“Jack, are you all right?”
His mind was now so fragmented he didn’t even notice her talking. They passed the lines of troops and machines and into a secondary position inside the armored walls of the fortress. Unlike the previous positions, this one had been built over many weeks, and it wasn’t just the layered walls. They could make out trench works and tunnels that were still being worked on. Jack brought up the overlay on his visor to examine the layout of the base.
“I thought so,” he started, as though they’d already been discussing the design.
“The towers are positioned in a wide triangle, with a triple layer of walls and turrets joining them together. The entire site covers almost three city blocks and runs parallel with the chasm. We could put every marine we have left in this place and still have space.”
They had not yet reached their destination and instead moved closer to the wall on the other side that would face the enemy lines. Jack instantly thought back to their position much deeper inside the city. He’d seen blood and casualties like never before at that point.
The passageway was cut directly out of the rock and concrete that months earlier had been the shattered remains of old Spascia City. This current route led to a series of bunker positions with commanding views into the city. The fire ports were small, just big enough to move a rifle low enough to hit targets. The engineers had learned from the weak defenses weeks before, reduced the gaps, and thickened the walls.
“Look,” said Jana quietly.
She indicated toward a trio of Helions dressed in long, thick greatcoats and carrying more of those improvised weapons. Jack grabbed one as they were passing. She muttered something and shook him away.
“I don’t get it, what are they doing?”
The unit moved into a wide position of four half bunkers, protected on all sides but the rear. Small doorways, just big enough for a marine to walk through, joined them together at the sides. The rear was completely open and allowed access to larger troops like the Vanguards.
“Okay, marines, you know what the mission is,” said Sergeant Stone.
They each turned and faced the Sergeant but said nothing. They were formed up two deep and across two of the bunkers.
“The enemy is mobilized and ready. We just don’t know when. It could be in five minutes or in five weeks. For now, we keep hitting them with the big guns.”
He looked from left to right, watching the marines carefully.
“Many of them have gone to ground and are using the collapsed sewer and mass-transit system to get around. This fortified zone is built on the same solid rock as the mountain behind us. If they want to get to the chasm and beyond, they will have to come through us.”
He pointed to each of the corporals in turn before coming to Jack’s own squad.
“Each of your squads has an allocated zone. You will have a bunker to defend, as well as an allocated volunteer unit. Heavy units are in reserve.”
A half-dozen Helions appeared around him; the long, thick greatcoats making them look even more depressing than the half-starved soldiers they’d seen back on the mountainside. Sergeant Stone opened his mouth to speak again but stopped upon hearing a marine shout out to his left. He glanced in the direction of the man and spotted something that completely altered his stance.
“General Gun!”
That was the first thing to get Jack’s attention. He looked to the right and spotted Gun and his entourage of Black armored Vanguards and Jötnar with their Hyperion iconography. He stopped alongside a pair of flags. One was an Alliance standard, the other from Helios, and both were filled with dozens of bullet holes. Jack looked at him and wondered how many engagements the warrior had been in since arriving on Spascia. His armor was dented in a hundred places, and the paint had peeled or burned away on every flat panel. Even so, with his visor open, Jack could see the glint in his eye.
The crazy fool! He’s loving this.
Jack shook his head, partially in exasperation, and partially in amazement.
“We’ve received word from High Command. Our reinforcements are almost ready to hit back. We have a massive fleet, divisions of marines, and thousands of my own kin. The cleansing of this system will begin soon, and it will be glorious!”
There were few that could not get excited at the rousing sound of the warrior built for war. He towered over them all, encased in armor and marked from a dozen encounters.
“If we’re to counterattack, and finally remove these things from Helios, well, that can mean only one thing. These Biomech scum will have one last chance to get rid of us before General Rivers brings fire down on them. If they delay, they will be caught between our guns and ships.”
The marines shouted and cheered excitedly at the mention of the Alliance’s most famous general. Even among the new and young recruits, the man was something of a legend. The Helions remained silent, and Jack could only assume it was because they couldn’t understand him.
“This will not be easy though. In the last hour, the outer defenses have fallen. The 1st and 2nd Helion Militia are down to less than a quarter strength and falling back. That means we’ve finally lost control of the city.”
He turned and pointed to the mountain.
“I have returned three-quarters of our forces to the mountain to reinforce it in depth. All that remains out here is us and this fortress.”
Now the marines fell silent, the whooping and excitement quickly reduced to a more somber mood.
“Every city on this world is under siege, but none has taken such a beating as us. You’ve all heard the news of the atomic strikes on some of the other cities. The rumors are true. The machines have started a new genocide, and the only reason we’re alive is because they want this site under their control.”
Jack looked down to the ground as Gun continued to speak. He’d heard everything Gun had said before over the last few days, but it was the mention of the Doomsday Weapon that stood out to him.
Why not destroy it? If they want to capture it, then they must have a use for it.
He looked back to Gun, but the seasoned commander was far too wrapped up in his own speech to even notice the one marine.
“We’ve done what we can, but as of yesterday, there were over forty thousand more enemy soldiers redeploying from the south. They will be in the city in days, perhaps hours.”
He lifted his armored fist and pointed to the sky.
“Ark Belial is well named. A worthless demon we will destroy, just like we’ve done with everything else they’ve thrown at us. A strong fleet of warships protects the Ark, and the blockade remains. We must hold this ground until relieved.”
He looked to the marines, and Jack could see the worry on his friend’s face.
What is it?
“Today I am issuing one final order; this is my no step back order. Any man, woman, or child of fighting age that attempts to retreat over the bridges will be sent back. Spascia will stay under our control, or we will be buried inside it.”
* * *
ANS Dreadnought, over Terra Nova
The observation bubble was aptly named, a large dome that extended out from the hull of the ship. This kind of location would normally be off-limits, but in a safe sector of space, the outer shielding had been fully retracted and the anti-aircraft guns withdrawn into their housings. It was big enough for an entire platoon of marines, and far larger than needed for this small group. Several seats were fitted around the sides, but it was the fact the dome provided unrestricted views in all but one direction that made the place so successful.
“Nice view isn’t it?” Khan asked.
Spartan nearly coughed at the odd question. He looked to his friend and could see he was being made fun of.
“Very funny, Khan. Where did you learn that kind of humor?”
He feigned insult.
“Not from you, clearly.”
Spartan looked back and watched the shape of Terra Nova. It was a strange place to be, even strang
er to be here as a civilian, yet on board a military vessel. He felt just as out of place as he always seemed to be in this part of space. A number of figures strolled past and headed toward the officers’ mess, not far from one of the public bars and recreation areas on the ship. He spotted Teresa approaching and waved for her to join them. While they waited, he looked down at the planet.
He’d been on Terra Nova on several occasions, none of them ones that he was particularly fond of. Worse than that was that the citizens of Terra Nova always treated him with a degree of contempt. It was as though it was his fault the machines’ lackeys, under the auspices of the Echidna Union, had led a coup and established a Biomech core deep in the government buildings. They in the end controlled the Uprising and were responsible for so many deaths. But as usual, it was those that had brought destruction to the world that received the bulk of the blame. He shook his head, and Teresa put her hand on his shoulder.
“I know,” she said quietly, moving alongside him.
It hadn’t just been Spartan on that world in the final epic battle. Teresa had been there, a prisoner of the war criminals and their Biomechanical warriors. That last hour of combat was perhaps the bloodiest single moment in humanity’s history in space, yet it had marked the end of the Union, as well as the Confederacy.
“All of that fighting, and still they blame us.”
She sighed, but found it hard to disagree with his sentiments.
“We built something better after all of that,” she said, trying as much to persuade him as her herself. Spartan shook his head slowly in disagreement.
“I don’t know. Yeah, it’s true we stopped the slavery and the war, but the same idiots are still down there, and the Biomechs are up to their old tricks.”
He nodded to the watery orb below the fleet.
“And they’re making the same mistakes all over again. There’s no continuity, no real leadership. Presidents last a few months to a few years, and policy changes even quicker.”
“At least the General is keeping them in line, where he can,” suggested Khan.
Spartan tried to smile, but it simply wasn’t going to happen. So he turned his attention back to the planet and thought back to the times where he hadn’t been involved in full-scale combat. That was when he recalled the massive statue he’d seen amongst the lavish surroundings. It was something to do with an ancient event back on Earth; something during one of the many wars fought over thousands of years. The sculpture had been incredibly detailed, but even though it wasn’t that long ago, he realized he had no idea what it looked like anymore. He shook his head and laughed to himself.
“What is it?” Teresa asked.
Spartan shook his head slowly.
“It’s okay. I was just thinking of something I saw down there.”
Teresa and Khan waited alongside him, and both were equally uninspired by the blue orb of the Alliance’s capital. There were a great many ships outside, with General Rivers’ flagship being the largest of the military ships. Even so, there were even more civilian ships moving about as though there was nothing even remotely resembling a war on. As at Mars, it was the shape of the new flagship that garnered most attention, especially by the local civilian ships, each of which was carefully moved on to a safe distance.
“Reminds me of Operation Perdition,” said Khan wistfully, “I think I’d rather go through that again than all this rubbish with them down there.”
Spartan’s bones almost groaned at the memory of that event. It was something he tried to avoid where possible, even if it had been one of the few great successes of the War. It had also been one where a vast number of soldiers, marines, and civilians had died. Not least the brutal combat that the Jötnar had participated in so successfully.
“They really have no idea, do they?” Spartan asked quietly.
“About what exactly?” asked a new voice.
Spartan turned about and looked at Major Terson, Teresa’s second-in-command. Teresa spoke highly of the man, but as far as Spartan was concerned he was just another Alliance officer. He’d not seen the man in combat, and until that happened, he was just another face to him in a uniform.
“The President has ordered a security unit to the ship to assist in the removal of our…”
He looked a little uncomfortable.
“…alien contingents.”
Spartan narrowed his eyes a little and looked at the man carefully.
“Has this guy even seen what’s going on out here? We’ve just smashed the Biomech threat in our backyard, and we have an entire legion of Biomech warriors on our side. We should point them at a target, not try and imprison them.”
Major Terson looked to Teresa, but she looked equally stern.
“I’m not in disagreement. General Rivers said he would find a way, but the order still stands, and we are in Terra Novan space. High Command has maximum pull here.”
Spartan nodded in agreement.
“Yes, putting autonomous Biomechs ground troops on Terra Nova is not a good idea. Not by a…”
“I quite agree,” said a man with a clipped, familiar accent.
All turned to look at a man dressed in PDS Alpha Armor. There was no mistaking him for one of the marines on board ANS Dreadnought, however. He wore a dark red cloak pinned to the shoulders of his armor, and his visor was flipped open to reveal a smiling face. At his flanks were two similarly dressed soldiers, but both of them had their visors locked down to hide their faces. Normally, the marines made use of a dark gray and black tiger stripe pattern for their armor. These two wore bare metal so that it looked almost silver and completely unblemished. Major Terson looked at the man, and Spartan quickly deduced he knew him. Even so, all the Alliance officers quickly saluted, all but Spartan and Khan.
“Major,” said Major Terson.
The man nodded politely but concentrated his attention on Spartan.
“This is Major Grant, commander of the Presidential Detail of the Terra Nova Colonial Guard.”
Spartan looked squarely at the man’s eyes.
“Yes, I recall the Guard. Weren’t they disbanded after the Uprising? Rumors of collusion with the enemy?”
The man didn’t even flinch at the insult.
“We’re not the old Royal Guard. Their days are long gone, and that suits me just fine. The Colonial Guard is the honorary title for the 31st Regiment, raised just last year on Terra Nova. The Regiment is the largest in the Alliance, over eight thousand men and women.”
Spartan shook his head in irritation.
“Yes, and every single one of them guaranteed to never have to leave their homeworld. I can’t imagine they get to see much action.”
The man moved his eyes a little toward to Teresa.
“Colonel Morato, your reputation precedes you. I have been…”
He stopped and lifted his hand while listening to something in his helmet. Halfway through he looked up to Spartan and scowled. His face tightened until finally he stopped and looked back at them.
“It would appear plans have changed. I have new orders from General Rivers to assist in your transit to the Prometheus Rift and on to your destination in T’Karan.”
“I see,” replied Spartan, “and how do you intend on doing that?”
The man took a step closer to Spartan. At the same time, Khan leaned forward ever so slightly, not enough to threaten but more than enough to remind the man that he was there. He’d been silent until now, but his patience was wearing thin. The Major stopped and looked to Khan with barely concealed contempt. Khan simply smiled back, but Spartan and Teresa could see the anger that remained.
“I see you retain the friendly attitude that I so admire about our capital.”
The Major turned about quickly, unimpressed at what Spartan was saying.
“They might have a measure of equality now, but they will never be like us. They are Biomechs and always will be.”
His lip almost trembled as he looked at Khan, the epitome of everything he’d ob
viously learned to hate over the years. Spartan’s smile faded as the words from the officer bit deep into his psyche.
“And you haven’t changed either. A world filled with collaborators and cowards. Let me guess, you lost people in the final battle for this planet? Were they on the side of the people, or the Union?”
The Major’s cheeks moved just a little.
“Your invasion, Spartan, it cost tens of thousands of lives. When your ships arrived, the machines turned on the population and butchered indiscriminately. Warriors like him wiped out entire families in the time it took for these monsters to plant another flag on our capital. We already had things under control.”
Spartan spat on the floor, narrowly missing the man’s foot.
“You couldn’t even control your bowels. Collaboration cost millions of lives. Remember that the next time you try and blame the very soldiers that came here and saved your worthless lives.”
The man became even tenser, but something inside seemed to click, almost as though a switch had been pushed. He breathed slowly, adjusted his uniform, and then stepped away from the situation.
“Your journey to the Admiral Jarvis Naval Station should take just a few days via the Interstellar Network. I will leave you to prepare.”
Spartan made to follow him, but Teresa put her arm in his path.
“No, not this time,” she said quietly.
Teresa then looked to Major Grant.
“We will be on our way. Just make sure you get the defenses down there ready.”
He was already heading for the door when she fired a parting shot.
“You’ll have to take care of any issues while we’re gone, but don’t worry, we’ll be back to help clean up when this little war is over.”
He looked to the wide grin on Khan’s oversized head and then stormed off muttering.
“Looks like we’ve made some new friends,” said Khan.
“That wasn’t wise,” Major Terson suggested.
Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy Page 36
