Star Crusades Nexus: Book 05 - Prophecy of Fire Read Free

the man loaded up more imagery, General Rivers looked at the new Secretary of Defense. Sam Mithy was one of the new intake of politicians, following the recent Alliance elections. He knew the man by reputation only, and although he had some experience in the Confederate Army as a junior officer a generation earlier, he understood it to have been on stations or barrack moons with the reserve fighter squadrons that had seen no actual combat in the war. It didn’t impress the General at all, even less when after just a few days in office, the man had laid accusations of incompetence at military commanders that seemed to be prevalent with the new regime, one that was on a personal mission to rebuild the Alliance military around a rigid core of politically reliable leaders. It made him uneasy.
    “Well, this object could potentially wipe out all life on Helios, what else is there to know?” answered General Rivers with an irritated tone.
    “This is serious, of course, and we will do what we can to help. The President has to answer to our citizens, however, and there is a growing weariness of the strain on our colonies at our involvement in the affairs of these alien worlds. We will endeavor to assist them in any way we can, but not at the expense of our own national interest.”
    General Rivers shook his head angrily.
    “What do you mean? We are already committed to action on a number of fronts,” he snapped.
    The others were stunned by his lack of diplomacy, but the General continued.
    “We have only just helped them win their fight for freedom on their world, and now you say there are more pressing concerns than the wiping out of all life on Helios?”
    It was clear from the expression on the Secretary of Defense’s face that this was exactly what he was thinking.
    “We benefit greatly from our contact with our comrades in Helios, as well as the other worlds. Don’t forget the Biomechs intervened politically and technologically in our last internal conflict. We cannot adopt an isolationist viewpoint right now, if ever,” General Rivers added quickly.
    The Secretary of Defense moved his head slowly as though he was disgusted by what he had heard.
    “General, do not suggest this regime will abandon its friends. Trade is booming between our colonies and these new regions. The number of ships moving through the Prometheus-T’Karan Rift is in the hundreds a day now. That is why we have started construction work on a whole new layer of support Rifts that will link every colony world in less than a decade.”
    All of them waited for the ‘but’.
    “Even so, based on recent events, it is imperative that our military capabilities are prioritized, and it is the view of the President that the top-priority for our entire military effort should be on one place.”
    The conversation was already starting to drift off-topic, and it led General Rivers to think the Secretary of Defense had an ulterior motive in bringing it up.
    “The Black Rift, Mr. Secretary?”
    The room fell silent once more.
    “Yes, that is correct. The Black Rift is the elephant in the room. With the increasing trend in newly discovered Rifts and isolated occurrences of Biomech warships, our citizens are becoming concerned. Helios is important but is irrelevant when compared to the great threat of the Biomechs themselves. Does the lack of this supply base cause us additional problems at the Rift?”
    Admiral Jackson shook his head.
    “No, we have the 4 th in the Helios system with ample resources coming through the Rift to T’Karan. Our remaining Strike Groups are undergoing deployment or taking part in a number of exercises. We’ve never been stronger.”
    “We said the same in the Uprising, and it went on for years,” General Rivers hissed through his teeth.
    “The fact of the matter is that the Black Rift is more than just a Spacebridge to what we are told is the home system of the Biomechs. It is the longest range Rift we have ever come across, one