Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift Read Online Free PDF Page B

with me.”
                                                   
    * * *

    Alliance Forward Command, The Bastion, Helios Prime
    A pair of Hammerheads screamed overhead, their guns blazing away. A single Biomech fighter did its best to escape, but it was to no avail. The smaller enemy craft was able to spin about in ways that manned craft could never manage. Even so, the turrets fitted to the Alliance heavy fighters were easily able to track their prey, and the continuous stream of rounds tore off chunks of metal and machinery. One burst ripped into the engine mount, and another a chunk of the control surface before it finally the lost control and dropped downward in a never-ending spin. By the time the Biomech fighter struck the ground, the pair of Hammerheads was long gone.
    “Another one down!” cried a Marine private.
    A few others shouted out in excitement as the craft exploded in a bright flash. From the surface of Helios Prime, it wasn’t easy to see everything that was going on. The city ruins provided good cover for both sides, and also blocked off line of sight in so many directions. The marines scrambled around the debris to get a better view while trying to avoid being spotted by the myriad of enemy snipers and infiltrators. More fighters screamed overhead to head off the newly arrived squadrons of Biomechs. The Bastion’s defense turrets added their own fire if any of them strayed a little closer. Teresa made a mental note for the ninth time that day that the enemy had lost another fighter.
    I’ve been here more than a month, and we’re no closer to ending this.
    Teresa automatically checked the strategic map for the latest command information on the Helios System. It only provided a very basic overview, but it did give her information on fleets and armies as they engaged the Biomechs in so many different places. Her eyes only made it as far as the enemy ship positions around Spascia when a pair of video requests came in from the fleet. An image flickered, and then stabilized in the lower right corner of her visor.
    “Admiral Lewis, good to see you.”
    “Colonel, I see you’ve got your hands busy down there.”
    Teresa grimaced.
    “You could say that, Admiral. What can I help you with?”
    The man’s forehead tightened a little as he spoke.
    “The Rift back home is still down, but the local Prime-Spascia Rift is partially operational.”
    Teresa felt a surge of adrenalin through her chest.
    “Look, Teresa, we’ve got a window to ship troops to help with the siege. You know how it is going there; they need every single extra soldier we can get our hands on. We haven’t got long, though.”
    His image vanished and changed to show the Rift that joined the two planets together.
    “Within thirty minutes of getting the Rift online, they detected it. The Biomechs aren’t stupid; they already have ships lining up on the Rift. Once they have a clear line of sight from Spascia, they’ll open fire on the station and shut it down.”
    Teresa nodded quickly.
    “Take what you have, Admiral. Get to Spascia and help them.”
    Admiral Lewis tried to smile, but instead his expression looked more like a grimace.
    “We’ve loaded two regiments of marines and a few Khreenk volunteers from the reserve. That leaves you with no reserve out here. Can you hold down there?”
    Teresa looked at the forward outpost and the scores of marines, navy crew, and machines. The fight was not easy, and the reserve was something she’d already taken into consideration for operations over the next ten days.
    “I’ll manage. Spascia is on its knees.”
    “Understood, Colonel. General Rivers has given me orders to leave for Spascia within eight hours to join the relief effort. I just thought you’d want to know. We will speak soon.”
    Teresa felt her chest tighten at the mention of Spascia. Normally, she was an expert at keeping her mind on what needed to be done, but the very idea of