Battle Earth VI

Chapter 11

Gabes,another city I’ve never heard of, despite spending weeks preparing anoperation there, Taylor thought.

He'd poured over photos and maps to the extent he felt he was intimately familiar with the land.

"Two minutes!" said Rains.

Anti-aircraft pulses burst in the sky before them and were increasing at a rapid rate. The massive aerial offensive was hopefully enough to hold back their air power. For the Battalion and all the others in the sky, they could only wait and hope. He couldn't see anything from his seat, but neither did he want to. Their time finally came.

"Thirty seconds!"

"Line up!" ordered Taylor.

They were all glad to be getting out of the copter. They'd rather face the enemy themselves than wait to be blown out of the sky. Their job was to secure the land north of Gabes, a narrow patch corridor between the salt lake Chott el Jerid and the sea. It was the opposite end of the offensive to where the ruins of the K'til lay, but he knew it was vitally important until they had secured a beachhead.

There’ll be plenty of time yet to find Demiran.

He counted down on his watch as they all stood and approached the door.

"Good luck to you all," he said through comms.

Several nodded in agreement. Jones was first at the door. Taylor was halfway down the line with Jafar at his back. The green light at the door lit up, and Jones leapt without hesitation. The rest of the platoon followed him. As Taylor reached the door, he realised how dark the area was. There was no lighting on the ground. The moon provided minimal amounts. Only the enemy pulses and explosions provided streaks and bursts around them.

He stopped at the door for only a second and jumped. The copters had been flying at just over two hundred metres from the dusty surface, so it was a quick descent. His boosters lit up the space beneath him as they dropped. It quickly become apparent they were landing right on top of a complex system of enemy trenches which had not shown up in any of their intelligence reports and satellite imagery. He could only assume they covered it by day, but there was no time to worry about that now.

Pulses raced up at them from the enemy positions below, and far more fire was sent down from the airborne as they descended. Inter-Allied, and Italian forces from 3rd and 4th Mechanized Infantry formed their 5th Brigade. It was the first time the Italians had seen combat, but Taylor was confident they would hold their own.

He was approaching a Mech at high speed, despite his boosters slowing him rapidly. The creature was firing up at several of his comrades. He opened fire with his rifle and got off three shots before landing on top of the alien. His weight smashed it off its feet. He quickly got up and could see his shots had killed it before he’d even landed.

A quick assessment of his surroundings found he stood inside thick concrete-like trenches. They were three metres wide by two deep, tall enough so that he could not see out over the top. He jumped up onto the body of the Mech to get some view all around. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of an enemy Mech advancing around a bend in the trench, but before he could respond, gunfire ripped into the soldier. He looked up. Jafar was above the trench and firing in.

Gunfire sounded all around; more of theirs than the enemy. Jafar jumped down in the trench to his side.

"Why the hell didn't we know about these positions?" Taylor asked.

Jafar seemed as baffled as him. Several of Jones' platoon joined him.

"All right, let's sweep and clear."

He lifted up his rifle and continued on down the line. The first thing they encountered were three Mechs firing over the trench line at the incoming friendlies. They fired several bursts, moving in on the aliens, killing them before they could respond.

"At least it looks like we did actually catch them by surprise. Thanks to you, no doubt," he said to Jafar. He’d been instrumental in their counter-intelligence operations leading up to the invasion.

They continued north along the line of defences and found little resistance until they reached the farthest point of the trenches looking out north. Taylor reached for a flare from his webbing and fired it up into the sky. They saw open barren land for as far as the light extended.

The gunfire in their location was already calming down, but they could hear the battle raging a few kilometres away at the coastline. Jones finally found the Colonel and had a look of utter shock about him.

"Surely it can't be this easy?"

"No, it can't, and it won't be. We could have attacked anywhere, so they would have had to spread thin to defend the borders and coastline. Now they know we're here, they'll come for us with everything they've got."

"How long do you think we have?" asked Jones.

"Not long at all. This is where they'll hit us. Get our anti-tank guns deployed along this line, and find out how the beach operations are going."

Jafar stood silently, looking out into the pitch-black wasteland to the north.

"Maybe we did hit them with overwhelming numbers. They must be weakened from the fight in the east. "

"Yes, they are, but not finished, Charlie."

"No, never underestimate a wounded animal."

They waited in the trenches for an hour before Jones received solid information.

"Most of the beaches have been taken, supply lines are being established, and the armour should be with us within a few hours."

"Then let's hope that's soon enough."

As he said it, they heard the sound they feared the most, heavy tracks from an armoured column advancing from the north.

"They better be quick!" yelled Taylor, lifting his binoculars and switching to night vision. Across the open flat plain, he could just make out the vehicles which were over ten kilometres out and merely silhouettes at present."

"How long do we have?" asked Taylor.

"Maybe twenty minutes."

"Get those guns ready!"

There was nothing more to do but wait for the enemy and await reinforcement. They carried magnetic mines for taking on the tanks if the trenches were over run, but all prayed they would not have to use them. The time seemed to pass quickly. Taylor sat beside one of the portable anti-tank weapons they had brought with them. It was as large as a man and needed two to carry it. They had just a dozen of the weapons within the Brigade.

"Concentrate fire on the two targets given. I want them to think we're punching above our weight," he said into his comm.

"Six guns on two vehicles?" asked Jones.

"I'd rather be sure to nail two than risk spreading our fire. They need to think we've got a lot more here than we have."

"You don't think we can hold against them?"

"Not without armour, no. I can see dozens of tanks heading our way, and I bet there are many more en route."

"How about the airborne armour?"

"It's nowhere to be seen, is it?"

"Bugger."

They had entered into range. Taylor looked down the trench, and the troops were almost shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Fire!" he yelled.

The six guns fired almost in perfect synchronisation. He looked through his binoculars to see one smashed by the fire with two holes having direct hits on the centre of its hull. The other vehicle seemed to brush off the fire and kept moving.

"Shit," he whispered to himself. "Reload!"

The crews were already well ahead of him.

"All fire to be directed on previous target."

The first enemy tanks opened fire and pulses smashed into the ground before and after Taylor's trench.

"Fire!"

The salvo struck the enemy tank, five out of the six shots landed, crippling the vehicle immediately. Smoke belched from its cracked hull.

"Reload and fire in your own time."

Two more of the enemy vehicles fell soon after, but they were now within a kilometre of the trenches and showed no signs of stopping. The intensity of the bombardment was increasing, and dozens of casualties were being reported in the nearby positions alone.

"God save us if they reach here," said Jones.

Taylor pulled out one of the magnetic charges, but it seemed a near hopeless situation if it came to the point of using it. He hunkered down to the trench edge and held the mine ready to deploy. The ground began to shake as they approached.

"Five hundred metres!" warned Jones.

Then their hearts almost stopped as lights flashed to the east, and the cannon fire rang out. Taylor could see a tank regiment approaching and firing with everything they had. He turned back to the battlefield. Half a dozen enemy vehicles were smashed beyond recognition in the initial salvo. Cheers rang out across the trench lines as the enemy advance ground to a halt.

The battle raged on for two hours amongst the armour. They could do little but appreciate the cover they had inherited and hunker down to wait for it all to be over. By midnight, all had gone quiet, and both sides began to settle in till morning. It was just half an hour into the peacefulness when Jones got out his stove and began to brew up. Taylor smiled as he propped himself up against a trench wall nearby. The excitement of the initial attack was over. For once they had gotten it easy.

"Jafar thinks they'll be falling back through the night," he said.

"I would if I were them. They must have spread themselves thin over thousands of kilometres of shoreline. We're closing in on them now. They must know the end is in sight."

"And yet they still came. They came to Earth with too little, too late," replied Taylor.

"They didn't come for a stand up fight at all, remember. They're trying to survive us, not the other way around."

It was true, and for the first time Taylor was starting to realise how scared they must be, just as they had been in the first war.

"I want Demiran before this is over."

"You and the rest of the world, Mitch."

"No, he's rightfully ours. I want to see that son of a bitch bleed, and I want to see him die at the hands of one of ours."

"We usually get pushed to the front, so there's a good chance of it."

"Chance? That’s not good enough."

"There is a way of finding him."

The two of them were shocked to hear Jafar's voice. It came from up over the trench into the darkness that divided them from the enemy. He jumped down from the edge into the trench. They were both glad his abilities were put to good use with them, as he was a league apart from the regular Mech infantry.

"Go on," said Taylor.

"I know the way he thinks, and I know the way he plans. If I could get a view of their positions, in maybe just an hour or two, I'd know."

"But they must surely be moving constantly."

"If you could get me overhead of the K'til and the positions they have setup there, I could identify Demiran's location by morning."

"But how long would he be wherever you find him?" asked Jones.

"A day, maybe two."

"It could be enough."

"We can't move anywhere without orders."

"Armoured divisions will be heading north at first light. Our job here is done. We'll be heading southeast to take on the main force," replied Taylor.

"Well, probably, but not like we know for sure."

"Sure enough," he said, turning to Jafar.

"So with a little time of aerial surveillance, you reckon you can find him?"

Jafar nodded.

"I can't get you much. Rains is probably crazy enough for it, and one of the only pilots who would do so without asking questions."

"Mitch, you're treading on dangerous ground here, very dangerous.”

“What are we doing here? We came here to end Demiran and rid our world of the enemy. What if we could do that in a day, or a week?”

“Then we take it to Phillips, who will take it to those who have the authority to make that happen. I was reckless once, and you know that almost cost me my life. Don’t do this alone.”

“I’m not doing it alone. I’m asking you to come with me, all of you. We find where Demiran is, and take this brigade right for him.”

“The numbers don’t add up. We can’t take on the might of their entire armies.”

“We won’t. We’re going for Demiran. Just him.”

Jones shook his head realising Taylor would not be swayed.

“Get Rains down here. I want that information before first light.”

Jones had to accept it because no matter what, he would support his friend. In little over an hour, Jafar was lifting off aboard the copter. The rest lay in their trenches and waited. There was no sign of the enemy that night, only the sound of the odd trade of fire between the armour ahead of them.

“Tomorrow we’ll be ordered south to take on Demiran’s main forces around the K’til.”

“And you intend to speed up that process, Mitch?” Charlie asked.

Parker had been sitting with them for a while, and she joined the conversation.

“And an opportunity to end Demiran’s life. When we killed Karadag, they were beaten,” Taylor said.

“I didn’t say he didn’t need to die. If I thought it were that easy, I’d be all for it. But we are one Battalion. Even if we could get the rest of the Brigade aboard, it’ll be crazy odds.”

“The rest of the Brigade will follow, Charlie. They will follow because it’s us. Our reputation means to a lot to them, and I bet it means a lot to Demiran too.”

“What do you mean?” asked Parker. “Oh, no, no, no, no. You want to draw him out. You want to bait him with the great champions who killed his kin. You’re more crazy than I thought.”

“And why not? He wants a piece of me. I want a piece of him. Can’t we settle this properly?”

“If he could, he’d order you killed in a heartbeat.”

“No he won’t. He won’t because he has too much pride for that. He came to destroy this world through bitter hatred. The only thing he hates just as much is me. He knows who I am.”

“Wait, this isn’t what I signed up for,” replied Parker.

“No, you signed up to the Marine Corps, to do your duty,” snapped Taylor.

“And what if you’re wrong?” she asked.

“Then we fight on no matter. Our armies are heading for the K’til. All this can do is accelerate that path. Who knows what they could be planning? A lightning attack to bring this to a close is exactly what we need.”

“And what do you believe will happen to the hundreds of thousands of Mechs if and when you do kill Demiran?” asked Jones.

“I bet their number isn’t what it was when they got here. Without him, they’d scatter. Those who could will probably leave Earth on any ships still operational. Though they probably won’t make it past our grid and Navy. The rest will scatter across the continent and be mopped up in time.”

“Are you that confident that the death of their leader is enough to finish them?”

“I saw it in Jafar and Tsengal, Eli. Demiran died to them the minute he showed his true self and they had a way out.”

“I sure hope you’re right.”

She knew there was no good arguing with him any longer.

Nothing more was said on the subject until Jafar returned, but the first they knew of it was the sight of him and Rains traipsing across the tops of the trenches towards them.

“They’re back,” said Parker.

“They survived,” added Jones.

“But have they got what we need?”

“I tell you what, this is the last time I fly under this crazy bastard’s command!” yelled Eddie.

“Did you get the information? Do you know where Demiran is?”

Mitch could already tell they did.

“Yes, and it was easier than expected,” replied Jafar.

“What d’you mean?”

“Son of a bitch is in his quarters aboard the K’til, right where he was when this all began,” added Eddie.

“This for real?”

Jafar nodded.

“But why?”

“Unfinished business,” added Jones.

Taylor turned in surprise to see Charlie was really onto something.

“He’s been waiting for you. This is personal.”

“So why don’t we just bomb the crap out of him now?” asked Parker.

“No, I want to know this scumbag is dead. I want visual confirmation, confirmation with my own eyes. Even if we could succeed with a bombing of the target, we’d have to obliterate the area beyond all recognition. I want to see Demiran dead, and then I want the whole World so see him that way, both races.”

“Isn’t this getting a little too personal?” asked Parker.

“You’re damn right it is,” added Rains.

Taylor was surprised to see the pilot so vocal and determined.

“I lost one of my best friends because of this bastard, one in a long line of losses since they invaded Earth. I’m with you.”

It was just a few hours to sunrise, but before they could make a decision, new orders came in to Taylor’s Mappad. He lifted it up to carefully study the map and information given.

“We’re heading southeast, just as we thought. The K’til is a few hundred kilometres south of Tripoli.”

Nobody spoke for a moment as they considered the possibilities of what Taylor’s plan could involve. He looked around to each of their faces. One by one they slowly nodded in agreement.

“Allright, then let’s do this. Let’s kill this bastard and be done with it!”

He lifted his comm.

“5^th Brigade form at my position and prepare for immediate pickup.”

It was close to lunchtime when their copters were reaching the frontline. Rains looked to Taylor, uncertain of their orders.

“Put us down here as ordered.”

“I thought we were going for Demiran?”

“We are, but not like this. We’ll never make it to the K’til. She may be a wreck, but she’s still death trap. I want Demiran to come to us.”

“Whatever you say, Boss.”

Jones seemed to recover his faith in Taylor with these words.

“I thought you were leading them right for us,” he whispered.

“I said I wanted to go kill him, not on his terms though.”

Jones could see Taylor was being deliberately vague. What concerned him was he wasn't sure if Taylor had a great idea or was making it up as he went along. They heard the roar of engines and dozens of copters flew into view.

"Your boys?" Jones asked Eddie Rains.

"Hell, yeah, I knew the Colonel wouldn't be staying put."

It’s all moving so fast, but I can't see any way of slowing things down. The wars have gone on long enough. Maybe Taylor can end them in a day. Just maybe, but is he crazy enough to do what is needed? I suspect so.

"If we do this, we do it together, and we do not stop until Demiran lies dead before us," Taylor said.

"Exactly what I had in mind," Rains laughed.

"5th Brigade, load up, we're outta here," Taylor ordered.

When Jones and Taylor finally sat down in the copter, with at least a little privacy behind the cockpit, Taylor brought up his Mappad.

"Friendly units have moved a hundred kilometres south through the night."

"A hundred kilometres? They'd have to be going all out."

"From what I can see the enemy forces were amassed in three places. The K'til, with their leader, the far north of Tunisia and Algeria where they would have expected our assault, and at the walls of Jerusalem."

"So we've pushed through an opening, but what happens when they begin to close in around us?"

"With the taking of southern Tunisia, it was guaranteed there would be a drive north to stop the enemy from regrouping with those at the K'til. This is the reason we were no longer needed in Gabes. And I have no doubt the armies in Jerusalem will show no mercy in pursuing the enemy at their walls, should they try and run. The enemy is spread thin and weak."

"But we both know Demiran could still be dangerous."

Just after sunrise they put down in the Libyan Desert. It was a flat and barren landscape with little cover of any note. But as Taylor stepped out from the copter, he was met with an imposing and horrifying sight, the crash site of the larger part of the K'til. Even at fifty kilometres south, it still dominated the landscape. Allied artillery had already begun a bombardment, but they were positioned a kilometre away, so it was a dull muted drone.

To their front they could see three lines of trenches that had clearly been dug just a few hours before during the night.

"These boys can't have had a lot of rest."

"Not like they use shovels anymore," replied Taylor.

"No, but to have made it this far in this quickly. They must have met at least some resistance."

Out of the corner of his eye, Taylor noticed an officer and his contingent approaching. He turned to see that it was Colonel Harney with Commander Phillips. There would be no saluting, now that they were at the frontline.

"’Morning!" yelled Taylor.

"Welcome to the front," replied Harney.

He could see Harney was more than a little pleased with himself. He strutted about as if he had claimed a massive victory. But Taylor knew they were where they were now not through hard fighting the past few months, but good planning.

"Good work on getting so far," he replied sedately and turned to Phillips.

"Sir, this was a fine display of intelligence and organisation."

"Thank you, Colonel."

"What do we do now?"

"We might have made it this far, but now we come up against the largest of Demiran's three armies, most likely with him at the head of it. It has become clear that many of the anti-aircraft systems aboard the K'til are once more operational, and that makes it dangerous to approach from the air. The first Navy boys who did were blasted out of the sky. So, this'll be a ground fight. We advance as much as we can when we able to until they have nowhere else to go."

"You think they'll stand and fight now we're here?" asked Harney.

Taylor did not have to respond. Jafar did so for him.

"While Demiran lives, they will fight to the very end for him."

"No one ever thought of stabbing him in the back?" Jones asked.

Harney looked to the Captain with disgust, for he knew the thought alone could be enough to cause chaos among their own armies.

"If soldiers repeatedly killed their leaders, where would we be?"

"Beg your pardon, Sir. But Demiran isn't you or I. He is a ruthless dictator who would have seen the utter destruction of our race. I can't find any remorse or sympathy for his situation."

Harney had read Jones' file and gave him some leeway as a result.

"So, enemy positions and strength?" asked Taylor.

"They’re just over a kilometre ahead of us in the same trenches we saw at the coast, but in much greater number," replied Phillips.

"Below ground, they'll be a tough nut to crack," added Jones.

"Yep. That armour they wear is thick, and with the cover of trenches, our artillery will have a hard time shifting them. I doubt the psychological effects will mean much to them."

"They fear death and injury, but are too scared to disobey their orders," replied Jafar.

"Colonel, you're to dig in here and await further orders. We'll take ground at every opportunity and make new defensives quickly and at regular intervals. We know how detrimental trench warfare can be to both sides. This war may be in its final stages, but it will not be over soon."

Don't be so sure, thought Taylor.

"Carry on, Colonel."

They carried on down the line. Taylor looked on to see the trench positions they had been given were manned by just a single detachment from Harney's Fighting Fifth. They were at the front trench, and he could already see they wouldn't be keen to give it up. They had been given a stretch of land half a kilometre long, meaning they'd be tight on space.

"Into the trenches," Taylor said across the comms.

Many had been expecting to get into the thick of the fighting and make the enemy suffer. They paced enthusiastically over to the defences, realising how long the war could go on for once both sides were entrenched. Taylor turned back to Rains who stood at the ramp of his copter.

"I believe your war is over, Lieutenant. Fall back to the staging area five clicks north of here. You may be needed yet when the casualties start piling up."

"Can't say I'm sad to be benched, Colonel. Good luck out there."

He stepped aboard and was quickly firing up the engines to lift off. Taylor turned back south; most of the Brigade was at the edges of the trenches and piling in to what many expected to be their homes for some time. He had other ideas. He turned to Jafar at his side.

"Tell me you have a way of contacting Demiran?"

"There is a way, why?"

"He may not want to dirty his hands in this war, but I know exactly how to call him out."

"You think you can force him out here? Then what?"

"Then we kill him, and anyone who stands in our way."

Jafar smiled. He already liked the sound of the plan.

"Make it happen. I want to talk to him myself, and I don't care who sees it."

"This isn't going to be the long drawn out fight Phillips thinks, is it?"

Taylor stepped forward and noticed Jones had been standing the other side of Jafar, and so obscured by the alien.

"No, not at all. This ends here and now."