Things don’t change as much as people would have you believe.
He looked back to the live feeds and the seven destroyers moving around the target at a distance of just under three kilometers. For ships of that size, and inside a planet’s atmosphere, this was effectively point-blank range. If it hadn’t been for the permanent threat of a death, he might have actually enjoyed watching the ships at work. Gunfire bounced off them as hundreds of small arms reached up and stabbed at the massive gray vessels. Only the most powerful weapons could have even the slightest chance of doing any kind of significant damage. He spotted a single Eques walker stop. It then pivoted and raised its gun system to engage one of the destroyers.
Let them burn.
They were all the air defense destroyers, each one armed with eight quad 20mm coilgun turrets that were perfectly built to shred missiles, fighters, and light armor. The first opened fire, and then one by one the others joined in to bring down a fiery rain upon the Biomech ground forces. Two Biorays were set alight, and more than half a dozen Eques walkers were cut in half by the weight of fire. Captain Marcus nodded with pleasure at the carnage.
“Admiral, this sure is a beautiful sight.”
More of the machines spread out from the landers, but now the Alliance ships had their range. In this environment they proved devastating against the Decurions, Thegns, and even the heavily armored Eques machines. Every time a squad tried to reach the facility, it was smashed to pieces by gunfire.
“Good…damn good. That should take some of the pressure off the General.”
“Sir!” Lieutenant Vitelli called out, “Enemy warships coming from the south.”
Admiral Lewis felt his stomach lurch.
“Numbers?”
He looked to his tactical officer and found the answer in his face. All he needed to do was to put a number on the threat.
“Uh…I’ve not seen anything like this before, Sir. We have fifty plus Biomantas and the same number of landers. There’s more though, Sir.”
“What do you mean?”
Lieutenant Vitelli indicated toward the mainscreen when he changed the view of the defense facility to one of the smoke-filled sky. The imagery was shaky and filled with digital noise and artifacts.
“What am I looking at?” Admiral Lewis asked.
“It’s Ark Leviathan. It’s coming down through the atmosphere.”
He almost choked at the news.
“Coming down? Has it been forced down here? That means the end of the bombardment.”
The young officer shook his head and looked back at the dark shape beginning to fill the sky. It shared much in common with the arrival of the other warships from orbit, with one massive exception. Size.
“It’s slowing down, Sir, and it’s coming down ten kilometers from here. There are more ships coming down with it.”
So, this is how Helios dies. They smash the planet within an inch of its life, wait until the warriors are dead, starving or dying. Then, with almost no defenses left, they unleash their hordes.
“Animals!”
He signaled to Captain Marcus.
“We not going to be here for long now. Make sure the ship is ready for a quick escape. As soon as the General is done, we’re out of here.”
The ship shook violently, and this time suffering far worse against the increasing number of enemy vessels. The gun turrets of the Alliance vessel loaded, fired, and reloaded until their barrels began to overheat.
“We’re running out of time.”
The rest of the Alliance ships showed up on the tactical display and presented a layered cylindrical defense over the installation. Smaller shapes indicated the fighter and drone squadrons busily running circles around the larger vessels. No matter where Admiral Lewis looked, he could see the bright red tendrils of the Biomechs moving in. He wasn’t simply outnumbered. He was trapped.
“How long until we’re stuck here?”
Captain Marcus was already speaking with three other officers. He twisted about to look to the Admiral.
“Seven minutes, eight at a push. After that, they’ll be able to hit us all the way off this world.”
“Very well.”
He selected all of the Maulers in the vicinity of the facility.
“This is Admiral Lewis. Phase II is a go. Get our people out of there.”
* * *
ANS Warlord, Admiral Jarvis Naval Station, T’Karan
General Rivers marched along the wide passageway running below the spine of the warship. Just behind him moved a pair of marines, each carrying their carbines low and at the ready. The passageway was flanked on both sides by a long ribbon of artificial windows that showed the perfect view of space. Unlike the rest of the journey, this one showed just two things. On one side was the vast Admiral Jarvis Naval Station, the largest and most advanced military installation in the Orion Nebula. To the left waited scores upon scores of ships, everything from Liberty class destroyers up through the many Crusader class vessels. There were even a large number of modified civilian transports bearing the markings of Hyperion. He shook his head, partially in amusement and also in annoyance.
Damn Jötnar and their refusal to follow orders.
Their ships did at least carry the red stripes that marked the bows of most Alliance warships. It was clear they were there because they wanted to join in, and not because they had been told to come. He had nothing but respect for Gun’s people, but he could easily understand why so many people had a deep down fear and mistrust of them. They were simply more independently minded than any other citizens.
One day, that problem is going to come home to roost.
He lifted his hand to his face and rubbed his forehead gently.
But that’s for another day.
His expression was far from happy, and any officer that turned to salute quickly moved away to avoid his gaze. He moved in silence, the guards mute sentinels, each looking for signs of trouble. They reached the end of the passageway and a hexagonal open space with a pair of high-speed elevators waiting on each side. Another pair of marines watched each entrance and saluted as he stepped inside. Only when the doors hissed shut did he pull out his secpad and look at the data again.
“The fools, I told them we needed to act, and fast.”
He scratched at his nose and placed the device back in its sheath on his thigh. Yet even with the object hidden away, he could not hide the imagery he’d seen of the attacks on the two Helion worlds. It was bad enough that Helios Prime and Spascia were under full-scale siege, but the news from Micaya and Libuscha was staggering.
Now we’re on the back foot and they’ll press their advantage.
In less than forty-eight hours, they’d gone from having a taskforce at the Black Rift and four planetary defense bases to just two. He had serious doubts of the ability for the Helions to defend the Black Rift, let alone be able to hold it for particularly long.
If they can negate our ability to close the Rift, we can expect a full-scale assault into the system in seconds.
It was a terrifying and incredibly sobering thought. One made far worse at the realization that the forces in Helios were just the remnants of the war long ago. He dreaded to think what might lay in wait thousands of light years away at the planets of the Biomechs.
The doors hissed open and revealed the spacious landing bay of the largest Alliance warship ever built. Even he had been impressed by the vastness of the vessel. It was excess in every possible way and amused him after the speeches and arguments directly after the Uprising.
What did they say? We need fewer ships, ones that would be cheaper to build and more flexible. Now what do we have? Hundreds of Crusader and Liberty vessels, and now this behemoth.
He wasn’t wrong either. This wasn’t just the largest military vessel ever constructed. It was also the most expensive, complicated, and heavily armed known to exist outside of the Biomech inventory. He turned his attention to the landing bay and the complete lack of personnel. H
e’d ordered the place cleared prior to his arrival, with no more than his personal guards staying back and watching the entrance. There were many Hammerhead fighters and Maulers lined up, but one in particular sat in the center. The craft carried a pair of red stripes, and a squad of marines waited outside for protection. Waiting in front of them were Khan, Spartan, Teresa, Major Terson, Marcus Keller, and his son. It was a veritable ensemble of the lost and damned of the Alliance.
“You should see what you look like.”
He walked right up to them and stopped. Even as the marines started to salute, he shook his head, irritated at the ceremony.
“We go through the Rift in three hours. All that’s left are the marine transports coming from Kerberos, what is it?”
Spartan took one step forward and met the General, almost as though he was trying to head off the old man. Both warriors faced off, years of experience allowing them to size up the other without even speaking. Spartan finally broke the silence.
“General, we’ve spoken with Z’Kanthu and his comrades about your proposal.”
The General knew them all well enough; especially Spartan from his years of experience in the field to know something was up.
“What is it, Spartan?”
“Together we have come up with a plan. A way we can end this one once and for all. It’s not the officially sanctioned Alliance plan, though.”
General Rivers looked at him, and then to Teresa, and finally to his son.
“A plan? We already have a plan. It’s called Citadel, and it’s guaranteed to smash the enemy hard.”
None of them said a word, and he looked at each of them, noticing the subtle changes in their faces that had occurred over the years he’d known each of them.
“Come on, then, what’s so special about this plan of yours?”
Captain Nathaniel Rivers looked quickly to Teresa and then back at his father. He was clearly uncomfortable in his presence, something he’d never really discussed with the others.
“Citadel will hit them hard, for sure. But the Biomechs aren’t stupid, Sir. We can guarantee they will open up the Black Rift no matter what we do, and when that happens, this war is over.”
The General didn’t seem very impressed.
“You’re here are my request because Spartan said something about a critical problem with the operation? What was that, just a ruse?”
A scraping sound came from the Mauler waiting behind the small entourage. The shape of Z’Kanthu moved out through the double hatches that were big enough for three Vanguards to exit from. Immediately behind him stepped On'Sarax, the shorter and broader of the two Biomechs. It began speaking in a dull, monotone computerized voice that was almost feminine in tone. Spartan noticed the change and wondered if they’d make adjustments to their vocal units specifically for this meeting.
“We have formulated a plan, a very risky plan, that could end this war in one battle.”
General Rivers looked at the two machines and then waved off the marine guards waiting at the Mauler. Both had arrived with the craft, yet neither were people the General had seen before. Once they had moved back inside the craft, he looked back at the machines.
“Well?”
On'Sarax spoke, but not a single component of her metal figure moved. The Biomech might easily have been a metal statue than a leader of hundreds or even thousands of years of age.
“We have detailed knowledge of the Black Rift, as well as the enemy’s domain. It is after all, our own world as well. Get us to their homeworld, and we will end this conflict.”
General Rivers almost choked at this.
“Nonsense. You fought a war and you lost. What has changed? Don’t tell me you think you can force them to not fight, because if you could have done that before, why didn’t you?”
On'Sarax twisted to her right and looked to Z’Kanthu. They said nothing, but there clearly a conversation going on. After a few seconds, both turned their attention to the General.
“We plan on doing something the enemy would never expect.”
“Really? And what would that be?”
His tone was becoming more and more frustrated as the seconds ticked by. So far, he’d heard them speak; yet they had told him nothing of substance. He was aware of planets, ships, fleets, and sieges. But this plan lacked anything more than a few vain dreams. He needed more, and they knew it.
Z’Kanthu decided to speak.
“We want the Rift opened. We must take advantage of the enemy’s greatest weakness.”
There was silence, but each knew what the question was. Z’Kanthu broke the silence with just a single word.
“Hubris.”
General Rivers turned away from the machine and sighed. He began to move away and then looked back, his body still only half turned. The machine took this as a signal to continue speaking.
“If we attempt to fight them with force of arms, I can guarantee we will lose. In our own war, we lost millions of soldiers and thousands of ships. Even combined, you and your allies do not have the strength to bring about a total victory against the machines.”
Teresa had been silent until now, but finally she spoke.
“No matter how powerful they might appear right now, the forces waiting in the worlds of The Twelve will be innumerable. Our own low estimates put their number of Arks at more than the strength of your entire fleet.”
General Rivers tightened his brow at this new information.
“I’ve not heard this before.”
It was more a question than a statement, but the machine chose to continue with its own line of inquiry.
“General, if we are bold, we can use the enemy’s moment of victory to our advantage. When they are strongest, they will also be at their weakest. This is the perfect moment for us to strike.”
Spartan and Khan both nodded in agreement at this last part. It was Teresa that finished off the proposal, however.
“General, in the end of times, this is the last thing they would expect. Even as their ships sweep in, we will move in behind them and launch a strike that will make Terra Nova look like a...”
She then looked to Spartan.
“What was your word…a picnic?”
Spartan couldn’t help but smile at that, but the General remained completely impassive. There was a short pause as he considered all of their words. He had great respect for all of them, especially Teresa. Even so, he found the idea barely believable.
“What?” he snapped back, more viciously than he’d intended, “You want us to open up the only thing stopping them from total annihilation? To what end? If they have the kind of numbers you’re talking about, you will be utterly destroyed. We don’t even know a thing about their worlds, just the scattered relics of the Helions.”
“No,” said Z’Kanthu, “You have us. As the last of The Twelve, we know our old worlds, the navigation routes, and also the capital. We have all been there, the heart of the old Empire and of the galaxy.”
Spartan shook his head as the General spoke.
“General. We plan on taking the fight to them. Let me lead whatever you can spare. I will take any forces you can give me. I’ll use them in a single massive strike. We’ll hit them hard, and we’ll hit them again and again. I don’t care what we have available. I’ll use atomics, viral warfare. Hell, I’ll use my teeth, hands, and feet, but by God, I’ll make sure we end them. I’ll leave nothing on their worlds but the dust of their vaporized souls.”
General Rivers looked at him and found himself speechless. The bitter vitriol coming from Spartan was unlike anything he’d heard him say before. He was well aware of the man’s treatment by the Biomechs, but this was something else. Only then did he notice the swollen features around Teresa’s eyes. The light was low, but as she moved a little, the glow from the lamps fitted under the Mauler showed where she had rubbed away the tears.
Something’s happened, something terrible.
It fell to Khan, who as always seemed to keep quiet un
til the last possible minute.
“This is the way it was always going to be, General. Do we want to whither away one soldier at a time, or do we want to fight them the way my kin were born to fight? A single battle, a bloodbath to tear the Biomechs from their world and see them burn like they would see us burn?”
He looked at Spartan, Teresa, and now Khan. He opened his mouth to speak, but his secpad beeped instead. With a single quick motion, he pulled out the unit and lifted it to his face. His expression transformed as he read it, and then moved his eyes back to them.
“They’ve hit Helios Prime. Big time. Admiral Lewis thinks they’re going for the weapon. They already have troops on the ground and are fighting all around the place. The Ark that was over Prime, it has dropped through the atmosphere and is moving into position over General Daniels’ position.”
He swallowed as though trying to hide some terrible truth.
“If the Biomechs take just one of the facilities, they’ll control the Rifts.”
He glanced over his shoulder and back into the dark recesses of the landing bay.
“We’re going through now. The rest of the reinforcements will have to come through when they’re ready. Admiral Lewis and General Daniels have put out a general distress call to all forces. Either we go through now, or we might end up stuck here.”
He began to move away, but Teresa stepped toward him.
“What about our plan?”
He shook his head in partial annoyance.
“I understand your concerns, but this is war, and we have to make difficult decisions. My orders are to secure Helios Prime and to protect this Rift to our own system. The Black Rift is a luxury we cannot afford to interfere with. If Spascia and Helios Prime fall, so does everything else. We’ll secure both…”
Spartan shook his head angrily.
“…and then see about your plan. I will not take risks with the limited resources at our disposal.”
Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy Page 43
