Battle Earth IX (26 page)

“Is that all you’ve got!” he screamed.

No response came. Then finally the clamps of the ship above began to release. Taylor pulled out a grenade and armed it before launching it up through the breaching door way. They saw a flash above them; the grenade blew just seconds after they had broken loose.

“That’s right, that’s what you get!” he screamed again.

He looked over to Parker and could see she did not share his faith.

“You’re not invincible,” she said.

“We’re the Immortals, and we always will be!” he yelled for all to hear.

A few of the marines around him placed sealing pods over the breach that rapidly plugged the hull. But as they did, they felt the ship rock. A pulse had struck it. The flood of excitement vanished when they realised how vulnerable they were. Another two impacts rocked the ship but seemed to have no effect. The Mastiffs were tough, but they all knew they could only take so much.

Taylor rushed over to the pilot to look out across his viewing screens.

“I thought they wanted you alive?” he asked.

“Yeah, well, we just proved to them that ain’t gonna happen. Guess they reverted to plan B. How long till we reach the gateway?”

“Three minutes, Sir.”

“That’s a long time to be taking such a beating.”

He looked on the screens at a dozen alien craft on their tail. One of them blew up without warning.

“What the hell was that?” Taylor asked.

“Looks like our guardian angel,” replied the pilot.

* * *

“Come on, take them out!” Jones hollered.

They were hot on the tail of the craft chasing Taylor’s Mastiff.

“We’re running low on ammunition,” the ship’s Captain said to Jones quietly.

“This is all you got?”

“We’ve been fighting since this began. We’re the only ones left out of a squadron of five. I know you’ve been fighting hard, but so have we.”

Jones was sympathetic, but he looked back to the screens and saw enemy pulses pounding the Mastiff. They fired a burst of cannon fire and launched missile after missile, which knocked out six of the Mech ships, but as they targeted the last of them, gunfire strafed their vessel. Jones was thrown onto his back and many of the standing crew were launched across the bridge. The Captain was thrown against a console, and his head cracked on the edge. He was briefly knocked unconscious with a deep bleeding cut across his forehead. Warning lights flashed, and a fire broke out on the bridge.

The crew quickly contained it, but the Captain looked to Jones in horror.

“Weapon systems down, and we’ve got multiple hull breaches. We’re losing fuel. We’ve got power for now and that’s it,” said the pilot.

“How long until we get to the gateway?”

“Two minutes, Sir!”

“Get me a direct line to that Mastiff!”

Sparks flew out from many of the consoles, and they could all see they couldn’t take much more. Another pulse struck the hull and blew a hole through. The pulse struck three British paras and killed them instantly. Another pulse tore a hole in the far side of the hull.

“We can’t survive going through the gateway, can we?” Jones asked.

The pilot looked around and shook her head, “I don’t believe so, Sir.”

“Get me a link with that ship!”

A moment later Taylor appeared before him.

“Good you’re okay, Charlie.”

“Yeah, sort of, you?”

“We just need you to keep doing what you’re doing. You’re the only thing cutting us a path to the gateway.”

Jones dipped his head.

“What is it?”

“Weapon systems are down, and we’ve got multiple breaches.”

Taylor was knocked aside from several more pulses striking their ship and almost lost his footing. Jones looked out of the cockpit. There was just one Mech ship firing on the Mastiff.

“What are you saying, Charlie?”

“We can’t make it, but you can.”

Taylor looked stunned. It was the worst thing he had heard in years. His stomach churned, and he felt worse than he had at the prospect of death at the hands of Erdogan.

“No, don’t tell me that! You’re gonna make it.”

“We’re out of time, Mitch. You’re out of time. You can’t take much more of this.”

Jones looked over to the pilot.

“Put us on a collision course. All power to the engines, and give us everything you’ve got.”

The pilot wept but did not argue. They all knew they had no chance left anymore.

“Changing course, all power to engines. We’re gonna nail these sons of bitches, Sir.”

“Don’t do this, Charlie.”

He was close to tears himself. “I’ve lost too many friends since this began. Don’t let me lose you.”

“Twenty seconds to impact, Sir,” said the pilot.

The gunfire continued to smash into the Mastiff.

“We can take it. Don’t you worry about us,” added Taylor.

Coco had heard his desperate words and appeared beside the Colonel.

“What are you doing?” she pleaded.

“I need you and our son to live. I need you all to live. This is the end for me, but you can keep on living for us all. I love you Coco. And Mitch, you better look after her, you hear?”

Taylor nodded in agreement, but Coco collapsed into tears. They all wanted just a few more seconds to say a few more words, but there was no time left. The gunship plunged into the Mech craft and vanished in an explosion that erupted as the two collided.

The screen Taylor and Coco were watching went black. They were speechless as they were left in horror. Neither of them could believe what they had just seen. She collapsed into his shoulder, and he could do nothing but wrap his arms around her as she shook from crying. He couldn’t find a single word of comfort, as he could find none to console himself.

Taylor looked up. Parker was staring the two of them. She had been there the whole time and shook her head in disbelief. A few moments later the screens flashed with bright light as they entered the gateway. They knew they had made it now, but they could feel little relief as their hearts sank at their losses.

The journey through the gateway wasn’t long at all, but it felt like a lifetime as they licked their wounds. Coco didn’t let go of Taylor the whole time. Finally, they came out the other side, and the screens returned to normal. Once more they could see the blackness of space and the fleet before them.

The gateway closed behind them, but they could see three Mech ships on a direct collision course with the Washington. The flagship was still burning and had been badly beaten in the battle. Taylor looked at the enemy vessels and forgot Jones for a moment.

“Set a course for the Washington. Get us there now!”

The pilot did not hesitate. The enemy vessels plunged into the Washington, barely slowing down.

“We can’t fight every battle,” Parker said.

“No, Eli, but look at them. A couple of hundred ships left to fight for the human race. That’s it. That’s all we saved. Now we have to protect what is left.”

They raced for the Washington and were less than a minute behind the Mech invaders.

“Put us in right here,” said Taylor, pointing to a particular area on the ship.

“What, why?” asked the pilot.

“Quickest way to the bridge. It’ll be where they’re heading.”

The pilot asked no more questions. Taylor looked down for a moment at Parker. She was now comforting Dubois, and he was appreciative of the fact.

“You look after her, you hear?”

“We can’t stay here. It won’t be safe.”

“No, you’re coming with us all the way. You just stay safe.”

She knew he was showing concern more for Dubois than her, and agreed as a result. The pilot brought them up alongside an access door of the Washington, and Taylor opened the doors leading to the entry point,

“We haven’t got access codes, have we?” Silva asked.

“Access codes?” Taylor asked, almost raising a smile.

He pulled the pin on two grenades and dropped them down the boarding tunnel. An explosion rang out, and without even checking, he leapt out and into the tunnel. He didn’t say a word to the others, knowing he didn’t need to. A hundred and thirty Inter-Allied personnel were at his back, and he was more determined than ever.

When he went after Erdogan, he was fighting for himself; now he was fighting for the survival of the human race. He knew the ship’s layout well, after having spent plenty of time aboard, and led the boarding team quickly towards the bridge.

“Did we really just do this?” asked Silva, “Jump into an unknown system?”

“Unknown, but a damn sight safer than where we came from.”

It was hard to disagree.

They heard gunfire and screaming up ahead, and Taylor knew they had come to the right place. He did not slow down nor show any caution. He advanced with determination and his shield held before him. He took a turn into the main access corridor to the bridge and found himself facing the backs of a dozen Mechs. Taylor squeezed the trigger on his rifle and kept it down as he advanced and strafed the Mechs.

Eight were cut down by the time his magazine ran dry, but he did not stop. Taylor rushed for them and drew his Assegai. He leapt at the first one, crushing its own weapon against its body with his shield. Taylor drove his weapon deep into the creature’s chest. Without breaking stride, he continued on, spun under a Mech’s pulse cannon, and stabbed to the leg. He drew the Assegai out and thrust it through the armoured faceplate as it keeled over.

Silva rushed the other Mech beside him and stabbed it a half dozen times. By the time he had finished, Taylor’s Assegai lay embedded in the final creature. Still he did not stop. He strode aboard the bridge, finding many of the crew huddled inside with small arms. They looked terrified.

“Who is in charge here?” he yelled.

Admiral Huber stepped up from behind the operations table.

“Well, well, Colonel Taylor. This is no surprise at all. The whole World falls apart, but somehow it’s always you still standing. Thank you.”

Jafar and Silva paced in beside him. Taylor turned back to them.

“Organise hunting parties to sweep the vessel and assist the marines aboard.”

Silva acknowledged, rushing off to carry out the orders. Taylor turned back to see Huber was still stunned.

“So, you are in charge of this fleet still?”

He nodded.

“Then I guess you are humanity’s new leader. All of our lives are in your hands.”

It was a lot to take on board, and Taylor couldn’t believe he was even saying it. He stepped up closer to Huber.

“Are we safe?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Are we safe? Any sign of Mech forces in the system?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t had time to check.”

Taylor waited for him to do so. He turned around to the crew. “Get a display of the surrounding area up, and let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

The whole bridge lit up, becoming a giant 3d display screen. Several planets could be seen before them and a number of moons.

“And what are our numbers, Admiral?”

“Ships?”

“People,” Taylor answered him, “This isn’t about fighting personnel. It’s about people, so how many did we save?”

Huber turned to his ensign.

“I want reports from all ships immediately…number of souls aboard.”

The ensign relayed the command, and they all stood and waited. It took almost fifteen minutes for the reports to come in, and they remained mostly silent until that time. Huber looked at the report and ushered Taylor over to see it too.

“You need to address the fleet,” he whispered to Huber.