Blood War 1: Last Stand of the Legion: Rift Read Online Free PDF Page A

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    PATROL AREA BRAVO
    GAXOLA II
    PLANET REFINERY VF 48
    SOL STANDARD 11/10
    2100 HOURS
                 
                  It had been just another of the settlements that the Von Fleet Corporation used for their massive mining operations.  First a planet with a promising geology was identified. Then an exploration crew made a habitat for the exploration miners. If the Von Fleet crystals were identified, then refineries and ports were constructed with a city to support the workers, the support staff and their families. When that was finished the serious mining operation would begin.
    Monstrous mining machines were placed on the planet ’s surface. These Diggers would slowly and carefully crack the planet open to its core. The core of the planet held the precious crystals; the crystals that made space travel possible. The Von Fleet crystal was in the power plant of every space vessel, including his own. Without the crystal's ability to magnify the power produced by his drive, they would never reach the speeds necessary for space travel. The crystal was what the entire Confederation was based on. Von Fleet had already invested hundreds of billions on this planet and now all that remained after that time, effort and investment was a smoking ruin.  
    Not only had the domes containing the city destroyed, but the refinery's dome had been cracked open like a giant eggshell. The massive atmosphere-refining complex that stretched down the canyon for at least two kilometers was nothing but ruins. Some of the largest and most expensive machinery ever produced by man looked as if a giant had stepped on it.  The aliens were not interested in capturing and reusing the complex. They had only been interested in destroying it.
    No mercy had been shown in the attack, everything had been systematically destroyed.  It was very th orough and highly professional job.  These guys were pros and they were making a point - don't come this way again. It was almost like a dog marking his territory. It was easy to be a pro when nobody was shooting back at you, the attack must have been like a training exercise with real targets. 
    There were bodies outside the domes, torn apart by heavy weapons. Weapons designed for fighting other ships, not people . Little was left only death. Then he saw the prints, large impressions in the planet surface. The imprints cut deep into the ground. They had the appearance of giant human prints only longer and thinner. They were everywhere.
    "Aijuba , get over here and take a look at this."
    Aijuba responded and hovered over the planets ’ surface with Dasan.
    "Shit."
    "What is it, Sergeant?"
    "The same as at Ixco . They had troops on the ground."
    "To make sure they got the kids," Dasan said.
    "God, you're right. We could never figure it out," Aijuba said, her voice trailing off as she thought of what that might mean.
    They both remained silent for some moments. Both were dealing with images of aliens abducting children , and then freezing them in status for the flight back to their home planet. Silently Aijuba returned to check on the progress of the platoon. Dasan could almost smell the dead as he looked at the image of a woman torn in half and arched grotesquely. One of the ground troopers must have done it, he thought. A shiver went through him.
    "Lieutenant, I've got something." It was Sergeant Aijuba reporting from the far side of the planet.              
    "Report, Sergeant."
    "I am picking up a disturbance in the dark matter. It is significant; it is .0752 above the normal background.  That would mean about twenty ships if the numbers from the last raids were still good. We got ourselves a backside trail. They didn't try and cover their tracks. They must have thought they are getting away with something again," she said.
    "Check.  But if it is only a trace there is no telling how long ago they left ," Dasan