Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy

by Michael G. Thomas

  “Colonel, the mountain,” said one of his Jötnar guards.

  The Jötnar pointed through the gaps in the shattered walls toward the chasm just a few hundred meters away. To the right and at the end of the chasm was the lowest level of the mountain that shielded the weapon systems contained deep inside. A Bioray had moved directly over the site, but the gunfire from the Three Sisters tore it apart and sent the ruined vessel down into the chasm where it vanished in a bright flash. He looked back and pointed to the kilometers of devastated city.

  “If they want this city, they will have to come up through the ruins. There’s no way they can land anywhere near it. ”

  CES teams had erected air defenses and bunkers to cover all approaches to the mountain, but the only routes leading actually inside its thick exterior were either through the underground shafts or via the gunports that were currently closed. Gun watched more landers moving in around the fringes of the city and smiled as the streaks of anti-aircraft gunnery tore at them.

  Less than half must have made it to the ground. We’ll get the rest.

  He could see the odd body here and there where his defenders had beaten off a number of attacks. Very few of the enemy had made it this far into the city, but some still made it through. The Thegns, in particular, were masters at infiltration, and a ten-strong unit had actually made it to the chasm before being spotted and hunted down by the Khreenk. In the last hour, they had been hit by the remnants of multiple landers, but each time the pillboxes, machine gun nests, and hidden NHA soldiers had stopped them. Gun stepped back to the three Bulldogs that had been positioned together to form a small compound. Panels were pulled out with multiple displays, and a holographic model of the city projected between them.

  “How are we doing then?” he asked, not expecting a reply.

  He checked the positions of his company commanders, noting the bulk of the fighting was taking place out in the suburbs. Reports continued to stream in of wave attacks led by the Thegns and supported by the terrifying war machines. Biomech landing sites had been established in a number of the outlying urban areas, and reports were already arriving of them taking prisoners to use as human shields.

  They have no honor.

  Gun’s bodyguard waited patiently, no one wanting to interrupt their commander’s thinking. Mixed in with them was a handful of Vanguards, each of them a veteran of Eos, and almost the equal of the Jötnar themselves inside their powerful armored units. Gun ran his hand through the holographic model and stopped upon reaching the chasm. It was a wide and incredibly deep fissure that had been covered with a dozen sprawling bridges over the centuries. Now it marked the rear of his position and the area he could not let fall.

  If they reach the chasm, they will have direct access to the mountain and the weapon.

  The side of the city running next to the chasm was just behind where his command post was situated. Each of the tall buildings nearby was filled with Khreenk sharpshooters and Alliance marines, while the more open ground was defended by dug in NHA soldiers. He looked at a pair of soldiers dressed in the dull yellow uniforms of one of the many NHA units. The army itself was largely dependent on the leftover resources used for the Narau Army. Gun shook his head, as the two seemed more interested in the column of Bulldogs rolling past than watching their designated zones.

  “Fools, if they want to die, they are going about this in the right way.”

  The crunch of metal on stone caught his attention. He tilted just a fraction to watch as an older looking Major from 22nd Marine Regiment approach, along with four of his officers.

  “General,” he started.

  Gun looked down at the Major with wry amusement. He was the Colonel of his own battalion, but technically he was the general in charge of defending Spascia. He quite liked the name, even though it wasn’t something he’d given much thought to.

  “General Gun,” he said and then laughed.

  The Major looked to his officers and then back to Gun, offering an almost apologetic look.

  “General Gun. My battalion has moved to cover the mountain approaches as ordered. One company is deployed here to cover the approach to the chasm, and we have machines from the Khreenk assisting there. I have also sent a platoon to the other side to assist with the guns on the blocked approach.”

  “Good...good,” said Gun.

  He looked back and beckoned for the man to stand alongside him to look at the display. He examined the plan and moved the map about to check every point where Biomechs had landed troops. The red markings now surrounded Spascia City on three sides, making the remaining territory look more like an island. He rotated the model until reaching the chasm.

  “The approach from the other side of the chasm. My reports say it is all but impossible to land troops there. Do you agree?”

  “That is true, General. We have scouting teams watching from the high ground. The weapons fitted to the mountain are impressive. It has enough firepower to hold back several warships on its own. If the Biomechs try to take it from the air, they will lose their entire army. The air defenses are...well...impregnable.”

  Gun didn’t seem impressed.

  “Yes, that is why they are landing out of range of its guns. Either they surround the city and then take it, the chasm, and then the mountain from this level or...”

  A quick movement of the wrist changed to the rocky terrain on the approaches from the other side of the mountain.

  “They will need to work through the mountains and take the chasm from the other side.”

  The Major shook his head firmly.

  “I don’t see how, Sir. The mountain guns cover the landing pads in that position. Any attempt to drop in ground troops would be fatal.”

  Gun looked at the mountain and then to the Major.

  “You’re forgetting one thing. What if they decide to simply reduce the mountain to slag? A coordinated assault could break through eventually.”

  It was clear the idea was not one the Major had even contemplated. Gun watched as the blood seemed to drain from his face. Gun might have found it amusing if it hadn’t been for the gravity of the situation.

  “What is it, Major? You do understand they are not here to destroy the thing?”

  The man still appeared confused, but Gun was more interested in the shape of a Biomech warship high in the sky. Its shape was hard to determine, but there were dozens of black shapes dropping from it.

  Bombs?

  They moved down fast, and the first crashed into the ground almost a kilometer to the south.

  “What the hell are those things?”

  “Colonel!” shouted one of his guards.

  A pair of the shapes hurtled toward his command post, but both exploded from the streams of gunfire coming from the Three Sisters. The shattered wreckage crashed down with such an impact they almost hid the shape of a landing craft following them down. A Bulldog reversed and then vanished as a large object smashed into it and destroyed half the building. It was too small to be a Bioray but certainly large enough to be a landing craft or assault shuttle of some kind. The entire crash site quickly disappeared behind a thick cloud. The dust and debris obscured the remains of the buildings a hundred meters back into the city. Three NHA soldiers ran from the dust, only to be cut down by gunfire. There was more movement, and his suit quickly flagged it as a potential hostile. Three bullets glanced off his shoulder and he looked to his right.

  “Thegns!”

  A score of the humanoid soldiers rushed from the cover of their hidden lander and made directly for Gun. All of them were armed with firearms, and they blasted the Alliance warriors as they moved ever closer.

  “You didn’t tell me your name,” said Gun accusingly.

  He looked for the man but couldn’t find him. Several more rounds struck about him, and as he tilted his head, he spotted the group of marines, each of them on the ground and riddled with bullet holes. A Captain lifted his hand. Gun grabbed it and yanked him from the ground. Another vo
lley of shots struck Gun’s leg, and he winced more in annoyance than pain.

  “Ah, well, now I don’t need to know.”

  He looked right at the Captain.

  “Son, you’re in charge of your battalion now. What’s your name?”

  “Captain Bale, Sir. My unit is...”

  Gun grabbed him about the shoulder.

  “No, your battalion is here. Get back to your officers and prepare for their attack.”

  The man looked stunned and Gun pointed to the sky.

  “They’re throwing assault units at us. Look!”

  More of the shapes crashed down, and finally they were able to see one of the six-legged machines falling like a fireball to the ground. Yellow flames underneath marked the use of some form of retro-engine, but it still struck the ground with an almighty bang. More shapes followed its course, quickly confirming it must have been ejected from one of the ships in low orbit. Another one smashed into an Alliance Mauler on the other side of the chasm and vanished inside a crater. Gun pointed at it.

  “Take command of your forces around the chasm. Don't let a single one get anywhere near the mountain."

  He then grabbed the Captain by the collar.

  "Understood?"

  The man nodded and then stumbled back. He glanced down to the body of his commander, but the roaring coming from Gun took immediate precedence.

  "He's dead. His fight is over. Get back there and help those still alive."

  He looked in the direction of the crashed landing craft. The computer detected gunfire and triangulated the position instantly. Gun selected the targets with his retina and opened fire. The multi-barreled shoulder mounted L56 shredded the enemy as one popped up from cover.

  "Defend the Commander!" called out his guards.

  The heavily armored warriors ran into position like the oathesworn warriors of ancient Earth. Bullets clattered about them while they returned gunfire in equal measure. One of the Jötnar took multiple rounds to the leg and dropped down. Another took his place and then they all returned fire. The heavy weapons fitted to the JAS armor proved devastating. So many were killed that it distracted them from the thirty more that had climbed over the wrecked walls on the other side.

  “Commander!” shouted one of his guards.

  Gun twisted about, surprised to hear one of them using his honorary title, as opposed to his official rank of Colonel. He started to berate the Jötnar to find his comrade being dragged to the ground by five Thegns. They stabbed at him with edged weapons and then blasted open his armor with their firearms.

  “No!” roared Gun and then he was on them.

  As Gun stabbed his right fist into a Thegn's body, he didn't even notice the massive shape of the Biomech Eques heavy walker. It scuttled over the rubble and headed right for him with a company of Thegns swarming around it like bugs.

  * * *

  Jack slammed in another clip and lifted himself back up to the firing line. Unlike the start of the battle, the enemy was now making effective use of the rubble, shattered buildings, and the bodies of both sides to shield themselves from view.

  “Get on the northern wall, now!” Sergeant Stone ordered.

  Two of the marines next to Jack lifted themselves up, and a third appeared from behind the next wall and moved to the left of their defensive position. Three yellow streaks ripped through the terrain, and one of the marines was struck in the back of the head. He slumped forward and landed face down in the dirt.

  “Medic!” screamed the nearest marine.

  Sergeant Stone stepped closer, shook his head, and pointed to the north wall.

  “He’s gone, now get on the damn line.”

  He then turned to Jack.

  “Go with them. The enemy is up to something. I can tell.”

  Jack didn’t bother thinking; his mind was too shattered from the last hour of combat. Instead, he moved as quickly as he could while keeping his head down. He moved past the fortified area they’d created for the Helion anti-air unit, and on to what remained of the broken building at the end of their city block. It was the most intact section of this area, and when he arrived, he found a dozen marines, three Khreenk warriors, and one of the SAAR robots all entrenched and watching the north.

  “Private, over here!” said a Corporal.

  Jack nodded, ran to the space, and slid down into cover. The wall provided decent cover. It had been covered with additional material, raising its height to nearly two meters. Behind it was more rubble, both to thicken the wall and also to give the marines something to stand on. Jack stepped up to take a look, but an armored hand grabbed him and pulled him back. Under the thin cloak was the dull gold of his breastplate. Jack noticed more of them huddled down along the wall.

  “No, Jack, stay down.”

  He instantly recognized the sound of Jae Jaan. He hadn’t seen the Khreenk warrior since the start of the fight, assuming he had joined the remainder of his forces that were operating as a mobile reserve.

  “How is the west wall?”

  Jack’s mind flashed back to the bloody firing line he had been on for so long. The images stunned him for a moment.

  “Not good.” It was the best he could manage.

  Warning indicators flagged his blood pressure. The suit automatically pumped in chemicals to try and calm his system, and it took the edge off. He could feel sweat running down his temple and shook his head angrily.

  Get a grip, Jack. Get a grip!

  “We held off the first attack, but since then they have been trying to infiltrate through the rubble. The last attack was made with just the Thegns on their own. Three got inside before the Helions turned the AA gun on them.”

  “Impressive.”

  Jack recalled the exploding Thegns in the middle of the defenses and found the imagery too much to bear. Their position was the most remote of the western defenses, and there was nothing further out from where they waited, other than the enemy. It was enough to send a man away screaming, yet every marine had stayed at their posts. Jack looked up to Jae Jaan.

  “Why are you here? I thought you were our reserve?”

  Jae Jaan laughed in reply.

  “We are. Orders from your commanders, they want us to assist in a withdrawal of all but the key strongholds. The Biomechs are close.”

  He pointed to the east, a place where black smoke almost obscured the mountains far into the distance. Streaks from rockets and missiles moved continually up in the sky and dropped back down, as the forces on both sides fought over the small number of positions where the Biomech had made landfall.

  “The enemy has tried a different tactic. Look.”

  He pointed at three dark objects that fell from the sky and toward the city. Two Alliance destroyers blasted them, but they were soon well out of range. The Biorays were heavily damaged, yet they came on. The ground shook as the Helion anti-aircraft gun unit opened fire and added its firepower to the remaining positions around the city.

  “Ninety percent of their ground forces are blockading the city. The rest are launching suicidal attacks from orbit to try and break our chain of command. My people have seen this before. It is a terror campaign.”

  Jack watched as the wrecked Bioray tried to slow down but lost control and spiraled downwards. Once it was less than five thousand meters from the surface, a dozen shapes burst from its flanks and scattered outwards. They fell far more slowly while the Bioray ploughed nose first into a tower building. A massive explosion engulfed the entire city block.

  “Those are Eques walkers. They are the only machines that can stand the fall. If they can secure a landing site in the city, they will be able to bring in their forces right in the middle of your defenses.”

  The ground began to shake, and the loose sections of the building shuddered and broke. One floor quickly collapsed, and two marines vanished in the rubble. A CES unit moved in and began clearing the rubble to find them.

  “What the hell is going on?” asked the Marine Corporal.

&n
bsp; Jae Jaan moved to the wall and looked out before looking back to his people. He spoke quickly, and they moved back from the wall and prepared their weapons. Each carried a different gun, but all of them looked deadly. Jack was particularly interested in the double-barreled carbine carried by the shortest of the group. The barrels were punctured with holes along their sides, and an ammunition hopper on his flank connected via two tubes to the base of the gun. The Khreenk warrior noticed him looking and laughed.

  “You like?”

  The accent was thick, yet the Khreenk warrior was able to speak those few words with little trouble. Jack looked to his own carbine, but compared to the bulk of dull metal and tubing it looked puny. He began to speak just as the inner wall collapsed.

  “Quake!” shouted somebody that vanished in the cloud of dust.

  The ground shook and rumbled, and that was when Jack spotted the crumbling ground. He stood up and jumped away just as a large chunk of stonework vanished behind him. Jae Jaan stumbled and tipped backwards, but Jack leaned back and reached out. Jae Jaan spotted his hand and grabbed on. Two of his comrades dropped into the hole as they staggered into the shattered stonework. Dust scattered all around them, followed immediately by a massive blast that threw them to the ground. Small fires burned throughout the improvised citadel, and medics ran about helping the wounded. Jack could follow them via the IFF scanner built into his armor, but he could see little other than thermal signatures.

  What’s going on?

  Jack lifted himself back to his feet and wiped his visor. It took three attempts to clear enough to let him see, but there was still nothing but dust. A marine barged into him, almost knocking him down.