Battle Earth V

Chapter 6

The assault craft were rapidly approaching the planet the troops had so quickly named Red 1. It hadn’t required a lot of imagination, but it did catch on fast. They were descending on a new colony with little information or intelligence, a fact that worried them all.

Many of the troops had piled into the ‘copters, but they had too few to accommodate the Battalion. Taylor and Chandra were staying aboard the Deveron until they hit the ground. They appreciated their situation, as they knew how much safer they would be. The two officers stood in the hallway entrance leading to the main exterior doorway into the ship. Behind them their troops were packed in close. A projection display on the wall every few metres showed their descent and distance.

The enemy planet was still motionless. It appeared dead by all accounts, but they knew it was a deceptive impression.

“We must have ten thousand soldiers with us,” whispered Taylor.

“Thereabouts,” replied Chandra.

“Doesn’t that strike you as a little odd?”

“How so?”

“Striking out in new territory. Ten thousand soldiers are enough to hopefully have an impact, but few enough that a total loss would not be critical.”

She turned and looked in surprise to see Mitch really believed what he was saying. It was a scenario she had not considered.

“And maybe this was just all we could get here. It’s a bloody miracle we have a fleet at all. The Deveron is one of the few ships in the fleet built from the beginning as a Navy Vessel. It’s bloody remarkable what has been put together.”

Mitch knew she could well be right, but he could also hear the hesitation in her voice. He had made her seriously doubt their mission.

“Whatever the intention is, chances are with this mission, it no longer matters. We’re here now, so let’s do what we were born to do.”

They all knew the strategy was doubtful, but they also knew time was not on their side. They could not waste weeks gathering information before making a move. It was all or nothing for the 9 ^th Allied Army, as they had been designated.

“There is no doubt this mission is to test the water and find out if we really can end this in total victory, as we need to,” stated Chandra.

Captain Ryan’s voice came over the tannoy.

“Landing in three minutes!”

It was the signal for them to pull on their helmets in order to protect themselves from whatever conditions they were entering. It was certain they would fine little or no air to breathe where they were heading. Taylor fell into a daze as the video display of the approaching lands captivated him. The next few minutes passed before he knew it, and he snapped out of it only when he felt the tail of the ship dip as they made their final approach.

“This is it!” called Chandra. “Keep sharp, be ready for anything, and remember all the friends we lost to these bastards!”

Grunts of approval rang out down the line, but it was an odd sensation for many to hate the alien race when two stood among them. For many, they no longer saw Jafar and Tsengal as pure aliens but something in between. They had been humanised to the troops of Inter-Allied, whilst the rest of their race were still the faceless brutal killers they had come to know. Taylor looked around to see if the two of them were put out by Chandra’s sentiment, but they were as calm as ever.

The Deveron put down to a smooth and careful landing, despite the fast pace they had made during their descent. The main door prized opened and lowered to the ground as a ramp. The light bouncing off the red surface flooded into the ship, making them all feel a little sick. They could not smell the air or taste it, but the sight of the alien surface was enough to strike fear into them. None of them had ever stepped foot on a planet other than Earth. Chandra hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and jumped forward.

She landed on a dusty rock hard surface and kept moving forward, looking all around with her rifle at the ready. Taylor was quick to follow at her side. Gravity was lighter than on Earth. The two of them were first off the boat, but their ‘copters had already put down nearby. The surface was still eerily quiet. Deep caverns were up ahead, and several metallic structures protruded just half a metre above the ground.

Taylor wondered for a moment what they were doing there. They had not surveyed the ground. They had little understanding of what might beneath it. Before he could say a word, the Colonel drove forward towards the nearest structure, and the rest of them followed.

“I want a breach here, now,” Chandra ordered through the radios.

Taylor was surprised to hear her voice, as their comms had always been jammed in combat. The demo team leapt forward and laid down magnetic devices that clamped themselves on as they landed.

They all took a knee and awaited the team to do their job. As they waited, they heard another explosion ring out and looked around to see a German infantry unit rush through a breach and vanish below the surface.

“Fire in the hole!”

The explosion rang out, and several metres of the metalwork of the roof were ripped apart.

“Go, go, go!” shouted Chandra.

They rushed forward into the unknown with shields held before them. Taylor’s pulse was rushing, and he knew the others with him would be no different. Several of the unit managed to get to the breach ahead of the Colonel. It was likely she wanted to be through first, but light flashed through the breach, and they knew the first through had been hit.

Dust particles created a fog of the breach that only made it more terrifying. As Chandra passed through, she could see the bodies of three of their unit on the ground. Two of them were already dead. She knew she had to keep moving forward and leave the wounded soldier to the medics, as and when they could reach him.

A few pulses smashed into the wall in front of the Colonel, but the troops of Inter-Allied had already begun to overwhelm the enemy with a barrage of fire. Through the chaos, she caught sight of the first enemy that grabbed her attention and fired several aimed shots in quick succession.

Taylor quickly surveyed the scene as all around him lay down fire. They were in what appeared to be some kind of laboratory. Scattered instruments and machinery had little meaning to the Major. The room was thirty metres long by twenty metres wide. The ceilings were only just tall enough for Jafar to stand in who was at his side. The area could be described as nothing but clinical. It seemed that before their entrance nothing was out of place. There had not been a spec of dirt or dust in sight.

“Keep pushing forward!” Chandra ordered.

She looked around to realise that as usual, their comms were now being jammed.

“God damn, this is getting old!”

A pulse smashed into the top of her shield, and the force knocked her off balance and onto her back. She cursed at having been caught unawares and her clumsy tumble. Taylor let his rifle drop onto his sling and hoisted her to her feet. She quickly lifted up her rifle and gestured for the troops at their back to push forward.

“This stone age communication has to be resolved!” she shouted.

“Amen to that,” he replied.

She tried to regain her composure as Jones rushed past to join the fight. The troops were lining the room as the bottleneck left much of the Battalion waiting on the surface. Other units were putting down all around them, and they knew they could not expand out beyond the one breach.

“We’ve got them on the run!” Jones called out.

The speaker on his suit was transmitting just loud enough for Chandra to hear a few metres away. She pushed forward and joined the shuffle of troops trying to squeeze through the doorway of the room. They reached a ramp that was leading them deep below the surface. Jafar reached their side, but he had nothing to say.

“You must have some idea what this place is?” asked Taylor.

The alien shook his head.

“No, we have never experienced this place, but it is certainly not a colony.”

“Then what is it?” Chandra asked.

“A research facility by the looks of things,” replied Taylor.

Jafar nodded in agreement, but it was obvious he had no better idea than them. There were flashes up ahead, followed by the ripple of gunfire, but the column didn’t stop as they rushed down the ramp ten wide. They descended fifty metres and finally evened out into what was apparently a docking facility. Just two ships lay on the deck and were visibly in some state of repair.

The vast underground hangar was large enough for ten ships the size of the Deveron. Crates of ammunition lay stacked at the walls, but there was no sign of life. Chandra signalled for the troops to spread out as they were at last managing to get through the bottleneck.

“An underground hangar, why? What enemy were they guarding from?” asked Chandra.

“The Meteor showers. They are common on all our worlds.”

“So you all live underground?” Taylor asked.

“The higher classes, yes. Living on the surface means the weak do not survive.”

“No wonder they want Earth. It truly is a paradise compared to this shithole,” replied Taylor.

The silence was broken by the crack of several pulses rushing towards them.

“Cover!”

They rushed to any shelter they could find as the fire increased. Chandra and Taylor managed to get behind one of the two enemy ships nearby. They looked around to see that much of their unit were already returning fire with rapid bursts. Taylor peered around the nose of the ship to see several dozen Mechs flooding into the hangar from the opposite side. They were two hundred metres apart. The creatures seemed to come at them without fear, despite the odds.

The initial wave of creatures was cut down within minutes by the volleys of the first two companies who had got inside the hangar. Chandra smiled as she saw them brought to their knees and fired a few shots at one of the wounded creatures to finish it off. Mechs continued to flood into the hangar, but now they were taking cover behind crates and storage canisters. Chandra leaned back around to Taylor.

“Crazy bastards coming at us like that. They must truly believe they are superior.”

“We may have the upper hand today, but don’t you forget what it was like to face them with fairer numbers.”

Chandra sighed. She was enjoying the moment, but it hit home just how uncertain their situation was. They had caught the enemy by surprise, and the skirmish was far removed from the epic battles they had come to know and dread.

Taylor stepped out to the blunt square nose cone of the ship, which lay on its belly, so he could get a better view. The enemy momentum had been broken, but so had theirs. More Mechs poured into the defences up ahead, and neither party wanted to close the open ground they were fighting over.

“We need to gain some ground!” Taylor shouted.

Chandra looked around for any options to make progress. To their right there was another tunnel like they had come from, but flat this time.

“Take Jones’ Company that way, and see if you can get around them!”

Taylor was quick on his feet and rushed out in between the fire to reach the Captain’s position.

“Follow me Captain!”

Taylor had barely slowed down as he passed Jones, but the Captain was quick to follow. Mitch looked back to see Jafar and Tsengal were close behind and had followed him through the enemy fire, without order or question. Pulses rushed in between the Company as they made a dash for the corridor. Two were struck, but Taylor knew they couldn’t afford to stop for anything.

“Come on!”

He burst into the corridor to where he knew they would be safe, but could only hope no threat lay around the corner ahead. He couldn’t stop or risk leaving the others out in the line of fire. His rifle was held forward at the ready, as was his shield. Having the shields back brought an immense amount of comfort to their jobs. He took the turn and was relieved to find it empty.

Taylor carried on for ten metres and finally stopping when he was happy they were all inside. Jones was at the head of his Company with the two aliens either side of him.

“Stay close,” whispered Taylor.

He went forward once again at a jogging pace. It was enough to cover ground quickly but not too fast to make a racket or rush into danger. The corridor seemed to go on and on. The lighting was red, as on the surface. It tinted everything to the level that they all blended into the architecture. Mitch could see runners in the floor that were parallel. They ran the length of the corridor, but it was the first time he had noticed them. They appeared to be a kind of rail system for transport. He wanted answers but knew it was insignificant in that moment.

They passed several rooms with open doorways but didn’t have time to investigate. Up ahead, lay another bend in the corridor, and one Taylor hoped would lead them to the enemy’s flank. He took the turn as quickly as the last one, but stopped in horror. Jones and Jafar stumbled into his back. Before them were Mechs as far as they could see.

“Back!” screamed Taylor.

He fired off a quick few shots as the enemy raised their weapons and opened fire. It was clear they were as surprised to see the humans as much as Taylor and his lot were. Mitch just managed to get back around the corner as a brutal wave of enemy fire gushed down the corridor towards them. He slammed his back against the wall and took in a deep breath.

“Fuck!” he yelled.

He looked back around to see the enemy forces were moving steadily forwards to their position.

“Jones, send a runner to the Colonel. Tell her we’ve met heavy resistance and are staying put. We cannot assist her.”

Taylor leaned out around the corner and fired a burst into the first creature his rifle came to bare against. He quickly ducked back. Jones had already relayed the command and sent the message on.

“How many are there?” he asked.

Taylor shook his head.

“No idea, more than I can readily count.”

“We can’t hold here. They get to this corner and we’re goners.”

Taylor stopped and thought for just a moment. He looked back down the corridor over the heads of the troops. He could see the tops of entrance doorways to the rooms leading off from the corridor.

“We’ll fall back to those doorways. We can at least defend from there and retreat into the rooms if need be.”

“And if those rooms are dead ends?”

“I have no doubt they probably are,” replied Taylor glumly.

Jones accepted the grim forecast Taylor had given and turned to usher the troops back quickly while they still had time. The Major and Jafar fired several bursts around the corner and followed the others back. The Company scattered into four rooms with entrances fairly close to one another, giving some cover to fire from. Taylor continued into the same room as Jones. He reloaded and stopped just inside the doorway.

“You know we have absolutely no idea how many of those things are out there,” Jones said.

Taylor nodded in agreement.

“We could have just flown into the hornets’ next, for all we know,” he continued.

Taylor nodded in agreement once again as he looked out down the hallway, anxiously waiting to see the enemy.

“For Christ’s sake, Mitch, are we really that disposable that we can just be thrown into the abyss to see what happens?”

Taylor turned and gave all his attention to the Captain.

“After everything we have been through, we are just being tossed away as if we mean nothing?”

“Possibly, but some one had to carry out this mission. Would it be any fairer throwing raw recruits into this mess? Look, this battle has only just begun. They’re gonna have to try a damn sight harder to stop us here.”

“Last I looked, it was us on the run,” Jones answered.

Shots rang out from the troops on the other side of the corridor, and Taylor leaned out to see the first two Mechs entering the hallway tumble to the ground dead. Their comrades continued to push on past their bodies, as if they meant nothing. Taylor had always assumed the aliens simply had no care for their own, but Jafar and Tsengal had drawn all that into doubt.

“Give ‘em hell, boys!” Taylor roared.

He lifted his rifle and joined the fight.

“Come on you bastards!” he screamed.

Chandra peered over the cockpit of the craft she was hiding behind. Its hull was holding off all the enemy fire levelled at her. Parker and her platoon were huddled under the same cover and returning fire whenever they could. Just over a hundred of the Battalion had managed to get into the hangar with her, but many of the others were still held up on the ramp. She could see that no one wanted to move forward across the open ground between them and the enemy.

One of Jones’ troops came rushing across the open ground from where they had departed with Taylor, and she could already tell the news was not good. The messenger ducked and weaved through the fire with his shield held in both hands to provide a buffer. Two rounds struck the shield. The second knocked him off balance, and he tumbled in partially behind the cover near Chandra. She leaned over, hauling him across the floor as another pulse landed where his feet had been a second before.

“Thank you, Ma’am, message from the Major. We’ve hit heavy resistance, and the enemy is moving forward. He cannot support you.”

“God damn it!” But her voice could barely be heard over the furious battle raging around them. She peered up from the cover to quickly assess the situation and was met by blinding volleys of light as the Mechs fired relentlessly at their position. Few of the enemy looked for cover, and they confidently stood their ground.

We can’t stay here, she whispered to herself.

“What was that, Ma’am?”

She leaned in closer so he could hear.

“Get to Captain Jackson, and tell him we are moving forward in two minutes. Be ready to provide support!”

The man’s face was pale and his eyes wide with shock.

“You heard me! We’re going forward!”

He got to his feet and rushed back towards the ramp. She looked up to see the messenger get to Jackson a minute after leaving. The Captain looked up to find her and met her stare within a few seconds. He quizzed the news with a confused expression, but she responded with a nod. He lifted up his arm and gave a thumbs-up in acceptance.

The Colonel took a deep breath as she looked down at her watch, counting the seconds down. Fifteen seconds from time, she got to her feet and signalled all around her to rise. They could all see what was coming. Most were on their feet but still hunched down to get what cover they could.

“Now!” she shouted.

She held her rifle up high in the air and waved it towards the enemy. It was the only signal they needed. The hundred or more soldiers already in the hangar rose up and drove forwards with their shields held firmly out in front. Jackson rushed ahead, and his troops poured out from the corridor with the cover of the charge.

Chandra leapt out from cover to take her place amongst the troops as they advanced at a steady pace. She quickly targeted one of the enemy with her rifle held beside the shield, firing on the move. Pulses rushed at them, smashing their shield wall. Their pace was increasing, but they all knew they could only take so much punishment. The intensity of the enemy fire increased, and three of the shields were burnt through under the sustained battering. The rounds pierced the shields and smashed into the soldiers behind them. Chandra saw a few go down around her, but there was nothing she could do but go on.

They advanced forward in a single line because the hangar was so vast, but Jackson’s troops were quick to cover the distance, filling the gaps as the wounded were left behind. They were just fifty metres from the enemy now, and they kept up continuous fire on the enemy who stood their ground.

“Keep moving forward! Go!” Chandra shouted.

A pulse smashed into the corner of her shield as she said it, tearing off a piece that clipped the side of her helmet. Fortunately, it didn’t break the visor. Before she knew it, they were on top of the enemy. The speed of the Reitech suits was something that still surprised them all. She kept up her pace and rushed in a full sprint at the nearest creature.

The Colonel was just half the size of the creature, even with all her equipment, but her ferocious charge sent the beast tumbling over. Before it could recover, she fired a burst from her rifle into its back. The magazine was out. She dropped the rifle to her side and drew out her Assegai. As she turned to find a new target, her shield was shattered by the impact of a Mech smashing it with its cannon.

Chandra was thrown off her feet like a ragdoll and against the body of another of the enemy creatures. She collapsed down on the floor and was unconscious before she’d landed.

“Christ!” Taylor yelled, as a pulse smashed into the doorway beside him, and fragments of burning hot metal singed the surface of his helmet.

“Mitch, this is getting fucking hot!” shouted Jones. He was reloading his rifle only a metre away.

Taylor turned to reply but stopped as he heard something bounce on the ground in the corridor. He turned and saw a metal ball almost the size of a football slide to a halt next to them.

“Get down!”

He had barely enough to time to turn and jump with Jones as a massive explosion erupted in the hallway. The blast burst through the entrance and projected them several metres further along. They smashed into the floor hard and slid into a worktop with debris crashing all around them. Taylor shook his head, trying to regain composure but was stunned from the landing.

“Grenades?” asked Jones. “Are you fucking serious?”

“What, you thought we were the only ones with toys?” muttered Taylor.

Their suits had saved them from the deafening blast, but they were still stunned from the shock of the landing.

“Let’s give them a taste, then,” replied Jones.

He pulled a grenade from his armour and rushed to the entrance. He popped his head out for a second to see where they had gotten to, ducking back as a pulse rushed past his head.

“Christ, they’ve covered some ground!”

He twisted the firing cap and launched it around the corner, looking for any risk of being hit by the continuous stream of fire.

“Have that, you bastards!”

He ducked down as the explosion rang out down the corridor. Taylor quickly got to his feet and peered around the corner to see a dust cloud and three dead Mechs. He smiled, but energy pulses gushing through the fog-like cloud soon washed his joy away. He jumped back and drew out a grenade, quickly throwing it as Jones had.

A second after the explosion rang out, he was around the corner and firing rapidly. Taylor could not make out a target, but he knew behind the dust lay a wall of Mechs that he couldn’t miss. Others of his unit did likewise. They could see the silhouette of two creatures in the smoke be riddled with fire until they dropped, but more continued after them.

“More grenades!” Taylor shouted.

He threw his last one down the corridor and saw several others follow seconds after the blast. Taylor hunkered back inside the room to change his magazine and let Jones take over.

“They’re almost on us, Mitch. We’ve got about thirty seconds!”

The Captain was firing on full auto because they were so close. Taylor looked around to see the platoon they had in the room had taken up defensive positions around the tables and whatever furniture they could find. They waited silently and still. He could see the fear in their pale faces. Their backs were against he wall. They had nowhere to run.

“Jones, come on!”

The two of them rushed back further into the room to take cover. Huge drums as tall as their chests lay in a line that would provide cover, but they had no idea what they contained.

“I bloody hope these things aren’t flammable,” Jones called out.

“I’ll take my chances,” replied Taylor.

They readied their weapons and waited with baited breath for the enemy to appear. The corridor had gone quiet. The rest of the Company had retreated as they had done. It was less than a minute before they saw movement. The sight of the Mechs advancing relentlessly forwards was never something any of them had gotten used to, nor wanted to.

“Fire!”

The opening volley killed the first enemy soldier instantly, and the second fell soon after. The next two got through the doorway but were hit by even more bullets. They could see many of the creatures passing their entrance and moving onto the next. Taylor didn’t want to pass them off onto his comrades, but he was glad that some of the pressure was being taken off them.

“Give ‘em all you got!”

The gunfire was almost continuous as the Mechs tried to force their way into the room. The doorway was only wide enough for two of the creatures at a time, and their dead were amassing in the bottleneck. It was a turkey shoot, and not one of them felt any sympathy for their opponents. Jafar and Tsengal were with Taylor and showing no mercy against their own kind.

After a few minutes, the bodies of twenty Mechs lay scattered and piled in the entrance, and the next waves were struggling to force through their own dead. Taylor looked down to find a magazine, but out of the corner of his eye caught sight of another enemy grenade bouncing into the room.

“Get down!”

The explosion rocked the barrels, but clearly they weighed a hell of a lot more than they looked. It sheltered them from the blast. Taylor looked across their line to see shrapnel had hit only one of their own people. He slammed in a new magazine and lifted up once more to continue firing. To his surprise there were no targets.

For a few moments, they all stood silently with their rifles at the ready. None of them could believe the attack was over.

“Have we done it?” asked Jones.

Taylor shrugged his shoulders in surprise. He jumped cautiously over the defences and immediately lifted his rifle to the ready. He walked slowly towards the mound of enemy dead, kicking the nearest to be certain it was dead. Smoke still arose from its armour where grenade fragments had burned through.

Mitch climbed up onto the enemy dead and stumbled through the doorway, having to duck under, due to the pile of bodies. He dropped out into the corridor the other side and looked in amazement to see it was empty.

“Clear!” he called.

Cheers rang out from inside the room as the platoon rushed to join him. He turned and looked to see that the corridor was awash with enemy dead and piled high at each of the doorways.

“We did it,” said Jones.

Taylor looked down to see that he was dangerously low on ammunition.

“Form up! The Colonel still needs our help!”

It was a few minutes before the Company was able to fight their way out of the rooms through the bloody mess. He knew they’d taken casualties, but he didn’t want to think about it right then.

“Let’s move out!”

He quickly got to a steady jogging pace but was sure to keep his shield at the ready, should he meet another enemy force. A few moments later, he caught sight of familiar faces up ahead, realising the rest of the Battalion had successfully fought their way across the hangar.

“Friendlies incoming!”

He rushed through the lines to see enemy and human dead scattered among each other. Several soldiers were gathered around one of the wounded, and Taylor rushed up to see that it was the Colonel. He pushed one of them aside and knelt down beside her. She was propped up against the armour of a fallen Mech. She looked stunned and weak, but still alive.

“You okay?”

“Just about.”

“Can you walk?”

She looked away, finally looking back and almost in tears.

“I’m not sure I want to find out.”

Taylor looked back to see the medics busily working with other wounded.

“You! Help the Colonel!”

“No!” she cried.

“Can you move your legs?” he asked.

“She looked down at them and tried. Very slowly, they shifted a little.”

“Jesus, you’re okay!”

To her surprise, Taylor grabbed her and hauled her up to her feet. It was against everything he had ever learnt about injuries, but he knew it was all or nothing in that moment. She wobbled a little but managed to stay upright.

“I’ve taken worse beatings.”

Taylor sighed in relief. He suddenly realised how stupid it was to have pulled her up after potential injuries, but he was glad she was okay. He looked around to see the bodies of over fifty Mechs and twenty of their own scattered along the deck. Several of their wounded had their helmets off, to his surprise.

“We can breathe down here?”

“For up to an hour or more, yes. The mixture isn’t quite what we’re used to and could cause us problems in prolonged periods,” she replied.

Taylor ripped off the fully enclosed helmet, which he’d always found claustrophobic, and took in a deep breath. The air was thick with the smell of burning metal and sweat, but it was still appreciated. Taylor was about to settle down on a nearby crate when a loud mechanical cranking sound echoed around the huge hangar. He leapt back up to his feet and held his rifle at the ready. The rest of them froze and looked around for the source.

They quickly realised a massive shutter was opening a hundred metres away from their position.

“What the hell is this?” asked Taylor.

“Take up positions!” Chandra ordered.

They settled into what cover they could find as the shutter came to a halt. The opening it left was fifteen metres high and a similar width. They half expected to see a horde of Mechs stomp out, but they had no such luck. To their horror, a huge robotic leg stepped out into the light, and the rest of a ten metre-tall Mech followed it.

“Oh, my God,” muttered Taylor.

The creature resembled an enlarged version of the Mechs they had so recently fought, but it was vast, and like a tank on legs. It moved slowly, in fitting with the mammoth size. It finally cleared the entrance and turned to face them. Artillery size cannons festooned its arms, and the armour looked thicker than any vehicle they’d encountered. It looked unfinished, partially built, but still operational to scare the life out of the most steadfast of them.

Oh, shit, thought Taylor.

The Colonel wasn’t willing to wait to learn anymore.

“Fire!”

A hundred rounds struck the monster, but they seemed to have little effect. Lights beamed from it as pulses rushed towards them. It raised one of its arms and fired from the four-metre long gun barrel running down its forearm. The blast landed ten metres from Taylor, yet tossed him aside as if he was nothing. He looked back to see five dead, including one of their medics. Chandra was crawling for cover.

Hundreds of rounds were pouring into the massive metallic beast, but it continued to rain down hell on them all. Taylor looked to see that many were running for cover and hunkering down from the ferocious onslaught.

“Christ! Mines, Mines! Do we have any?”

“We’ve still got a few mag charges!” Corporal Hall shouted.

The charges had been their way into the facility earlier that day, and it was the only thing Taylor could think of. He gestured for them to be passed to him. A box was slid across the surface to him, and he opened it to see just one of the devices.

“Fuck it!”

He turned to see four others, including Corporal Hall, had got the devices ready to follow after him. He knew it was suicidal, but they were being butchered.

Taylor leapt out from cover and was joined by the other four volunteers. The five of them darted forward to the next line of cover as quickly as they could. He hunkered down and turned back to them.

“We’re only gonna get one chance each at this, so make it count. Aim for the legs or head!”

They looked up to see that the monster didn’t really have a head. Like the Mechs themselves, it had a mirrored plate section where the head would normally be, and the shoulder line rose above it.

“It’s probably controlled by one of the bastards. That’s where he’ll be. Head or legs.”

“Could we throw these things?” asked Hall.

“No, it’s too risky. This is the only chance we’re gonna get. It’s all or nothing, you ready?”

He could see the fear in the Corporal’s eyes, and yet he was still willing to go forward. They could see there was little to no cover left between them and the massive Mech.

“Cover the ground as quickly as you can, get the device planted, and get out! Now go!”

They rushed out from the cover, and two of the soldiers erupted in a flash of light before they’d even got up a pace. Hall was at the front, Taylor at the rear of the three. They were spread several metres apart. The quick pace allowed them to cover the ground quickly, but pulses still exploded all around them. The man between him and Hall vanished into a fireball that Taylor had to rush through and hope for the best. The heat singed his hair, and he’d wished he had kept his helmet on.

Taylor saw Hall sprint for the legs and slap the device onto the creature as he rushed past. The creature swung down its arm to strike him, but he was already sprinting fast enough to steam past. This was Taylor’s opportunity. Hall running beneath it distracted the creature. He used the power of his suit to launch him into the air to the full height of the creature.

As he flew through the air, he realised how insane his plan had been, but he was already long past the point of no return. He tumbled into the faceplate of the beast and only held on as the magnetic explosive device clamped on. The beast immediately responded by trying to reach up to Taylor, but its arms couldn’t reach. Taylor lifted himself and jumped up onto the shoulders of the creature.

He knew he had only a few seconds to spare. Mitch looked up to see the support structure of the hangar twenty metres above. He leapt up and used his boosters to reach it, clinging onto the supports for sheer life. A second later an explosion ripped out below him. He looked down to see the giant Mech begin to fall slowly like timber. As it struck the surface of the hangar, a second explosion ripped through its armour, sending shrapnel soaring across into the far wall. Taylor gave out a sigh of relief. He released his grip and let his suit bring him to a soft landing in the rubble.

Taylor smiled as he stood triumphantly among the wreckage of their vanquished foe. Hall strode up to him with a look of pure shock and awe.

“We fucking did it,” he whispered.

“Hell, yeah!”