Battle Earth: 12 (17 page)

He rushed inside to see everyone was waiting for him, and stern expressions filled the room. The three officers of his Regiment had followed him in, but he was surprised to see that Jafar was already inside and standing with White.

"Taylor, good, come on in," said the General.

He took a few paces forward and could see they were looking at some kind of blueprint projected on the table between them.

"What is this?"

"These are images provided by our Aranui allies."

Taylor looked carefully and could see that whatever he was looking at was of Krys construction. It appeared to be part of the surface of a planet that was not Earth.

"Where is this?

White pointed to Jafar to continue.

"This is the planet my people call 'Bursa'. It is the largest industrial world in the Tau Ceti system."

Tau Ceti?

The name cut deeply as he remembered their withdrawal from the fateful expedition there that cost the life of Chandra and so many others.

"What are we looking there for? I thought Tau Ceti was cut off since we destroyed the gateways?"

"Yes, unless you have access to my people’s technology," Irala added, "After Erdogan's assault on this planet failed, we attempted to pursue his ship the Fatihi; the only vessel in his fleet capable of initiating a jump gateway, utilising technology stolen from us as you know."

"Attempted?"

"Yes, we pursued the Fatihi, but it moved beyond our grasp into the safety of this world, Bursa, and the large defences and fleet that protect it."

"So what are you telling me? That huge fucking monstrosity could open up a gateway here with a whole fleet anytime she likes?"

Irala shook his head. "The Fatihi was severely damaged after our last engagement and took refuge on the surface of Bursa."

Taylor sighed in relief, but that relief was short lived.

"This is where we get down to it," stated White.

"All right, let's hear it," he replied.

"What you are looking at, Colonel, is the remains of that ship, the Fatihi," said Irala.

Taylor looked more closely, but it appeared more like some giant city built onto the surface.

"The enemy has spent much time and work getting to understand and repair the jump engines that were fitted onto that vessel, technologically antiquated compared to what we possess today. The engines we used for such jumps used to require vast power and ships the size of the Fatihi, but what they achieved was no less impressive."

"Okay, okay, I get it. But what does this all mean?"

"Colonel," said White, "they're turning the planet into a jump gateway that can be activated and allow access to anywhere, anytime."

Taylor's jaw dropped as he realised what they were facing. Kelly pressed a few keys, and the blue print map zoomed out until they could see the world it occupied and hundreds of ships in its orbit.

"So this is what Erdogan has been doing all this time?" he asked rhetorically, "No wonder we're seeing such success on Earth. He's not getting any reinforcements. Every time we hit him, he gets weaker, and he knows it doesn't matter. Why hasn't this fleet come through yet?"

"More ships join this fleet every day," Irala said, "but we do not believe they are waiting for numbers. We believe the jump gate is not yet working."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"We witnessed a trial run a few hours ago. They have come a long way in understanding our technology, but they're journey is not complete."

"So we're safe for now?" Kelly asked.

Kelly had imposed himself as far more than just an officer on Taylor's staff, but he was glad of his presence and knowledge.

"How long?" Kelly asked again.

"We believe they will be operational within two weeks."

Taylor's face turned to stone.

"Two weeks!" King shouted.

The room descended into chaos until White finally slammed his fist down on the table and pointed for Lasure to continue.

"Gentlemen, it seems we have just two options. Our mission up until now has been to kill Erdogan and seize control of his forces. That achievement has eluded us thus far. The choice we have is to continue that task, with the intention of completing it within two weeks, or, we focus our efforts on disabling this jump gate."

"It's no choice at all," said Taylor.

Everyone looked to him.

"Even if we can find and kill Erdogan in that time, are any of you happy with having all those bastards one jump away from being on our doorstep? So what if we take Erdogan down, and they don't like or accept what we do from there?"

"I have to agree with Taylor," said Lasure, "This threat cannot be left unchecked."

"Things a damn fortress, though," added Kelly.

"The simple fact is," said Taylor, "man for man, soldier for soldier, marine for marine, we are better than they are. But they have such vastly superior numbers that we cannot hope to win if we have to fight them all at once. If that gateway becomes operational, then Erdogan will have all the resources, armies, and fleets he will ever need to secure Earth for good, and our opportunity will be lost forever. And when he's content that Earth is rock solid, where do you think he will go next? No, we cannot let this stand. We must try and destroy that gateway before it becomes operational."

"I agree," said Lasure.

Everyone agreed, despite the fact nobody wanted to try and take on the monumental task of trying to achieve it.

"Irala, you say this could be operational in two weeks, could it be sooner?"

"Yes, it could be tomorrow, or a month from now."

"Then, Gentlemen, I'd love to tell you we can come back to this tomorrow after some serious consideration, but I am sorry to say that leave is cancelled, and we do not leave this room until we have found a way to make this happen. "

Over twenty officers and other staff and allies had been sitting about the table for two hours now. Everyone looked weary except Irala and Jafar, whose expressions rarely seemed to change.

"So what do we do?" Lasure asked, "Which plan do we follow?"

"Can't we just open a gateway right on top of the target and throw a nuke through?" Taylor asked.

"Works for me," said White.

They all looked to Irala for a response.

"Sending ordnance through a gateway has led to catastrophic effect. We will never do so again. Any large weaponry that passes through a gateway must be manned by a conscious operator."

"Okay. It was a sound idea. So what do we do?" Lasure asked again.

"Hit them with everything," replied White, as he looked at the images displayed before them, "A diversionary force to draw as much of that fleet away as possible, followed by an aerial bombardment. Nuke the surface, and have ground troops on standby for assault should that fail or the device not be disabled."

"Ground attack? Who would be crazy enough to do it?"

"We would, Admiral," Taylor said without hesitation, "Give us two nukes, and we'll deliver 'em by hand if need be."

"It's not a very subtle plan, Colonel."

Taylor shrugged.

"We will provide vessels for the diversionary force, as well as a secondary force for ground bombardment, and Guardians to operate in support of Colonel Taylor," added Irala.

"You know that a force large enough to create a diversion is gonna have to be vast?"

"Two hundred vessels," said Irala.

"We can spare a hundred between us. Any more than that and we leave this world unprotected."

"We only need to appear to have two hundred. We have a way."

Irala didn't seem keen to expand on that, so Lasure simply nodded and took him at his word.

"Taylor, what do you need?"

"Get me those nukes and fast transport for two hundred men, and we'll get the job done."

"Colonel, prepare your people. We set off as 1300 hours. I'll ensure you have enough support on the ground to give you the time you should need, if it comes to that. With any luck, this can be achieved with aerial bombardment, and we can return to our work on Earth. All further information will be forwarded to you."

Taylor nodded and casually walked out at a relaxed pace as he thought it all over in his head.

"Seems a simple enough plan," said King.

"Too simple," replied Taylor, taking a deep breath and trying to make sense of it all.

"You think it's a trap?" Kelly asked.

"How can it be?" asked Morris, "The enemy probably thinks they have a nice little secret there in their home system. Why would they ever think we'd be looking there?"

"Because Erdogan knows us," said Taylor, "He knows how we think. Let's not forget these are the people who defeated our race and the Aranui, and currently inhabit and own both of our homeworlds. Give them some credit where it’s due. There's something we're not seeing."

"Well why didn't you say so in there?" asked King.

"Because I don't know what it is, but this is just too easy."

"Easy? It's gonna be an absolute nightmare."

"The stakes are too high for Erdogan to risk losing this thing. He knows the war on Earth hands in the balance. This is his lifeline. This one target is what guarantees him victory. How far would you go to defend it if you were him?" Taylor asked.

"Few hundred ships in orbit and a substantial ground defence network seems about right," added King.

"I hope you're right."

"My Company will be taking this mission. King, I want you to lead two platoons in support."

"And us?"

"Get yourselves geared up, Kelly; you'll be deployed aboard the Baron for the duration of this mission. You will defend her borders and be ready to assist us if need be. That okay?"

"Anything we can do to help."

It was a bizarre experience to have Kelly under his command, and he didn't know why he was asking if his orders were acceptable, but he couldn't help but still see Kelly as an authority.

"Do you think your people will be up to this?"

"We've had a couple of days of good food in our bellies and freedom. We're ready for anything."

Taylor stopped, and they formed a circle around him, waiting to hear their orders.

"You all know what you have to do. With any luck, we shouldn't even be needed for this operation, but experience shows us things don't always go to plan. If we are needed on the surface to complete this mission, it should be nothing more than a lightning strike. But let's be sure we're ready for anything. Full combat load outs, extra ammunition and grenades. Breaching charges for every three men, 50BMGs for every ten. Let's make sure we can handle whatever job lands in our laps, okay? I want the Regiment assembled at 1200 hours, ready for departure to the Baron."

He looked at his watch and realised they had just thirty minutes, just enough to grab his equipment and be ready for the operation.

Good,
he thought.

He didn't need any more time to dwindle on the past and other troubles. He was focused now and single minded in his actions. He got to his quarters and pulled on his personal gear. A rack beside his bed was loaded up with magazines for his weapons and spare grenades. He stored twice a full marine's load out in his quarters, for he wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice around the clock.

Taylor pulled open the door to his quarters and stepped out in full combat attire, dressed head to toe in Reitech armour, but he froze as he saw a distraction he had been glad to be rid of - Coco.

"You're going back to Earth?" she asked.

He shook his head. "You know I can't discuss operational details with you."

"But you're going to fight, aren't you?"

"Rarely a day where I don't."

"Just remember this," she said. She reached and took his hand and placed it against her heavily pregnant stomach.

"You have this to come back to. You remember when Jones was mad with bloodlust and suicidal. You know who turned him around?"

Taylor nodded.

"That's right, you. You did. You saved him from that madness. Remember that, remember the man he would want you to be. Don't throw your life away."

"I don't ever go out there trying to die."

"And neither did Jones after you brought him back from the darkness inside him. He gave up his life because it was the only option to save us. Don't throw yours away because you think you should."

"You think I suffer from survivor’s guilt?"

He sounded offended by the prospect, but she was shocked by the question.

"No," she said with a smile, "that has never been your problem. You just don't know how to let go and let someone else take the reins. You don't have to fight this war singlehandedly."

“Maybe it’s not that I can’t let go, I just don’t want to?”

“One day it’ll all be over, you know. Life will go on without all this bloodshed and heartache. Can you live in that world? Would you want to?”

Taylor shook his head. “I don’t even know anymore. I feel like I was put in this life to do one thing, and I am doing it. If I make it out the other side, we’ll see about that.”

“Good luck,” she responded.

Her voice was calm and considered, and it reminded him so much of Parker. He nodded in response before stepping past her and continuing directly to the Regiment that was formed up as he had requested. Kelly was fully equipped just as he was now, and it was a reminder of better days. It was the first time he had seen Kelly and not scowled as he thought of the clones’ attack.

“Looking shiny,” he said to Kelly.

“Thank you, Colonel.”

Taylor saw a large ammo container not far behind them and leapt up onto it so that he could look out across the breadth of his Regiment that now totalled almost six hundred, more than it had in a very long time.

“The mission we are about to embark on is in many ways the most important task we have undertaken since our evacuation from Earth!” he declared, “If we fail in this mission, then our ability to retake Earth is over. Our safe haven here will likely be compromised also! If we fail today, the time we will have left can be calculated not in years or months, but in weeks. The simple fact is, we cannot fail. No matter what, we must destroy the enemy’s ability to create a gateway, or we are finished! Remember that. No matter what it costs us. Each and every one of our lives is worth paying to accomplish this, for if we do not succeed, they are forfeit regardless. Are you ready for this!”

An inaudible roar rang out, and he knew it was time.

“Load up!”

Kelly was quick to approach.

“You think things are that bad?” he asked as they watched the troops emplane.

“They could be. Erdogan has been one step ahead of us throughout most of the war. We finally get a little ahead, and low and behold he’s got something else working in the background. He’s not like any of the Krys Lords who came before him. We underestimated him over and over, and it costs us dearly.”

“But you think they need to know that?” Kelly gestured towards the hundreds of troops under their command.

“I’ve never been anything but honest with them. How can I expect them to follow me and have my back, if I am not one hundred percent honest with them?”

Kelly shrugged. “It’s worked so far for you, so who am I to judge?”

“Tell me something.”

“Anything.”

“When you were captured by the enemy, what did they do to you?”

“Honestly? A few days are just blank. I have no idea. After that, we were moved to the factories from where we were rescued. By all accounts, we weren’t treated half as bad as I would have expected.”

“You were a resource, of labour that is. Erdogan doesn’t waste resources. If he could convince whole armies from Earth to join him, he would.”

“I heard he tried that in China. They turned him down. It was a slaughter. Since then, people have just put their guns down and surrendered. It’s what I heard while locked up there, anyway.”

“I always thought we faced complete and utter extermination. If I’d known slavery and servitude were an option, I might never have left. A slave always has the chance to rise up. A dead man does not.”

“You regretting coming out here?”

Taylor thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

“No. So maybe we could have fought back in a few generations time, but if we’d been defeated, it would have been over for us. But then we didn’t know we’d find the Aranui, and they have been our saving grace. Without them, we might as well have laid down our arms and given up.”

“I don’t believe you ever could have. It’s not in your nature. If you were the last man alive in this universe, you’d still be fighting tooth and nail to the very end.”

 
“Probably.”

Taylor climbed aboard and watched Kelly load up with his people. He sat down and blanked out the rest of the trip. He was focused now on what they had to do. Thoughts of what would happen if they failed filled his head, and that hardened his resolve. He woke as he heard the countdown to the jump.

“You know I told you I could only survive so many of these crazy operations?” Rains asked. He sat behind as usual.

“Yeah, you told me.”

“Well if I’m gonna go out, better it be on a big one like this.”

Taylor looked up to see Rains was smiling as ever. Taylor shook his head, and it brought a smile to his face, too. “Nothing ever gets you down, does it?”

But they were interrupted by the countdown.

“Five, four, three, two, one…”

They passed through the gateway, and Taylor watched the screens, desperately waiting to see what was before them. A few moments later he could see hundreds of dots on their scanners where they had picked up the enemy fleet.