Battle Earth IV

Chapter 9

Taylor had found a temporary holding cell just a few metres from the command centre and had quickly acquired it for his new prisoners. He sat and watched them through a one way screen. Never before had he been able to so closely study one of the creatures while it was still living. He could tell the one creature was of great importance, and he was more than a little curious to understand how much so. The door beside him opened, and Chandra stepped through with Kelly at her side.

The Commander gasped as he saw the three creatures beyond the screen and just a few metres away. He froze for a moment and was clearly thinking of reaching for a weapon before he calmed himself.

“What the hell are they doing here?”

“They surrendered to me, Sir.”

“Surrendered? There is no surrender in this war, Major.”

Taylor stepped past the Commander and closed the door behind him before stepping back to his previous position.

“If I may, Sir?”

“Go on.”

“This creature is clearly of importance among our enemy. It poses no threat to us, and it makes sense to try and learn what we can while we have the opportunity. We are forever lacking information and understanding of these creatures. Would you not like some information on enemy strength, positions?”

Kelly turned and carefully studied the creature that sat against the wall. Its towering frame made the room look out of scale. The beast appeared humbled for having been captured but still proud.

“What makes you think anything it says will be truthful?”

“No idea, but it costs us nothing to talk.”

Kelly gritted his teeth, and Mitch could see the Commander hated their enemy more than any of them.

“Alright, but you handle this. I want proper security on these creatures at all times. If this goes sour, it’s on you.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Kelly strode out of the room, leaving Chandra watching the creatures in amazement. She turned to Taylor.

“Don’t take any chances with them. They’d just as soon as rip your head from your body if they had the chance.”

“I know,” he replied.

“I’ll admit I am a little curious. Let me know anything interesting that you discover.”

The two of them stepped out of the room where a dozen soldiers were stood either on guard of the room or awaiting the Colonel as her protection. She quickly left with her entourage, leaving Taylor to the interrogation. It was the first communication they’d ever had with the enemy, but it had seemed of little importance once their intentions were clear.

“Hall, get two others and join me. I want you to have your wits about you at all times.”

“On it, Sir.”

Taylor stepped over to the entrance where Parker and another guarded the entrance.

“Watch your ass in there, Mitch.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

He opened the security door and stepped inside with the three marines at his back, their weapons raised and ready to fire at a moment’s notice. The three creatures sat at the far end of the cell and didn’t respond to the presence of the troops. He couldn’t tell if they had simply given up and accepted their fate, or if they were biding their time for the right opportunity to strike.

The holding chamber was eight by five metres and allowed them to keep a good distance apart. In the centre of the room was a table with four chairs. Taylor strolled forward and took the nearest seat. The enemy officer looked up and into the eyes of Taylor. He could see some kind of pipe rising around the creature’s head from around the suit and into its nostrils. He imagined they couldn’t breathe air alone.

“My name is Major Taylor, 2 ^nd Inter-Allied Battalion.”

The creature still glared at him but had not moved. It finally opened its mouth and spoke in the same deep and coarse voice that Taylor had heard before.

“The slayer of Karadag.”

The creature was relaxed and confident.

“I was there when he was defeated, yes.”

“How? How could you, weak and small, kill a hero?”

Taylor’s eyes squinted, and his face crunched up in anger.

“Your Karadag was a genocidal maniac. It was an honour to see him to his end.”

The beast went silent as it dipped its head and seemed to reflect on his words. Taylor marvelled at how human the creature seemed. They were so different to humans, yet they seemed to have so much in common. Taylor could read the same body language and interaction as if the beast was human.

“Who are you?” asked Taylor.

“Demiran, leader of the 62 ^nd Group, and honoured to be of Karadag’s kin.”

Taylor’s eyes widened. He wondered why the creature had not yet tried to kill him, knowing what he now did. It made him clench his fists and grow more guarded and ready for anything.

“Why did you surrender to us?”

The creature sat up tall and proud.

“You gave us the chance to live, did you not?”

“We don’t kill those who do not fight against us.”

“Then that is your mistake.”

Taylor smiled. “Need I remind you of who is winning this war?”

Demiran looked away as if shamed. Taylor could tell the leader’s guards were confused by the whole conversation. They could clearly understand what was being said, but not why.

“Can there never be peace between our two races?”

“Yes, when we rule your planet.”

Taylor shook his head. He’d always hoped that peace could be negotiated, but he had not yet seen any evidence that it was a possibility.

“What are your people’s intentions now?”

“Is is not already clear?”

Taylor stood up quickly in frustration at the lack of co-operation.

“How many soldiers do you have on the Moon?”

Demiran glared at him, and it was clear an answer would never come.

Taylor turned in frustration. I wasn’t born for this shit. We need an interrogator, he thought.

He paced out of the room and returned to the station HQ to find it was now a hive of activity. Kelly and Chandra were busy chatting over a briefing table with four other officers. The Commander noticed as he entered.

“Major Taylor, join us please.”

Mitch could make out the insignia of the Moon colony forces on two of the officers, and they glared at him as if he were the enemy, but Kelly welcomed him with open arms.

“Did you get anything from the prisoners?” he asked.

“Nothing useful, Sir. He is a relation of Karadag. I don’t think he’ll give me anything.”

Chandra’s eyes widened. “No, you might be able to use that to your advantage.”

Kelly thought about it for a moment and nodded in agreement.

“It’s true. His anger towards you could let certain information slip, so keep at it. Now, we’ve secured the station, and Earth has been notified. So far, we have eight dead and thirty-four wounded. It’s a solid start. We’ve got eight hours until the main fleet arrives. Most of the ships will be civilian and unarmed, so it is vital they have a clear run.”

“Commander!”

Doyle, Kelly’s comms officer spun around in his chair and frantically called out. The Commander turned as the man blurted out the news.

“Sir, we’ve got incoming!”

Kelly rushed over to the man, and the others stood anxiously awaiting more information.

“Several dozen ships are approaching from the Moon.”

“My, God, how long do we have?”

“At the speed they’re travelling, maybe two hours.”

Kelly turned in horror. He quickly snapped out of it and strode back to the table where the other officers were stood in shock.

“What do you reckon they want? To destroy the station or take it back?” he asked.

“They must have occupied it for a reason,” replied Chandra.

“And we have Demiran,” Taylor added.

Kelly looked at the Major with a puzzled expression for a second before he clarified.

“The enemy officer we captured.”

Kelly shook his head. “To hear their names, it almost makes them feel like a human enemy.”

“Sir, we must hold this station, or there is little hope of taking back your homeland. Let alone the fact we cannot let a sizeable enemy force loom over Earth.”

He once again snapped out of his daze and turned to the Colonel.

“Of course we must defend it! Captain Morris. We were hit by a defence grid installed by the enemy on our approach. Figure out where it is and get it working. Chandra, get all combat ships flying, and have them take up defensive positions around the station. Taylor, you’ve successfully faced off against these bastards more than any of us. I want you to liaise with all other officers on organising the defences. I’ll return once I have reported to General Schulz.”

The Commander turned and quickly rushed off to Doyle to organise an urgent transmission he would take in a private room. They all knew what it would entail, a desperate bid for support at all haste. Chandra left the table also to go about her business, and Taylor looked up to several confrontational faces. The Earth officers among them admired him, but the Moon Defence personnel despised him to the core.

“Perera, is it? Can you bring up a map of the station?”

The Lieutenant obliged but remained silent. A few seconds later, a digital 3D model of the station was projected above the table up to chest height.

“We still don’t know the enemy’s intentions. If they mean to destroy this station, then we best hope the Navy boys can do their best. But knowing their tactics, I would expect them to breach with infantry forces, whether they intend to destroy us or merely rescue their officer. Either way, we must prepare for a serious fight.”

“Not our first time,” replied Perera.

Taylor sighed at the man’s insubordinate and snarky comment.

“Let’s get something straight. You barely survived and escaped from your colony with the help of our forces. We aren’t here to survive by the skin of our teeth. We’re here to win. You can either skulk around, and keep bitching like a school boy, or you can join the winners.”

Several of the Earth officers could not conceal their amusement that only served to infuriate the Moon officer further.

“What?” Taylor asked. “You want to hit me? You want to kill me? Good, vent that at the enemy. I don’t give a shit what you feel towards me. I am here to serve a purpose. Fall in line, or get out of my sight!”

The Lieutenant knew he had been unprofessional and unhelpful and so felt uneasy, but Taylor could still see the hatred in his eyes.

“Right, let’s get on with what’s at hand.”

He quickly studied the map of the station and could see that it was a vast area to have to cover.

“We’re gonna be spread a little thin. If they were going to set charges to blow this place, you can bet your ass it’ll be either at the energy and grav generators here, or the central engineering quarters here. Those will be our focus points, as well as the command centre and guarding of the prisoners.”

“Is it wise to leave so much of the station unguarded?”

Taylor looked to the Asian man but couldn’t identify his rank from an insignia that he did not recognise.

“Sorry, but I do not believe we have met.”

“Colonel Chen.”

“You fought with the MDF?”

“A hard struggle.”

Taylor could see the Colonel had no qualms about being under the orders of a less ranked officer. Mitch’s reputation still gained him immense respect from most in the military fraternity.

“The incoming forces must have departed the Moon within minutes of our attack, meaning they probably have some idea of our strength. With that in mind, I can guarantee they’ll be hitting us hard. If we split our numbers, this station could be overrun, and we’d have nowhere to run.”

Mitch studied the map once again before pointing out a number of points.

“I want these corridors sealed off, anyway you can. That’ll close off all ancillary districts of the station, leaving us with only a third of the floor space to cover.”

“Nothing we do will keep them contained for long,” replied Perera.

“No, but time is not on their side. General Schulz is on his way. We only have to hold until he gets here.”

“We’ve got four access points to cover, Colonel Chen. I’d like you here, at hall 14B. The MDF will take the crossroads at the end of hall 86E. Captain Nichols and the Royal Greens will take the engineering levels. 112 ^th Mechanised, under Major Achen, will cover the corridors leading to the command centre here, and the prisoners themselves.

“Where will you be?” asked Chen.

“We have to be ready for anything. 2 ^nd Inter-Allied will remain fluid for rapid deployment to any breaches, and to provide assistance to any and all locations needing it.”

“Trying to be the hero again, everywhere at once?” asked Perera.

Taylor righted himself and took a few quick steps up to the Lieutenant. Perera stood tall in defiance, taunting the Major. Taylor without warning struck the man with a hard punch to the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Mitch had been careful not to use all the power his suit afforded him, which would have been enough to break the man’s neck.

“This is not a pissing contest. It’s not a game, and I don’t have time for it. You don’t like me because of what has already happened and I cannot change. Well here’s some news for you. You didn’t have it worse than everyone else. Man the fuck up, and start acting like god damn soldier!”

Mitch loomed over the Lieutenant, whose nose was bleeding and jaw clearly sore. The man was still stunned and humbled before him.

“There is no room for fighting each other. It will hinder our forces and is an uncertainty none of us can afford. The next insubordinate comment will earn you a place in the brig, where you will sit out this fight and hope there is still someone standing to deal with you after. Now, do I have your allegiance?”

Taylor was sick of trying to pander to some of the MDF troops. He knew he had no other option but to no longer give them a choice. The man begrudgingly nodded in agreement. Mitch offered out his hand to both help the man up and in a gesture of good will. Perera accepted, knowing he had little other choice. He could see in Taylor’s eyes that the Major would just as soon shoot him in the head if he continued on his current path. Mitch wrenched the man to his feet and quickly turned back to the others who were still shocked at the sudden violent outburst.

“You know where you are to be. We have to assume that our communications will be jammed. Tap into the station’s cabled comms so that we can maintain contact at all times. I also want all platoons to assign a runner to pass on messages, should we lose all contact due to power outage or damage to the station’s systems.”

He looked at the map one last time.

“You haven’t got long. Get those access points sealed up and build what defences you can, that’ll be all.”

The officers scattered to go about their business. Kelly strode back into the room with a paler face than usual, looking in surprise at Perera’s bloody face as the Lieutenant passed him. He didn’t interfere or ask after the man. He knew he must leave Taylor to resolve any issues between them. Mitch was the only one left at the table awaiting the Commander.

“Schulz is going to make all haste, but the best we can hope for is six hours until they arrive. For now we’re on our own.”

Taylor nodded, but he had already accepted their predicament. He outlined the plans to Kelly in just a few minutes, and they both stood silently staring at the projected map and lost in thought.

“It’s a simple plan, as good as can be made,” Kelly finally stated.

“Thank you, Sir. I’d like you to stay in overall command here. You’ll be able to direct everything from this position through the hard lines and runners.”

“Alright, thank you, Major. Please go on and continue with the preparations.”

Mitch picked up his rifle and quickly jogged out of the command centre to find several of his troops waiting for him. Ninety minutes later, they were as prepared as they could hope to be. Taylor and Chandra were side by side in a corridor junction. The Battalion had been spread out across three floors and multiple points in order to act as intended.

“Sure it was wise to split our own and spread them so thin?” asked Chandra.

“We need rapid response teams, and we have the most capable troops for the job.”

She nodded in agreement, but she didn’t dislike the idea any less.

The loudhailers fitted throughout every room and corridor crackled as Kelly came on to give his last few words to them all before the battle would begin.

“This is Commander Kelly. Within the next ten minutes, we will face whatever the enemy can throw at us. All we have to do is hold. We have nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. This station is absolutely essential to winning this war and driving the invaders from our solar system. It must be defended at all costs.”

He took a deep breath as he realised he may well be asking them all to fight to their last dying breath.

“A lot is of expected of us all here today. The human race is depending on us to get the job done. Most of you here have lived your whole lives on Earth. I very much appreciate the efforts and sacrifices you are making. But let us not forget, this is not about taking the Moon Colony back. It is about driving this enemy away for good. It is about ensuring they no longer threaten any of our homes ever again!”

The intercom went silent for a moment.

“I have just received word that the enemy craft are entering firing range in three minutes. Be ready for anything. Stand your ground, and remember what we are all fighting for. Any breaches or enemy engagements are to be immediately reported. Let’s keep a tight lid on this, good luck to you all!”

The tannoy system fell silent, and the corridors went utterly silent as the soldiers reflected on his words. Finally, Chandra looked to Taylor and broke the silence.

“All that we have survived, and now we find ourselves locked up in a tin can with nothing around us but space. I don’t like fighting when there is no escape by land or sea.”

“Agreed, but I remember you being eager to get into space.”

She chuckled.

“Eager to kill those bastards, certainly. Let’s not let it end up here, okay? If I’m gonna die in this war, I want it to be of firm ground.”

“Amen to that. Why on Earth anyone ever wanted to live on the God damn Moon is a mystery to me.”

The two of them had each attached themselves to a platoon of Jones’ Company. The Captain waited on a floor down with the other two platoons in readiness for the rapid deployment which they expected to need. The Commander’s voice came over the tannoy once again.

“Enemy targets have entered firing range. We have incoming fire!”

In the confines of the station, they could neither hear nor see any of what was going on. They wondered whether they’d want to see it, or if it was worse to have to wait to see the fate of themselves and their friends. Mitch finally broke and couldn’t withstand it any longer. Eddie was out there fighting alongside so many other pilots and Navy personnel he called friends.

“Fuck this, I want to see what’s happening!”

He leapt to his feet, and Chandra did not have the heart to stop him. Mitch made it down two corridors with several troops in tow before finally reaching an area with portholes giving a view to the outside world; light pulses from both the enemy and friendly weapons. Before he could identify any of the lightning fast battle in front of him, he was drawn to an object approaching their position at rapid velocity.

His eyes widened as he realised it was an enemy craft heading right for them on a deliberate path. He turned quickly with just enough time to warn those around him.

“Incoming!”

He leapt a few steps away from the window to take cover, but the explosion he had expected never came. He stood up in surprise as a loud clang rang out as something clamped onto the hull of the station. A small blast vibrated the corridor around them. A large plate of corridor burst inwards just ten metres away from the Major.

“Breach!” he yelled.

He turned back to Lam stood beside him.

“Get the Colonel here, now!”

He turned back and took up position in the ribbing of the corridor wall. He raised his rifle just as he saw the faint but instantly recognisable silhouette of a Mech infantryman appearing through the dust cloud created from the breach. He waited just a second for it to step into the open, and then he took a deep breath.

Here we fucking go again, he thought.

Footsteps pounded down the corridor, and it only intensified the rapid pounding of Taylor’s heart he always felt when a fight was about to begin. The creature up ahead turned quickly in his direction as it heard the troops approaching. Without hesitating, Mitch squeezed the trigger and loosed off a volley of shots, riddling the creature with bullets.

Before the beast had hit the deck, another two had advanced past it, and Taylor heard the rapid fire of weapons beside him. He’d prayed their fleet outside was still in the fight, but he no longer had the time to think of them. A light pulse rushed down the corridor between the troops huddling in against the ribbing of the corridors that provided them with some useful cover. Two more of the creatures were killed before Taylor’s eyes as he continued to pour fire down the corridor.

He could see they had a solid defence, and his people were more than capable of holding. It was his opportunity to get back to Chandra and check on any news. Just after a pulse flew past his position, he rushed out and quickly dived around the corner where Chandra was waiting.

“I’ve already had word sent to Jones to box them in the other end!” she shouted.

“So they are jamming us?”

She nodded in response.

“Are the hard lines still working?”

“For now. Do you think you can hold them in that corridor?” she asked.

“No problem, but it’s not this breach I’m worried about. It’s the next one and the one after.”

Chandra dipped her head and sighed at the desperation of their situation, and Taylor could already see she knew more than she had said.

“What is it?”

“We already have two other breaches.”

“Christ, I bloody hope Schulz gets a God damn shift on! How are the other breaches holding?”

“So far they’re holding. But Mitch, I don’t know how many more of these we can take. Info is still sketchy on the enemy strength, but clearly what we have in the air isn’t enough to hold them off.”

Taylor thought back to Rains for a minute. He knew the pilots and Navy personnel were their first line of defence, and so would be getting it the worst. Part of him hoped they had beaten a hasty retreat and saved themselves from the bitter onslaught of the aliens, but more than anything he prayed they had stayed. Corporal Hall rushed up to stand between the two officers and blurted out his news before they could ask his purpose.

“Colonel, we have another two breaches, one on this deck and one on 2A.”

“Alright, Kelly will have to handle one. We’ll take this level.”

She turned to Taylor. “Can you handle this, here?”

He nodded quickly in response.

“Alright, we’ll head to the other breach. Pray for us all, Major. Pray we make it through this. Pray the enemy are in few numbers, and pray Schulz is as quick to respond as we might hope.”

“Too much to chance, Colonel. I’ll rely on me and my own, first and foremost. Let’s show these bastards why you don’t mess with the human race!”

He turned and rushed back to his positions to peel off half the platoon to continue on to the new destination. He knew he was spreading their troops thin, but there was little else to do.

“Hall, we’ve got to move, now!”

The Corporal turned to look at the battle ensuing ahead where Jones had clearly flanked the enemy and engaged them with a brutal salvo of fire.

“The Captain can handle this, come on!”

Taylor led just twelve men to the next breach. Hall led the section he now commanded; a corporal was all they could muster anymore.

“Sir, we can’t keep covering so much ground!” yelled Hall as they rushed down a narrow corridor.

“We have to. We have to hold!”

“Spread this thin, one break in our line, and we’ll be fucked!”

“That’s a chance we’ll have to take, Corporal. Now haul ass and give ‘em hell!”

“Morris! Get down that corridor and cut them off!” Kelly shouted.

The Commander was stood at the entrance to the command centre with rifle in hand. A fallen Mech lay just twenty metres down the corridor. He shook his head in disbelief at how close the enemy had got. Martinez rushed to his side. The officer had blood splattered across his face, but it was clearly not his own.

“Sir, you must get back in to the CP. We can handle it here!”

Kelly looked around and initially thought to lash out at the man for tell him what to do. But he thought for just long enough to appreciate it had to be done.

“Alright, but you get back to the fight. Don’t let any of those bastards near the holding cell. Those prisoners may be the only reason we’re still alive!”

He quickly turned and rushed back into the command post to see Lewis receiving frantic communications from around the station. Kelly could do nothing but stand beside him and await the news. Eventually, the comms officer looked up and reported with a stunned and grim tone.

“Sir, we’ve got five breaches. Two are within the containment areas, but I have lost the video feeds.”

Then you can bet your arse they’ll be banging on the doors soon enough. Where are they likely to try and break through?”

Lewis leapt to his feet and strode over to the projected map of the station.

“The enemy craft that breached within the confinement areas are here, and here. Captain Nichols will have to face one, the other force is coming for us.”

“Alright, let Major Achen know. How is Perera doing?”

“Only light contact so far.”

“And the Navy boys?”

“From what I can see, they’re still slugging it out. They have been able to stop a number of the assault ships, but clearly they’re still getting through.”

The room shook violently as a blast rang out just ten metres from where they were stood. The two of them ducked instinctively as items on the desk beside them were launched onto the deck.

“What the fuck was that?” yelled Kelly.

He heard a myriad of shots and screams ring out from the corridor outside, and it was followed by automatic weapon fire.

“They must have breached the adjacent corridor, Sir,” replied Lewis.

“God damn it! Get Taylor and tell him we need assistance, now!”