Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift (16 page)

"Have you not heard? In the last six hours, the Helion League has collapsed. With no surviving system of government or control, each of the individual colonies will have to fend for themselves. Officials on Eos have already requested formal political, military, and humanitarian assistance from us."

Admiral Anderson paused and glanced at them, trying to gage their reactions. General Makos fidgeted but said nothing.

"We have offered them the full protection that the Alliance has to offer. The Helions have been crippled though, and they want more from us. That is why in a secret session deep underground on Helios Prime, the remaining politicians of Helios have voted to begin integration procedures with the Alliance with any Helion colony that chooses to do so."

Again he paused to let that sink in.

"It will take time, probably years, but if this goes the way I think it will, this will mean a democratic system with colonies and races from Sol to Helios. Each of the Helion worlds will be able to choose to stay as they are, or to join the Alliance family."

He looked back to the tactical display.

"What better way to maintain peace could there be than as one family?"

Admiral Lewis leaned in to to him and spoke quietly.

"What about Terra Nova, Sir? How can we take on new colonies when we have a potential civil war brewing?"

Anderson smiled.

"You underestimate Admiral Churchill. He's already on the way."

* * *

The Bridges, Old Spascia City, Helion Sector

Teresa watched the battle just a short distance in front of them. The machines had dug in around the beleaguered remnants of General Gun and trapped him in an area no larger than four city blocks. The mixture of marines, soldiers, civilians, aliens, and robots had created a zone that even the Biomechs were unable to penetrate. Unfortunately, time was not on their side. While the battle raged, a ceaseless horde of Thegns moved around the trapped marines and on toward the bridges. Teresa's newly arrived troops had managed to hold them back, but now the entire stretch of ground was under attack.

"Colonel, we have movement on your left flank, two squadrons of Eques walkers with substantial Decurion support," said Captain Tycho.

"You should be back here. We need a commander at this position. The situation out there is becoming untenable."

From his position on the other side of the chasm, he was having a much calmer time. He was putting it to good use by using every spare minute to improve the defenses, as well as rigging the bridges for demolition.

"Forget it. You are more than capable of defending the mountain and the bridges, Captain. It is my responsibility to get Gun and the others out of there. We promised them help...I promised them help...and here it comes."

Teresa looked at the overhead view provided by the drones. Enemy positions had been tagged wherever found, and it was not looking good. A thin crescent of green was all that held back the Biomechs from the bridges. Everything else was colored red, all but one section, the part held by Gun's forces. Teresa shook her head at the stark reality of the battle.

"Give me the numbers, Captain. What's coming our way?"

"Twenty-four Eques walkers, plus upward of four hundred Decurions. These came out from the underground tunnel system. I suspect they hit rock, so that's the closest they could get."

A triple burst flashed overhead, and she looked up. Two Biomech fighters and a pair of Alliance Hammerheads had just moved into position over the battle. One for each was quickly shot down, and the others were chased away by thousands of rounds fires by the Eques walkers. Teresa was sure that the second Biomech fighter was even struck by its own side, but that didn't stop the guns from firing.

"Air cover isn't getting through, Captain. I need you to hold them back with the big guns."

Another squadron of fighters screamed overhead. This time it consisted of X57 Drones. Six of them came in low and fast, unleashing a bombardment of precision guided missiles. They struck targets that had been identified and tagged by the troops on the ground. As they moved overhead, the craft strafed the ground with their attached Gatling guns. There were multiple explosions but only four of the drones made it; two downed by the avalanche of turret fire.

"What about you, Colonel? I can buy you minutes, no more."

More explosions rippled along the horizon, and the shape of the first two Eques walkers came through the smoke and dust. Missiles raced across the open ground to greet them, but every one was shot down. Only the artillery and gunfire made it through their defensive cordon.

"That's enough time for me, Captain. I'm waiting for the CES teams, and then we're going in."

"Very well. Good luck, Sir."

She looked to her left and then to her right. There were scores of marines, all well equipped and waiting in whatever cover they'd been able to find. Each time one of them lifted up to fire, a dozen guns at once hit them. All the while the terrible bloodbath continued around Gun’s last position.

We have to get through to them before it's too late.

She began to move, her mind desperate to do something, but her body trying to hold her back. With her armored head above the broken ground, she could see at least five wrecked Eques walkers. Hundreds of enemy troops filled the ground around the wreckage, and dozens of flickers marked the firing of guns. Behind them was a great cloud of dust and smoke, but even that wasn't enough to hide the silhouettes of fighting men. Right in the middle was the great black shape of a Jötnar. The figure was atop of some wreckage and twisting about, presumably engaging targets with his weapons.

Gun!

Her mind jumped back to Prometheus, that fiery world that seemed to be the pivotal location for so much of the calamity in her life. The series of flashbacks reminded her of a period that felt a lifetime ago. The enemy had created the monster creature she now called her friend in their secret labs on that world. Gun, in particular, carried a ridiculously oversized gun, and that had been the determining factor in his choice of name. Gun had been freed, and contrary to expectations, had been the catalyst for their escape.

I can't leave him, or any of the others out there. I have to help them.

Teresa tensed her muscles and then heard the approach of heavy machines from behind. She looked back, immediately sensing danger. It wasn't the enemy, though. It was Alliance reinforcement.

Finally.

Teresa smiled and looked at the advancing machines. They had the appearance large metal beetles. Another platoon of marines was with them to provide additional protection. She counted at least thirty of the CES engineers plus a handful of Vanguards out on the flanks. They moved at a fast walking pace, and the odd stray round that struck them simply bounced off their armor. The first of the group made it to within thirty meters when its commander spoke.

"Captain Ader, 25th Engineers. I hear you have something that needs dislodging?"

Teresa picked up on the sarcasm from his voice, but she could tell it wasn't directed at her. The battlefield looked more like a barren world filled with scrap than something worth fighting over. Yet she needed them and their special set of skills.

"Good to see you, Captain. You've arrived at just the right time."

At the same moment, the defensive fire from the Thegns and Eques walkers sent yellow streaks out in every direction. It was the nearest thing to hell, but nothing stopped their advance. Their large cumbersome forms made slow progress on the rough ground, but not even shattered machines and broken masonry would hold them back.

This could work,
she thought hopefully.

From here, Teresa could see these were the latest and heaviest CES units available. These machines were designed for creating defenses, or breaching them while under enemy fire. Now that Vanguards existed in numbers, the CES teams had seen their armor actually increased to create these new enhanced models. As well as the large digging blades that replaced their forearms, they were also fitted out with a myriad of improvements. Huge slabs of spaced armor pushed out from their torsos, and even their legs were covered in thick scales of plating. A pair of red flashing lights blinked as a warning to friend and foe that they were here.

Finally I have the right tool for the job.

It was a running joke in the Marine Corps that no matter what units or equipment a commander had, they never quite seemed to have the right one for the mission. They had air cover when they needed artillery, or squadrons of Bulldogs when they needed barricades and pillboxes. And when they had all the equipment they needed, the order would come through to disengage.

"I need a breach, and I need one fast."

Teresa pointed to the Biomech positions and tagged the area she wanted with her visor. There were many places they could try and break through, but she needed it to be done fast. The selected area consisted of a section thirty meters wide and heavily defended.

"The two broken Eques walkers. Sir, you want us to assault at that point?"

Teresa nodded.

"Yes. Tear a hole so I can get our people out. Smash your way through, and keep smashing until they are all out. We have a Broken Arrow fire mission ready upon completion of the job."

There was a short pause; the officer must have been considering the implications. A Broken Arrow call was something very rarely done. In fact, just the mention of the term must have been pretty shocking. By sending the call, Colonel Morato would be confirming that a position had been overrun and that organized resistance had failed. All available units from artillery to fighters would be redirected to that location. If any friendly forces remained in the area, they would be killed unless able to evacuate or hide. It was a desperate call, and it seemed to provide the right level of motivation.

"Understood, Sir. You want us to stir up this hornets’ nest. We're just what you need. We can create an opening into hell if you need it. Just give us the word before you call in the strike. I don't want to get burned!"

Teresa breathed a sigh of relief. Captain Ader was cocky, that much was certain, but she could live with that.

"Fair enough, Captain. You'll have a sixty-second window. I'll make sure you get it."

The Captain didn't waste time, and rather than stopping to check, he simply strode out past the marines and straight into the hail of defensive gunfire. The projectiles from the Thegns pattered off like rain, and even the larger caliber rounds from the Eques walkers proved unable to destroy them in one go. The thick bulldozer blades proved highly effective at beating off the armor piercing projectiles.

Good, we might have a chance at this rate.

Clearly, Captain Ader was as efficient as he was brave. No sooner had the first twelve moved into their attacking formation, and they were already halfway toward the enemy. They advanced in three groups, with each small squad raising their armored digger blades to create a protective wall in front of them. It was a wall of metal and flesh that moved one careful step at a time. A triple volley of missiles arced downward and headed right for the Captain's walker. A pulse of flashes rippled about the group as interceptor rounds launched and exploded around them, instantly destroying or damaging the missiles.

Keep going! Don't stop!

The first four disappeared under the bombardment for a few seconds. Then the cloud cleared, and on they went, covered in dust and burning material from the exploded warheads. Teresa looked back and made sure the rest were still coming. More were advancing, and a small, final group was only halfway to her position.

"Captain Ader, keep the last squad back to cover our retreat. They won't make it to you, anyway."

"Affirmative."

The machines kept going forward as he acknowledged the order. As well as the twelve walkers, the small group of Vanguards also walked alongside them, watching for signs of targets to shoot. As they moved ahead, they twisted at the hips, checking for potential signs of the enemy. These combat ready fighting machines were the next down in size and protection from the enhanced CES walkers.

"Marines!" Teresa called out.

Multiple heads twisted about to look to their commander. It was uncommon to find senior officers leading such attacks, but both Spartan and Teresa had something of a reputation in the Corps, even to the younger generation to whom this was probably their first engagement.

"I am Colonel Teresa Morato. I've fought these machines for most of my life, and I have never lost a battle."

She pointed her carbine off toward the enemy.

"General Gun, the hero of Terra Nova and one of our greatest commanders is trapped inside there. The machines outnumber him ten to one, and still they cannot finish him off."

To emphasize the point, an Eques walker staggered about and collapsed under a massive volume of gunfire off into the distance.

"A direct assault on Gun will be a victory they cannot afford, right now. They have to reach the bridges and fast."

Teresa turned around and pointed to the direction they'd come from. A column of CES units and marines continued coming toward them.