Star Crusades Nexus: The Second Trilogy

by Michael G. Thomas

“Now, what the hell is going on out here? We have machines trying to take over the station, and a Spacebridge that is offline.”

  Spartan kicked the man away and then looked to the other officers.

  “Where the hell were you, and why didn’t you stop the machines?”

  The Earthsec officers lifted their stun batons and waited while the man pulled himself painfully to his feet. One leaned over to help, but he shook the other man away, refusing to accept any assistance. His face was bitter, but also more than a little embarrassed. Spartan watched him carefully as he stepped back, and for a brief moment thought it might turn into an all-out brawl.

  “You’re not from around here, are you?” he said before spitting blood on the floor.

  Spartan laughed.

  “You only just worked that out?”

  The man looked to his colleagues and spoke for a moment before turning back. Before he could speak, an officer flanked by four men in Marine Corps uniforms marched toward them. Spartan was very familiar with the training, organization, and equipment of the Marines, and these men looked very different to what he was used to. All four carried thermal shotguns, a weapon more commonly associated with civilian and security use. Their armor was only partial, covering just their heads and chests in a layer of plastic of some unfamiliar type.

  “We’re on lockdown here, orders from Earthsec Command,” said the officer. “Commander Stanley is coming here for an inspection.”

  “Lockdown?” grumbled Khan, “What’s going on?”

  The thin, gray-faced man in an Earthsec uniform pushed to the front, lifting his hands in a conciliatory gesture to both groups.

  “Easy now,” he said, looking at his own people. He then looked to the two guests.

  “This is Spartan, and this one here is Khan, both are former Alliance Special Forces...and our guests.”

  The man Spartan had cast to the ground reached for Spartan’s weapon.

  “They are civilians. You know the rules,” said the man.

  The officer laughed and stepped back to give the man easy access to Spartan. He turned to him.

  “If you think you can take them without losing a limb, feel free to try it.”

  The man stopped, now suddenly unsure. He waited, perhaps considering whether he should try his luck and then moved back, doubt now taking over.

  “Good man,” said Spartan, “you just saved yourself a lot of trouble.”

  “And pain,” added Khan, tensing his great fists.

  The newly arrived officer extended his right hand to shake Spartan’s hand.

  “You don’t recognize me, do you Spartan?”

  Spartan shrugged.

  “The name’s Jenkins, John Jenkins. I enlisted at Prometheus with the same stream as you. My platoon trained alongside yours before we went into that meat grinder on Titan.”

  Spartan looked at the man carefully. There was something in the eyes that looked vaguely familiar, but he didn’t recall spending any real time with the man. A brief glance down showed he hadn’t maintained the kind of body or fitness one would expect for a man of so much experience.

  “What happened?”

  The man gave a modest smile.

  “Retirement. I came out here when the first Rift generator station was activated. Earthsec pay good money for ex-military.”

  Khan grabbed Spartan.

  “Enough talking, there are things that need doing.”

  “He’s right,” said Jenkins.

  The man walked to the row of small windows to the right of them. The stars moved swiftly in the background, as the section of the station was still rotating to provide artificial gravity.

  “We’re spread pretty thin out here, Spartan. Earth and Mars have less than sixty million citizens between them, with half again spread over the moons. With the Rift down, we’ve lost contact with Terra Nova and our fleet.”

  “Wait, what about the Sol Patrol Force?” asked Khan suspiciously.

  Jenkins shrugged.

  “Force? Is that what they’re calling it now?”

  Khan and Spartan looked at each other before returning their gaze to the man. He looked different to the others, his bearing was more upright, a hint of his confidence perhaps due to his past in the Marine Corps.

  “Look, that force is just one frigate, and it’s in about a hundred pieces near the Rift. All we have left are the war barges. There are nine spread through Sol, and they ain’t worth a damn.”

  “That’s it?” asked Spartan incredulously.

  Jenkins nodded.

  “Yes, and they answer directly to Earthsec, not the Alliance.”

  “What about the Rift station?”

  The older man in the unit moved in to interrupt them.

  “Look...I don’t know who you think...”

  He stopped when more men in suits from their interrogation appeared. The one with the bloodied nose smiled when he saw the Earthsec security man clutching a sore arm.

  “I see you two have been making friends.”

  Spartan sensed something in the man’s tone though, as if something had changed, and not to Spartan or Khan’s advantage. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was but was certain he could sense a double-cross. Khan must have felt the same because he tensed and then moved his feet slightly apart as if readying for a fight. From behind these men walked a man in a smart suit, flanked by four more Earthsec operatives, each in their security uniforms but apparently unarmed. Spartan could make out the batons on their belts and that the civilians seemed to move quickly away from him as he approached. Jenkins cleared his throat, and Spartan suspected it was a warning, to him. He then looked to Spartan, but the newly arrived man spoke first.

  “Greetings, Gentlemen. Report.”

  The older man with graying hair spoke first.

  “The station is secure, and we’ve sent the automated orbital barges in to finish off the flotsam in space.”

  “The docking arm and the T’Kari ship?”

  The man nodded.

  “Yes, Sir. The ship was infested with machines, same as the docking arm. The barges are pounded it as we speak.”

  The man still refused to look at Spartan and walked to the window to look at what was left of the arm, far out in space and flickering as gunfire raked the metal structure. He nodded to himself.

  “Good, good. Shame about the loss of the docking arm though.”

  Then he turned about and looked to the gray haired officer.

  “What about the T’Kari? I have orders to bring them to the surface for…discussions.”

  The man tilted his head, looking at Spartan while waiting for a reply.

  “They are safe on this station, Sir.”

  The man waited in silence, as if he needed the time to digest the information. A couple of seconds might have been manageable, but he dragged it on for so long it became uncomfortable.

  “Lieutenant Jenkins,” he said before stopping amidst the group. All three groups coalesced into a single mass of Earthsec personnel.

  “Good work to you and your staff. The station is secure, and we will be back to normal in no time.”

  Spartan opened his mouth to speak, but the man lifted his hand and interrupted him.

  “Let me introduce myself. I am Commander Richard Stanley. This Earthsec station is under my official jurisdiction.”

  Spartan was unimpressed at this.

  “Then you’ve been doing a piss poor job, Commander. It came down to me, my friend here, and a single one of your engineers to fix this mess. Where were all your suits and officers when there was real fighting to be done?”

  The man looked at Spartan suspiciously, but it didn’t stop him from speaking.

  “You have a Rift down. That means no communications and no help from the rest of the Alliance.”

  The man smiled at him, one of those smiles Spartan knew meant anything but good news. He’d met men like this many times before, men whose interests lay in their own advancement.

  “Yes, that
is very true.”

  He nodded to one of the men in the suits, and one walked closer. They spoke quietly for a few seconds and then separated. The Commander waited patiently while the other man walked to the side of the passageway and activated a communication panel.

  “By order of the Governor of Earth and its colonies, stations, and territories, a state of martial law is being declared. All citizens are to contact their nearest Earthsec center within the next twenty-four hours.”

  The Commander looked away from Spartan and to the rest of his people.

  “I’ve been saying for the last ten years we needed to become more self-sufficient. With this fighting starting, it is critical that we keep Earth and our colonies out of harm’s way.”

  Spartan stepped closer to him, but two of the men blocked his path.

  “Are you insane? We need to open the Spacebridge and find out what’s happening?”

  Commander Stanley shook his head.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  He indicated for Spartan and Khan to walk with him. Khan refused to move, but a stern look from Spartan forced him to comply. They walked along the passageway until reaching one of the many bulges that extended like pimples from the station. The Commander looked out into space and waited until the blue orb of Earth drifted into view.

  “The last information that came through the Rift was that machines were attacking territories throughout the Alliance. It seems they are using the Network against us.”

  Spartan wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

  “Makes sense. They’ve been using uncharted Rifts in the past, and they have servants among different races, including the rebel T’Kari.”

  “Ah, yes, the Raiders?”

  Spartan nodded.

  “We’ve had dealings with them and the Biomechs themselves.”

  The man studied Spartan for a few more seconds before speaking.

  “We are not ready for this enemy, not out here in Sol.”

  “Then let us open the Rift and get help!” growled Khan.

  He looked back out of the window and the view of the stars once more.

  “We are not what we were, less than a hundred million souls throughout this system. If Terra Nova or Prime are under attack, then we can expect no help from that quarter.”

  Spartan pointed to the window.

  “Take the station, open the Rift, and send through a scout. If you find trouble, you can close the Rift.”

  The man looked to Spartan and smiled.

  “My friend, I don’t think you quite appreciate the situation. We are fully self-sufficient, especially since the arrival of the heavy equipment from Prometheus.”

  Khan looked back into the passageway. Nothing of note had changed other than the large number of uniformed personnel moving about. It was when a group of civilians and children were stopped and escorted away that he realized what was happening. He turned back to find the Commander looking right at the two of them.

  “You’re not serious?”

  The man smiled.

  “We managed alone for a long time before useful contact was re-established through the Spacebridge. It used to take over eight years to send a message to Terra Nova and to get one back. When you had your little civil war, it was over before we even heard about it!”

  Spartan wiped his brow and turned to Khan.

  “They’re going it alone.”

  He then looked back at the Commander.

  “Aren’t you?”

  The Commander nodded slowly.

  “When a diseased limb threatens the host, you remove it from the body. The Alliance is a luxury we can happily manage without. At least, for now.”

  A whistling sound appeared from the space above them, shortly followed by a holographic image appearing in the center of the passageway. The Earthsec officers stepped back and watched flickering image stabilize to show the form of an aged man with a monocle.

  “The Governor of Terra Antiqua,” said the Commander in a hushed tone.

  Spartan had never heard the honorific title for Earth used before and found it almost absurd.

  “Citizens of Sol. Due to incursions from the colonies of the New Alliance, we have been forced to permanently deactivate the Spacebridge. A number of vessels forced their way through and deposited objects onto the Martian surface before our barges could destroy them. But there is no way of knowing where else the decadent taint of Terra Nova has spread.”

  Khan spat on the floor in annoyance.

  “This is…”

  Spartan shook his head, encouraging his friend to remain silent.

  “…until such time as this Biomech menace is permanently eradicated, it is with a heavy heart that I enact Martial Law throughout Sol.”

  This sent a murmur of conversation through the station, even into the sections that couldn’t be seen from where they all waited.

  “All colony transport and transfers will be monitored via Earthsec border controls.”

  Those civilians still in the wide passageway started to move away, but the Commander lifted his hand.

  “No, listen to this!”

  “Earthsec Militia has been activated, and all units are to report to their local barracks.”

  The holographic image vanished, and a buzzing sound from the Commander’s aged datapad drew his attention to his thigh. The man lifted the unit, examined the display, and then placed it back in its small pouch.

  “As you can see, we are in a perilous situation out here, so far from the might and power of the Alliance. Governor Trelleck wishes to meet you both.”

  “Trelleck?” snorted Khan.

  “Yes, the Governor of Sol.”

  “Why?” Spartan asked.

  Commander Stanley grinned, but Spartan could see through his expression, and it was one of amusement, mixed with a little arrogance.

  “That is between you two and him. I suspect he wishes to seek your counsel with regards to these machines that have landed on Mars. You are the two most experienced warriors in the whole of Sol, after all.”

  Spartan watched Khan lift his right hand and instantly knew what he was going to do. Rather than let him get them both into serious trouble, he stepped in his friend’s path and nodded politely.

  “That makes sense. We have more than a little experience. Perhaps the Lieutenant could join us? He fought in the Uprising as well.”

  The Commander looked taken aback that Spartan had agreed so readily.

  “Of course, why not?” he said, slightly confused.

  After a short word with the officer, he moved back to the window, and the shape of Earth appeared once more. He seemed entranced by the shape of the object.

  “Earth is more than the home place of humanity, Spartan.”

  He looked back at the grizzled warrior and his monstrous companion.

  “It is the most important planet in the galaxy, and together we will return it to its position of preeminence above all other worlds.”

  Khan moved alongside them and looked out, just as the planet disappeared from view again.

  “So, we’re going to Earth?”

  Spartan took in a long breath and waited for the object to return.

  “It looks that way.”

  * * *

  For the first time in the battle for Eos, the sides were equal. Fourteen of the Alliance’s most advanced warships faced off against the deadly Biomantas of the Biomechs. Although they had moved past them on the first pass, this time would be different. As the ships altered course to move to a higher attitude, they effectively slowed to almost match the speed of the Biomech forces. From this height, the ships were now well away from the thin atmosphere of the moon and spread out in wide formations. As before, the Alliance forces were led from the front by the two massive Battlecruisers, with the remainder of the fleet drawn up into two columns behind each ship.

  The red nosed fighters accelerated to their maximum combat speed and set a direct course for the nearest of the Biomech warships. Su
per-heated flames roared silently from their twin engines in the coldness of space. Behind them waited the fleet and the dull orb that was the moon of Eos. Around them two Battlecruisers moved all remaining fighters from the fleet in large groups.

  “Now!”

  Captain Jim ‘The Hammer’ Evans hit the button on his fighter. Nothing happened to him, but all around them moved off the shapes of scores of shuttles. Every single one was empty and being operated by remote. He waited until the counter ran down to zero before tapping the next button.

  “Alpha group, with me!”

  He hit the boost control on his fighter and instantly felt the surge of power as he slid in the back of the fighter cockpit. His Lightning fighter was one of twenty similar fighters that covered the right flank of ANS Royal Oak. They rushed ahead, along with half of the other fighters toward the closing formation of Biomantas. Alpha Group included a small contingent of Maulers, as well as four shuttles equipped with missiles. It was an improvised force that increased the size of the fighter force by almost double.

  “Captain, flash message from Captain Harper. They are powering up their weapons.”

  “Affirmative.”

  The plan was rough at best, but he still remained confident it would work. They continued to push past the capital ships and on toward the force of Biomantas. Captain Evans looked at the schematic of the closing ships and smiled to himself at the sections indicating damage.

  Good work, guys.

  The earlier run passing their fleet had caused a number of casualties, but more importantly, they had raked every ship in their force before vanishing off around the moon. Only now did he realize quite how much damage they’d caused. According to the clock, he was just three minutes away from weapons range, yet he knew the Biomech ships could hit him the minute he came into sight.

  Why aren’t they firing?

  He looked at his fighter disposition once more, in case any had gone astray. The swarms of fighters were exactly where they should be, and the decoy shuttles were out in front. One light vanished on his screen, then another.

  There, they are taking the bait!

  He made direct contact to Captain Harper, his CAG aboard ANS Royal Oak.

  “Captain, they’ve started.”

  “Good work, you know what to do. The assault wave will launch as soon as you hit the first targets.”