Star Crusades by Michael Thomas (best ereader for pc txt) 📕

twomoved to follow the others, but to their surprise the Lieutenantlooked back and shook his head.

“No, I need a lance I can trust.Stay on the platforms and secure our dead and wounded. You canprovide covering fire if needed for the regulars. They’re comingthrough within the hour.”

“Lieutenant?”Sergeant Jablonsky entered and movedcloser, with Tsarkov and the others at his flank, “What’s theproblem?”

“The problem is your corporal,Sergeant. Get them in line, or this unit will see itselfdisbanded.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Morato Class Frigate‘Nautilus’,Ekati Alpha, The Ski’ligTerritories

Captain Regina watched the distant battle with a mixture of frustrationand sadness. The capital ships on both sides were engaged in abrutal battle, one that would leave vast casualties on both sides.She had little doubt they would win, but she also knew they couldhave turned the tide had they been allowed to assist.

“It’s one hell of a battle,” saidFirst Lieutenant Meredith, “Wish you werein the middle of it?”

Captain Reginasighed.

“I’m no fool, but yes, Ididn’t join up to hide in the rear. Weall trained for this, and six Moratos would have been a hell of anassault force.”

She looked to herXO, and the disappointment was obvious inher face.

“We’vewargamed this over and over. Combine us with gunships and fighters,and we can strike at will, unleashing fire, and leaving before theycan tell what hit them.”

“The Admiral must know something wedon’t.”

“Let’s hope so. There is somemerit in keeping ships over the planet, but why waste us?Three or four Dragoon frigates are morethan enough. We’re faster and more able to…”

She stopped andturned her attention to her communicationsofficer.

“Comms, put me on with theAdmiral. We’re doing nothing back here.”

“Yes,Sir.”

She looked back to the tacticalview of the planet below. The entirety ofthe IAB, save for several reserve units, were now on the surfaceand heavily engaged. There were markers along the great tears inthe planet where they had entered, and it was clear they weremaking slow progress. Fighters from the carrier circled overheadand provided air support when able, though they seemed to spendmost of their time circling aimlessly as they waited fortargets.

“That planet lookslike somebody took a big bite out of it one day.It’s a mess.”

Her XO nodded in agreement.

“It must have taken generationsto strip so much from it. What I want toknow is why they kept on digging down and not just scraping thesurface.”

“A good point.”

“Uh…theAdmiral is not responding, Sir,” said the communicationsofficer.

“What?”First Lieutenant Meredith said, “Try again.”

The officer did as ordered, andthen looked back with an embarrassedlook.

“The same, Captain. The Admiral is notreceiving messages.”

Captain Regina sighed, and then did herbest to mask it.

“Very well. She’s got enough on her plate. I guess today it is allabout…”

She stopped, blinked twice, and then took a step forward.

“Are my eyes deceiving me?”

“No,”said a relieved Chief Engineer Linus, “The Rift is open, and it’sstable.”

“I can’t believeit,” said Meredith, “I know the planrequires it to be opened, but somehow I still doubtedit.”

Four cutters pushed in first,each appearing miniscule next to theships already in the system. A pair of massive Alliance trooptransports then followed them. These great behemoths dwarfed eventhe Alliance cruisers and bristled with landing platforms, hangardoors, and small defence turrets. Fighters from Izumo were alreadyon their way as they accelerated towards the approachingships.

“There you have it,” said CaptainRegina, “The Rift is open, and the routeback to Alliance territory is secure. Now it’s time to turn thetide.”

“Sir,” said the communications officer.

“Yes?”

“It’s General Rivers. He’s calling on amassed assault from four landing zones on the planet.”

“Good. The IAB cleared the way, and now the marines can do whatthey do best.”

* * *

The Trench, Ekati Alpha, The Ski’ligTerritories

Valentine leaned against a damaged fuel bowser and looked intothe distance. A small explosion marked yet another gun battle, andone they were now unable to assist in. Frustrated by theirpunishment, she looked back to the walls of the trench. The alienworld was quite something, and she could see from the sensorsinside her armour that it was warming up as the star rose higherand higher.

“This place,” she said, as shekicked a block of diamond spikes andshattered them into smaller crystals, “They’ve mined too far intothe surface that they’ve lost a good chunk of it. I wonder if theymean to strip it to the last diamond?”

“Maybe,” said Hawkins, “Nothing can live on this rock, so whyelse bother coming here?”

Valentine moved torub her chin, instead rubbing her metalfingers against her heavily armoured helmet.

“Hmm.”

“What is it?”

Alexis moved closer and looked tothem both. The blood still covered herarmour, though she had lost much of her enthusiasm since theLieutenant’s outburst. A squad of IAB marines ran past, and behindthem moved a single Maverick. The oversized mechanical warriorlooked monstrous on this world, and Valentine found herselfmesmerised by the clanking machine. In the past, they had beenlittle more than engineering suits upgraded with armour andweapons. The Mavericks were an entirely new beast, with poweredlimbs, extra tough armour, and an array of weapons that made theNovas seem paltry in comparison.

“Val?”

She looked back.

“Sorry, I was thinking about this rock.”

“And?”

“I don’t get it. This place islifeless, and has nothing but this?”

She stamped on the diamond dust andshook her head.

“It’s a mine, nothing more.”

Something moved, and her eyesshifted to the right. Her tactical scansshowed four platoons of IAB marines held up as they worked theirway through the tunnels and chambers attached to the landing groundin the heart of the trench. The other Novas were with them, andthrough their data links she could see the fight, and it didn’tseem to be going well.

“We should be down there,” shesaid in frustration, “Our people needhelp. They’ve covered less than a hundred metres in the lastfifteen minutes.”

“You heard theLT,” said Hawkins, “If we disobey ordersagain, it will be a court martial. You okay with that?”

Kallias shrugged.

“Beats sitting out here whilethey do our job for us. I say to hellwith the LT. We came here to fight, not to babysit a capturedlanding ground.”

He lifted his arms and turned about onthe spot.

“Protect it from what? The Skils have gone to ground, and CaptainOlik is still chasing them.”

“You’reright,” said Alexis, “I don’t know what I was thinking. ScrewFletcher. I’m not leaving