Battle Earth II (18 page)

Enemy fire dropped all around them but caused little damage to the troops who were well concealed within their deep trenches. Chandra looked down the line and could see that the new equipment had given rise to a new enthusiasm amongst the troops. My God it’s working, she thought. The trench position just a couple of metres from Taylor erupted and two of his marines were thrown back against the rear wall.

He rushed to their aid. Silva had been hit by debris and was coughing as he stood up. A private had been hit in the chest by one of the pulses and the skin of his chin was burnt, but he was still breathing.

“You okay, Private?”

The man looked to him with glazed eyes and stared into the eyes of the Major. He shook his head to try and wake himself up before looking down at the impact. Smoke arose from the deep gash in the chest plate.

“It works,” said the elated Private.

Taylor saw the damage and hit it with his fist. The plate was burning hot but was still solid. He smiled as he reached out his hand and hauled the Private to his feet.

“I could have just died.”

“Damn straight, but you didn’t. Now get back up there and keep shooting!”

He looked over to Silva who nodded to him. They both knew how close they’d come to losing yet more marines.

“We owe Reiter a few beers.”

“More than a few!” shouted Taylor.

The Major jumped back onto the firing ledge of the trench and quickly got a target in sight. Sparks flew from the barrel of his launcher as two shells blasted towards one of the creatures. The rounds punched right through its thick chest armour, causing it to stagger and drop down onto one leg. It tried to regain its composure, but Mitch put a third round through its mirrored head plate.

Energy pulses continued to smash their positions, but most did little damage to their defences or personnel. Becker’s tanks were getting it the worst. Several were smouldering, and one had flames roaring from its hull. He lowered his weapon and looked down the hill to see that the Mech bodies were piling up in their dozens. Their advance had slowed, and a number were starting to take cover behind verges and the crumpled heaps of metal that used to be their comrades.

“They’re starting to feel the heat!” Chandra called out.

“Damn right!” shouted Taylor. “It’s only going to get worse for them!”

They both knew that it was a small victory in a truly epic scale war, but it was a victory nonetheless. Chandra looked up and down the lines of troops. All she could see in either direction were dozens of guns blazing. The Mechs’ advance had halted completely, but another force was advancing to support the assault in greater numbers. She turned to Taylor with a look of horror.

“Those re-enforcements better get their arses here fast!”

Taylor nodded in agreement. They were expending ammunition at a rapid rate, and their new weapons were still too few to fight any major battles. A mass of energy pulses soared towards them from the advancing tanks, forcing many of them to duck down in their trenches. Two of Becker’s tanks exploded on impact. Their crews had no time to escape.

Chandra ducked down and covered her ears from the ferocious onslaught. Then over the noise of the explosions they heard the soaring sounds of engines approaching from the east. The Major’s heart almost stopped at the thought of incoming enemy aircraft. Then through the smoke clouds five friendly jets burst into view, racing over their positions.

The two Majors leapt up to the ledge to follow the line of sight of these new aircraft. As the planes raced across the enemy lines, they released large tanks which quickly struck the ground and burst into flames. The scattering of bombs engulfed the enemy advance with thick fire rising fifty metres into the air. It almost reached the planes as they darted overhead.

Chandra’s men gave out cries of excitement as they thrust their weapons into the air, shouting in ecstasy. They watched as the flames lowered and they could see the shapes of dozens of Mechs lashing about in the fire until they finally went still. Many of the vehicles belched thick smoke and were utterly destroyed.

Chandra looked down over the battlefield and could see that the remaining Mechs were beating a hasty retreat across the open plain. Most of the troops were stood on top of the trenches in defiance of the enemy, enjoying the sight of the aliens’ downfall. The Major looked out across their own lines at the losses they had taken. She climbed up onto the wreckage of one of the tanks that had stopped burning for a better view.

Most of Becker’s armour was destroyed or badly beaten up. She could see the lifeless bodies of at least a few dozen soldiers and a similar number of wounded that the medics were already attending to. She looked back across the plain at the fleeing troops. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had seen since the war had begun. Her own troops who were in the highest spirits she’d seen since their victory in Paris.

“You see how they run?” she cried. “They run from us! Will you let the bastards live to fight another day? Kill them all!”

She jumped off of the vehicle and took flight into a quick run down the hill. Those around her cheered as they clambered out onto the embankment and rushed after her. Within seconds, Taylor and his marines had caught up. They fired their fearsome weapons from the hip with ease and accuracy as the suits they wore allowed them to.

A number of the Mechs turned to return fire, but most continued to run. The guns of Becker’s remaining tanks thundered at their backs, explosions erupting in a creeping barrage as they went. Gunfire rang out from all around as they picked off the stragglers. They finally reached the line of smouldering tanks and the littering of dead Mechs around them.

The smell was awful, a mix of burnt flesh and scorched metal. The ground around them was black and charred. Chandra stopped as the last of the Mechs were hunted down by Taylor’s marines who were able to keep up a great pace over the distance. Taylor stepped up behind her and stared at the carnage.

“It’s never pretty, but at least it ain’t our own.”

Chandra nodded. They could count their combat service in days, and yet she’d seen quite enough for a lifetime. There was little left of the fallen enemy soldiers but burnt metal and twisted debris.

“Guess our air cover isn’t dead after all?” replied Chandra.

“Didn’t you see those markings? Those were Russian planes.”

“Well, their timing couldn’t have been better.”

“Dupont has clearly made this base a priority. If he wants air cover, he gets it.”

The last of the gunfire settled as the troops mopped up. Friday and Suarez approached them with grins on their faces. They were right to celebrate. We need a few more battles like this, thought Taylor. He turned to Chandra, suddenly realising that they were missing a friend.

“Jones, he’s still out there.”

“Maybe, Major.”

“We’ve pushed back this advance, and we’ve probably got a free run back to Amiens.”

Chandra turned away. She wanted Jones back more than any of them, but she knew how crazy it was to go looking for him. She looked back up the hill towards their emplacements. Becker’s tank was trundling down towards them. It was scarred and beaten, but still active.

“Major, we have a chance to get him back!” shouted Friday.

She faced the two marine officers.

“We’ve won this battle, but don’t be under any illusions. This was a skirmish, and there are armies of those bastards out there.”

“And so we just give up on him?” asked Taylor.

“Even if I let you go, how would you even make that distance in any kind of time?”

Taylor’s eyes panned up to Captain Becker who had climbed out and stood on top of the hull of his tank. Chandra turned around to stare at the man. She could see the sadness in his face from the losses he had received. He’d lost far more of his unit than the infantry who’d gotten off lightly. She spoke to Taylor.

“You can’t ask that of them. Those crews have given everything to keep us alive.”

“And you think they wouldn’t want to save our people if there was any remote chance?”

“Even if Becker would go for it, you’ll be travelling for hours in hostile territory.”

Taylor ignored the Major and looked past to the tank commander.

“How about it, Captain, you willing to help us get our people back?”

“I’d be more than happy to assist, Major, but I doubt we’d make it. If we don’t get some repairs done on these vehicles within the next few kilometres...”

Taylor sighed. He knew it was too much to ask and far from sensible. He couldn’t believe that he wasn’t there when Jones needed him most.

“How the hell did this even happen?” snapped Taylor. “You let two of our men get kidnapped from under you!”

Chandra glared at Mitch. Her cheeks reddened as she was about to burst into a furious rage. She coughed and forced herself to calm down. The truth was she did blame herself for the loss of the two men, but she didn’t like being reminded of it.

“I regret all lost under my command, but do not think I have not done, and will continue to do everything in my power to keep our troops safe.”

Taylor was taken aback by her restrained response and already regretted his words. He took a few steps closer to her and whispered.

“Forgive me. I just can’t believe there is nothing we can do.”

“I get you, Major. If I thought there was any chance of you making it there, I’d let you go.”

The officers were quickly drawn to the sound of a single aircraft approaching at speed. They turned to see an Eagle FV assault copter rush overhead at an astonishing speed. It banked heavily before lifting its nose to reversing its thrust to come down beside them at speeds no normal pilot would dare.

They turned in intrigue to see who was aboard and why they were putting down on what was a bloody battlefield. The ramp opened and the pilot appeared at the door. He staggered down with the sort of undisciplined walk of what could only be one pilot they knew.

“Eddie!” shouted Taylor. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Taylor rushed forward and grabbed the Lieutenant off his feet, forgetting that he was still wearing the exosuit that provided him immense strength. He hoisted the man off his feet as if he weighed no more than a child. As he dropped Eddie down, the pilot staggered back as he stared at the suit and armour.

“I see you’ve had some upgrades.”

Taylor looked up at the copter which he had become so familiar with in his time of service. Atop the fuselage was a large and unfamiliar engine which looked as if it had literally been bolted on as a custom job.

“I’m not the only one,” he stated as he gestured towards the craft.

Eddie looked around at the copter and turned back with a smile on his face.

“Old Bessie here has been given a new turn of speed.”

“That how you made it across the channel?”

“Damn straight, no bastard in this universe could catch this bird!”

Taylor looked into the pilot’s face to see that his eyes were swollen and his face was pale. It was clear that the only thing keeping him on his feet were stimulants.

“I thought you were working the Moon supply runs. You gone AWOL, Lieutenant?”

“No, Sir! Moon supply is still ongoing with new pilots. I was ordered to report to you with all urgency.”

“By who?”

“General White himself.”

“On what task? I need soldiers, not pilots.”

“Glad to know I’m appreciated, Major,” laughed Rains. “Honestly, I have no clue. He said I’d know when you did.”

“Great, that helps,” mused Taylor.

Taylor looked beyond the Major to the other officers watching the conversation. He recognised most of them.

“Ma’am,” he greeted Chandra with a nod.

He looked back to Taylor with a quizzical expression.

“Where is Captain Jones?”

They all went silent.

“Dead? Can’t be.”

“We simply don’t know. He was detained by locals in a town that has since been overrun by the enemy.”

“What the fuck? Detained?”

“It’s bullshit, Eddie, we all know it. We were just discussing how we could get back to the town to attempt to find the Captain and Private Walker who was with him. But we can’t cover the ground fast enough, and these tanks need work.”

“Well, hell, I can get you there, no problem.”

Taylor turned to Chandra who was still in charge. He didn’t actually ask her permission, but she knew that’s what he wanted. She thought for a moment and then looked to Eddie.

“You sure you’re ready for this, Lieutenant? You’ll be going over a hundred kilometres into enemy territory.”

“Damn straight, Ma’am, I can get you there in no time at all, and get you out of trouble just as fast.”

She nodded several times as she thought it over. She didn’t want to risk further troops in her command, but she knew how important the Captain was to them all. To not search for him, when they had the opportunity, could severely hit the morale of the Company. She wanted to believe that she was thinking as Jones’ friend, but she no longer had that luxury. She had to think like a leader first and foremost.