He turned back and pointed at the screen.
“That is another Ark, just like the one carved out of rock and ice that hit Spascia. It’s an Ark constructed for one reason only. It’s what is going to control the invasion of Helios.”
Admiral Lewis nodded in agreement.
“I think you’re right. Is Endurance online and ready?”
Sanlav made a few more configuration changes before finally looking back. He seemed confident, but there was something else, perhaps the faintest hint of doubt.
“Yes, Admiral, she’s online, and her capacitors are already fully charged.”
“Good.”
He turned about and moved to his horizontal tactical display. Captain Marcus was alongside him, waiting patiently for the order. Admiral Lewis tapped the icons for any ships in the flagged area and gave them their new orders. Their captains had been waiting for the signal, and as one, they split apart to create an open corridor to the target.
“Now!”
* * *
The Mauler shuddered as the guns from the passing Biomanta raked its hull. They twisted about to avoid the fire, but a following Helion fighter was cut clean in half. More rounds tore the rear left engine from its mount and sent the internal alarms into overdrive. The two Maulers on each side also took a pounding, but although damaged all three came through in relatively one piece. Captain Garcia and Lieutenant Takeda maneuvered the craft through a bewildering series of movements as they avoided yet more fire, and then they were out of danger, for now. Captain Garcia looked to his co-pilot and shook his head in amazement.
"That was close, too close."
She nodded in agreement.
"Not over yet, Sir."
He looked back and spotted the pair of Biomech fighters. They were being pursued by the sleek Helion fighters and coming right at them. There was no need for any orders to the gunners, and before the fighters could get too close, they were targeted by three of the turret mounts. Round after round smashed around them and managed to catch the first. The second veered away and vanished into another massed dogfight on their flank.
"Sir, urgent flashcom from Admiral Lewis.”
Captain Garcia looked at the short text message that showed on the overlay of the front screen. The text was relatively large and contained only the most pertinent information. Either way, it sent a cold chill through his body.
“About time. Get us back to ANS Conqueror. We need to rejoin the picket, and fast!”
Dozens of ships and fighters moved about and split off from the battle with the Biomech ships. Most made it, but a small number were too badly damaged to cut off as the Allies gave ground. Even as the first made it back, a Biomech Ravager rammed a stray Crusader class ship. Both vessels ripped apart, their wreckage sparking and flashing with secondary explosions. Small shapes burst from the hull of the Alliance ship, marking the escape of its surviving crew.
“Captain!” cried Takeda, as she pointed to the bow of ANS Endurance.
Both looked as an odd energy pulse built up around its bow. Blue flashes that had more in common with lightning arcs than weapons licked about the cold empty space near the ship. Both of them knew the ship was there for a reason, but neither had much faith that it would do anything substantial.
"I don't like the look of this!"
The energy surge continued to build.
“Put us between the capital ships and that thing, fast.”
“Aye, Sir.”
* * *
Admiral Lewis held his breath as the bright light appeared in the distance, and only a short distance from the Alliance engineering vessel. Both of them watched as the light pulsed and then vanished in a flash of white. At the same time, a Rift entrance opened up directly in the path of the Ark, but then vanished as quickly as the computer system detected it.
“What the hell is happening?” he demanded.
Sanlav looked to him and shuddered, but said nothing. He looked back at his screen and began muttering. His face looked paler than normal, and a bead of sweat dropped down from his temple.
“Commander, tell me dammit!”
“The…the emitters...overloaded, and the entrance shifted focus. Give me a moment…”
He moved a number of wheels and sliders on the screen and sent the data directly to the ship. There was a short delay between him sending the information and the engineers aboard the ship putting them through the system. Three seconds later a green icon flashed and then appeared directly in the middle of the model of the station. It expanded quickly and soon engulfed nearly a third of the station.
“There!” he announced triumphantly.
“Why is it expanding?” asked the science officer nervously.
The screen’s overlay added a dotted line from the Alliance ship and directly to the Ark. It was wider than expected, and with each passing moment the corridor expanded.
“Any moment now.”
Even as he said the last word, another icon appeared, but this one was directly over the stern of ANS Endurance. The green icon pulsed and shifted about, but only a few meters in any one direction. Admiral Lewis didn’t wait for confirmation and instead hit the emergency alert button on his console.
“All ships, get away from Endurance, now!”
It was too late though. Even as those nearest activated their maneuvering thrusters, the dotted line flashed and quickly expanded as the Rift in space-time was created between the two points. The Rift looked almost perfect, but only for the blink of an eye before the entire Rift structure collapsed in on itself. The ship vanished, to be replaced by a massive explosion then engulfed both points of the tunnel. The intense heat that flashed outwards with the energy of a hundred tactical nuclear weapons instantly vaporized three Alliance cruisers. Dozens of fighters from both sides also vanished.
"Brace for..." were the last words from the XO when the debris and heat slammed into the flank of the warship. Only the powerful radiation shielding prevented the entire crew from being instantly killed. Admiral Lewis was thrown to the wall, and the Battlecruiser was left powerless in space as it spun out of control away from where ANS Endurance had once been. In its place sat the shattered remnants of sections of the comet, Biomech ships, and a few select pieces of the Alliance vessel. In a single blow, the heart of the Biomech force, including the Thunar fragments and the Ark, was shattered. The Allies suffered almost as badly, as an equal level of damage was inflicted against any craft unfortunate enough to be caught in the massive blast.
* * *
The Mauler spun between two Byotai Dragonflies when the blast struck. The vast heat bloom rushed past and dissipated in seconds, but not before cooking the nearest Byotai ship from one side. Hundreds of small explosions ripped through its hull, as it lay lifeless. The Mauler shuddered and then leveled off.
“What the hell was that?” Captain Garcia asked.
Lieutenant Takeda pulled the craft around and kept it positioned firmly between the two vessels. They had a perfect few of the battlefield, and to their shock they found nothing intact within the blast zone that marked the last location of ANS Endurance.
“Sir, look.”
They both looked out through the cockpit toward the Biomech fleet. The massive Ark had been replaced by hundreds of smaller chunks that now drifted amongst the battered Biomech ships. Dozens were burning, and even more had been smashed by the close proximity collapse of the entire station.
“Is it gone?”
He looked back at his small command team inside the Mauler. The tactical officer was already running the numbers as he called out.
“No, Sir. The Ark has sustained massive damage with ruptures on all sides. The remaining Biomechs are falling back to defend it.”
“And ANS Endurance?”
The man looked up and shook his head.
“The feedback loop destroyed them both. Looks like we lost a few ships as well.”
He could already see that on his own overlay. Unlike the Biomechs, most of their
ships had been spaced out in the debris field and sustained minimal losses.
“Who’s in charge? Can you reach Admiral Lewis?”
The small team on board did their utmost to reach as many of the remaining ships. Many replied, but none of the heavy Alliance ships responded. As each acknowledgement came in, it became clear to Captain Garcia that both sides had suffered losses, and there were many ships out of action, or partially disabled.
“No command ships in action, Sir. ANS Conqueror has fluctuating power levels, and the same goes for most of the ships near the blast radius.”
He reached for the intercom and opened up a general channel to the fleet.
“This is Captain Garcia of the Alliance Mauler ANS Tempest. I am assuming command. All available ships and fighters follow me. We need to end this, now.”
He looked to Lieutenant Takeda and realized he hadn’t even spotted the blood dripping from a small cut to her forehead.
“You ready for this?”
She did her best to smile.
“Good. Set a course for the Ark.”
The craft shuddered as the three remaining engines pushed the craft away from the wrecked Byotai vessel. Once they moved into the open, they were greeted by the shocking view of scores of their own ships and all moving slowly toward the Ark. Even as they flew past the lifeless shapes of cruisers, they began to reactivate. They made it halfway to the target when a transmission came through.
“This is Admiral Lewis. We’re back in commission. All ships take Tempest’s lead. We’re running these bastards down!”
The large group of ships moved faster and faster toward the shattered Ark and its reduced force of ships. More tried to untangle themselves from the stricken Ark, but the Rift collapse had done its job well. In eleven minutes most of the remaining fleet limped toward the shattered remains of the Biomech Ark. Missiles and torpedoes began the assault and were quickly followed by every weapon system still functional in the fleet. The final phase of the battle for Object Thunar was not a fight; it was a complete rout. One by one the Biomech ships tried to hold them back, and one by one they were smashed by the combined firepower of over a hundred of the remaining ships. Less than twenty minutes later, the remnants of the Biomech force was in tatters, leaving just two Cephalon command ships and a dozen other ships to escape on a direct course toward Helios Prime.
Instead of pursuing them, the fleet remained to break down the last fragments of Object Thunar. Even though fully engaged, the Crusader class ships still maintained pressure on the Biomechs trying to flee. The direct energy weapons of the later tranche of ships were easily able to travel vast distances and still cause damaged. It wasn’t enough to decide the battle, but it was enough to give a parting shot to the hated enemy. As the ships set to work on the broken pieces of the comet, Admiral Lewis relaxed, even if just a little.
So, we stopped the apocalypse. What comes next?
"Admiral, an urgent message from Captain Perry. He says there's something happening to C34. He’s on an attack vector."
The Admiral wiped his brow and then nodded.
"Put him on my screen."
I guess this is my answer.
* * *
Captain Carter moved ahead of the small group and made his way around the side of the dune. He'd told them all to specifically avoid climbing the peaks and presenting targets backlit by the bright skyline. It was the kind of material they'd all learnt by rote in basic training, but as always, it was easy to forget in actual combat. He stopped and noticed an incoming flashcom from the temporary facility currently being organized nearly a hundred kilometers away. It was short and sweet, nothing more than the last Biomanta vessels were making a break for the surface.
Good, he thought. That means they know they’re beaten.
He lowered himself carefully and looked down at the incredible sight before him. There were pieces of broken metal all around the crash site, but there were also many bodies from a short and violent battle. Some were Thegns, but most were Helions. He could only think they must have been transporting prisoners.
Maybe they tried to escape, or just crashed the thing.
He watched and could feel nothing but bitterness toward the machines. They’d taken civilians and forced them into an impossible situation. It made what needed to be done next much easier.
"Well?" Wictred asked.
Both he and Vadi waited further back at the base of the sand dune. Their bulk made them far less suited for the task of discreet reconnaissance. Instead, they brought up the heavy weapons and waited for the word. Two more marines were waiting with them while Lance Corporal James joined the Captain along the edge of the dune with an L48 resting on a bipod. Captain Carter said nothing, but gave a simple set of hand gestures. Wictred nodded at the last one.
"He wants us to go in. Follow me!"
Wictred didn't even check to see if his comrades were with him. He knew them well enough that they would be ready. He moved out from cover and around the side of the dune. There was a subtle dip, and the different gravity and change in height almost made him lose his balance. He managed to regain his footing and lurched ahead into plain view of the crashed vessel. It was in a much worse state than he'd expected, with hundreds of bullet holes and dents running along the nose section. Two massive doors lay wide open, and a handful of Thegns were trying to drag something from out of the inside. A single eight-legged war machine spotted him and raised a firearm.
"Yes!" Wictred howled.
With his bloodlust up, he increased speed toward them. Two short cracks from the dune announced the precision marksmanship of Captain Carter. The first blast struck the machine right in the center of its torso. It dropped to the ground belching a cloud of heated vapor. Another double shot blasted out, and two Thegns fell to the ground. The surviving three dropped what they were doing and moved to stop Wictred. None carried firearms, but they all swung their retractable blades at him, each trying desperately to keep away the monstrous warrior. The first forced Wictred to jump to the side, but Vadi ploughed on and threw himself at the nearest. Both hit the ground in a tumble of bodies, leaving the remaining two to Wictred. He took their blades on his armor and then yanked the first Thegn to his chest. More gunshots rang out, as the rest of the marines surged toward the Bioray and cut down the remaining Thegn.
"Clear!" shouted one of them.
"Clear," repeated Captain Carter as he watched from the dune.
The other marines fanned out and moved closer to the crashed craft. Vadi and Private O’Hara climbed inside. The marine quickly turned back, opened up her visor, and vomited onto the ground. She choked and coughed for a moment before settling down.
"What is it?" shouted down the Captain.
Wictred cast the remaining Thegn over to the two nearest marines and then climbed inside the wreckage. He glanced about for a moment and then stepped back to look to the officer.
"Bodies, lots of them. Mainly Helions. Looks like they were taking prisoners somewhere."
Captain Carter stood up straight and lowered his carbine. He began walking toward the craft while continually looking for signs of danger. Something black moved overhead, followed shortly by a sonic boom. The speed was so great that it kicked up dust as it moved overhead. He looked up and examined the craft as it moved off into the distance.
"Alliance Hammerhead. Looks like we’re back in control again.”
Wictred moved back inside the craft and made his way past the dozens of mutilated bodies. Most had clearly been killed by external gunfire, but a good number must have died in the rough landing. He kept on moving and then reached the broken armor of a Biomech. It was the size of Wictred, but the armor had been recently torn open, and blood and fluid ran freely from inside.
“Nasty,” said the Captain, moving alongside Wictred.
“Yes. What do you think did this?”
The Alliance officer pointed lower, where a line of eight finger-sized holes had been punched through the plating.
> “Looks like medium caliber cannon rounds. I’d say a Hammerhead strafed them on the way down.”
He straightened his back as though stretching and then nodded to himself.
“Either way, his fight is over. We’ve got ourselves a piece of Biomech tech, so we’d better get in touch with Command about this. Who knows what use it might be?”
Wictred nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, this is going to be a long war. Anything we can strip from their tech might be of use.”
Captain Carter grinned.
“Corporal, you might be right on that one. Hyperion brought us the Rift technology, and the war exposed us to direct energy weapons.”
He looked back at the massive craft and wondered what secrets the craft might hold. Vadi, the Helion synthetic emerged from one of the hatches and held up one of the turret guns in the air above him and roared.
“Well, if nothing else, you’ve found some new guns.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
What will be the weapon of the future for the Alliance? The Wars of the Confederacy were decided with railguns, and those before that with kinetic auto cannons, missiles, and atomic weapons. New developments in the 4thcentury of the New Colonies brought in the use of particle beams and mass drivers. These were hardly new technologies, but their use in battle would be tested in the great struggles with the Biomechs and their insidious forces.
Naval Cadet’s Handbook
The formation of ships moved at high speed through the cool stillness of space. Around them moved smaller capital ships and more than two-dozen armed civilian clippers, all desperate to do their part to defend Helios Prime from the coming assault.
“Captain, I'm picking up a radiation bloom,” said Lieutenant MacTyler, ANS Royal Oak's tactical officer.
“What? Show me!” Captain Perry snapped.
Star Crusades Nexus: The Third Trilogy Page 22