"Bet your ass I am. We have to do something, anything."
They have nearly found me. Prepare yourself. I must throw them off my scent, and yours. I have one last gift to give you. Call to me when it is time.
His voice faded as he finished the final words, and Spartan knew this might be the last time he would hear from the old machine. The onboard systems in his armor activated, and he could feel the augmented limbs straining at the magclamp.
Okay, that kind of helps.
There was a sound from the machines below him. It was a panic, as though something terrible had happened. Spartan looked down to them and noticed the six machines were in something of a daze. A crackle of energy ripped through the ship, and the lights dimmed.
Odd.
He looked off into the distance and found the same with the large numbers of Ghost Warriors. Some continued to move, but many had stopped, with quite a few toppling over. Then every single machine stopped, apart from the six leaders. That was the moment he noticed the guns were offline.
You crazy fool, you've bought us a window.
Spartan wasn’t sure how, but it was obvious the ancient warrior had managed to temporarily sever the connection between the minds in the Core and the machines in the ship. Spartan’s mind raced ahead as he realized that would also include the leaders on all of the battleships, the command vessels for the Biomech fleet.
Thank you, Z’Kanthu, that’s the window we need. Leave the rest to us.
Explosions filled outer space, and he was convinced he could see two of the mighty Biomech battleships exploding from long volleys of gunfire. Light caught his eye, and he looked to the great wall of curved glass. It was shaking, and then the shapes outside struck it. The material shuddered, then shattered. Blast panels rushed down to seal them in, but the top superstructure of a Biomech warship crashed through, and Spartan found himself flying through the air uncontrollably.
Great, here we go again.
* * *
Spartan opened his eyes. He was alive, that much was clear, but what else was happening he had no idea. He shook his head and lifted himself up. There was still gravity, but the armor showed the atmosphere had been vented into space. He realized he was on the ground and between the six machines. All of them were functional, and each was pointing weapons at him. Hundreds more of their warriors were scurrying about.
Great, they are back in control.
“Spartan, the betrayer. We offered you immortality and you destroyed Z’Kanthu, for what? Tell us what did you do? How did you breach the Core?” demanded the nearest.
Spartan ignored it and looked from side to side. The interior of the ship was a mess, with huge chunks of the ceiling missing. Blocks of metal and masonry littered the place, and the sparks and flashes of yet more damage showed in all directions.
"Forget him, now, he dies," said the second of the ancient machines.
It took a step toward Spartan, lifted its arm, and then flew sideways and crashed to the ground. Hundreds of shots from Gatling guns ripped around them and struck into the machines. The other five separated, leaving Spartan out in the open. Dozens of the normal, and expendable Ghost Warriors formed up in a shield wall to protect the five ancient warriors.
Yeah, you protect them. I know their little secret, though. Just like The Twelve, these Ancients are still inside their armor. That makes them mortal, and that means I can kill them.
He pulled himself to his feet and found a whole column of Decurions scuttling in to join battle. Spartan lifted his arms and fired, blue flashes of energy ripping into them.
"Spartan!" yelled a familiar voice.
Further back and atop of the wreckage of part of a ship came dozens of marines. At their head was Major Terson, dressed in battered PDS armor and carrying an L52 carbine. He stopped as he reached the top of the rubble and fired off into the distance. More of them poured in like troops landing on a beach from landing craft. They went from a few dozen to hundreds in seconds. From upper levels, hatches blew open and Helion and Byotai soldiers entered the vast complex.
"A hand, Spartan?" asked a familiar voice.
He looked about and then spotted the Jötnar on the ground, pinned under the heavy form of one of the commanders. He pulled back his arms and stabbed at the thing repeatedly.
"Khan."
Spartan staggered over to his friend and yanked away the metal machine. Khan extended an arm, and Spartan pulled hard. The Jötnar steadied himself and then struck Spartan hard.
"That's for giving us a hard fight."
Spartan shrugged, not that Khan could tell through the armor.
"What's the plan?"
Khan pointed to the increasing number of troops.
"We crashed the first three ships into the upper structure of this fortified ship, or whatever it is. Olik is taking the Thegns to hit them from below. Terson and I brought the heavies right here. Where is this damned Core?"
Spartan turned around and pointed to the shadows that led further into the ship.
"The transmissions are coming from back there, inside the area they call the Reliquary."
"Good," said Khan, "Then let's crack the walls of this place and get us some payback."
They began to move, but Spartan reached out to his friend.
"Helios, what's happened back there? When I was a prisoner I could see their plans, their dispositions. Spascia looks like it's in trouble. Jack and Teresa are both there, aren’t they?"
Khan closed his eyes and tried to think of the best way to tell him.
"Spartan, I'm sorry. They were forced to the mountain. Last we heard from Gun was that Teresa died in the last stand. Gun is still fighting them tunnel by tunnel, but he can't last much longer."
"And Jack?"
Khan shook his head. Spartan looked to him but found no solace in his friend’s eyes, only the bitter truth of what had happened.
"We couldn't help them and be here at the same time. It was them or the war."
Spartan knew he was right. It was a decision they had all made, but that made it no less bitter to him. He clenched his fists together tightly.
"I want them dead, every single one of their machines."
They both left the crash site and went into the darker regions of the ship. The space became narrower, and the resistance tougher the further they went. Finally, the passageway shrank to just ten meters wide, with a tall ceiling made from the foul biological bones matter. Off into the distance a great statue of a half creature, half machine filled the wall. It was fifty meters tall and surrounded by a blue glow. Black flooring ran at multiple levels around the sculpture. They walked a little further and into the massive inner sanctum. Dozens more passageways ran into the same place, with a mixture of friend and foe streaming into the site.
“So, their reliquary contains a statue of some stupid beast?” Khan muttered.
Spartan took aim and blasted a Decurion as it emerged from one of the entrances. Khan did the same as hundreds of marines and friendly Thegns swarmed past them. Gunfire licked at them from different heights, and Ghost Warriors dropped down amongst them, hacking and shooting at anything they got in their way.
"There!" Khan said.
He pointed to the space around the base of the mighty statue. A glowing blue sphere ran at ground level and then extended up into the creature itself.
"Is that it?"
Spartan shrugged.
"No idea, shoot it anyway."
Both opened fire, along with many of the marines and Vanguards. The rounds chipped away at the stone and metalwork but had little, if any impact on the blue matter. Major Terson came in through another of the passageways three levels up. Three of his marines were cut down, and he was forced back to the entrance, using its sides as cover. On'Sarax stepped out and gazed upon the sculpture.
"Spartan, Khan. On'Sarax says the top level is the source of the signal. It is built into the head of that thing," said the Major.
Shouts from above came from the enemy, an
d then a pair of the ancient warriors threw themselves down from the top level.
They hit the ground with such incredible force that marines were scattered in all directions. On'Sarax stepped out to face them, along with three more of her rebel kin. The machines hissed and spoke in their ancient tongue, words that meant little other than by their tone.
"With me!"
Spartan ran across the open ground, ignoring the gunfire that seemed to come from every direction. Khan chased after him, as well as a handful of marines. Three were cut apart before they reached the curved black ramp that wound all around the sculpture. Decurions rushed down to meet them, but Spartan hacked and smashed his way through them as if they were nothing. Not even Khan could match his pace or ferocity.
"Slow down, Spartan!" he yelled.
Down below, the lowest levels had turned into a scene from hell itself. Bodies from both sides littered the floor while the great machines battled it out. On'Sarax had already lost an arm, yet still she fought on against her hated enemies. Most of the ground troops from both sides had now pulled back, doing their best to avoid the bloodbath around the titanic creatures. On they went while Spartan, Khan, and two marines reached the top of the ramp. Waiting before them were the last two ancient machines. They waited, shoulder-to-shoulder with the face of the demonic entity directly behind them. Spartan lifted an arm and blasted the face, but as before, nothing happened.
"You cannot win, traitor!"
One of the machines emitted a hissing sound, and from several hidden access points came Thegns. These were the new models, each with the thick hide and reflective blades. The first five were easily blasted, but the numbers kept on coming. A marine was butchered before Spartan's eyes, and even as he killed the Thegn, two more took its place. Khan took a step back and opened fire with his gun taken from a fallen Vanguard. Dozens of the creatures fell, and then came the Decurions. Three fell from the ceiling, directly onto Khan. One stabbed at his damaged shoulder; the other wrenched the firearm from his very hands.
"This is the end, for both of you!" said the machine with a cackle.
Spartan was knocked back, and Khan pinned to the wall with two blades from the machines. More rushed in to surround them and then began to move down the ramp, heading for the battling machines on the ground. A dozen more Ghost Warriors entered and formed up in a line behind their master.
"Our Tomb Ships are here, and so are our legions. You have no more reinforcements. It is over."
It lifted its arm and pointed to Spartan.
“You have done well, my friend. Now kneel and ready yourself. We promised you immortality.”
Khan forced his way from where the Decurions had pinned him, cast one aside, and then swung at the enemy commander. His blades curved perfectly and made it to within a meter when Spartan lifted his own weapon arm and parried the blow. He stepped out in front of his friend and waved him off.
“No, not today.”
More Decurions advanced around Khan and forced him back to the wall. He lifted his arms to strike, but multiple weapons from the Ghost Warriors turned to point right at his head.
“Good,” said Spartan.
He then turned back around to face the machines and without hesitation, dropped to one knee.
“The plan was costly, the sacrifice of the Ancients was a heavy price to pay. I am sorry it took longer than expected. Now you have all of their greatest warriors and the entire Allied fleet in one place. You can end this war.”
“Yes,” said the machine with a groaning sigh.
“We are the custodians of the Core. We were never its masters. My kin have already transferred into its heart. You have done all that we asked of you, Spartan. You destroyed the traitor, devastated their fleet, and then brought their survivors here for their execution. You truly are our greatest creation, Spartan, warlord of our people.”
The machine moved close to Spartan and looked down at the kneeling Ghost Warrior armor.
“It is time for you to carry out your last orders, and then we will move you to join us, for eternity, as promised.”
The machine extended its arm and pointed at Khan.
“You’re right,” said Spartan in a cool, calm voice.
The machine let out a long, slow hiss, but Spartan continued talking.
“They are sending troops to the rear decks. They want the Core. Their last troops are looking for it.”
The machine let out a clicking sound.
“Good, then they will die like the rest. Even if they find it, they will have to fight past three hundred of our most experienced Ghost Warriors. Excellent work, Spartan.”
Spartan’s eyes flickered inside his armor as he watched the new orders being sent throughout the ships. Legions of warriors were moving about to protect various subsystems. It was the newly activated group of three hundred that caught his eye. They had been given a single location, and it was nowhere near where he would have expected. He sent the signal and waited for the acknowledgement. It took nearly ten seconds, but the ID codes matched Admiral Anderson.
“Thank you.” He said quietly. “This is over…for you.”
He lifted himself to his feet so that he was upright and tall before the enemy machine. The Biomech machine took a step back in surprise.
“Z’Kanthu lives, and you never controlled me, not once. We played you, and like arrogant fools, you fell for it, just as we knew you would."
"It's over," said Spartan, almost repeating their words, "End the battle and surrender, or suffer obliteration."
One of the machines emitted a noise, and the Decurions nearby slowed and then stopped, though they kept their limbs poised to continue the fight right alongside the Ghost Warriors. Gunfire continued elsewhere in the ship, but for now, this one section was free of violence. The machine looked around, as though stunned it had been surrounded so quickly. The second machine appeared less patient. It began moving, and the first tried to stop it. With a shake and a cut with its blade, it pushed away to face Spartan.
"No, you are lost. Our souls live on forever."
The machine hissed and then swung at him. They were evenly matched in height and mass, crashing into each other like a pair of wrestlers. Both swung their reflective blades and cut chunks of armor off with each strike. Khan tried to help, but the Decurions kept him pinned down.
"No, leave him be."
The machine swung low and embedded its arm deep into Spartan's flank. The blade penetrated the armor but missed his flesh by millimeters. He placed both of his arms against its torso and opened fire at point blank range. The first two shots burned through carapace, but the next six turned its innards into melted goo. It dropped to the ground, a messy ruin.
"Another one down."
He lifted his arms up high into the air and howled, but the enemy was already on him. Thegns leapt at him while Decurions hacked at his limbs. Spartan swung his left arm, and another Thegn died. A bright blue flash cleared the Thegns around him. One Decurion lifted a limb, and two massive bursts of fire tore it apart. Spartan shook his head and looked to the doorways to the left. He expected to see more of the enemy horde, but it was Olik and a Byotai warrior, covered from head to toe in thick armor.
"Spartan, need a hand?" said Olik, laughing.
The Jötnar swung his arms and cleared the open space right in front of the two remaining Biomech commanders. The machines stepped back, but more marines moved in around them. The Ghost Warriors held back, waiting to defend their kin with their infinite machine bodies. Only one of the Biomech commanders remained, and it stepped back behind its wall of defenders. Spartan lifted his head to look at the remaining machine. It tried to step back, but the thick metal and stone of the demonic sculpture pressed into its armor. He moved closer until he was just a meter away. The machine looked almost identical, apart from the fact that Spartan's armor was shredded and covered in blood.
"The war is over," it said. “My troops have blocked off your escape, the breaches are sealed, and the C
ore is surrounded. Your forces will never get close to it.”
Spartan extended one of his blades and held it to the throat of the machine. The nearby Ghost Warriors all pointed their weapons at him, but he merely laughed and shook his head.
"You are wrong."
The machine hissed and said no more. The sound of fighting had died down to nothing, and Khan took the opportunity to walk to the end of the high level. He looked down to see the bodies on both sides. Machines, Thegns, and Decurions had pulled back and eyed each other cautiously.
Spartan sighed.
"You ancient fool. Z'Kanthu managed one last trick before your people erased him from your Core."
He noticed the shudder from the machine.
"Yes, you know where he was, and you know what he could do. Now, you have sixty seconds before your racial heritage is nothing but a bad memory. Right now our entire fleet has its arsenal pointing right at your Core."
He pointed to the sacred sculpture and hoped against hope that his ruse would work. "This is merely the antenna, the communication mast for your kin. Falling back here was a good ruse to draw us away from the prize while your reinforcements arrived. Now, accept my terms, or face the genocide of your race, as you have tried with mine."
The machine hissed again. It bent down and extended its arms in submission. There was no pause this time.
"What do you want?"
Spartan nodded.
"I want your unconditional surrender, and I want it now. Stop the fighting.”
Spartan's nostrils twitched as he said that last word. He wanted to strike the machine. The sculpture itself flashed and pulsed, and then a great blast of energy ripped outward, engulfing everything there. Apart from the shock, it had no effect on Spartan and his allies, but one by one the Thegns and newly arrival Biomech creatures turned to face him. Spartan approached the two Thegns waiting alongside the machine.
"Who do you serve?"
They looked to each other and then back to him; neither said a thing. He looked back to Khan and then to Major Terson who had just finished climbing the long curved ramp.
Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift Page 37
