless, but he let her continue as they carried on through the underground facility. It was a slow, monotonous slog as it was anyway, and he found himself more than happy at just hearing her voice.

  “The Biomechs have arrived in Helios in substantial numbers.”

  She looked at him with a serious expression on her face.

  “They intend on controlling the Nexus to all of our worlds, and one by one they will control or destroy them all. Jack’s out there.”

  She looked away quickly.

  “...and Ingo and Matius.”

  Spartan didn’t worry too much about the other two, but the news of Jack felt like a knife in the stomach. He knew his son was now in the Corps and involved in the fighting, but from what he’d heard, the battle for Helios was going to be one of those monumental events. In his experience, that went hand-in-hand with massive loss of life. He knew there was nothing to be done right now, so he moved the subject back.

  “So, what’s all this about Prometheus? I still don’t understand what happened.”

  Teresa knew he’d changed the subject, but she was more than happy to brush that aside for now. Not being able to help the fighting around Helios was one thing, but spending excessive time worrying about it was another.

  “It was a trap, plain and simple. A plan put into motion by General Rivers and Admiral Anderson, and mainly coordinated by Admiral Churchill to purge the last remaining elements of the enemy. They have been popping up all over the place, and if we’re going to pull our weight in Helios, we needed to make sure the last of them were gone. It worked too. Even the last of the Sons of the League showed up, and they died with the rest.”

  That last part really seemed to choke her up a little. Spartan reached out to her, but something up ahead forced them all to their knees. A dozen coilguns targeted the shape in the distance as it changed into the shape of humanoid figures.

  “Hold your fire,” said Olik.

  They became even clearer and then changed to that of three human workers, all filthy and each looking equally terrified. They moved up to them and continued past with a single marine staying with them as escort.

  Spartan looked down at the entrance to the secondary habitation wing. It was only a short distance away and exactly where the reconnaissance robots had already reported signs of hostages and of the enemy. Teresa looked back at Spartan, still shocked that he really was there.

  “Are you up for this?” she asked.

  Spartan sighed slowly.

  “Really, do you need to ask?”

  Teresa smiled but said no more and simply looked at him. It seemed like a decade since they’d last met. She felt older, but Spartan had definitely been through the worst of it. His face was lined and weary, and he was now sporting a short beard that covered his chin and lower cheeks. Teresa could also see from the way his body moved; he was in pain. It was only then she remembered the news on his arm. Teresa glanced down, and Spartan spotted her eyes. He lifted the left arm and to her surprise it looked normal.

  “You won’t see any difference while I’ve got the armor on.”

  She winced a little as he explained. Teresa’s mind was far more creative, and she imagined all kind of terrible horrors when it came to the maiming of Spartan. The reports had mentioned the breaking of so many bones, but it was the severing of his lower left arm that still stunned her. She shook her head and concentrated on what she could see, Spartan and a full working set of PDS Alpha armor.

  Both of them were fitted out in the same armor, and it was definitely the best the Alliance could make. It wasn’t as tough as the heavy suits worn by the Vanguards and CES units, but it was much tougher than the earlier PDS armor she’d used for so long in the Uprising. Her suit was still battered and scarred from the fighting on Prometheus, though the artificers on board had at least given it a clean and hammered out some of the more obvious dents.

  Spartan’s armor was the same design, but other than that it looked like it had just come fresh from the factory. His was a brand new unit that had been carefully fitted around him just minutes after the landing of the reinforcements. In their hands, they carried the reliable L52 Mark II carbines, the standard issue for a generation now.

  “This is something I never thought I would see again,” said Khan.

  Olik looked confused and paused to look back at the marines. He could see Spartan, Teresa, and the entire host of marines moving carefully behind them. Unlike the Earthsec operatives, these warriors were careful and well equipped. They checked their angles and moved surprisingly quiet through the facility.

  “What do you mean?”

  Khan nodded t
oward Spartan.

  “The two of them.”

  Olik hadn’t really given it much thought, but as he looked at them, the memories of the past mixed with the stories they had all shared for so many years. For anybody else, it might have just been two marines in regular equipment, but to Khan and Olik it was like seeing something from a painting. The two of them were a legend in the Corps, and Khan had never truly believed he would see the day when the two would be together in battle once again. Spartan noticed them looking first.

  “Yeah?”

  Khan cleared his voice and looked back to Olik.

  “What’s the situation?” Teresa asked.

  Olik moved a little closer, as usual forgetting to make use of the ranged digital communications channels that every single one of them was connected to. He knew how to use the technology, but at such short-range, he preferred the old fashioned way more.

  “Combat drones are inside and have done a sweep. The site is on two floors and comprises one hundred and sixty-five separate apartment complexes, shops, and facilities. The site is in an L shape, with entrances to the public transportation system at both ends and in the central plaza that connects the two wings. We’re positioned at the entrance to this end.”

  Spartan nodded as the imagery came through on his visor. It had been some time since he’d had access to such technology, yet it felt second nature to him already. Teresa started to speak, but Spartan got there first.

  “We are on the lower level here, not far from the access to the mass transit system, right?”

  Olik nodded. “That’s right.”

  He pointed to the wide space in front of them. It was a hundred meters ahead and very wide. There were a number of stores facing them, and the main passage turned ninety degrees to the right and disappeared. There were displays and windows from shows and businesses on the next floor up, along with a wide walkway running directly above their heads.

  “This is more like a shopping mall than a city,” grumbled Khan.

  “True,” answered Olik.

  “This place is home to tens of thousands of people in the attached apartment blocks. The center section is more like a city center, like downtown Terra Nova but buried under the ground.”