Battle Earth III

Chapter 6

“Kelly! Kelly!” shouted Doyle.

The enthusiastic Private came charging down the dusty hallway into the storage room that was now their command centre. He was met with little positivity as the grim faces glared at him. Martinez turned to look at the furore. The Captain’s face was badly scarred, and he wore a makeshift eye patch over his left eye. He had the look of a man who was awaiting his death with dignity.

Commander Kelly turned slowly around in his chair. He no longer expected good news and was therefore careful to gather up his hopes. He glared at the Private as if the cheery man had somehow broken the mood; a mood so miserable and dire that one might wish they were already dead. Doyle slid to attention before the two officers and made a quick and ill disciplined salute. He could barely contain himself and looked as if he was going to explode.

“What is it, Private?” insisted Kelly.

“They’re leaving, Sir, by the bucket load!” he balled.

The room suddenly turned all attention on the excited man. For a moment, the people within it felt a spark of hope.

“What are you talking about?” asked Martinez with a doubtful tone.

Kelly leapt to his feet. He prayed for good news but knew it sounded too good to be true.

“Come on, Doyle, spit it out,” Kelly shouted.

Doyle finally opened his mouth and blurted out his message.

“The enemy ships are leaving. Taking off all over the surface!”

The Commander spun around on the spot and turned to Lewis, who was sat at his makeshift console with cables hanging out all over the place, and multiple screens balanced across what furniture and mounts he could scavenge. Kelly didn’t need to ask any questions. The communications officer was already slaving away at his station to corroborate Doyle’s news that seemed unbelievable.

Several dozen soldiers waited silently for further news. They anxiously wanted to believe that Doyle was correct.

“Come on, come on…” whispered Martinez.

Lewis spun around in his chair and stared up at the Commander with a bewildered expression. For a moment he could not speak, and Kelly already knew the answer. A smile widened across his face before the man had even opened his mouth.

“He’s right, Sir. They’re leaving!”

A hail of excitement burst out as claps and whistles echoed around the room. Kelly took a few paces closer, so Lewis could hear him.

“Where are they going?”

Lewis turned back to his monitors and carefully studied the data. He swivelled back around in his chair with yet more surprise in his face.

“They’re heading for Earth…”

Kelly smashed his hand down on the table rocking the consoles.

“Yes!” he screamed.

The deep booming roar from their Commander caused the room to go silent, and all attention to turn on him. Kelly could see new life in the eyes of all those around him. They had resigned themselves to fighting to the very last man and woman, but now there was hope.

“The enemy occupiers are departing for Earth. This can only mean one thing!” he bellowed.

Silence still filled the room. None of them had heard Lewis’ last comment and had been too busy celebrating to care.

“They underestimated the human race! Earth forces are giving them hell, and they must be re-directing everything they have to get down there. The Earthers have given us an opportunity. Their blood and sacrifice may give us all the opening we need to take back our lands!”

Cheers rang out once again as further troops flooded in from the nearby corridors. Kelly turned back to Lewis who was mesmerised by the news.

“Lieutenant, open all channels.”

Lewis stared at him in a daze for a moment, finally snapping out of it and turning back to his console. Seconds later, the Commander saw the lights fire up to signify an open channel.

“This is Commander Kelly. Alien forces are leaving our colony. We are not free of occupation. We still have a long way to go, but hope is once again with us. I repeat. Alien forces are leaving our colony in substantial number.”

Rave applause echoed through the corridors as the colony’s survivors burst into celebration. A Chinese officer rushed into the room with a broad smile on his face.

“Commander, has this news being verified?” he asked.

“Colonel Chen, we have just had visual confirmation. The tide just turned in this war.”

“My Battalion is ready and awaiting your orders, Commander.”

Kelly knew the Chinese troops were eager to get into action since they arrived the week before. They were the only soldiers to come to the aid of the Lunar colony since Taylor’s mission to rescue the Prime Minister.

“Thank you, Colonel.”

He turned back to the microphone to talk to the survivors of the colony.

“All units are to be ready for combat within the hour. Be patient, be strong, and be ready. The time is almost upon us to take back our homes, over and out.”

He nodded for Lewis to stop the transmission and turned to Martinez and Chen. Martinez would never have liked giving up any authority or command to an Earth dweller, but now he would take any help he could get.

“I want to know those bastards have gone for good. I have no doubt they have left more than enough troops here to not make our life easy, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As soon as we are confident that all who are going have left, and they are entering the Earth’s atmosphere, it is our time to strike.”

“You think we can do it this time?” asked Martinez.

“I think we have a damn good chance. We’ll do this systematically. Corridor by corridor until we occupy all that is underground. I know we want the surface back, but we have to do it with caution.”

“Agreed,” replied Chen confidently.

“We are thankful of your support, Colonel, but you are likely to be the only help we see for some time, and we cannot afford to throw lives away. We paid a high price the last time we tried to move forward, so let’s do this right. Both of you ready our troops. Remind them of what we are fighting for, and the price of failure.”

“Go, go, go!” roared Chandra.

She could barely hear her own voice over the deafening explosions tearing through the base. She flinched as one struck a transport plane, and it burst into a thick ball of black smoke. Debris scattered across the ground between them and smashed into the rooftops of their billets. The Company rushed from their accommodation, desperately trying to pull on their equipment as they scurried out towards the trenches.

“So much for a rest!” shouted Hall.

“You can rest when you’re dead, Corporal!” she barked.

Silva rushed to the Major’s side with a look of bewilderment on his face. The troops of the Inter-Allied Company had been taking a much-needed spate of rest and had settled in for a few quiet card games and naps.

“What the fuck is going on, Major?” he hastily asked.

“The whole fucking Krycenaean army is advancing from Saarbrucken!”

“My God, then this wait was all about massing forces for a push?”

“Looks that way, follow my lead. We’re heading for Gate B to the west, and we have to hold!”

“I don’t see we have any other choice, Major,” he replied despondently.

She nodded with a pained grin and turned quickly, beckoning for the nearest troops to follow her. As she ran with her body held low, she could see troops and vehicles all over the base in an absolute frenzy, and as many were heading to the front line as were fleeing from it. She darted from building to building to cover the five hundred metres between them and the perimeter of the base.

Chandra could not see the front line through the scattered troops, vehicles and dust. As they grew nearer, she gained some visibility, gasping as she saw trees collapsing under the weight of the enemy tanks that were breaching the thick forest.

“Into the trenches now!” she cried.

They continued to rush forward as explosions burst all round them, and they felt the immense heat of the artillery pulses rush past. She sprinted across the open ground between the last of the buildings and the first trenches. The Major hoped her comrades were close behind, but she could no longer pause to think about it. She jumped and rolled into the closest trench, nearly knocking herself out as she landed hard in the floor beside a Russian officer.

The Company poured into the trenches all around her, squeezing in between those already huddled in for safety. Chandra shook her head to re-gain her senses and wiped the dust from her face as she looked to Silva.

“We can’t stay here. We have to get our guns into action!” she yelled.

“Not like we’ve got a lot that’ll touch them, Major.”

“That’s life. We’ll just have to hope someone else can do some of the work.”

She looked at the troops around her. Their own Company were mixed in with two other units. They all looked as scared as each other. The last few weeks had made them complacent. They had gotten used to holding their ground and forgotten how terrifying their opponents could be.

“Let’s move! On me!” ordered Chandra.

She clambered to her feet and followed the trench works further west. There were six layer of trenches constructed around the entire western perimeter of Ramstein. As they got closer to the front, they could hear the raucous grinding of the enemy tanks rumbling towards them. They were not stopped by any obstacles in the battered no man’s land that had been fought over for so many weeks.

They finally reached the front line trenches, where German infantry were frantically trying to stop the oncoming tanks with what little heavy equipment they had. She didn’t recognise any of the faces. With the tens of thousands of soldiers operating along the lines, it was rare for her to see anyone twice. She wondered how many of those she had stood beside in combat were now dead, but they were names she never knew.

“What the hell are we doing here, Major?” shouted Blinker.

Chandra crawled up the side of the trench to look down the shallow slope towards the oncoming enemy. They were still a distance away and making slow but steady progress. Artillery shells whistled overhead and crashed down into the enemy advance. She watched as Mechs were tossed into the air like ragdolls and thrown back down into the mud. The pulse cannons on the tanks fired volleys into their positions, and dirt peppered the hunkered down troops. The Major looked down at the soldiers hiding from the enemy guns.

“Get the fuck up here and start shooting!” she yelled.

She lifted her rifle up onto the edge of trench and took careful aim at the first Mech that drew her attention. The armoured creature was still seven hundred metres out, but she had to feel that they were doing something. She aimed, squeezed the trigger and watched the round bounce off the Mech’s faceplate.

“God damn it!”

She looked over at Sergeant Silva.

“We need our god damn weapons back!”

She watched as Campbell laid his huge anti-materiel rifle down and quickly took aim. He was careful to select the creature the armour had defiantly brushed off the Major’s rifle. He quickly pulled the trigger, and she turned to see blood spew from the baseball-size hole in its facial armour. The beast went limp and smashed down into the dirt. She turned and nodded in appreciation to the marine sniper.

“Get the ARMALs up here, and anything else we have got!”

Mortars fired off in sequence in the trench behind them, sending further fire forwards. The big guns roared to the east in support. She could hear gunfire and pulse weapons raging for miles. They all knew the time had come. The enemy weren’t stopped in their tracks weeks before, and they were only rallying their forces to smash the allied forces in Ramstein.

As the troops prepared what little heavy weaponry they had, the Major once again peered over the firing shelf to witness the fearsome advance. She could hear allied tanks rolling forward at their backs to join the fight. The sky lit up as an aerial strike began. She had just enough time to spot the multiple wings of enemy craft as the first pulses smashed into their positions. The vibrations threw her into the base of the trench. Lying flat on her back, the Major watched the enemy fighters rush past overhead with guns blazing.

“There’s nothing left to stop them,” stated Silva in a sombre tone.

They could hear the anti-aircraft weapons of the base blasting away, desperately trying to bring down the enemy craft, but their systems were woefully antiquated.

“We’ve lost the sky,” muttered Chandra.

“Then be thankful we’re bloody infantry!” shouted Silva.

“Not so much, we’re the ones getting shit on!” yelled Blinker.

Chandra looked over to see the cheeky grin on the soldier’s face. It astonished her that amid such a brutal bombardment and assault, he could keep his spirits high. It was enough to make her remember her job in it all. She rolled over onto her front and pushed herself up to her feet. Standing tall in the middle of the trench, she looked at the scared soldiers lining the walls.

“This war isn’t going to fight itself! Do you want to wait here to be killed in this shithole, or give those bastards hell?” she cried.

Several of the beleaguered troops looked up at the Major. Her short stature never ceased to make her imposing.

“Come on, you bastards!”

They scrambled to the firing ledge and opened fire. The tiered trenches running down hill meant that gunfire flew over their heads from the allied units at their backs. Smoke plumes raced towards the enemy as the rockets soared towards them. Chandra knew their equipment was inadequate against the Krycenaean armour, but they could not lie down and do nothing.

Tracer fire lit up the battlefield, but it was overwhelmed by the vast energy pulses smashing into their positions. No man’s land was little more than a scrap heap and pile of rubble. Many of the craters were so large that the advancing tanks all but disappeared in the dips. A huge explosion rang out as one of them ran over an anti-tank mine. Chandra watched as the monstrous vehicle bounced a few centimetres off the ground but kept moving. Seconds later, it hit a second which finally blew the tracks off.

Further explosions sent earth blasting into the sky as the advancing infantry reached the minefield that had been laid. Soldiers across the trenches screamed out in celebration as Mech soldiers were blasted into the air. Chandra revelled in their destruction. The bloodshed of humans made her want to howl, but she cheered the slaughter of their enemies. The cheering died as massive explosions erupted around the trench works.

“They’re still coming,” cried Monty.

“They mean to roll over us,” growled Silva.

“And they bloody will, if we don’t get some damn support!”

The guns of the allied tanks roared at their backs, but it was not enough to slow the enemy progress. As they reached the effective range of grenades, the troops opened up with a hail of gunfire and explosives in a desperate attempt to halt the creatures. Chandra could make out hundreds of Mechs in their field of fire alone, and many more through the smoke to both the north and south.

“Major, we can’t hold here!” shouted Silva.

“We have to!” she replied desperately.

The Mechs increased pace as they bounced along the rough terrain on their spring legged armour, approaching a jogging speed. She leapt up onto the trench and fired on full auto at the nearest, striking it with twenty rounds to the faceplate until it smashed down into the dirt. It slid a metre uphill with its momentum. The Mechs advancing towards them were smashed down by the heavy weapon fire and sustained weapons in the line, but it was not enough.

The surviving enemy Mechs rushed into the trenches and kept firing as they moved. Chandra saw a creature leap in just a few metres from where she was standing. It crushed one of the German infantrymen as it landed, obliterating another with its pulse cannon at close range. Screams of panic rang out across the lines as gunfire opened up inside the trenches.

Bullets bounced off the thick armour of the creature. It was almost impossible to get a fix on its weak points as it thrashed around the trench, firing and crushing soldiers as if they were toys. Four of the German soldiers were dead before Chandra could even respond, but Hall was already on his feet. He climbed out the back of the trench and rushed along the top.

“Aim for the head!” cried Chandra.

Hall reached the edge of the trench above the creature as it trained its cannon on a group of soldiers whose rifle fire was ricocheting off its armour. He lifted his rifle and opened up on full auto against the top of the creature’s armoured suit. It spasmed sharply and smashed its cannon into the Corporal. Hall was launched into the air and tumbled back down to the ground hard. He rolled across the muddy surface until coming to a dead stop.

The Major turned to shout her orders but found Silva stood with an ARMAL launcher held at the hip. She leapt aside as he fired. Smoke filed the trench, and a split second later a huge explosion tore through it. Metal shrapnel burst across the area, hitting several of the troops. Chandra yelped in pain as a sliver of metal impeded into her left arm. She turned away as the heat from the explosion blasted past.

As the dust settled, the Major turned to look at the carnage in the trench. The Mech had been blown apart and scattered across the bodies of the four dead soldiers. Gunfire continued to rage in the nearby trenches, and artillery fire still roared overhead. Silva rushed to her side and quickly checked her wound.

“You okay, Major?” he yelled.

She nodded back but could not yet get any words out. Her eardrums had popped, and she was still in shock at the devastation. She turned and stumbled, slightly falling back against the wall of the trench. The Major could see the distraught faces of the troops around her. The war was taking them face-to-face with their enemy, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

“We don’t get our gear back soon, and we are fucking goners,” whispered Silva.

She climbed back up to look over the trench with Silva. The Mech forces lay in ruin, but they could see columns of the enemy in the distance and heading for them.

“That was just the beginning,” said Silva. “Within a few hours, those armies are going to roll up these hills, and there will be nothing we can do about it.”

“Alright, Sergeant, gather up any wounded and head back to re-supply.”

“Re-supply what, ammunition that can barely touch those bastards? The launchers we got early on this war finally gave us a fighting chance, but now we may as well throw stones at them!”

She grabbed the Sergeant’s webbing and hauled him in close.

“I am well aware of that, Sergeant, but what am I to do?”

“Whatever you have to! This isn’t just about us. If our armies fall here, it could be the end of the war in Europe.” He pointed to the line of tanks behind their positions, several of which were engulfed in flames. “That armour and artillery is all that is keeping them from running us into the ground, and how long do you think it can last?”

She looked back to see Captain Becker kneeling down beside one of the wounded tank crewmen as medics were doing the best they could. She wished she could have his resolve, but she also knew that deep down he was as scared as the rest of them. The tank commander looked up at her and instantly recognised her even over the distance. He gave a friendly and informal salute that she acknowledged. Silva carried on.

“Reiter’s equipment has gone into production. I hear some units in the US have already been issued it. Whatever is needed, it must be done. We need that gear, and we need it now!”

Chandra turned to look at the flood of enemy swarming towards them and prayed for it all to be over. Let it all be a bad dream, she thought. It can’t be real, none of it. She felt numb from the misery and loss she had witnessed. Then her attention was drawn by a cough and a splutter behind their trench. She turned to see Hall rolling in pain.

“He’s alive,” exclaimed Silva.

Chandra clambered out of her trench and rushed to the Corporal. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at her with a smile, even though she could see the pain in his face and blood pouring from his mouth. She knelt down beside him and looked for any wounds. His rifle lay splintered in half beside him, having taken the worst of the impact. She could see that his right shoulder was dislocated and slung low.

“I’m still here, Major, still in the fight,” he smiled.

She lifted his other arm and looked for any wounds. He winced in pain, but she was relieved to see his wounds did not extend further.

“You’re a lucky bastard, Corporal. We’ll get you patched up and back in no time,” she replied.

He sighed in pain once again and spat blood out onto the dirt where his broken rifle lay.

“Major, we gotta sort this out. We’re getting fucking killed out here. What happens when they get here in greater number?”

She heard footsteps as the mud squelched beside her and saw Sergeant Silva step up to her side.

“He’s right. We haven’t got the firepower to stop them at a distance, and at this range, we were god damn lucky no more got through. Two or three of those in the trench, and we could have all been done for.”

“Alright, I hear you loud and clear. I’ll do what I can. You get the Company back for re-supply.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Whatever I can to get us what we need.”

Kelly strode through the corridor that was lined with eager troops waiting to re-take the ground they had been losing on a daily basis. What was left of the Moon government still did their utmost to stop him going into combat, but he would not be swayed. He could never ask his fellow citizens to fight while he watched from safety.

The Chinese transport has taken back their remaining children and wounded. Those left knew they were stuck there for the foreseeable future. It was a grim reality, but at least now they had hope. Kelly reached the intersection where Martinez and Chen were awaiting him. All three officers carried the M97 launchers with armour piercing rounds that had proven so effective in their last major battle, even if it was ultimately doomed to failure.

“I’m heading north to take the passages we lost last week,” stated Kelly. He pulled out his Mappad with a layout of the passages. “Chen, you go north-west through 49B. Martinez, you’ll follow me until you reach this intersection, at which time you’ll take this section, corridor 38C.”

“That’ll have us crossing paths within hours. We could cover more ground than that if we work further afield,” claimed Chen.

“In an ideal world, Colonel, but this isn’t an ideal world, or at least not anymore. We underestimated the strength of their forces once, and I will not do it again. If we fail again, it could be the end of us all. I appreciate your troops are eager for action, but we know all too well the horrors that we face.”

Chen nodded in agreement. Kelly could see the Colonel didn’t agree with his assessment or tactics, but he was loyal enough not to contradict them.

“Your being here is greatly appreciated and will never be forgotten, Colonel,” said Kelly to reassure the Chinese officer.

“What is the estimate of remaining enemy forces?” asked Martinez.

“A hell of a lot left for Earth, so I can only imagine they have left what they believe is enough to keep us suppressed.”

“That’s reassuring,” he snarled.

“What do you want me to say, that this is going to be easy? These Krycenaeans, or whatever they are called, didn’t come here to take power. They came to take our lands, and they will not rest until we are dead. Remind your men of that. It’s us, or them. The Earthers have opened up an opportunity for us, so let’s not screw it up.”

Kelly turned back to Chen who still looked less than enthusiastic about his plan. The Commander couldn’t tell if it was their mission, or the fact the Colonel had to fight on the Moon which bothered him.

“The colony may mean nothing to you, Colonel, but that shouldn’t matter. You have seen the pressure Earth forces have laid down that has opened up the gates for us. Know that in fighting here, you can do the same for them.”

“Damn right, killing these freaks is killing these freaks, wherever you do it,” Martinez mused.

Chen smiled.

“Actually, I’d rather not be fighting anywhere. Life as a soldier used to be an adventure, and a safe one at that. Now look where we’re at.”

“And someday you can go back to that life, Colonel. Wars don’t last forever.”

“As long as you survive them,” he replied.

Martinez turned around so he could see the Colonel with his only good eye.

“Hey, we’ve made it this far. Those bastards thought they’d run us into the ground, and we’re still here, and still standing.”

“And plenty aren’t.”

“You signed up to be a soldier, Colonel. That means you signed up to defend your nation and its people against any threat that may be posed against it. Do you think any soldier ever got to choose his opponent?”

Chen dipped his head in shame. He knew he was being selfish, but it was hard not to be when he was being asked to risk his life for a colony that had in his lifetime felt quite alien. He finally looked up and nodded in agreement. Kelly did not blame Chen for his lack of motivation in fighting for them or wanting to risk his life. The Commander no longer valued his own life. He had grown comfortable with the idea it had been given up for the greater good.

Kelly had lived an easy life as a military Commander of a colony that saw no action to speak of. He had spent much time reading of great battles and commanders of old. He had become well accustomed to what he must do, and the sacrifices he must make. He always admired those officers and leaders who had led from the front, even though it may lead to their deaths. He saw himself like the great Philip of Macedonia. But he also knew he would likely meet the same bloody end that so many great combat leaders did.

A small price to pay, he thought. Kelly’s life had seen little excitement and noteworthy events. He didn’t mind dying for a just cause, but he prayed his exploits would be remembered. Dying alone, and his accomplishments going unknown, was the only thing that scared him anymore. At least now he knew the children and other vulnerable citizens had been saved.

“This is the time we have been waiting for, and the time to strike back on our own terms and with a fair chance. It ain’t gonna get any better than this. Good luck to both of you, and relay my regards and gratitude to your troops, any questions?”

The two men said nothing. Martinez had been numbed of the fear of facing the enemy guns, but Chen had seen little action since arriving. They had mostly spent the last few weeks hiding away from the devils on the surface.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Kelly slung the launcher over his shoulder and quickly turned, walking away with a quick stride. Martinez followed close behind. As Kelly grew nearer to his troops, he could feel his stomach turn. He had given up hope of survival, but now that a new challenge grew nearer, he could feel concern flooding back into his mind. What if we fail? What if I get them all killed? This could be the end of everything. We can’t fail.

The troops were parted either side of the broad corridors watching the two officers stride past. A few whistles rang out as they saw their leader approach the front line. It was one of the few morale boosting experiences they ever had in their miserable and seemingly hopeless lives. Martinez paced up further, so he could walk beside the Commander.

“Do you think we can do it? Do you really think we can do it this time?”

The Commander’s voice had no concern, and it was calm and considered. He did not raise his voice loud enough for any of the passing troops to hear, nor was he trying to back out.

“Honestly, I think we have a chance, and the best we’ll have.”

“So you weren’t bullshitting?” he asked.

Kelly shook his head side to side.

“If I thought there wasn’t a reasonable chance of success, I would never risk the lives of us all.”

“Really, you sure you don’t just want to go out in a blaze of glory?”

“What use is that when there’ll be no one left to know it happened?”

Martinez smiled. It was the first reassurance he had gotten in weeks. Some might have thought Kelly was a selfish glory hound from such comments, but Martinez took it as a sign that he wanted to live. The two men reached the access doors to the next tunnels that no one had stepped foot through in weeks. The entrance had remained hidden to the Mechs who patrolled the nearby corridors. Kelly turned back to address the closest troops. Lieutenant Perera was at the head of them; a man who was no stranger to the death the enemy could deal out.

“For too long have we hidden in our caves! Every week the enemy breach a new corridor and discover new ways into our homes. Each week we lose more of our friends to such attacks. Eventually, we will run out of places to hide! The Earthers have given us a chance here, a chance to save ourselves. Let’s grasp it with both hands, and kick these alien bastards out of our homes!”

The troops cheered, all but Perera. He was still doubtful, like so many of the officers, that another sally out could work. Few, but those in charge, knew of the death toll from previous actions. Kelly could see the doubt in the man’s face, but he no longer had the time to convince every soldier that they had hope. He turned and grasped the huge wheel locking the door shut.

Martinez and the others watched in suspense as the Commander spun the lock around until the door opened just a millimetre. Kelly didn’t show any caution. He knew he must be confident and forthright. With his weapon still slung across his back, he took the door wheel in both hands and hauled it open. The half-metre thick door creaked as it swung its hinges and rocked back against the wall.

Commander Kelly strutted confidently and triumphantly out into the dusty tunnel without a weapon in his hands. He turned back and looked at the troops who peered on in amazement. They were roused by his seemingly unflinching confidence. A cheer rang out as they rushed forward to join their fearless leader.

Kelly turned on the spot and lifted his weapon. He suddenly became aware that he no longer felt like the old and creaky desk worker close to retiring that he had done. A rationed diet and regular combat had conditioned him. He had shed kilos of weight in the last few months. Gone were his chubby cheeks, replaced by a sharp and grizzled jaw. His armour fitted right. His body felt right, and his troops could see the resolve in his eyes. It’s our time, he thought.

“Let’s take these bastards down!” he cried.

Gone was their calm concern and caution. They got to a jogging pace and rushed down the corridors. The stomping of hundreds of boots echoed down the empty cavities. Kelly turned a bend to find a single Mech stood gazing in awe of the noise and frozen in utter shock at what it saw. Before it could react, the Commander and five others lifted their weapons, releasing a hail of gunfire that killed the alien in seconds.

The troops cried in a bloodthirsty frenzy as they rushed past the body of the invader without even breaking stride. Gunfire erupted in the distance where Chen had made his entrance. Kelly smiled as he recognised the volley of human weapons.

“That’s our lads!” he yelled.

They had cut down another four Mechs without any injury by the time they reached Martinez’s designated corridor. He nodded in recognition to the Commander, lifting his rifle and leading his troops off at the fork. They had maintained a jogging pace through half a kilometre of tunnels and found only a few enemy guards.

“Is this really it? Are we finally taking it all back?” asked Perera.

Kelly turned to see the officer was at the front and by his side.

“This has gone on long enough, and it’s our time,” replied Kelly.

The Commander could see new life in the Lieutenant’s eyes. The hope that had been lost so long ago had returned within minutes. It was all the motivation Kelly needed. He no longer felt tired and beleaguered. It was as if he had awoken a different man that day. They were no longer the hunted.

When they finally reached the rendezvous point, they could see the same rush of excitement amongst all that fought beside them.

“Status report!” shouted Kelly.

“Corridor is clear, one wounded,” replied Martinez.

“Clear, one dead, two wounded,” shouted Chen as he rushed towards them.

Kelly’s smile grew wider. He never liked losing a single soul, but a single death after all the devastation they had witnessed was a better result than any of them could have hoped for. He spun around to see the faces of the troops around them. They were not panting, and they were not downtrodden. Smiles and excitement filled all their faces. Kelly knew that it was an opportunity he must take advantage of.

“Colonel Chen. You felt we may better clear this ground if we fought further afield. Are you still confident with that assessment?”

Kelly deliberately shouted it loud enough for all near them to hear.

“Yes, Sir!” Chen yelled back.

“I’m heading north, Martinez, east, and Chen, west. Let’s clear these bastards out of our land!”

The troops thrust their rifles into the air and cried with excitement. Kelly could hear the applause ring out through the corridors around them. He could not relay his words to their armies, but they knew well enough that success was in their hands.

“Let’s do this, forwards!” cried Kelly.