Star Crusades Nexus: Book 06 - Call to Arms
Page 25
Teresa raised an eyebrow at that unfortunate reference.
"You're more right than you know."
She then looked up at the Biomech.
"I suppose there is a reason you have a Biomech helping you?"
Spartan shrugged sheepishly. They were interrupted by the sonic booms of something overhead. They all looked up as the long black shape of a large capital ship soared overhead at very low orbit. It wasn't the ship that had made the noises. It was the half dozen landing craft coming down, each leaving long black trails of smoke behind them as they entered the Martian atmosphere.
"You brought friends?" asked Marcus.
Teresa ignored him and looked at Spartan.
"Admiral Churchill gave me access to a few ships and a battalion of marines."
Teresa signaled to Captain Rivers who had just come down the ramp along with Major Terson. He ran over and saluted smartly. Teresa pointed up at the craft on their way down.
“How long until the next wave lands?”
“Twelve minutes, Colonel. Any later and the storm will swallow them up.”
Another pair of medics ran past, and one thrust an L52 Mark II carbine into Spartan's hands before moving to one of the badly injured operatives. The second then joined his comrade. Spartan caught the carbine it in his right hand and rested the barrel on his left. It felt like an eternity since he’d held such a well-crafted and useful weapon.
“Here they come!” Captain Cobb shouted out.
Spartan twisted about and aimed the carbine at the first shape that emerged. More marines rushed out and formed a thin line, along with the red armored shapes of the Jötnar, and then the gunfire started. The first few creatures were cut down, but as before more came behind them. Olik looked back at Khan and waved his gun in the air triumphantly.
“Let’s finish this!”
The crazed Jötnar charged directly into the fight and blasted apart the new arrivals before vanishing into the entrance of the tunnel. Two had remained on the platform and were helping Khan to his feet. At seeing his kin rushing off, he tensed his shoulders and then called out to one of the Jötnar for a weapon. Only then did he notice Teresa. He staggered forward and grabbed her so hard he almost buckled her armor.
“It’s good to see you,” he said with a growl.
Teresa couldn't find the words and instead just laughed as he squeezed her. Spartan checked the status of his carbine and then looked back at Khan and Teresa.
“We have a few hundred Biomech warriors down there and thousands of civilians. What do you say?”
A Jötnar handed him a massive gun that looked more like a tank's main gun.
"What the hell is this?"
The Jötnar grinned.
"New standard issue, recommended by General Gun."
"General?" laughed Spartan.
He looked at Teresa.
"Well?"
Teresa slid her pistol back into its holster and raised her carbine to her waist.
"I say we take back Mars."
"Yes!" roared Khan.
One of the medics moved on to Marcus who watched the trio rush off into the tunnel, their weapons raised and their bloodlust up.
"They are in trouble now," he said to himself.
The medic heard him though, and as he applied the emergency dressing to the fragmentation wounds Marcus had suffered, he leaned in.
"Why, what's down there?"
Marcus looked into the medic's face and grimaced as the patch pulled down tightly onto his injured flesh.
"No, not them. I mean the Biomechs."
The medic shook his head.
"Haven't you heard? The attack on Helios is imminent. All forces are rallying at T'Karan for the counterattack. That's where we will be going after mopping up here."
"Perhaps," he replied.
"Even so, the Biomechs should be worried."
The medic tightened the last patch and then looked back to Marcus' face and raised an eyebrow.
"Eos was lost, and they are about to assault Helios. What do they have to be worried about?"
Finally Marcus smiled.
"Because Spartan's back, and his war has only just started."