Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift

by Michael G. Thomas

There was a squadron of nine fleet defense ships, and they had positioned themselves with their flanks toward the ongoing battle. Their gun and missile systems were optimized for tracking objects from the size of fighters right down to individual bullets. The Maulers went ahead of them and formed up. From the cockpit, it was possible to make out three more groups of Maulers, plus twice as many Lightning fighters, and a smattering of Hammerheads.

  “Sir, I’m going to have to take engine number three offline. The shrapnel is causing the cooling system to fail.”

  He nodded in answer. A message arrived from the lead Liberty destroyer, ANS Citadel. It was an automated message and contained targeting data and information for scores of targets on the way.

  “Sir, what are we facing?” Lieutenant Takeda asked.

  “Uh…not much. Maybe ninety missiles, a dozen torpedoes, and a few hundred projectiles.”

  The computer tracked the identified targets and then began plotting firing solutions. Both of them watched as more and more appeared. What was much more disconcerting was the time it was taking for them to reach their targets. Captain Garcia reached out and activated the firing computer.

  “All ships, open fire.”

  Scores of turrets opened fire with deadly flechette flak rounds. Each was designed to split apart just before reaching their target and then showering the incoming weapon with chunks of razor sharp metal. The computer tracked the incoming fire, and the Mauler shuddered as the corner and nose mounted turrets emptied their ammunition bins. As each one ran dry, the robotic loading system changed to another box, and the shaking continued.

  “Just look at that,” said Lieutenant Takeda.

  Even a few minutes earlier they had been involved in the massed ducking and spinning through the debris. That great and deadly dogfight had changed into nothing more than a static shooting gallery. They formed part of the last line of defense, and right behind them sat the big fat target of ANS Explorer.

  Captain Garcia hadn’t even noticed his officer was pointing to the massive Ark off to the right. It was only a bright dot this far away, but the very fact it was visible showed how much of a threat it was. At the same time, two of the nearby gantries from the shipyard vanished in a dull flash to leave only dust.

  “Goddamned particle beams.”

  The guns continued firing into the wide flak corridor, making a direct approach to the Alliance ship almost impossible. Even so, every few seconds a hardened penetrator round or missile would make it through and explode against the modest armor of the vessel.

  “Sir, look,” said Lieutenant Takeda.

  Captain Garcia looked to the overlay and the imagery of the fighter squadron. The computer had already tagged more than twenty, and the numbers were increasing.

  “Great, they’re moving along that pylon to the right for cover. We need to stop them before they can reach the ship.”

  With a quick nod of agreement, Lieutenant Takeda took over manual control and spun the vessel around. At the same time, Captain Garcia ordered six nearby Lightning fighters and a single Hammerhead to join them. The Mauler was slightly slower than before, due to the lost of the fourth primary engine. Even so, it was only a few seconds before they were moving along the pylon at the close distance of just a hundred meters. Captain Garcia sent an order to the rest of his squadron to stay and guard the approach.

  “Here they come!” said Takeda.

  With a quick tug, she spun the vessel about so that they slipped between two hulks and vanished from view while the other fighter spread out to fly over. Right above them moved a long column of small Biomech fighters. Captain Garcia tagged them and opened up with the turrets. Five vanished in as many seconds, and then they pulled up and went into a pursuit formation. The Lightning fighters were faster and moved in right behind them, quickly dispatching three more before they began to spin about to return fire. Two Alliance fighters were quickly torn apart, and then the Hammerhead was amongst them. Apart from its primary weapons, it was also equipped with turrets that fired continually in multiple directions.

  “What the hell was that?” Captain Garcia asked.

  A pair of Biomech fighters ripped apart and metal-limbed machines flew past them. He spotted one crash onto the Hammerhead where it proceeded to hack and smash into the outer skin.

  “Help them!”

  Lieutenant Takeda moved carefully behind the crippled Hammerhead and took as careful aim as she could manage. Though there was no atmosphere to shake them, there was the problem of the constantly jinking form of the Hammerhead. Each impact from the machine forced the maneuvering thrusters to move the craft off into the wrong direction. The Mauler was vastly bigger than the Hammerhead, and as they came in behind, their path was blocked by a Biomech fighter. This was a different design to the normal type. Instead of weapons, it carried four more of the Decurion machines.

  “This is new,” said Lieutenant Takeda.

  She pulled the trigger, and the entire rear section tore off and vanished from view. She didn’t hesitate and fired again, finally destroying the machine with a one-second burst. The debris scattered off to the sides but continued on in the same direction.

  “This is Captain Garcia of ANS Tempest; I have multiple fighters on an attack vector to the prize. I repeat; we have another fighter wave coming on an attack vector. Triangulate a flank corridor on my position.”

  He looked to Takeda, but she was far too busy trying to aim at the Decurion still smashing and tearing at the Hammerhead. Finally, it was in her sights, and she pulled the trigger. Two turrets had line of sight, and both poured armor piercing rounds into the target. Her first shots went wide, but the second burst struck the thing in one of its limbs. Something caught her eye. A chunk of plating just behind the cockpit ripped off and metal limbs appeared.

  “Seal the ship and spin!” he yelled.

  Lieutenant Takeda didn’t even have to check for herself. With a single button press, an extra layer of seals activated. Gas pumped into the open sections that would seal any small cracks or holes. Then came the spin. This was far greater than the movement normally reserved for dogfighting. This was a desperate measure designed to force incredibly high g-forces. By the time of the sixth full revolution, the ship had almost driven them unconscious.

  “Re…recover,” muttered Captain Garcia.

  The pressure suit, including his naval PDS armor pushed down on his body, and the oxygen system struggled to keep them both conscious. Neither was able to initiate the recovery though, and it fell to the computer to take over. They made another four revolutions before slowing down and continuing on their previous course.

  “That was…” started Lieutenant Takeda.

  A single metal prong punched up through her chest and out in front of her face. She choked and a spray of blood burst from her mouth.

  “Takeda!”

  Captain Garcia automatically reached for the thermal shotgun fitted to the left wall. The point vanished from his pilot’s chest, and she stopped moving, her lifeless body held in tightly against her seat. Captain Garcia activated his open distress channel.

  “Mayday, mayday, this is ANS Tempest. We have been boarded. Requesting…”

  The area of metal plating behind Takeda ripped apart, and a hole big enough to climb through appeared. He flicked off the safety on the shotgun and took aim. Something moved, and he pulled the trigger. A flash of flame from the shotgun punched a hole into the torso of a Decurion as it came forward. The wrecked remains were then ripped out of the way, and he could see back into the empty cargo hold. With there being no torpedoes left, it was just a big storage area. He fired two more shots and had the satisfaction of spotting another of the machines take a blast straight to the center.

  Got to get out of here.

  He looked ahead and toward the Liberty destroyers. The flak corridor had increased, and there were multiple fighters weaving in and out. Behind them an odd blue hue was increasing around ANS Explorer. An urgent flashcom sounded in his ears, sur
prising him for a brief moment.

  “This is Admiral Lewis. All ships must leave sector Three Alpha immediately. Get out of there!”

  Something moved, and he glanced over his shoulder to see two more of the machines pulling themselves over wreckage. The only reason they hadn’t made it through already was because of the smashed Decurions and shattered loading racks for the now spent torpedoes.

  “You have ten seconds. Get out of the blast zone.”

  Captain Garcia looked about for the zone markers, but the next machine was through. He twisted about and caught his arm on the control column. The Mauler started to twist.

  “Dammit!”

  He leaned forward to alter the controls, just as a metal arm swung overhead. The sharp metal scraped across his helmet and cut a deep gouge. Even though it was little more than a glancing strike, it was enough to make him turn back around. Captain Garcia lifted the shotgun while the Mauler continued to spin out of control.

  “Two seconds!” came back the voice from the Admiral.

  Captain Garcia fired once, twice, and then a third and final time. Each blast tore chunks from the machine, but as he fired, another chunk of metal tore away to reveal another of the things. Then came a blue flash that filled the cockpit and everything outside. He looked back and spotted the approaching gantries and metal structures of the vast shipyard complex. At the same time, the machines scrambled forward to reach him. He extended out his arm and struck the emergency autopilot. The Mauler immediately righted itself and pulled up from the shipyards. Even as Captain Garcia breathed in a sigh of relief, an arm punched past his shoulder and embedded sharp metal into the control panel. The electronics sparked and flashed, and then everything outside vanished in the blue orb.

  Great, death by shipyard, Decurion or blue orb.

  The blue vanished and right in front of him was the massive section of shipyard, along with several dozen scuttled ships. The flashing blue faded as quickly as it had arrived, and now his course had been completely reversed. A glance at the navicomputer showed they had moved to the opposite orbit of the shipyards, and all of the debris was heading toward a closing target.

  “What?”

  Captain Garcia was completely stunned, not by what surrounded him, but by the massive shape of the Biomech Ark that grew larger by the second. Their total closing speed was in the hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

  He didn’t even feel the puncturing of the spikes from the machines as the Mauler and a massive section of the orbital facility crashed into the Ark at impossible speeds.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Olik, Khan, Gun, and Osk are some of the famous names that rose to prominence during the Great Uprising. Each of them was an experienced warrior by the end of the conflict and would go on to great significance in the period of the Alliance. Like all of their kin, they proved loyal even when harassed and persecuted. Some of their comrades were killed in the interwar years, yet even when provoked, the Jötnar refused to turn to their more primitive sides. In many respects, they made better soldiers than conventional humans, and some speculate that if the Echidna Union had been more careful it might have been able to use their skills to destroy the Confederacy.

  Heroes of the Great Uprising

  ANS Warlord, Micaya Shipyards, Helios Sector

  The cheering inside the CIC was deafening as each of the officers watched in awe at the new development. The sight of the Rift opening up in the middle of battle was a rarity, but this was beyond what any of them had expected. The plan for the engineering ship had been kept secret, though most assumed it would be used in the same way as at Helios Prime.

  “Watch and pray,” said Admiral Anderson.

  None of them had really known what to expect when ANS Explorer had activated its Rift generator hardware. The blue pulse appeared not in front of the ship, but more than a hundred kilometres away and in the middle of the orbiting shipyard complex. It engulfed dozens of scrapped ships, gantries, walkways, and most of one shipyard spoke. With a flicker, they vanished and then appeared on an opposite orbital path in front of the Ark.

  “Incredible, have you seen the closing speed?”

  The vast horde of space debris, wreckage, and junk smashed into the Ark before anymore of them could speak. The large spoke that had been connected to the central shipyard hub was almost as large as the Ark, and it tore through the front of the vessel like it was wet tissue paper. On and on went the wreckage until it reached the center of the vast vessel. Then came another blue pulse, and half of the Ark disintegrated.

  “Yes!” Captain Decker yelled.

  Hundreds of secondary explosions ripped through the vessel as it tore itself apart from the inside. Three more bright flashes tore at the bow, and then the innards of the thing spread in all directions, leaving nothing but a dark, dead husk. Admiral Anderson sighed with pleasure at the great level of destruction wrought from the Rift.

  “That, my friends, is how you bring down a big beast. You create a Spacebridge with objects in opposite directions and cause an almighty collision.”

  He leaned toward the tactical display and lifted the intercom. With a lick of his lips, he glanced at the unit once more. With the Ark gone, the Biomech fleet was now heavily outnumbered and surrounded by the different allies. The Byotai were hunting down the remaining Cephalon command ship, along with their escort of Klithi and the remaining Helion ships. Admiral Lewis was busy defending ANS Explorer from a final big push at the center of the shipyards. His own ships were spread out and busy engaging the scattered Biomechs that appeared to have lost any focused battle plan.

  “This is the Admiral. All vessels break and attack. Run these bastards down, all of them.”

  ANS Warlord was already turning about on the spot and firing up its primary engines. A small group of Biomantas and two Ravagers twisted away from the wrecked Ark to escape, but they were too slow. Railguns fired first, each sending a mixture of armor piercing and Sanlav rounds. Explosions ripped through the first Biomanta, and then the primary weapons opened fire. There was no light, not even a sign of a weapon firing. Just the massive explosion as half of the second Biomanta vanished in a cloud of broken metal and flesh.

  “Good work, keep it up,” said Captain Decker.

  The experienced Captain moved about the CIC, encouraging her officers and keeping their guns on track. As the most powerful ship in the fleet, it came down to Warlord to inflict much damage in as little time as possible.

  “That makes thirteen,” said the tactical officer.

  “There are plenty more targets out there,” reminded the Captain.

  Admiral Anderson left the management of the ship-to-ship battle to Captain Decker and focused his attention on what remained. He checked their dispositions and allowed a small smile to form on his face.

  Perfect, this might actually work.

  The Alliance forces around Admiral Lewis were increasing in numbers and had created an impenetrable wall around ANS Explorer. It left him free to move away to engage other targets that were trying to escape the shipyards.

  Lewis can hold for now. This is an opportunity to end their fleet before they can escape.

  “Admiral, there’s a distress call coming from the Black Rift,” said Captain Decker.

  He looked to the ship’s Captain and noted she was busily talking to the communications officer.

  What now?

  “Put it on the mainscreen.”

  She said a few more words and then walked back to him.

  “Admiral, this is a problem.”

  The display showed the empty region of space that had been guarded for so long. Instead of black nothingness, there was now the mirrored shape with one of the hated Biomech Rift Engines protruding out of it.

  “So they are trying to open it again, just as expected.”

  Captain Decker shook her head and pointed at the hundreds of ships moving themselves into battle array. They both looked at the dispositions for a few seconds before Anderson looked to he
r.

  “Odd. The dispositions are standard for Alliance deployment. Look at the location of the flagships and the escorts.”

  He pointed to the mainscreen.

  “Tactical, isolate and enlarge that one.”

  The group of ships blurred as the telescopes tracked and zoomed in on the larger vessel. As it stabilized, the size became apparent.

  “That’s new, looks like a battleship or heavy carrier of some size.”

  The shape of the ship had much in common with the normal Biomech ships. The engines, armored sections, and overall shape were like a super-sized Ravager class vessel. He moved his attention to the other vessels alongside it, especially those that looked like the Biomantas they were now all so familiar with. Although similar, there were noticeable changes. Every one of the ships had been embellished with extra equipment, more gun ports, and designs that covered their hulls. Many looked like ancient relics that had been modified dozens of times.

  They’ve been waiting a long time for their return.

  “Admiral, energy signatures building; there are more ships coming through.”

  Scores of massive vessels leapt into view and took up position behind the array of warships.

  “Wait, they are opening up another Rift,” said the tactical officer.

  The tactical display showed Micaya and the other Helion worlds, but the Black Rift was a disconnected dot far off into the distance. A number of oval shapes appeared with one near to the planet of Micaya. More of the shapes flashed at different points around the Black Rift, the implication being that more Rifts were opening elsewhere.

  “No, this can’t be happening,” said Admiral Anderson.

  They all appeared in a circular pattern around the entrance to the Biomechs’ domain. In total there were six new Rifts opening, and it didn’t take the crew long to work out where they might be. Admiral Anderson looked to the display and shook his head as the data appeared from Micaya. Another Rift signature flashed by, and then an entrance appeared less than a thousand kilometers away, not far from the wreckage of three Ravagers and right in the middle of the shipyards.