By archangels light, p.1
By Archangel's Light, page 1
BY ARCHANGEL'S LIGHT
MECHHAVEN: BOOK 5
GREG SORBER
GREGERATION X ENTERTAINMENT
Copyright © 2025 by Greg Sorber
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover by Jeff Brown Graphics
To this end and the beginnings to come,
To the ups and downs of the creative process,
To the readers who make this journey possible—
May it continue long into the future…
CONTENTS
Synopsis
Chapter 0
Part I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Interlude 1
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Part II
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Interlude 2
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Part III
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Part IV
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Interlude 3
Chapter 31
Part V
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Part VI
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Interlude 4
Chapter 42
Part VII
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Part VIII
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Epilogue
Newsletter
Author’s Note
About the Author
Also by Greg Sorber
SYNOPSIS
In the aftermath of the brutal Mechanai War, Mechhaven was established as a sanctuary for the sentient mechs who endured the bulk of the fighting. The conditions of this Pax Machina required mechs to undergo full decommissioning and vow to never again take up arms against any signatory of the Rybeth Accords.
Pax Machina (Book One)
The fragile peace established by the Rybeth Accords is put to the test when a highly advanced Archangel class mech crashes on Mechhaven and declares Pax Machina. Angel, as the Archangel is named by Major Misty Durham, the human Administrator of Mechhaven, has gaps in his memory but knows more than he reveals. It doesn’t take long for the Imperium to track Angel to Mechhaven. Praefect Valtoré gives the residents of Mechhaven a choice. Give up Angel, or face the wrath of the Imperium. The mechs choose to side with Angel and prepare for the trouble that will follow.
With limited weapons at their disposal, Misty rallies the mechs to defend their newest resident and their home. An Imperium Planet Cleanser is dispatched to deal with the defiant Mechhaven. The heavy transport is filled with specialized bots called screevers designed to destroy mechs, humans, and anything else that gets in their way. Commanding the screevers was a fearsome Reaper mech called Zeta IX, who is as powerful as Angel. The battle leaves many mechs destroyed and the survivors forever scarred.
Mechs and Machinations (Book Two)
News of the Battle of Mechhaven spread quickly throughout the galaxy, catching the attention of King Servier of the Arcturan Monarchies. The King, along with leaders and dignitaries from the entire Rybeth Coalition, gather on Mechhaven to honor the fallen. Among the guests is Yoshiro Sero of the Corporate Protectorate, whose company, SeroCorp, is contracted to rebuild Mechhaven.
As the dignitaries depart, Master Sergeant Dennis Greer, along with the mechs Gladius, Connie, Artie, and Valiant, are called back into service to go on a secret mission to discover more about an alien threat to a remote Imperium outpost.
Yoshiro Sero discovers that a group of his construction mechs have declared asylum. Mechs have no rights in the Corporate Protectorate. When Misty approves the SeroCorp mechs’ request, Yoshiro Sero brings in reinforcements and Mechhaven finds itself on the defensive once again. To prevent a complete surrender, Angel preys upon Yoshiro Sero’s sense of honor, challenging him to a duel. Angel proves victorious, but through subterfuge, Yoshiro escapes, only to perish when he tries to jump out of the system.
On Darkhaven Forged (Book Three)
Beyond Imperium space, on a world called Darkhaven, Dennis and his companions come face-to-face with Praefect Valtoré, the man responsible for the Battle of Mechhaven. Their enemy is working with General Elaine Dirksen, former military leader of the Alliance of Independent Systems, to evaluate the nature of the alien threat. As much as it pains them, each must set aside their hatred in order to accomplish their mission.
Assigned to Valtoré’s New Legion of updated mechs and tasked with determining their combat readiness, Gladius must confront his own evolving philosophies and potential obsolescence. A figure from Connie’s past promises to restore her full converter abilities. To regain them, she just has to put aside her feelings and place her trust in a man who has proven unscrupulous. Artie and Valiant discover dark secrets about Zeta IX, the Reaper mech who slaughtered so many of their friends. No longer able to hide on Mechhaven and suppress his traumatic memories with his favorite substances, Dennis finally comes to terms with his haunted past. Only through that crucible can he achieve his full potential.
On their mission, Dennis and the others discover the alien incursion is more widespread than initially thought and is a precursor to a full-scale invasion. Fleeing from world-to-world and seeing the impressive capabilities of the aliens known as Maltorey, plans of victory fade. Yet hopes of survival remain as a new ephemeral ally appears.
Rally Point (Book Four)
The Maltorey invasion has begun! General Dirksen sends a message to the Rybeth Coalition designating Mechhaven as the rally point. Misty, Therapy, Angel, and the other residents must prepare for an influx of military forces and refugees.
Dennis and his team finally return home, but the reunion is bittersweet. The troubling discoveries they made on Darkhaven weigh heavily on everyone. Misty finds herself torn between her relief at seeing her friends again and her growing relationship with Dr. McCollough, while struggling with the massive logistical challenges of coordinating the desperate arrivals.
As ships pour in from across human space, Mechhaven transforms from a quiet sanctuary into a bustling military staging ground. Among the arrivals are civilian vessels carrying refugees and limited supplies, military commanders seeking to coordinate resistance efforts, and survivors with nowhere else to go.
Their greatest challenge comes when a friend thought lost forever gets a second chance at life. The resurrection offers a glimmer of hope but is tainted by malicious machinations. The mechs of Mechhaven must once again prepare for war, despite their vows of peace under Pax Machina.
Thus begins By Archangel’s Light…
CHAPTER ZERO
MECHHAVEN
The thick walls of The Black Hole shielded dozens of mechs from the damaging effects of the electromagnetic storm that raged just outside. The calm within the giant purpose-built hangar was in stark contrast to the chaos of the howling winds, pelting rain, deafening thunder, blinding lightning, and technology-frying electromagnetic pulses enveloping the Command Compound and the surrounding regions.
The thoughts racing through Misty’s mind more accurately reflected the storm than the even-tempered mechs who patiently waited for the weather to pass. After over three years of experiencing the monthly tempests, Misty should have gotten used to the period of inactivity that accompanied each, but she hadn’t. In fact, she’d become more impatient of late, especially since the storms seemed to coincide with bad things happening to her, her friends, and the mechs under her charge.
Static from the EM storm crackled faintly through the hangar’s walls, setting her nerves on edge. Her cybernetic arm trembled. Even within the protective confines of The Black Hole, the EM storm’s influence reduced her control of the prosthetic appendage. Combined with the emotional tempest spawned by the numerous variables out of her control, everyone was lucky she hadn't damaged anything. At least, not yet.
Out of caution, she stood apart from the others. An unintended reflex from her cybernetic arm, which could damage mechs, would most likely kill a human. Even Rusty, who had four cybernetic limbs of his own—a poignant reminder of his prior military service—was wise enough to leave Misty alone. It took all her concentration to maintain control. His isolated position in the hangar suggested he had control issues of his own. She wished she were able to comfort him, as he’d
offered her solace so often. Unfortunately, she had other things on her mind.
The Maltorey are here!
Ajax’s words haunted her. The aliens Dennis and the others had faced on Darkhaven had already arrived. From all accounts, the Maltorey were an invasion force, but she’d thought they would have more time to prepare. The small fleet of ships orbiting Mechhaven was not enough to repel an invasion. Even the supplies sent ahead by General Dirksen, though a good start, wouldn’t be enough to sustain a prolonged defense. Perhaps if Archer, Vigilant, and Diana convinced the Arcturan fleet to honor their commitments, and Angel, Larry, and Artie secured the AOIS and TexaNovan secret armada, maybe, then they’d have a chance. Still, there were too many unknowns, and being stuck inside during an EM storm made her less than useless.
Too few mechs sheltered within The Black Hole as far as Misty was concerned. Prior to the Battle of Mechhaven, they crammed in damn near a hundred mechs, pretty much everyone who wasn’t part of the Legion. Hell, they’d even managed to fit Bastion inside. Now, after the battle and losing Luna to Yoshiro’s bombardment, only forty-seven Villagers remained. Of those, Angel, Larry, Artie, Archer, Vigilant, Diana, and Juno were away on missions. Her most trusted friends and allies, gone. With only forty mechs in The Black Hole, it seemed empty. She could probably fit the Legion and the Construction Mechs in here as well now, though Gladius still preferred to ride out the storm in the protective confines of The Foundry. In this case, it worked out for the best, as the storm would pass them first, giving them time to inspect the Power Collection Array for damage, and, if needed, assist Connie, Nia, and Kai with cleaning up any remaining Maltorey left from the scouting party.
As far as Misty was concerned, they were stretched too thin. She’d have to tap into the experience and expertise of the remaining mechs. They weren’t the natural leaders, nor her confidants, that she’d normally lean on, but they were still her friends and veterans of The Mechanai War. She needed every damn ounce of experience they had. Every mech would have to step up and be an asset.
There it was. Something General Dirksen had said to her echoed through her mind.
Finally, she was thinking like a command officer.
Speaking of which, General Dirksen and Lieutenant ‘Emi’ Vance were at least attempting to do something productive. They walked from mech to mech, speaking with each in turn. General Dirksen listened to their stories of where they’d been stationed, who they’d served with, and of comrades lost during the war. Misty really wanted the General to understand the stories of those whom she’d be rearming and putting their lives on the line once again after declaring Pax Machina.
Lieutenant Vance, a self-proclaimed mech aficionado, geeked out over the sentient automatons, who found this amusing. It wasn’t every day that someone expressed such an intense interest in them. Even though Misty cared about each of her charges, Emi examined them thoroughly, requesting details on their specifications, and was quizzed by others in turn. She was quite the prodigy. In Misty’s estimation, Lieutenant Vance’s book knowledge of mechs surpassed even Ajax’s, but Emi possessed a vast amount of practical knowledge as well.
Ajax’s transformation posed challenges for him and his closest friends. His new size added layers of complexity when maintaining and repairing smaller mechs. Yet, he still promised to keep up with his duties. Emi’s presence lessened the pressure somewhat. Ajax’s change also offered some opportunities Misty had never considered… They’d have to wait to find out whether his accident would be a benefit or a curse.
A heavy thud on the outside wall seized Misty’s attention. It was too close, too physical for it to be thunder or an EM pulse. Rusty’s head snapped in the same direction. He’d heard it too. A few moments later, the sound came again. This time it was three distinct bangs, as if someone was knocking at the door, only much louder. It came from the side door of the hangar, the one that humans and Attaché mechs used most often.
Had someone not made it inside? Both she and Therapy had accounted for all the mechs and humans. Hmm, well, maybe not Sly… But she had her own hidden refuges in which to wait out the EM storms, or at least that’s what Misty understood.
Then panic set in.
Her hand moved to the pistol on her hip.
Rusty scrambled from the other side of the hangar. With a metallic clank, his right-arm morphed from a functional appendage replacement to a tactical shotgun, one of many surprises he’d installed.
Valiant noticed the activity and headed to the door.
Was it the Maltorey? Perhaps… but then again, would the Maltorey even knock? Wouldn’t they just blow the entire hangar to smithereens?
General Dirksen and Lieutenant Vance observed the commotion and approached the entrance. Several of the other mechs, Stalwart, Paragon, Tracer, and Vibe, turned toward the ruckus. Misty held up her hand and shook her head. She didn’t need the whole hangar in an uproar, at least not until she knew whether the situation warranted it.
Misty’s heart raced as the banging grew more intense. She extended her hand to open the door. Rusty stood to the side, shotgun arm at the ready. In her peripheral vision, General Dirksen and Lieutenant Vance drew their weapons, ready to strike. The General held a shiny chrome laser pistol while Emi clutched a Fury Arms Compact Assault rifle.
Misty threw open the door, revealing a ruby-red reflective surface.
Grigori Volkov lay twitching on the ground close by.
“Ajax? Is that you?” Misty asked, peeking out the door. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you with the others? What happened with Bastion? Did the plan work?”
Ajax cautiously repositioned his mech body to avoid crushing Volkov. He peered through the door to speak directly with Misty.
“Bastion is back. Well, sort of. This fool did something to him. Bastion is furious and is referring to himself as The Beast. I brought Volkov here to protect him from the Maltorey and from Connie. Unless she can talk some sense into Bastion, we might need this loser to put things right. I’ll send some security bots over to help watch him.”
“No need for bots. We’ve got this.” Misty seized Volkov by the collar of his coveralls, dragging him inside the hangar. Once inside, Rusty took over, guiding the hacker to a secluded corner.
“Suit yourself, but I wouldn’t trust him any further than you could throw him.”
“I’m pretty strong when I’m pissed off,” Misty said. “But don’t worry, I’ll watch over him myself.”
Misty noticed Volkov exchange a look with General Dirksen. It was brief, barely noticeable, but there was a nod acknowledging… something. What is that woman plotting?
Misty nearly gagged when the stench from a pool of vomit at the base of the door wafted into her nose. Three years on a planet populated by inorganic beings increased her sensitivity to biological functions. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Connie is quite maneuverable, especially once the fighting got intense. Volkov couldn’t stomach her acrobatics,” Ajax said. Crouching down as close as he could to the door, he glared at the cowering man. “Don’t forget, Volkov, you’re going to clean out my cockpit just as soon as I get back. It had better be spotless!”
“Hold on,” General Dirksen said, approaching the door. “I’m sure Connie and the others can handle whatever is going on for a little longer. I—we need to know what’s happening in orbit. You’re the only one who can withstand the storm. I need you to find out what’s going on and to deliver a message to the ship commanders.”
“It’s true that my mech body can withstand the ferocious storms, but I don’t have any experience flying in space.”
“You don't need to go into space—just higher than the storm, like you did before. Gather their reports and tell them all to tighten their orbits to the lowest possible altitude.”
“Why?” Ajax asked.
Misty thought his question abrupt… not like his old self. He was becoming more confident. She’d normally consider that good, except not when addressing the highest-ranking military officer in the AOIS. That was something she reserved for herself.
To her credit, General Dirksen maintained her composure. “It’s much sooner than I wanted, but with the Maltorey already in the system, it’s time to deploy the first alien artifact. Without it, we’re sitting ducks.”
