Star Crusades Nexus: The Second Trilogy Read online

  “This is heart of the planet, the place that will decide the future of both the planet and the rest of the Helion colonies.”

  “General, what about the other colonies?” asked Lieutenant Colonel Diego Koerner.

  General Daniels lifted his finger slightly as if remembering an important fact.

  “Narau forces are operating a blockade of any military vessels moving between the colonies and Helios. This conflict is being contained, and if we are smart, we’ll be successful here. According to Alliance Intelligence, the other colonies are agitating, but it hasn’t moved to full-scale insurrection…yet!”

  He held his chin in his hand for a moment before launching into the details of the operation. The assembled officers waited patiently and double-checked the details with those on their secpad.

  “Now, let me summarize the overall plan. We have a multi-pronged operation that will stabilize this situation and return Helios to its people. First, we need to find and evacuate key Helion personnel that are on the run. Without them, the uprising will be without solid leadership. Second, we need to protect the civilians, and third, we will assist the government in exile at defeating this coup.”

  All three of them had gone over the details of the operation a dozen times, but General Daniels was leaving nothing to chance. He wanted to ensure they knew both their own objectives as well as the overall strategy. In his experience, it was critical that everybody involved knew the plan from a high level. It was all too easy to get caught up in individual details and then ignore the big picture.

  “Phase One is the rescue operation, and it will be conducted by Captain Carter of the 8th Battalion.”

  He looked at the young man with a thin black mustache. He was by far the youngest and most junior of those present, yet he stood up smartly and with an air of supreme confidence about him. Lieutenant Colonel Diego Koerner had selected him, as being his most experienced and dynamic officer. He’d had little time to check the man’s dossier, but from what he’d seen, there were few better at such a risky operation. He nodded at the man and then returned to his briefing.

  “The Captain’s forces will land at the besieged Animosh precinct that has been taken over by Zathee rebels. Some of the survivors of the Helion government are trapped inside and completely surrounded by Animosh forces.”

  The General placed his hand over the red shape on the map. An aerial image of the site showed the precinct was the size of a shopping center and flanked at each corner by large towers. It was the largest structure in the area, apart from a large domed building on the opposite side of the street.

  “We’re in sporadic contact with them via an Alliance operative that is inside there. At last count there were over two hundred Zathee and a dozen Helion officials, including the Helion Vice President. There is more than just the precinct though.”

  He moved the image to show the domed structure.

  “Underneath this building is the crossover point for six major road and rail systems. Whoever controls this key location can slow the flow of weapons and troops. Right now, the Animosh are using it to move their forces underground and away from the street levels. If we block it, they will be forced to move overland and in plain view of our aircraft. We must secure this underground location for as long as it takes.”

  He nodded in the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Diego Koerner.

  “This is an aerial assault operation and will be conducted by your recon elements under Carter. It will be a high-speed smash and grab operation, right under their noses. They will secure the precinct structure, evacuate the officials, and then hold the precinct and transport hub until elements from Phase Two to link up with them. ”

  He turned his attention to the vast bulk of Gun. Colonel Brünner seemed to pretend that Gun wasn’t there, and General Daniels made a mental note to examine this further.

  “Colonel Gun, you will have the honor of leading the ground operation itself.”

  He let that sink in for a moment and watched for the reactions of the other two Battalion commanders. As he suspected, only Colonel Brünner seemed to have any issues with having a former Biomech in charge of such an operation. Even so, the man said nothing, but he suspected he would be hearing about his decision to use Gun via other channels. Colonel Brünner was certainly well connected with High Command.

  “Phase Two will, in my opinion, be the riskiest of the three phases. I’ve therefore decided to hand it to our renowned expert in direct action.”

  Gun smiled at this, especially when he mentioned the phrase ‘direct action’. He couldn’t think of a better description for his preferred method of battle.

  “This will be a major show of force, and the Colonel will land the entirety of the 17th on a broad front in the capital city. The Zathee have been alerted of this, but there is still a chance some will not have heard the news. You will act as a buffer and engage any forces attempting to strike the civilians. Nearly two thousand marines will secure a dozen strong points and box in the Animosh and any Helion troops still fighting for the generals that instigated the coup.”

  He looked at Gun and noted the change in Gun’s face. He was now serious, and it reminded him of the grim determination he’d seen on his old friend’s face many times before.

  “Spartan relied on you in the past, and now I will. You will need an iron will to maintain this line against any aggressors. Without you, our foothold will be temporary, and we could be forced to abandon our operation. I need temporary landing zones cleared for the next phase.”

  Gun grinned.

  “I’ve never let Spartan down, and nothing will change with you, General.”

  The battle-scarred Jötnar was greatly out of place alongside the other officers. They may have been wearing the same uniforms, but there was no hiding the great monster of a warrior standing in their midst. General Daniels nodded in response to his words and then turned to Lieutenant Colonel Koerner.

  “Colonel, you will command the relief troops for Phase One. Using the ground secured by your own recon units, the rest of the 17th will land armored vehicles and bring in the heavier equipment. Once assembled, you will send in an armored column in support for Captain Carter and the rest of your forces at the precinct. Your remaining units will support Colonel Gun on the ground, wherever he deems it necessary.”

  He looked back at the map and tapped it. The image changed to show the ground taken by the marines, as well as the precinct sitting directly in the middle of the Animosh defenses. It was clear Carter would have his work cut out holding this position, but there was nothing else he could do. It was the center point for the entire operation.

  “Yes, General,” Koerner answered smartly.

  Then he turned to Colonel Horst Brünner.

  “Colonel, the 4th are only recently reformed. As you know, I have decided to keep them on standby as a mobile reserve. You have the largest number of Vanguards and Jötnar assault units in the regiment and will need to be ready if the call comes. The Helions are a paradox, and we barely understand their people, let alone the many factions and cultures. I want options if things head south.”

  Gun didn’t seem particularly happy about this and turned to look at the man. He wanted to say something, but Daniels spotted him trying hard to keep quiet. Though he had his own battalion to command, there were no more than a score of the Jötnar spread over more than fourteen hundred marines in his battalion. Brünner, on the other hand, was in command of the newly designated Heavy Battalion, and that included over a hundred of his kin under his command, marines that Gun felt personal responsibility for, even though they were now technically equal to any other citizen in the Alliance.

  Don’t say it, Daniels thought, as he watched the scarred warrior. Perhaps in the past he might have spoken, but over the years Gun has learnt something of diplomacy. Good.

  The man simply nodded in acknowledgement, refusing to utter a single word of complaint in the presence of the Biomech. Daniels could see what was happening but deci
ded that was a battle for another day.

  “I thought you were some kind of spiritual leader for your Biomech friends?”

  It was a low blow, but Gun seemed to take it in his stride.

  “I still am, ask any Jötnar.”

  “But your council, isn’t it now disbanded?”

  Gun gave him a wicked smile.

  “The council, but our tribal system remains, as does my place. We are now Alliance citizens, no different to you, as promised by the Senate. Most of my kin still live on Prometheus, Hyperion, and Luthien, and they are all colonies of the Alliance, as those of Carthago and Kerberos.”

  “But you are not the...”

  “Colonel,” cut in Gun, “you know nothing of our people, or what we have done for you. My people still consider me the first...because I am.”

  Those last words made the other men laugh, and it bizarrely managed to calm things down a little. Admiral Lewis had been wondering at what point the deconstruction of the Jötnar political system would be brought up. It had been gradual but necessary if they were to become a full and active part of the Alliance. The benefits to the Alliance were already being felt as hundreds of Jötnar signed up to join the Marine Corps. As he looked at Gun, he did wonder if the Jötnar would ultimately replace normal humans, due to their natural size, strength, and toughness. That was for another day though; it would be generations before they would need to consider this. At least that was what he hoped.

  “As you can see, gentlemen, we have a busy day ahead of us. Remember, we have specific objectives to achieve. Triple-check your briefings; the enemy is a violent regime that has turned on its own people. They are a ruthless people with the full force of the state security forces, known as the Animosh under their command. We estimate their numbers at a little over thirty thousand operatives in the capital alone. We are also aware that they utilize over a hundred combat drones.”

  General Daniels took a short breath before giving them the final piece of information.

  “There are also rumors that citizens from the pure blooded ethnic groups are volunteering to form citizen militias to help the Animosh. This is unconfirmed. Remember, this battle will be fought and won by the Zathee themselves. They have millions on their side, along with local knowledge. If we do our job, the Zathee will be able to finish theirs.”

  * * *

  Spartan drifted from the bomber and pulled himself to the ground of the station. He kept as low as possible and was pleasantly surprised to find the pressure and breathable oxygen indicators in his suit were both showing as green. He looked up at the cold figure of Khan and shook his head at him.

  “Khan!” he whispered, as quietly as he could manage. A pair of emotionless eyes looked down at him.

  “Follow me.”

  There was a series of deep incisions in the floor of the hangar, much like pits in a garage, and he was able to move inside and out of the line of sight of anybody in the station. Khan pushed back and drifted down from the bomb bay toward Spartan. As soon as he was free of the craft, he found himself spinning uncontrollably. Spartan reached up, grabbed his foot, and dragged him into the blackness. With a hiss, his visor slid open to reveal a beaming smile.

  “Can you believe it? We’re on a Biomech station!”

  Khan showed no signs of amusement.

  The bomber itself now sat in the center of one of the smaller hangars and attached to four long spindles extending from the sides, top, and bottom of the spacecraft. It would have been impossible in a building with normal gravity, but this section was like any other part of space, and the outer hangar there so that it could be safely pressurized.

  “They must have people here, otherwise why bother with the air?”

  Khan shrugged, but he was thinking about something.

  “Why have people here? Maybe it’s being used to store prisoners, like the ship we were on.”

  The mere thought of the ship they’d escaped from sent a sickening feeling through Spartan’s body. He looked down at his stump of an arm; doing his best to hide the bile he felt building in his throat.

  “Bastards,” he muttered.

  “There’s something else it could be,” suggested Khan.

  Spartan was breathing quickly and tried to calm down for a few seconds before speaking.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You remember the inside of the T’Kari Raider, all those pods and the clones. What if this station is being used to store more like that?”

  Spartan nodded but didn’t look convinced.

  “Who knows?”

  A sound from their right caught their attention and both fell silent. It was a clanking sound, and instantly took Spartan back to the ship. It was the sound the Biomech machines made when they walked, an odd mixture of servos, gears, and motors. Unlike the machinery used by the Alliance, the Biomech machines had a smoother, quiet sound, and it was unmistakable to him. The sound became louder, along with the clunk of large metal feet. Just as each foot moved, there was an odd suction type noise as the mag seals on its feet activated and deactivated in sequence so that it could move about ion a zero gravity environment. Then it appeared above him.

  Another one of those things!

  It took a great deal of self control not to hurl himself out of their dark hiding place and up into the hangar, so he could strike a blow against one of the hated machines that had caused him and Khan so much pain and suffering, and over so many months.

  “Spartan, isn’t that the one?”

  Spartan watched with interest as the shape went past. He could make out the coloring of the thing, and it seemed to be a dull yellow where any kind of paint was still intact. Most of its metalwork was worn down to the original material and was simply a matted gray that reflected little.

  “No, this one is different and smaller. Watch how it moves.”

  They both stayed as low as possible while high enough to get a narrow view of the machine. It was bipedal and about two and a half meters high. Unlike the machines on the ship, this one was equipped with four arms, and two were equipped with a selection of large tools. It moved up to the side of the bomber and turned to face the right-hand door nearly halfway along the length of the spacecraft.

  “What’s it doing?” asked Khan.

  Spartan watched and for a moment had no idea what was happening. Then the angular piece on one of the right arms started to spin and gave off a high-pitched screaming sound. It leaned toward the bomber and placed the tool directly onto the metalwork. A great blast of sparks flew from the outer skin, and in seconds the machine had ripped through the outer layer and was pushing its two tool arms inside the aircraft. Khan had lifted his head up enough to watch, but Spartan grabbed him and pushed him back down.

  “There’s more of them!” he said, almost in a panic.

  Two machines came from the other side of the hangar, but these were smaller eight-legged ones. Spartan kept low and watched them move by following their shadows on the wall. It didn’t take him long to recognize the form. He moved back down and faced Khan.

  “Remember those eight-legged things on Hyperion?”

  “The robotic fighting machines?”

  Spartan nodded.

  “Yeah, those things. Well guess what’s just arrived?”

  Khan clenched his fists, gnashing his teeth as he listened to their approach. They were a powerful foe, and one he had a great deal of experience of. On Hyperion, one of the Alliance’s newest colonies, the Biomechs had attempted to build a portal. A large force of marines and Jötnar had defeated them at great cost. Khan himself had fought the machines in hand-to-hand combat and remembered the adrenalin and excitement, as well as the carnage when fighting them. Khan pulled Spartan close to his face.

  “If they have those machines here, then they are expecting trouble.”

  Spartan considered this for a moment.

  “Us?”

  Khan raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

  “Are you serious? They would fill a stati
on with machines, just in case we stopped here?”

  As Khan explained it, Spartan did his best to hide his embarrassment.

  Of course it’s nonsense to think they would take such measures for two people. It’s far more likely they’re here for something a little more substantial.

  “You think they are part of an assault force. Yeah, makes sense.”

  The two were quiet and listened to the sound of the machines moving about above them. Neither enjoyed skulking about in the dark. It was the exact opposite of their preferred method of combat. Spartan was the classic marine, always wanting to close with the enemy and engage them with every weapon to hand. Khan was the epitome of the Jötnar, a powerful monster of a man with the intelligence of a marine and the body of a Vanguard. It wouldn’t have taken much to get them out of their hiding place and into action. But neither was armed and both were feeling the effects of their deprivations on board the Biomechs’ ship. Spartan flared his nostrils slightly and then moved up very slowly to take a look.

  “I’ll tell you something, old friend. We aren’t leaving this place until we have some answers.”

  He started to pull himself away further, but Khan grabbed him.

  “And some weapons, decent weapons.”

  The Jötnar’s expression had changed already and into something more resembling the old Khan Spartan remembered. It had taken them a long time to make it out of that hole, but finally they were free, and neither was going back. He reached out and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find something, and I promise you, we’ll have our revenge.”

  He almost spat at the ground but quickly remembered they were in a zero gravity situation. It was best avoided, so he kept his thoughts and anger deep down and inside.

  It’s time these machines were taught a few things.

  Spartan was already watching those above them and must have spotted something because he was out of the dark gap in the floor and moving through the air. He turned his head and looked back at Khan.

  “Come on, we have an opening.”