The Great Betrayal

Chapter FOUR

By electing to involve itself in affairs outside of Alpha Centauri, humanity exposed itself to great risk. New species, empires, and technologies would come to the forefront, as well as the rumors of the Enemy long thought defeated. There were positives for the Alliance, however, not least the benefits that come from the meeting of different peoples, including trade and science. Ultimately, without the contact with other people, the Alliance would have been completely unprepared for the realization of the Helions’ ancient prophecy, one that would affect the worlds of the Alliance, no matter what decisions were made.



The Unforeseen Consequences





The Narau fleet had lost a quarter of its number in the ambush laid by the Biomech warship and its allied Anicinàbe cruisers. The timing had been perfect, as had their positioning. By waiting at that point in space, the ships hadn’t been detected until the Narau fleet was already moving too fast. Only a few ships had been destroyed, the others had either scattered and vanished or surrendered rather than face destruction. Of those that remained, the Alliance frigates were the most prominent. Moving in a wide formation at the rear, they used their large numbers of automated turrets to shred any Biomech fighters in pursuit. Unlike the ships from the other Powers, the Alliance ships were heavily equipped with defensive firepower, a valuable lesson learned in the violent battles of the Great Uprising where human fought human in bloody civil war.

The scene inside the Khreenk flagship was very different to how it would have been without human intervention. Instead of panic and confusion, the crew had been given implicit instructions and was making substantial progress in avoiding a direct and bloody confrontation with the Enemy; a confrontation that they would be unlikely to win.

“Admiral, a group of their ships has changed their course. They must know our plan,” said Captain Campbell.

Unlike before, the Khreenk Admiral immediately listened to the advice of the young Alliance Captain. In the last few hours, the low-ranking Alliance officer had saved a dozen of the Narau ships, and he seemed happy to accept any more advice from him, even to the annoyance of his own officers. Now the Captain stood alongside the Admiral at the heart of the ship. He looked at the data carefully.

“They are accelerating at speeds we cannot match; no living crew is capable of withstanding those levels of acceleration for more than a few minutes.”

Captain Campbell smiled grimly; it was clear to him what was happening. He knew enough about ship design, physics, and directional vectors to see it.

It’s Biomechs all right.

With massive computerization and minimal crew, there was a good chance this warship was actually completely devoid of life. That meant the Enemy would be ruthless, fast, and very quick to make decisions. Those were all advantages, but ones that humans had beaten in the past. What really interested him though were the other ships. The Biomechs were a flexible race and usually made use of others to fight their battles. Either through or coercion, the Biomechs had encouraged these Anicinàbe to help them. Based on the speed of the larger vessel, it was no surprise to him that the Allied ships were unable to match the pace of the larger vessel.

“Yes, they will reach the dead zone at the Rift before us. What do you suggest?” asked the Admiral.

“She’s automated, just look at the acceleration. None of our ships can come even close to that. We’re pushing just over our safe limit, and this ship is moving at triple our maximum speed. Either that or it just has Biomech warriors for crew.”

The Admiral nodded in agreement but still didn’t quite understand how this would help them in their battle. He said nothing for a moment, and Captain Campbell was forced to repeat himself before even receiving an acknowledgement. It was clear the Admiral had never faced a situation like this, and Campbell was starting to wonder if he’d ever actually even been in a battle before. That then reminded him that, of course, neither had he, apart from skirmishes with black marketers and pirates out on the Rim.

“How does this help?” asked the Admiral after what must have been nearly thirty seconds thinking.

Campbell lifted his datapad and held it in front of the Khreenk commander. It showed a detailed schematic of the large Biomech warship. Unlike the Anicinàbe, this vessel was ugly and covered in multiple layers of armor, making it look more like a giant slug than the beautiful aesthetics used by the others. Red and green circles pointed out potential weapon locations as well as exit tubes for spacecraft.

“It means they will be faster and more powerful than anything we have here. The single advantage we have is manpower, and that is useless in a space battle, especially one where they may not have living crew.”

“So we use our numbers, firepower, and maneuver to beat them.”

Captain Campbell half nodded in agreement. It was far from the ideal solution for such a major threat. He was acutely aware he could only push so far before his suggestion would be construed as an affront to the alien’s ability to lead the fleet. That could be very dangerous for the operation.

“Partially, don’t forget there is no realistic maneuver that can be conducted at these speeds. We have to use all available power to get to the Rift. Captain Hampel of ANS Spearfish suggests a bombardment corridor, and that we do not decelerate for the Rift.”

One of the Khreenk officers moved from a computer system as he listened to what was being said. Unlike the Admiral, he was not wearing any kind of translator equipment and was forced to rely upon the Admiral to explain. They argued for a short while before the Admiral lifted his arm to silence him.

“A bombardment corridor? Explain.”

Captain Campbell tapped on his secpad as he sketched out the details and showed it to the two officers. It showed a large force of ships with a rectangular path in front of them. Neither seemed to understand the image. He turned it around, suspecting for a moment he may have switched it off by mistake, but no, he hadn’t.

“Okay, we position the fleet so that every ship is able to fire on the same course we are traveling along. Well before we reach the target, we open fire with all projectile weapons at the Rift, as well as up to fifty kilometers around it.”

The Admiral seemed to grasp this last part.

“I see, but what of us? We will still hit the Rift entrance. No, we cannot do this.”

For some reason, he looked horrified at the suggestion and explained it to his junior officer who seemed equally incredulous. To make matters worse, he then walked away and back to his computer, completely ignoring the Alliance Captain. The Khreenk Admiral beckoned to him instead.

“You want to break through a Rift at speed? Are you mad?”

The same officer as before called out to the two of them in his native language. Luckily for the Captain, his translator was able to catch most of it.

“We cannot do this. The Klithi have scouts near their side of the border, and they can come through to assist if we ask for aid,” he said firmly, but the translator was unable to add the intonation.

The Admiral didn’t seem keen at this suggestion, and Campbell could only assume it was down to some past or ongoing rivalry between the two peoples. He didn’t know a great deal of the Klithi other than that they were the pacifists, evolutionarily advanced, and equipped with sophisticated ships. Though their craft were potentially the most impressive he’d heard of, it was rumored the Klithi only used civilian ships. He was dubious that a few of their scouts could be of much use.

“What are their ships like?” he asked.

The officer said something untranslatable and then turned away, leaving the Alliance officer with the Admiral.

“The Klithi ships are unlike anything you have ever come across, Captain. They have access to surface shielding, a technology that surpasses even the T’Kari, yet they refuse to build ships of war.”

“So they cannot fight?”

The Admiral shook his head at the question.

“Oh, no, their ships are a match to ours; even their civilian transports. If they were to ever build something for war, we would all pay the price.”

He smiled in a way that reminded him of somebody about to do something very bad. The ship shuddered slightly, and some of the officers’ voices increased in volume as they did their best to manage the gun crews and defensive systems. The battle was a long-ranged affair, but every now and then a small group of fighters would make it inside the protective cordon of the escorts and inflict damage on one or more vessels.

We need decisive action here. This is too damned slow.

Campbell was in direct communication with the captains of the three other ships, and tactical data was being sent directly to his datapad regarding attackers, vectors, and damage assessments right from the tactical officers of each of the three frigates. He pointed at the large formation of ships that was clearly visible through the glass.

“Our ships are keeping the fighters away, but we have to make it through the Rift. If we decelerate, our ships will be scattered by the Biomechs.”

The Admiral looked confused.

“I don’t understand your plan,” he said, and this time the translator seemed to convert the words almost in real-time. Campbell noticed the Admiral was speaking more slowly to give the technology time to do its work.

“Can you close the Rift behind us if we get through?”

The Admiral smiled in that strange way again in response to his question.

“I see. No, few races have that technology. Trust me, we fought a war over this long ago. The T’Kari would never share it and neither would the Helions. It is the reason the Black Rift is still sealed.”

Captain Campbell pointed at the shape of the vast Biomech warship that was moving toward the Rift in space.

“What about them?”

The Khreenk Admiral took in a lungful of air before answering, and it gave Captain Campbell more time to examine the alien. He had tried to work out where the metal and flesh were fused, but the work was impressive. It was as though the metal plates and augmentations had been melded together. Even though the metal sections were colored the same as flesh, the end result was something more akin to Frankenstein’s monster than the synthetic warriors he knew as the Jötnar. The Admiral must have noticed the attention and he raised an eyebrow, an oddly human characteristic.

“You wonder about our…improvements?”

Campbell nodded, not sure it was wise to try and hide his curiosity.

“The Khreenk are a proud people, but we are not as advanced as the others. The Klithi are millennia ahead of us genetically. They live longer, and their mental capacity exceeds even our greatest scientists. The Byoti are stronger and capable of living in places that would kill us. The T’Kari and Helions both possess technology they refuse to share with us. All of this left us vulnerable many centuries ago.”

“So you augment yourselves to rectify that?”

The alien looked uncomfortable with that question.

“We fix and repair problems with our bodies and try to improve what we can. Synthetic limbs and body parts help us to live longer. Warriors are fitted with stronger implants to improve strength and agility. It has allowed us to keep what is ours…for now.”

He pointed to his temple.

“But so far we have failed to improve the mind, and in time this will be our downfall.”

One of his officers shouted out something, and he looked at a computer screen before returning to face Captain Campbell.”

“The Klithi are ready and waiting behind the Rift for us. They have mobilized five traveler ships. What do you suggest?”

The young Captain was listening to every word as he made notes. No sooner had the Admiral finished, and he was already on his secpad and speaking with Captain Hampel. It didn’t take long before he looked back at the Khreenk commander.

“My commander wishes to speak with you,” he said and then handed the device to the alien, saying no more.

“This is Captain Hampel, ANS Spearfish. Can you give me the capabilities of these Klithi ships? What are their armaments?”

The Admiral was now forced to wait, and for a moment, Captain Campbell thought there might be a problem. Then he realized he would need to wait while his own translator system did its work. Even so, he couldn’t see anything on the alien’s ear that might do the job.

The implants, of course.

“Captain, the Klithi ships are passive. They are heavily shielded; they are not designed for open warfare. They are not a people accustomed to war; with their technology they have never been threatened.”

Captain Campbell lifted his hand to get the alien’s attention.

“They must have some weapons on board, something to protect against pirates or Raiders?”

The Admiral’s eyes lit up at the mention of pirates.

“Yes, all Klithi ships have territorial blockers. They use them to disable ships that stray past their patrols.”

There was silence inside the ship, and the Khreenk Admiral waited for the next question. Instead, Campbell simply tilted his head in a questioning manner. It still took the Admiral a few more seconds before he really understood what the Captain wanted.

“Yes, of course, their weapons. The Klithi use self-targeting charges that approach ships and discharge electromagnetic attacks through their armor. They can leave swarms of thousands of them; each is no bigger than my hand.”

He extended his hand to demonstrate.

“Mines?”

“Perfect,” came a dulled voice from the secpad.

The Admiral leaned in closer as he listened to the suggestions from the Captain. They spoke for nearly half a minute, and he passed the device back.

“Your commander wishes to speak with you,” he said.

Captain Hampel’s face waited patiently. As before there were people moving about in the background, and he could easily tell that the frigate’s crew had their hands full, trying to keep the almost inexhaustible supply of fighters from the rear of the column.

“The plan is simple. The Admiral is going to contact the Klithi and get them to mine the Rift on the other side. They will then come through and wait on this side of the Rift as bait.”

Captain Campbell was confused at his suggestion.

“I don’t understand, Sir.”

“It’s simple,” came back the curt reply. “Just make sure the rest of the fleet uses this set of coordinates and maintains their acceleration. When we reach the target, we have to be traveling as fast as possible.”

Captain Campbell looked at the figures, and a narrow smile began to form across his face. The plan was simple, incredibly simple. He just hoped the rest of the fleet would do as ordered. There was just one part he wasn’t sure of.

“Sir, what about the enemy ship and its fighters?”

“Yes, that is what the bombardment corridor is for. Every single ship, apart from our three frigates and the Helions escorts, will open fire on my target vector. We will create a ten kilometer wide path to break through.”

Will they be able to navigate a vector that small?

It was as though the commander of the frigate could sense his apprehension.

“I know it’s a tall order, but if we do it, we’ll come out of this in one piece. Double-check on the details with the Admiral, and make sure he understands the plan. The bombardment is on a fixed vector. Any deviation will destroy the mines and risk damaging the waiting Klithi ships.”

“What about the Klithi?” he asked.

“Don’t worry about them. I’ve already spoken with them. When the time is right, they will travel back through and scatter on the emergency route I have mapped out. Understood?”

He saluted smartly.

“Sir.”

“Good luck, Campbell. It’s going to be close.”



* * *





Admiral Anderson tapped the display to show the video streams from the Alliance frigates once more. As was now standard, the ship’s logs and video feeds were combined to give a detailed picture of what was happening inside the ship as well as outside during such an encounter. He sat alone in his office, his long wooden table looking out of place with the modern materials elsewhere. He’d appropriated the model of the old Crusader to place on the right-hand side, and a number of plaques and images hung on the walls.

This is insanity, he thought. The smile on his face implied otherwise.

The large group of ships was the Narau fleet, commanded by Admiral Lanthua of the Khreenk. He counted the ships and noted a good number were missing from the force that had been sent on a scouting operation. The current sequence showed the escorts, led by the Alliance Captain Hampel, fighting off Biomech fighter waves. The automated turrets were especially effective, and he found it hard to hide his smile.

Good work, Captain. At least somebody out there knows what they’re doing.

He rotated the three-dimensional model of the battle about on his monitoring system while the ships continued to move. In one direction was the Rift into Klithi space, as was a small formation of their civilian ships. His intercom beeped, and the face of his secretary popped up.

“Admiral Lewis for you, Sir.”

He nodded in response. “Send him in.”

The door opened, and in walked the smartly dressed Admiral. There was barely a decade between their ages, yet Anderson seemed to have aged far more quickly than the slightly younger man. While Admiral Anderson was the perfect example of discretion and caution, Rear Admiral Lewis was something of a loose cannon. In the days prior to the Uprising, men like him would have been demoted or kicked out. Things had changed though, and commanders that were quick on their feet were extremely important to the military. Once their greetings were over, he sat down and found it impossible to not look at the battle.

“The Klithi – Anicinàbe incident?”

Anderson nodded.

“I still cannot believe the Narau Fleet was so unprepared and unable to defend itself against such a pitifully small force. Have you read the ship assessments?”

Admiral Lewis nodded.

“Yes, it looks similar in capabilities to the ship that tried to break past Helios and on to the Black Rift. You remember how many ships it took to stop that thing?”

Anderson could remember only too well. The small task force of the latest Crusader class ships had managed to keep it busy, but it took Helion reinforcements and an assault by ground troops to finally win the day.

“Oh, yes, but this one is different. According to the reports from the Khreenk, it was entirely automated, as opposed to the other ships we’ve met. I have run the data through my labs here and at the Prometheus research station. They all came back with the same. It’s a fast battleship type vessel, something designed for long-range interdiction.”

The two officers looked at the model of Admiral Jarvis’ old ship, one that Anderson had been the executive officer of back at the start of the Uprising. Crusader was the first and only ship of her type to have been constructed, and with her now gone, there was nothing quite like her in the Navy’s inventory.

“So, the Biomechs have constructed their own Crusader. Why?”

Anderson shrugged.

“We built her to respond to situations quickly. CCS Crusader was a pioneer, a battleship with the speed and armor of a new generation cruiser. These ships would allow them to intercept our fleets and convoys before we can bring in warships to assist.”

He turned and nodded at the display and the space battle.

“Have you seen Captain Hampel’s plan? It was a stroke of genius.”

Admiral Lewis shook his head.

“No, I read the report, but the video feeds hadn’t arrived. I’ve already put him and his officers up for a commendation. They are responsible for saving the entire Narau fleet.”

“Quite,” replied Anderson before restarting the stream.

The Narau forces moved at massive speeds toward the Rift while the Biomech warships chased after them with all their guns blazing. Many of the projectiles were able to strike the ships, but the return fire managed to keep most of them away. The scores of turrets quickly dispatched any fighters that managed to reach the capital ships. By the time the fleet was within a thousand kilometers of the Rift, the larger Biomech vessels were amongst the fleet and firing their weapons into the heart of the force with powerful broadsides. A single Khreenk warship ripped apart from the gunfire before they struck the Rift. With a flicker, the Biomechs and the crippled Khreenk ship vanished while the rest of the Narau fleet continued past it, missing the entrance to the Spacebridge by just a few hundred kilometers and rushing on into space.

Anderson banged his fist down hard on his desk and paused the footage.

“Do you know what was waiting on the other aside for them?”

Admiral Lewis smiled grimly. He would have probably turned the fleet on the Biomechs, but the solution advocated by Captain Hampel had surprised even him. He did his best to not look a little jealous at the solution selected by the young escort Captain.

“Klithi anti-ship mines, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Exactly. Apparently, the Biomech warships crashed into the mines with such force the debris alone tore them to pieces. The remnants were finished off by the waiting Klithi re-entering the Rift to deal with them, and even better, the wrecked ship is being brought here for us to study.”

He pressed the button and the display turned black.

“Interesting, I’m surprised they would give up the wreck quite so easily.”

Admiral Anderson took a sip from the glass on his desk before answering.

“The Khreenk are grateful. Actually, that is one of the biggest understatements I think you’ll ever find. The Narau fleet would have been annihilated. Because of our forces most of them lived, and we have received the credit for that, as well as the Khreenk Admiral. How would it have looked if we had been refused?”

There wasn’t time to a response as he continued almost immediately.

“There was more than one ship anyway, and we’re just getting part of the wreck. It’s a win-win situation. Anyway, that isn’t why I called you in here. Have you seen the latest from the Alliance News Network?”

Admiral Lewis leaned forward slightly.

“About the rebels on Helios?”

Anderson’s expression turned grim, and he nodded slowly.

“Yes, the attacks throughout the colonies of the Helions are becoming a major concern. Government forces have lost control and are resorting to gas attacks and wide area munitions. High Command has requested a full strategic summary of the situation, especially with regards to these new sightings of the Biomech warships. We are in a position where the entire Helios System could fall apart, just as the Biomechs return. If Helios falls, then so does the Nexus of all the other Powers. Some of them have linking Rifts, but most need the ones to Helios to reach the others. I do not find this a coincidence.”

Admiral Lewis appeared confused at the last part concerning the ships.

“Warships? I understood there was just the one incident, on the Klithi–Anicinàbe border. Have there been more?”

Anderson tapped his secpad and transferred a new report to him.

“When you have a chance, read through this. It’s going to be useful for your operation.”

Admiral Lewis raised one eyebrow.

“Operation? We aren’t set to leave for another three weeks.”

Clearly from the expression on Anderson’s face, something had changed. He knew the fact that a number of Anicinàbe tribes had sided with a Biomech force was a concern, but the last report he’d read said there were over a thousand separate factions among the Anicinàbe.

How serious could it really be?

“The situation is very fluid on the ground. The Helion government has been weakened. A large number of government hardliners were killed with the failed attack on the capital two weeks ago. Those left have been trying to negotiate peace terms with the Zathee and as might be expected, the minority Irkerk, Yuulen, and the Sh'Dori ethnic groups are not happy with this. They want to retain control.”

Admiral Lewis took all the information in but still wasn’t exactly sure why any of this mattered to him.

“How exactly does this affect my orders?”

Anderson grinned ever so slightly. The man’s disinterest in politics reminded him of a time when he’d been nothing more than the executive officer on a Confederate Battlecruiser. It had seemed much simpler back then he seemed to remember.

“It is like this. The Helion government has requested Narau assistance to provide humanitarian relief and support while they try to stop the fighting.”

“Okay?”

Anderson lifted his hand to show he hadn’t quite finished.

“That is rubbish though.”

He paused; letting those words sink in.

“There are rumors they are doing this as a precaution against the Animosh. It is my guess the Animosh themselves might start a coup, with support from the other three ethnic groups if they find the right moment.”

Now Admiral Lewis understood what was happening.

“So, if we sit back and wait, we could be left with the same as before, a planet where the majority are kept in thrall to the other three cultures, but with a hardline government that has a mandate to crush the Zathee that dared to rise against them. That will turn into a full ethnic war.”

“Exactly, and that is why I have given approval for 4th to be sent in to assist with this.”

“And they said yes?”

Admiral Anderson’s lip lifted slightly, almost betraying a smile at his answer.

“I need your troops in position within seventy-two hours. We have to retain control of the situation, no matter the eventual outcome.”

Admiral Lewis looked confused.

“I don’t understand. Which side are we helping? The Helion government or the Zathee rebels?”

Now Anderson nodded without actually answering his question. Admiral Lewis understood immediately that there was much more going on than he had been led to believe. He knew enough to not push it any further and so stood up to leave. Already the complications of arranging the rapid advance of such a major force filled his mind with a multitude of potential problems, and the individual details were something he would have to work on over the duration of their trip.

“We need Helios and its colonies secure and ready to react aggressively if, and when the Biomechs rear their heads. Stability is more important than either of the two sides. Understood?”

Admiral Lewis nodded. “Admiral. We will be ready to leave within the hour.”

There was a short pause before he made for the door.

“I will be in touch when we reach the orbit of Helios. I’ll await your orders.”

The door shut and Anderson was left alone. He looked back at the screen and brought up the reports from the Intelligence Division. One in particular had arrived direct from the office of Intelligence Director Johnson. On the front it was marked with nothing but the code 57D. To anybody else it would mean nothing, but to Anderson it could mean just one thing, the internal codeword given for a decapitation strike. He opened the file, and the very first set of images showed the schematics for the government buildings, barracks, and mass transit system on Helios. The next set of pages showed an organizational tree and those in key positions throughout the government.

As I thought.

He flicked through the many pages before finally reaching the transportation hub, a massive city-sized segment of the capital that was fitted out with dozens of landing pads, platforms, and docks. The Alliance agents had taken many still images and video sequences from this part of the city, especially around the three largest pads. They were marked in red.

That is the place.

He looked at them for a few more minutes, especially the details from a number of key contacts Johnson had made among the different Zathee groups that were being known in the intelligence community as the Helion Alliance. The name implied something organized, but in reality it looked as though the Zathee groups had almost as many disagreements with themselves as they had toward the government and its Animosh state security forces. The details in the report were nonetheless impressive, not that he would expect anything less from a man such as Johnson.

That’s good enough for us. All we need now is official recognition.

He brought up another page with a list of key officials in the government and the Zathee community that promoted peaceful revolution. Most had been flagged as agitators and were being hunted by Animosh security units. He stopped when he came to the dark skinned face of an old Helion.

Naglou, so, you are the one chance of ending this without total war on Helios.

The details around the Helion man showed he was actually one of the Sh'Dori, the largest of the ethnic groups on Helios after the Zathee. In theory, the Sh'Dori should have little interest in helping the Zathee gain any degree of power in the Helion administration. According to information sent from Alliance agents on Helios, he carried a great deal of weight among many of the factions on Helios, even those normally anti-Zathee. The information on Naglou suggested he was something different. Although Sh'Dori, he was married to a Zathee woman and promoted a program of equality and rights for all Helions. He double-checked the numbers once more before tapping the camera unit on his desk and activated the secure video log.

“This is Admiral Anderson with a priority one message for General Rivers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, concerning Operation 57D.”



* * *





“Jack, look at this!”

He opened his eyes and glanced to his left in the direction of the sound. He was sure he’d only just fallen asleep after yet another extraction training exercise with units from the other two battalions. He was finally starting to enjoy himself, yet the fatigue and depression always returned after coming back. A group of at least a dozen marines were crowded around the communal computer unit they used for news reports, public briefings, or for catching up on entertainment in the few hours of downtime they received each week. He recognized at least a few of them, but there was no sign of any officers, not even Wictred, who seemed to be wherever the unit was.

“What is it?” he asked, without climbing from his bunk.

Private Frewyn separated from the others and walked the short distance to Jack. He grabbed his foot and tugged at him.

“It’s started.”

Jack rubbed his eyes and then grabbed at the side of the bunk to avoid being pulled from it. He kicked out and caught the marine in the shoulder, much to his chagrin. For a second he felt bad, but the shouts of excitement from the others distracted him.

“We’ve recognized the Zathee government in exile. This is it.”

Jack was a little stunned at the news. The last he’d heard the rebels had attacked the government, but they’d been repulsed, and the feared political paramilitaries were engaged in reprisal attacks.

“It’s Helios. The Animosh have assault the government buildings and taken over in a coup. Have you heard of this guy? He’s called Lyssk, a senior commander in their forces. He’s been granted a full term as something called a Justitium.”

Jack sat up and looked at them with a bemused expression on his face.

“Justitium, it’s just a fancy term for a temporary dictator.”

They had been on their way for the last two days, yet this was still a surprise. Everything he’d heard so far suggested the uprising would drag on for months, perhaps years. He rubbed his chin while thinking.

“I thought the government was negotiating peace terms with the Zathee rebels? Now this Lyssk is in charge. What the hell happened?”

He jumped down and landed hard on one foot. The pain ripped through his body, but he simply chose to ignore it and limped over to see what was going on. The computer unit was a combined virtual presence for the command staff and a multi-layered visual display unit. In the center was a briefing from the Alliance News Network; around it were a dozen smaller feeds showing sub stories. He looked for his secpad but couldn’t find it to hand.

“Hey, Jana, your secpad?” he asked the black haired Private.

Without answering, she reached down and tossed the device over to him. His hex access code gave him the same front page as on his own device. He then lifted it up to the news feeds and dragged the current stories to the device. It was a seamless transition, and now he could examine the extra pages of detail on his own. The first thing that caught his eye was that the military government forces appeared to be in control of all the important locations. All government and military installations were under their control with only a few exceptions. Even so, it seemed that the Zathee had come out in force to the streets, and there were pitched battles right across Helios.

“This could go really badly,” he said quietly, but Jana still heard him.

“What do you mean? The Zathee have taken over ninety percent of the urban areas.”

Jack handed her back the secpad. He’d seen enough already.

“The Zathee already occupied three-quarters of the urban areas down to their numbers. The Animosh will regroup and then starve them out, or turn the big guns on them. Don’t forget, there are three other ethnic groups on that planet. I tell you; unless somebody helps stop this, the revolution will turn into a massacre. What if the other Powers send in troops to help them? The Zathee are not ready or equipped for war.”

He looked away so that they couldn’t see his face.

They aren’t soldiers. If this Lyssk is smart, he could crush them in days.

Jana sighed as she walked back to the rest of the group and stopped. For a second she contemplated asking another question, but the latest report took her attention from Jack and back to the display unit.

“I don’t believe this,” said one of the marines.

Jack moved closer and nodded at the scrolling piece of information. It was as if the new report was directly answering his points. Another of the marines called out, this time a stunted looking man with an arrow-shaped tattoo on his cheek.

“The network says the Alliance has voted to assist the civilians. What the hell does that mean? Assist? Which civilians?”

The door opened and in walked Wictred, as well as Sergeant Stone. They were as menacing as any two people could ever be. Both wore their black Marine Corps uniforms and were equally grim. Sergeant Stone looked serious, much more so than normal, whereas Wictred looked almost excited. As a juvenile Jötnar, he wasn’t as big as his cousins such as Khan and Gun, though he looked just as dangerous. Even so, he still looked like a troll compared to the others in the room. He nodded briefly at Jack before speaking to them all. He glanced at the Sergeant who simply nodded.

“You’ve heard the news?” he asked.

Most of the marines nodded, but Jack spoke first.

“The fighting is getting worse on Helios, and we have recognized the government in exile.”

“Almost. It’s much worse than the press are saying,” replied Sergeant Stone, with no obvious emotion.

Wictred nodded in agreement before continuing.

“The coup by the Animosh and their commanders was just the beginning. Harlan, the Minister for the capital was killed along with most of the civilian command structure. With the earlier losses in the uprising, there are very few left with any idea about what’s going on. A small number of survivors are in hiding with the Zathee, but they won’t last long.”

Every one of the marines seemed excited at the news, even though none of them had a single idea what their role would be in whatever might unfold over the coming days or weeks. Sergeant Stone could see the video feed behind the group and spotted one of the clips he had watched just twenty minutes earlier. It showed a civilian transport that had been shot down while trying to make a break for the atmosphere. The burning wreck was scattered over twenty city blocks, and the casualties were substantial. He looked back at the marines with his hard, cold eyes.

“They have sent in their troops to put down the uprising. Casualties are over sixty thousand so far, and it’s going to get worse and fast.”

“Sixty thousand?” spat out Jack, “When news of this spreads, the Zathee will turn this into a full-scale war. This will go on for decades, and now we are involved?”

Sergeant Stone opened his mouth as if about to speak but instead took another breath. All the marines watched and waited for him.

“That’s why in eleven hours we will be joining units from our sister battalions on the surface of Helios.”

He looked at each of the marines, and all but Jack seemed ecstatic at the news.

“That’s right, marines, we will be part of the operation to stop this before it becomes a full-blooded war. The military coup was against what was left of the civilian government. Those that survived have contacted us directly and requested military aid. We will end this in the way only we can.”

“End what exactly, Sergeant?” asked Jana.

Wictred beamed at her, his large uneven teeth glaring.

“The fighting. The other Powers have voted to use the Narau to intervene to halt the bloodshed. But we will be landing with the first wave, and we will do things our way.”

Wictred and Sergeant Stone walked closer to the marines, not that it was necessary anymore, as each was listening intently to everything they had to say. Sergeant Stone finally stopped and stared at Jack.

“The rest of the Corps will assist in humanitarian operations; we have a different job though. You up for this, Private?”

Jack looked up at him, seeing nothing but the cold, emotionless eyes of the Sergeant. It was strange, but the idea of battle seemed to fill Jack’s body with adrenalin, and in an instant the depression and the bitterness had vanished.

So, this is it then? Fighting is the cure, for now?

“Yes, Sergeant, I’m ready!” he shouted out, and for the first time in days, he felt human.