Free Star Crusades Nexus: Book 06 - Call to Arms by Michael G. Thomas Page A

and to their surprise, it was moving.
    None of this makes sense.
    She looked at her officers and the bemused look on Captain Thompson’s face seemed to answer her questions there and then.
    If this is so secret, why are messages being sent to so many officers?
    It was a simple ruse, but she had to admire its boldness. It was a great risk, of course, but then she wondered if the story about the machine was even true. Was it actually being shipped there, or was it another lie on top of many more?
    “What the hell is he doing?” asked Olik.
    Teresa read further and shook her head at the news.
    “According to the flash report from Admiral Anderson, the Biomech managed to break out of its holding facility and accessed Alliance communication systems for almost seven minutes before being stopped. It’s being brought here for safety.”
    Teresa knew full well how powerful the Biomech machine was, and that if it had escaped for that much time, there would have been heavy casualties on the base. That was of course if the story was even true, and now she was beginning to have doubts about almost everything she’d heard. She looked at Olik and nodded.
    “I don’t like it.”
    He twisted his head about sharply, and it looked like he might even reach for a weapon. Instead, he settled for adopting a solid stance with his hands kept low. Teresa knew this position, and it was the classic defensive posture taught in the Corps for uncertain situations.
    Non-threatening, but ready. What is it?
    “Colonel!” he said, answering her unspoken question.
    The entire group looked in the direction he had indicated. A group of black clad marines entered the space and was heading directly toward them. Teresa counted eight in total, and all were fully armored in PDS Alpha armor. None wore any form of identification, and they moved in unison, unlike any marines she was used to. The group finally stopped and from behind them came a man in a dark suit and long gray coat. He moved to the front and looked at each of them before stopping at Teresa.
    “Johnson?”
    “Intelligence Director Johnson, Colonel Morato,” he answered politely.
    Teresa ignored those around her, walked right up to him, stopping barely a meter from the man. They looked at each other before Teresa finally moved in closer and grabbed him. They held each other for a short moment while the others watched on uncomfortably. She finally stepped back and looked at him.
    “You’ve grown...more serious.”
    He tried to smile, but his expression was more of a grimace.
    “The schedule has changed, and I need your officers with me in the lower landing dock.”
    “Anderson?” she asked.
    Johnson merely nodded in agreement.
    “I take it you received the flash communication? We have to keep this quiet as long as possible. Are you ready?”
    Teresa indicated with her right hand for the others to come with her. Johnson looked at them and finally smiled.
    “No matter what rank you reach, you are always surrounded by the oddest of people.”
    She looked in the same direction as him but saw nothing more than a small group of Alliance officers and a large number of Jötnar. She looked back at him.
    “They are coming too?”
    “Just the officers.”
    Teresa began to speak with Olik, but he was already explaining to his own people before joining the party. They moved away and left that part of the vast underground base and exited via a pair of guarded glass doors. As soon as they were through, the doors were clamped shut, and more guards took up opposition around them.
    “So, Intelligence Director. Do you intend telling me what’s going on?”
    They didn’t stop moving as he answered.
    “Teresa, we intercepted and deciphered part of the Biomech’s transmission. It wasn’t an escape attempt. It was an intentional lapse of security. We gave it the opportunity.”
    She grabbed his arm as they continued on.
    “I saw a casualty list of nearly a hundred personnel.”
    Her friend closed his