Free Star Crusades Nexus: Book 05 - Prophecy of Fire by Michael G. Thomas

nightclothes. Ten minutes later, she had showered and changed into her regular Marine Corps clothing. The room was lighter now, but the lack of windows made the place feel like she was on board some ship rather than on the surface of Terra Nova convalescing. Teresa’s quarters were modest and sparsely equipped with just four rooms and little space for entertaining, not that she knew anybody on Terra Nova that she particularly wanted to spend time with. Not even General Rivers had the time these days for a few hours with an old friend. She didn’t blame him. With his promotion to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he was busier than ever, but she suspected he would rather be leading marines into combat, even at his advanced age.
    Ah, well, what about the war?
    There was, of course, no war right now, but that didn’t stop the Alliance getting involved in ground and space battles just the same. She sat at her desk and poured a glass of juice, selecting one of the many Alliance news feeds. It was her normal routine each day, and she sat there, checking on the public face of the difficulties the Alliance faced. The scrolling ticker mentioned Eos, and she selected it. The video footage of the fighting was always presented to make the events seem as exciting and sensational as possible. In this particular story, a group of marines were chasing an insurgent through rubble. A man leapt from a building, in what seemed like an impossible maneuver, and crashed into the suspected bomber. The two tumbled to the ground, and in seconds the others had reached them and hastily slapped on a set of shiny steel cuffs.
    Yeah, that didn’t look staged at all.
    As she watched the footage, it did make her wonder though. She was a marine and had been since her recruitment at Prometheus at the outbreak of the Uprising. She had seen combat against terrorists, war machines, and Biomechs but never had she seen the aerobatics shown on the video feed. Even the equipment being used seemed to be different. The weapons carried by the marines looked like altered thermal shotguns used by private security units. The more she examined the details she realized the video had absolutely nothing to do with marines. She shook her head, gulped down some water, and moved to another feed that showed trouble in space. The events around Helios were much worse than she had expected, especially as the revolution had been won.
    What’s this all about then, more enhanced military antics?
    This particular one concerned a hijacked tanker. Music in the background added a sense of drama to the occasion, as the large vessel seemed to spin out of control through space. The story announced it was hot news, and Helion militias had retaken the ship with the assistance of Alliance Marines.
    Militias? How could they mount an operation like that?
    The video report showed a group of Alliance fighters dispatching marines in zero gravity. They were the new Hammerhead models that had proven so effective on Helios. They looked ugly to her, but their record couldn’t be ignored. One by one, the marines moved away with small puffs coming from their jet nozzles as they moved in to the ship. For those with no military background it might be interesting, but for Teresa it was simple routine and nothing she hadn’t seen before. Even so, the fact the mission was successful and without the loss of a single marine helped her mood, even if just a little. Then the feed changed to show a trio of marines being spoken to by a civilian Helion who seemed happy at their apparent rescue. It reminded her of her three children. Just thinking about them sent a chill through her bones.
    The part worrying her most was that all three of them were now on the frontline. They had all finished their training and been posted to military fronts or ships. Jack was busy with his unit on Eos fighting insurgents; her other two children from her previous marriage were preparing to leave with the newly assembled 3 rd Heavy