Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift Read Free

Captain Jerome.
    The young man was fresh from the Naval Academy on Terra Nova. His accent was sharp and crisp, and easily betrayed his wealthy upbringing on the capital world. He was short, thin, and pale faced, but his expression was of utmost calm and control. The effect on the crew following the gunnery was electric. As soon as the weapons had been detected, the mood had shifted from excitement to anger.
    "Captain, their commander is already connected. He wishes to speak with you," said the communications officer.
    Captain Jerome watched the mainscreen with a growing scowl showing on his face. He reached for the intercom and pulled it close to his mouth. The louder his voice became, the more saliva seemed to drip from the corner of his mouth. The image of Colonel Pierce appeared on the screen.
    “This is sovereign Alliance territory under the control of Admiral Churchill of the Alliance Navy. Close your gun ports and state your business. Failure to comply will result in your vessels being boarded and disarmed.”
    Captain Jerome’s eyes tightened at the words. “Increase power, I want this message burned into their consciousness. Every single ship and facility in this sector will see and hear this message.”
    He looked over to his own officers and gave them a nod before returning to the mainscreen.
    "I am Captain Jerome of the Alliance warship ANS Terra. By the order of Magister Populi Harrison and the legitimate government of Terra Nova, I order this station to deactivate its weapons. Admiral Churchill, Admiral Anderson, and previous Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Rivers are all wanted for war crimes. The purchase, training, and transfer of private security forces are tantamount to treason.”
    He then lifted a secpad and dragged a document from the display to the communication screen. The data automatically overlaid his image so that anybody listening could see.
    “I have orders from Magister Populi Harrison to retake control of this station and to bring back these war criminals for trial. The Rift to T’Karan will be permanently deactivated until such time that President Harrison deems it safe to reopen, and all private security units will be stripped of their weapons and shipped to their colonies of origin.”
    He swallowed, enjoying every minute of his little speech.
    “We are living in a critical time, and the actions of rogue commanders are putting the entire Alliance at risk. We have already intercepted two transports on their way to you from Hyperion. Each of these was carrying Biomech mercenaries, for what we can only assume is an attempt to subvert the authority of the Terra Novan government.”
    His lip quivered a little as he said the final lie. The Jötnar were unlike the Biomechs in so many ways, yet to him and many on Terra Nova, they were nothing more than animals. He looked to his communications officer and pointed at him.
    “Put up the feed from Mars. Quickly!”
    The officer fumbled before starting the videostream. It was a mixture of imagery that showed containers being unlocked on board starships around Mars. Several Alliance officers, including General Rivers were present, as was hundreds of Thegn soldiers. A Jötnar warrior marched alongside them while barking orders.
    “Magister Populi Harrison has been shocked by this footage of collaboration between Alliance officers, Jötnar, and the Biomech monsters, and we can only assume that these officers were compromised during their illegal activity on Mars. Therefore, as of today, the Prometheus sector comes under the direct control of Terra Nova and its senior commanders. High Command has dispatched new officers for this station, as well as a research team for Prometheus.”
    Again, there was no response, and all it took was the shaking head of his junior officer to send him off into a rage. He pointed at his executive officer, as though it was his fault the station was refusing to cooperate.
    "Either they close their gun ports and let us