Star Crusades by Michael Thomas (whitelam books txt) 📗

so far matches its size anddisposition. As for its composition, it is nothing particularlyconcerning.”

“Go on,” said Captain Regina.

The Chief tagged several parts of theincredible clouds of colour.

“Like any emission nebula, thisis constructed from clouds of ionised gas spread over anarea large enough to encompass asignificant star system. Spectrum analysis shows the red parts ofthe clouds are composed of significant sources of hydrogen. Butthere is something else there, something making areas hard topenetrate with sensors.”

“Deliberate?”

“Possibly. Thoughit’s just as likely a side effect for ionisedclouds.”

He then angled hishead, and his brow tightened. It wasobvious he was busy running numbers and details through his brainbefore he gasped, and then looked back to her.

“I could be wrong, but itlooks like a natural phenomenon that hasbeen modified by artificial means.”

Hetapped several areas and moved them to the main projection displaydirectly ahead. They were darker than the others and clusteredaround one particular point.

“Odd,” said Captain Regina, “Thatlooks like an emission from one area.”

“Exactly,” he replied as the view zoomed in closer, “My best guess isthat dust or similar has clustered at these points and is blockingour view of the nebula.”

“That could be caused from meteorimpacts, asteroid destruction, or a hostof other reasons.”

“Yes. But it could also be from theplanet we’re heading towards. It’s in the same place.”

“Fascinating. Keep checking. I want to know the minute youknow more.”

“Yes,Captain.”

She then moved away andwaited alongside as they both looked tothe ever-growing mass of colour. It looked like an expanding poolof blood spreading from a body. Now they were so close it expandedas far as she could see in three directions.

“This is what the Ski’ligterritories are going to look like. I wonder what we’llfind?”

“Something unpleasant, I’m sure,”replied the XO.

“I suspect you’reright. Check in with the Novas onboardand see if they need anything before our final approach. We may nothave the time once we arrive.”

“Sir.”

* * *

Valentine leaned back into the reinforced metal chair andwatched the pre-recorded videostream with interest.

“It’s pretty incredible.”She watched the footage carefully, “Andthis is from how long ago?”

“Five-hundred and twenty-six years ago,” said Alexis, “Back then thewar had been raging across all of Old Earth for years. They foughton land, air, and sea, and they fought with everything they had tohand.”

“But this invasion. The numbers ofequipment are staggering. I had no idea.”

“What’s this?” Tsarkov asked as he entered the recreation space.Like the others, he’d elected for his lighter weight off-dutyprosthetics, and for a second he might look close to normal, withlimbs that were not too oversized, “An old movie?”

“No,” said Alexis,“Footage of an amphibious operation half amillennia ago.”

He stopped near Valentineand lowered himself into achair.

“Landing by water? Weird.”

“It’s basically what we’re doing. Thoselanding craft even looked like Maulers.”

Each of them watched withinterest. The landing craft rushed overthe rough sea, all while hundreds of large ships waited off thecoast. Massive warships fired powerful salvos, and the sky filledwith the criss-cross trails of aircraft as they headed over thebeaches to attack the defenders. Tsarkov was usually quite aloof,but this time he appeared genuinely interested in what washappening.

“What kind of numbers are we talking?”

Valentine reached out with hermetallic canteen, and he took it,throwing back a mouthful before handing it back.

“Thanks.”

Valentine was stunned as she lookedback to the footage.

“No idea. Alexis?”

The Corporal shook her head as shetapped her head.

“You’ve got a networked AI andsuper-computer in your skull. You really don’t need me!”

“Maybe,” saidValentine, “But we’d like it from you.Right?”

She looked to Tsarkov and raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Yeah…talk to us.”

“Allright, then…apparently, over a hundred and thirty thousand troopswere landed in one day across five different beaches.”

“No way,” said Tsarkov, “Back then with just boats.”

“A lot more than just boats.There were nearly seven thousand naval vessels, and over a thousand of those were warships. They usedover four thousand landing ships, and they were manned by nearlytwo hundred thousand sailors.”

Tsarkov whistled as LieutenantFletcher popped his head inside. None ofthem noticed he was there until he spoke, causing all three to turnat once.

“The Normandylandings?”

“Yes,Sir!” Alexis rose to her feet.

“As you were, Corporal. I’m justpassing through.”

“Uh…yes, Sir. D-Day, June…”

“The sixth. Yes, at the time itwas the greatest amphibious invasion inhistory. At the Academy we studied it in depth. It’s an operationthat is used to understand the complexities of a landing operation,including incredible logistics and support. Did you know theyshipped their own port across the sea and installed it off thebeaches?”

“Like we do withSpacebridges.”

“Exactly,” he replied with asmile, “It’s one thing to land troops andwin the first day, and quite another to turn that into awarfighting victory.”

“Are you expecting a war, Sir?”

He considered that for longerthan expected before replying.

“Ski’ligs are an enemy that hasan asset the likes of which we have never encountered. Even whensmall in number, they can turn entire cities against us. Who knowswhat other tricks they have up their sleeves? Will their world bedead, like the cold rock of Eridani Prime, or will it be a newTerra Nova with towering cities and billions ofcitizens?”

For a second Valentine could see a hint of the old Lieutenant, but thensomething flickered in his eyes. It was like a switch had beenflicked on, and his body stiffened without warning.

“We cannot let them live,”he said at the same time as he keptshaking his head, “No, we cannot.”

“Sir?” asked a surprised Tsarkov,“I thought this mission was to make sure they couldn’t attack usagain.”

“And what better way than to eradicatetheir entire species?”

Tsarkov looked to the others andgrinned. He might be a self-serving man,and with a character most found hard to like, but none had seen himas somebody that would delight in the extermination of aspecies.

Valentine shook her head, and it took asecond for Tsarkov to realise he was being serious.

“No!” he mouthed insilence to her.

Alexis nodded and then looked to theLieutenant.

“We’ll do what he haveto, Sir, whatever is needed to drive themfrom our border.”

“Yes, we will.” Hewiped the sweat forming at his brow, looked toeach of them in turn, and then moved back to the open doorway. Oncethere, he stopped, looked back, spoke to himself, and thenleft.

“Uh…what was that?” Tsarkovasked, “I know he’s lost people. We allhave. Has he