Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift (26 page)

Admiral Anderson lowered both of his hands to his hips.

“Very well. This is it, then.”

He reached for the intercom and pulled it to his mouth.

“It is time. Break and fall back.”

With that single order, the entire fleet of Alliance and Helion ships broke formation and moved away from the potential battle site. ANS Warlord led the bulk of the Alliance ship on a direct path to Micaya while the others scattered in small groups. They moved slowly, and many ships changed course repeatedly as though trying to avoid being attacked. A handful of destroyers were the last to leave, and they took the full brunt of the Biomech assault, as the enemy fleet surged on to the shipyards. Admiral Anderson watched in silence as all six empty ships operated under full automation.

“Will this work, Admiral?” Captain Decker asked.

Two of the destroyers exploded with their innards exposed to the void. The other four scattered just as the advance wave of Biomech fighters and Biomantas screamed past. All four Alliance ships emptied a torrent of fire at their attackers, but they were quickly silenced, but not before destroying a pair of Biomanta warships.

“They were crippled, and I didn’t have the crew to man them. This way they have done their job, and with no loss of life.”

The shipyards were arrayed in a series of vast spokes, each connected to a massive hollow central structure the size of a moon. These spokes extended out hundreds of kilometers and from them came more sections, many of which were surrounded by ancient and mothballed ships. The first of the Biomechs were now at the closest tendrils and attacking the docks and gantries. The site was massive, and the ships barely visible at this distance. The site was so large that the entire Biomech fleet and their Ark could have hidden amongst the active and derelict ships on one of the vast spokes, let alone the huge central hub that would dwarf many small moons, and none would have been the wiser. It was only at that point he realized he hadn’t answered the question.

“You wanted to know whether this would work, Captain?”

Both looked to the mainscreen where the footage from Admiral Lewis’ own ship showed the advance party of Biomanta ships and scores of fighters darting aboard the shipyards. They blasted every target showing an energy signature. Alliance fighters were busily fighting them, but it was clearly a one-sided battle.

“We have to give the trap time to settle.”

He looked about the command deck. The dozens of officers were all busily managing the vessel, leaving him clear to command the entire operation from the horizontal tactical display.

“Too early, and surprise will be lost, too slow though, and they will discover what we have waiting for them.”

He rubbed at his chin.

“It’s time to send in a little help. The Biomechs can’t take the site too easily, and they aren’t stupid. Let’s spring the trap that they expect.”

He moved his hands about the display and highlighted two squadrons of Liberty destroyers and a force of four Crusaders. He then selected two attack squadrons of mixed smaller craft with his left hand and merged them all together. With a quick gesture, he drew a set of curved trajectories to follow.

“Yes, that will do nicely.”

One by one the ships moved from his fleet of slowly retreating starships and on an intercept course for the shipyards. The numbers above them stated they would be in range within four minutes.

“Launch all fighters at the shipyards. Let’s turn this up a notch.”

* * *

ANS Tempest, Micaya Shipyards, Helios Sector

The forward displays showed hundreds of ships now in action, and Captain Garcia was beginning to lose his patience. They had been trailing behind the fleet while at the same time a great battle raged throughout the shipyards. The twenty-two ships arrayed along the arms and gantries of the first of the great spokes had been completely destroyed. Even so, from the very wreckage came burst after burst of fire, and in death the old ships refused to go quietly.

“Look!” said Lieutenant Takeda.

They both looked at the display and the projected course just received.

“Finally,” Captain Garcia muttered.

He tapped the transmit button on his control column.

“Bomber squadrons Alpha and Bravo with me. Follow course Charlie Six and prepare for mass-bombardment.”

Both of them had been waiting for the orders, but now they were finally here it seemed there just wasn’t time. With a deft bit of maneuvering, Lieutenant Takeda spun the ship around and hit the main engines. The two squadrons of craft did the same. There were eight Maulers in each group, and all had been loaded out with torpedoes taken from the crippled Liberty ships. The same number of X57 Avenger drones formed up around them in a defensive screen while Hammerheads pulled up in front. The wave of small craft totaled just fewer than forty, and Captain Garcia had the command of the entire force.

Not much further,
he thought as they moved silently through space.

Captain Garcia counted the seconds and minutes as they drew in closer and closer to the raging battle. They could now make out the scores of burning ships and thousands of lines of tracer fire. Even though few ships had moved away from the monolithic structures, there were still a great many involved in the battle. He looked to Lieutenant Takeda.

“I don’t know how the Admiral did it, but somehow he got over a hundred ships to do something out there. Last I heard they were all mothballed or half scrapped.”

The Lieutenant nodded twice.

“Based on the fact that they haven’t moved, I’d say somebody managed to get a few engines fired up. All you need is a powerplant and a few defense turrets running and you have a realistic looking target.”

A ship exploded in a spectacular yellow flash right before their eyes. Lieutenant Takeda’s goggles flashed in the reflected light.

“Just as well, because that kind of ship would have just meant the loss of upward of a thousand Helions.”

One of the Maulers took a heavy hit to its left flank, and a great cloud of debris blew off and into the path of a following Avenger. The small craft vanished in a white light, and then the formation was down by one.

“Well, that’s one reason to cut down on the pilot program!” Takeda muttered.

A few of the guns aboard the many Biomech ships started to change direction, and then as quick as they could be seen, the arcs of four ripped into the formation. At this distance, it wasn’t easy to hit the fighters. The forward guns of the Hammerheads opened up and created a wide flak corridor for them to advance along. At the same time, the Avengers released medium-range interceptor missiles. These were special weapons that would intentionally explode and scatter razor-sharp metal debris into the path of approaching warheads.

“The enemy is working systematically through the shipyards. We will ignore the initial attack and hit the secondary wave of ships. Target the following craft and prepare to fire on my mark.”

Using just his eyes, he tagged two Ravagers and a pair of escorting Biomantas. After so many battles, the Alliance had a good idea of the weaker areas of these ships. This information allowed the computers to automatically select the nest areas for the torpedoes.

“We hit them with a single bombing run and then turn on their forces currently engaging our ships.”

Each of the craft sent in their acknowledgements, with the exception of the drones. These were the latest models with upgrade artificial intelligence nodes and the ability to function fully autonomously. On and on flew the Maulers until they reached their optimal firing range.

It was possible to make out the ship silhouettes and configurations from within the cockpit of the Mauler.

“Are we ready?” Captain Garcia asked.

Lieutenant Takeda didn’t turn her head; she was transfixed on their current course and the long line of Biomech warship blocking their path. She began shaking her head at the prospect of having to face down and defeat such an overwhelming enemy.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” she said stoically.

“I want our torpedoes heading right for the snout of that Ravager, understood?”

She nodded slowly.

“Yes, Sir, targeted and calibrated. We’re ready to launch.”

Captain Garcia selected his formation of fighters and Maulers and sent them the code all had been waiting for.

“Release your bomb door and launch. This is a free fire authorization. Let them burn!”

The Maulers opened up their cargo areas and lowered the massive torpedoes. Each craft was capable of carrying only two, and they unleashed the entire arsenal for this attack. Sixteen Maulers launched thirty-two hypersonic torpedoes between them. Each of the guided weapons had been configured with a mixture of dense penetrating slugs or high-explosive rounds. There were also four tactical atomic missiles that could devastate an entire ship, if they could get the device inside the armor. The warheads streamed forward, leaving no trail behind them as they moved faster and faster toward their intended targets.

“Break and attack, I repeat, break and attack!” Captain Garcia ordered.

The mixed formation of craft split apart like an arrow striking the end of a piece of bamboo. They fanned out as the massed volley of torpedoes tore into the flanks of the four ships. One of the Biomantas managed to turn away and blast apart all those heading for it, but the other three were hit hard. The second Biomanta spun to avoid the impact and merely managed to crash itself into the flank of a Ravager. At the same time, a mass of torpedoes hit them. The heavy density slugs ripped through the hull, and two even appeared on the other side, vanishing into the blackness. High-explosive rounds tore out chunks of metal, but it was the atomic warhead from ANS Tempest that achieved the greatest result. Captain Garcia watched it entered the bow of the nearest Ravager as they rushed away at full-speed.

“That was one hell of a hit,” he exclaimed, as it crashed into the wrecked nose of the mighty capital ship.

Then came the explosion. It started as a blue and white flash, running down the entire length of the vessel like a cannon fuse. As the blasts hit the rear, the ship ripped open and explosions wracked through the hull. All of the Maulers made it away safely, but each gave the damaged and ruined ships a parting volley of gunfire from their turrets as they passed them.

“Where now?” Lieutenant Takeda asked.

Captain Garcia looked ahead and at the wall of explosions that marked out the lowest tendril of the shipyard. The imagery reminded him of some of the Helion illustrations of the last Great War with the Biomechs. A time when vast fleets fought each other and entire worlds burned.

Yes, which one next?

There was little time to select a target though because they ran directly into a wall of fighters. They started off as a few dozen, and then there were hundreds all around them. The gun turrets on the Maulers were rapid tracking devices, but even they had a hard time pinning and destroying the enemy. It fell to the brave pilots of the Hammerheads and the soulless Avenger drones to try and beat them off.

“That one.”

Lieutenant Takeda looked at the tagged target on her display and swallowed.

“The Cephalon command ship? How, Captain? We’re out of missiles.”

He looked out through the starboard viewport and at a group of four Avengers. The delta-winged drones were the same size as a conventional fighter and armed to the teeth.

“We don’t always need missiles, Lieutenant.”

He tagged all of his craft and then allocated them different parts of the command ship.

“We’ll rake her from bow to stern with everything we have, and then move on to these.”

The display shifted and changed to a group of eight Biomech Bioray assault transports. They were being unloaded from the Cephalon on the other side of the ship.

“What are they doing there?” Takeda asked.

“Probably a boarding party for this part of the shipyards. Right now they are a fat, juicy target for our fighters.”

He targeted all of them for the drones and turned briefly to face his pilot.

“The Avengers are not just fighters. With the right orders, they become a guided missile.”

Social underclasses existed on dozens of worlds, with few exceptions. During each crisis, these lower classes were always those that seemed to suffer the most. Even the privileged worlds of the Alliance found their civilian populations stripped down in times of war. There were always a few volunteers from certain classes, but the weight of combat generally fell upon those unable to support themselves or their families. The result of this was the lowest classes of all felt they had given the most in times of crisis, and it was this that led to so much of the social conflict that followed the deadliest of the wars.

History of Slave Labor

Alliance Defenses, Old Spascia City, Helion Sector

Three large black shapes dropped down from the sky and moved in on a direct course for the chasm. Even at a distance of thirty kilometers, they were easily identified as Biomanta warships. Around them came the same number of Biorays with large amounts of escorting fighters. No sooner had the ships dropped through the gray sky and they opened fire. Gunfire and missiles rushed down to hit at the defenses all around the mountain. The overwhelming majority of the shots came down around the newly erected defenses all along the base. Some made it through, but Captain Tycho had done his job well. Interceptor batteries were now in position at fixed points all around the defenders. Counter-battery missiles arced up to reach the attackers while short-range rockets and guns attempted to shred the warheads just before they reached their targets.

“They come like this every single day,” said Gun.

The battle-hardened General waited at the bridge like a mighty sentinel. Marines, Khreenk, and Helion alike streamed past and on to the safety of the newly erected defenses. From the west bank of the chasm came a deafening roar of gunfire. Hundreds of warriors with a vast arsenal of weapons continued to pour fire off into the distance. Gun took aim with his own weapon and released a single long burst while roaring in delight. His eyes moved up and tracked a group of missiles as they struck the flank of an approaching Bioray. The large assault transport was small compared to warships, but it was still substantially larger than an Alliance Mauler.

“Bring it down!” he yelled.

There was no need to issue additional orders. The Khreenk concentrated their advanced weapons on the Bioray while a flight of Hammerheads raked it from bow to stern. It tumbled out of the sky and vanished deep into the bowel of the wide chasm that split Old Spascia from the mountain stronghold.

“Gun, are you done?” Teresa asked.

He looked down to her and laughed.

“Almost, just a few more to get across. They keep trying to land troops on the other side. The chasm is filled with broken ships.”

He glanced over to her.

“Jack and the other wounded are being taken to the infirmary inside the mountain. Our best people are there. You got here just in time. Another ten minutes, and we would have been Biomech breakfast.”

He spotted movement, and with a quick twist he tracked the three Thegns and opened fire. They had been sneaking up on a pair of Helion volunteers who were still dragging a machine gun unit. The bullets cut the Thegns cleanly in half and stopped just short of hitting the two of them.

“Not bad,” said Teresa in mock admiration.

Gun continued to check the horizon and added his fire where necessary to assist those retreating. He wasn’t the only one, and at the end of each of the bridges was a small rearguard. They could hold back the machines for a time, but not indefinitely.

“Your timing was good, Teresa. Shame Spartan wasn’t with you. It would have been just like old times.”

Teresa swallowed, that hard uncomfortable feeling she knew meant something much worse was going on.

“He’s vanished, Gun. He went through the Black Rift with Khan and the others. They collapsed the Rift, but he didn’t get back in time.”

A triple volley of missiles screamed past them from the enemy lines, but the majority were brought down by weapons fire from the mountain. Gun opened his mouth to speak and then looked at her.

“The Bastion to the south is being hit hard. They are completely surrounded.”

Their eyes met, and Teresa could see there was no chance her friend would leave any of them to their deaths. She checked her carbine and moved to the side to let a squad of Khreenk march past.

“What’s the plan?”

She could see that Gun wanted to personally involve himself in the rescue, but things had changed a great deal. He was no longer just a warrior in charge of a contingent. He was a general now, and it was his responsibility to maintain the war effort, even if that meant sacrificing his own warriors.

“It’s Commodore Hampel. He was commanding our air cover when his ship was hit. He’s coordinating the withdrawal.”

He pointed to the right.

“Their firebase is strong, and they have a single functional landing pad. But the last shuttle to leave was shot down trying to land.”

Gun shook his head angrily.

“They are not going to make it out of there.”

She was convinced there was something in his eyes, a message that was hard to read. He looked past his shoulder and to the mountain and then back to her.

Yes, he wants me away from the mountain, for now.

It was understandable, though not ideal. Teresa was an experienced commander, perhaps one of the most experienced in the entire Alliance. But she had already concentrated more of her effort, and even her own person in the rescue of Gun and the others. Many would question her command ability so near to her badly wounded son. At least another hour would give them time to get him into the infirmary, and she could put her effort where it was properly needed to continue the siege.

I have a short window, and I can use that time better out here than managing troop dispositions and barricades.

“How many people are in there?”

“Less than thirty, barely a platoon in strength. There’s an entire company of Eques walkers and troops between us and them.”

Teresa placed a hand on his arm.

“Gun, you secure west bank and blow the primary bridges. I’ll get them out. Just leave me the small one to the south.”

Gun looked at her and gave her a barely concealed grimace.

“I’ll make sure you get artillery support. Just be precise, Teresa. Don’t do a Spartan!”

Even Teresa couldn’t fail to laugh at that little jibe. Spartan was many things, but calm and collected wasn’t one of them. It was easy to send the wrong information when under great stress.

“Okay, Colonel, do it. I will rally our defenders and prepare them for the next stage of the battle. When you get back, you can give a speech, and tell us all how you’re going to win this war.”

He turned and moved across the bridge with his bodyguard following right beside him. Even as more gunfire ripped into the bridge, he kept going. Nothing was going to stop him, not fire, rocket, or bullet. At the same time, Teresa connected directly to Captain Tycho.

“How are the defenses?”

“Colonel. Everything is in position. I have the outer defenses operational, and the reserve is moving into the fortress. We have interceptor batteries running at full strength and pads are rigged to blow.”

“Good work, Captain. I need you to keep at it. The defenses must hold, no matter what happens to the rest of Spascia,” she replied.

“Understood, Sir. I have news on your son. His unit has already reached the mountain, and he’s being taken to an intensive care unit.”

Teresa almost choked at hearing that.

“How serious is it?”

There was a silence, and Teresa could tell it was bad news.

“He’s in a coma, Colonel. The doctors will do what they can, but right now there’s nothing you or I can do. The quicker we can get him to a proper medical facility, the better.”

Teresa closed her eyes and ignored the sounds of explosions that never seemed to end on Spascia.

Gun was
right. I need to focus. Jack and the others need me to end this, and fast. Spascia is not just about surviving.

She opened her eyes and looked up to the mountain. Flags of the Alliance, Khreenk, Helions, and a dozen other contingents ran up at different points. The largest was an old Helion flag with icons of their burning hot star. It was burned and riddled with holes, yet it still hung up high and proud.

“Sir, are you ready to cross?” asked the Sergeant.

Teresa turned back around to the man and found a ragged group of marines, along with their Lieutenant. One of the women, a tall, blonde haired firebrand carried the platoon’s standard. The flag had been ripped and attached to the end of a broken Helion assault pike. Teresa looked to them and couldn’t help but smile.

“You fought damned hard at the Three Sisters, but we have more work to do.”

She could see all of them were from different units, and two were from the regiments originally sent to defend Spascia. The Lieutenant and one of his privates bore the same markings as the regiment that had arrived with her. A single Helion waited among them with a Khreenk rifle in his hands.

“You are an interesting squad. Will you come with me to the Bastion?”

She pointed off to the south.

“We have a platoon trapped in the defenses, but I need help.”

One of the battered looking marines nodded quickly.

“Colonel, we know your reputation. My father fought with you on Euryale, back in the big one. I would be honored to fight with you.”

Teresa looked over the chasm and to the landing pads. She’d completely forgotten about Captain Tycho.

“What about the mobile element?” she asked over the radio.

“The Bulldogs, Sir?”

“Yes.”

There was a very short pause, and Teresa used it to scan about her position. Apart from the squad that currently protected her, she could see less than a dozen heading for the end of the bridge. There was a single mobile gun Bulldog parked thirty meters to the north. Every ten seconds or so, it would fire its primary gun off at targets in the distance.

“I’ve got eight APCs and one of the mobile guns waiting at the landing pads. Why?”

Teresa checked her overlay and tagged the Bastion position. It was a small stronghold further to the south and shrouded in smoke and dust. Its main job had been as a perimeter defense, and also to offer air defense against craft assaulting the chasm from the south.

“We have troops pinned down there. I plan on getting them out.”

“Understood. Sending them to your position now. Colonel, you don’t need to command that kind of mission. I can easily do that.”

Teresa shook her head, not that the man could see her.

“No. You have the situation under control. This is something I can do. Send them to me now. I have my own platoon that can assist on this side of the chasm.”

A single rocket arced up high and then began to drop down, heading right for the bridge.

“Take cover!” yelled the Sergeant.

Teresa joined the rest of the squad as they threw themselves behind whatever wreckage or rubble they could find. It came down with a terrifying screaming sound and then a bright yellow flash. The flash extended out for fifty meters and engulfed the debris field as well as the Bulldog. Right after the impact came a squeal and then a loud hiss. Teresa leaned around the rubble and watched a cloud of vapor appear around the Bulldog.

Typical. I seem to recall we used to own the patent on this
bit of kit.

She climbed out, and the squad moved back around her. The Private that had mentioned Euryale spoke up.

“Colonel, I know the ground along the chasm. I can get a vehicle down the trail without being seen from the east.”

Teresa nodded.

“Good. You can take the lead Bulldog with me. I intend on getting there in minutes.”

The sound of vehicles was already beginning to match the sound of battle. Teresa looked back and found herself staring at the shape of a convoy weaving its way over the widest bridge.

“Get ready, marines. This is going to get interesting.”

* * *

ANS Tempest, Micaya Shipyards, Helios Sector

The Mauler twisted about its entire length as it moved between the two Biorays. The Biomech vessels were easily twice the size of the Alliance ship, but that didn’t tell the whole story. Whereas the Biomech vessel was large, tough, and filled with warriors, the Mauler was short, fat, maneuverable, and bristling with gun turrets. It vanished through the gap with only meters to spare and out the other side, just as the following Avengers crashed headlong into them both. Exactly as planned, the internal warheads exploded on impact, and both assault transports were torn apart by multiple explosions.