Battle Earth X

Chapter 4

“First question we have to ask ourselves, and we should have dealt with this much sooner, where are we, and what the hell is the significance of this place?” Huber asked.

Taylor found himself sitting at a different table now, one with just military officials and civilian experts.

“Let me welcome Mr Reiter, who some of you have met, and all are familiar with his technology.”

Reiter stepped into the room with his arm in a brace and a bandage around his forehead.

“Mr Reiter was lucky enough to make it off Earth with only minor injuries.”

Taylor stepped up to Reiter and shook his good arm.

“Glad you made it, Doc. We need you.”

“I know,” he replied modestly.

“Okay, so I want some answers. This system we’re in, what’s here? Are there living inhabitants? What the hell is that gateway, and whom does it belong to? Do the Krys know of our location? What planets do we have here, what resources do they hold, and are any of them habitable to any degree? These are the questions that need answers as quickly as can be done. You have been allocated into research teams to make this happen. Get moving and do your jobs.”

Taylor didn’t even know what he was doing there, as he could do little to help with what they needed, but he kept his mouth shut and waited.

“Sir, I’ve got Admiral Huang on the line. He has requested to talk with you immediately,” said one of his staff nearby.

Huber shook his head.

“All right, I’ll take it in my quarters,” he looked to Taylor, “Come with me.”

Taylor couldn’t help but feel he was being paraded around as a blunt instrument in Huber’s toolbox, but there was nothing he could do about it. He followed the Admiral and took a seat opposite his desk, outside of the view of the transmission about to come through. The Chinese Admiral was displayed for Huber a few seconds later. Taylor had never seen the man before and that surprised him.

Why was he not at the meeting with Bletchley? Taylor asked himself.

“Admiral Huber. I hear you have assumed command of this fleet and are instating a government to rule it. We have not authorised this decision, and we do not accept your self imposed position as our leader.”

Here comes trouble, Taylor thought.

“As the most senior and longest serving officer of this fleet, it is both my right and duty to take the reins and see this thing through,” Huber responded.

“I will not…”

Huber interrupted with a stronger tone.

“Let me make myself clear, Rear Admiral. I have seniority, and I am the leader of this fleet. Should you have a problem with that, you are most welcome to depart this fleet and go your own way. But I cannot advise more strongly against it.”

Huang was speechless.

“So you will shut me and my people out? You consider that acceptable?”

“No, as a leader of your people, I fully welcome your input on all military matters, and advise you to put forward representatives for whatever government may be formed in the coming days.”

“You are going to far with this, Admiral. You have not heard the last on this matter.”

The transmission ended. Huber simply reached for the bottle of whisky on his desk and poured it out into two glasses before passing one to Taylor. He would never have accepted it under normal circumstances in the past, but these were not normal circumstances. He took the glass and sipped it to find it was a smooth oak flavoured vintage that sparked all his senses and brought a lovely warmth.

“Yep, when a day sucks this bad, it helps,” said Huber, watching Taylor’s response.

“You know I’m not a politician, Admiral?”

Huber sighed. “Son, we all have to be and do things we never wanted or expected for ourselves. You are whatever we need you to be, just as I am. You don’t have to like it, you only have to give it your all.”

“But I suck at it. I’m just as likely to cause as much trouble as I resolve.”

“We’ll see about that. You’ve done just fine this far.”

“Huang is gonna come after you. He won’t let this go.”

Huber sighed. “I know, but we will deal with him in due course. We’re an almost random cross section of Earth’s population thrown together on a whim. We have to accept that it isn’t going to be plain sailing.”

Huber’s communicator flashed before him, and he accepted the call.

“Sir, I have a Captain Morris requesting an audience with you.”

Huber looked surprised and then to Taylor.

“He’s one of mine.”

“See him in,” Huber replied.

The door to his quarters opened and Morris entered. Taylor could immediately see the distress in his face.

“What’s up?” Taylor quickly asked before the Admiral could get a word in.

“I just heard my people didn’t make it off Earth.”

Huber looked to Taylor in surprise.

“You said he was one of yours?”

“He is, via the Moon Defence Force.”

“Admiral, did any of my people make it?”

“I do not have that information, Captain, but I can make some enquiries.”

“Please do so, Sir. They are my people. My family.”

Huber got to his feet, seeing the distress in Morris’ face.

“You have my word, Captain. I will do everything in my power to discover the fate of your people. They inhabited an area of Germany, if I remember correctly?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then please leave this with me, and I will liaise with the contacts I have to find out whatever I can.”

Taylor got up and went to his friend. He placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

“You know Kelly. He either made it out or he’s fighting like hell.”

“Yes, that’s what worries me.”

“Trust me, and trust the Admiral. We’ll do what we can.”

Morris accepted his promise and stepped outside the quarters. Taylor took a seat once again before the Admiral.

“This is gonna get a lot worse, you know that?” Taylor asked.

“Yeah, I know.”

“What we need more than anything else right now is to stick together, work together, and fight together. Without that we are finished.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, Colonel. Just not everyone sees it that way. I think we’re done here. I want you to make sure your people are on the top line and ready for anything. You defended this ship admirably. Please be ready to give such service at a moment’s notice whenever we need it.”

“You got it, Sir.”

Taylor got up and left. He’d only been awake a few hours, and he felt like he’d endured a few days of combat. He could sense the tension throughout the ship and could only imagine how much worse it was across the rest of the fleet. As he left the Admiral’s quarters, he finally looked at his watch and realised it was time to get dinner. He was hopeful he would catch a few of his unit still there.

He reached the canteen and found Parker waiting for him. There was nothing on the table before her except a glass of water. Silva sat opposite her. As he approached, they perked up. He could tell they had been waiting there for some time.

“Thought you’d vanished for good,” Parker said.

“You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

Taylor smiled as he passed them and queued up with a dozen others to get his meal. It was slumming it for an officer of his status, but he didn’t care.

“Colonel Taylor, isn’t it?” a man in the line up asked.

“Yes,” Taylor replied, looking over for the source of the question. As he did so, a fist struck his jaw and snapped his neck back. He staggered back a pace before getting his footing. He looked back in surprise to see a tall, well built Captain had struck him, and his eyes were full of hate and fury, yet Taylor could not understand why. The man wore a Naval uniform, but he was not American. As he turned slightly, Taylor could see a Spanish flag on his shoulder.

Parker and Silva leapt to their feet and came to Taylor’s aid, but he held up his hand to stop them in their tracks.

“That’s right, you son of a bitch, about time you fought your own battles!” the Captain sneered.

“Man, who the fuck are you?”

“Captain Rodrigo Cordero.”

Taylor spat out blood.

“And what the hell is your beef? You just took a cheap shot like a cheap bitch. So what is it?

“You’re a traitor, Taylor. You changed sides like the wind. You just pick and choose as suits you each day, and expect everyone to rally around you and treat you as some great fucking hero.”

“He is a fucking hero, you low life asshole!” Parker shouted.

She tried to rush forward in a frenzy, but Silva took hold of her and held her back.

“That’s right. You need a woman to fight for you because you’re too pussy to fight for real. Sure, you’ll fight on TV. You’ll fight some bullshit theatre for all your audience to applaud, but when the real fight comes, you can’t handle it.”

Taylor was astonished by what he was hearing. He could only imagine the man had bought into the propaganda spun by the UEN and the Krys agents working within it.

“You don’t know me. You’ve not seen what I’ve seen. What gives you the right to spill this kind of crap about me? What have you done through these wars? I’ve bled and fought, and suffered, and endured. I won’t justify myself to any one, let alone some low life sailor boy like you.”

The Spaniard picked up a nearby chair and swung it at Taylor, but he caught the legs and pulled hard so that the man was launched off his feet and over onto another table. The Captain sprawled rather unceremoniously over the table and landed the far side on the deck.

“Whatever hate you’ve built, it’s all bullshit,” Taylor said, watching the man haul himself to his feet.

He could see the bitter anger was burning ever greater in the Captain’s eyes. He wanted to kill, and there was no doubt about it. He rushed at Taylor in a frenzy and swung a hook with all his force. It was a powerful strike, but it was off balance and telegraphed. Taylor ducked under and delivered a sharp uppercut to his stomach, causing the man’s legs to lift off the ground slightly.

Taylor did not let up. He grabbed Cordero’s hair with his left hand and punched him with three heavy rights until blood gushed from his face, finally throwing him down onto the floor.

Cordero’s friends went to help him to his feet, but Taylor launched towards him. As he did so, one of the man’s friends swung for him, and it was all the cue Silva needed to join the affray, and Parker with him.

A few minutes’ later six men lay on the deck unconscious or crying in pain. Taylor, Silva, and Parker remained standing, and the ship’s marines rushed in with the master-at-arms in tow. They instantly recognised Taylor and hesitated, to which he responded.

“What are you waiting for? Do your jobs!”

Ten minutes later he found himself on a bench in the brig, with Parker and Silva in adjoining cells. After a few minutes of taking it all in Parker began to laugh. Her white teeth were coated in her own blood.

“What is so funny?” Silva asked.

“You know how good that felt? To not be fighting some giant monster, but to have a good old fashioned tussle? Makes me feel alive, more than I have done in a while.”

Silva shrugged. He understood what she meant but was hesitant to agree.

“What the hell was that guy’s problem?” he asked.

Finally, Taylor responded.

“He wasn’t wrong. Back before all this shit went down, I did change sides, and you know it. So did a lot of people. It was civil war on Earth. Only reason he picked on me is because I was on the news, and people made a big deal about it.”

“But you only ever did what you thought was right,” Silva replied.

“Yeah, and look where that’s gotten us.”

“It’s got us here alive.”

Taylor sat back against the wall and sighed. He couldn’t believe how many times he had been behind bars now, and somehow, he knew it was far from the last time. He knew the only way he could ever break the cycle was to become top brass, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

“You’re still an asshole!”

It was Cordero. He recognised the voice. He looked past the bars of his cell and across to the opposite cell. The shadowy figure had been there since they arrived, and it had not occurred to him that’s who it would be.

“You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him!” Parker called out in his defence.

No response came, but Taylor already knew the man would be more trouble. They could hear the door to the brig open and footsteps approaching. There were more than two sets of footsteps, and that meant someone of note was coming, but Taylor made no attempt to get up. A few seconds later, Huber stepped into view; he was surrounded by marines. He stopped at Taylor’s cell and simply stared at him.

“This asshole came looking for trouble, Admiral. He is a danger to this fleet!” Cordero screamed.

“Shut up, Captain!”

Huber turned to him.

“You are assigned to this ship, but I am still your superior officer, just as Colonel Taylor is!”

He turned back to Taylor.

“Really?” he asked, “All the shit we have to deal with, and you brawl with idiots like him? You have to get yourself together, Colonel. I need you. The people need you. But they need Colonel Taylor, saviour of humanity. The same Taylor who defeated Demiran, not the mess I am seeing here now. Earlier today, I thought you had come through for us and you had, and now I have to deal with this? What do you have to say for yourself?”

Taylor said nothing.

“Right now I need you. I need all of you,” Huber continued, “So you keep whatever this is bottled up, never to come out. Not until we are back home on Earth, and all of this is over. I don’t care what it was about or why it started, that’s the deal. You all got that?”

“Yes, Sir,” they all said in tune, except Taylor who remained silent.

“Goddamn it, Taylor, are you with us or not?”

Taylor shook his head.

“In all these years, why do people keep asking me that?”

“Probably because you keep getting into this shit. I don’t need a troublemaker, Taylor. I need the legend that is Colonel Mitch Taylor. Can you be that man? Because that is the man, that is the marine these people need. So are you gonna be that man?”

Taylor looked across to Parker and could see she was nodding for him to agree. Not just to get them out of the mess they were in, but because she genuinely believed in the Admiral’s words. He looked back to Huber.

“You have my word I will do everything I can to get us back home and to win.”

Huber sighed. “Good enough. Get this lot out of here!”

The cell doors opened, and Huber was waiting for Taylor.

“You’re coming with me.”

Taylor knew he had no choice in the matter, but he accepted his sidearm and carried on beside the Admiral.

When they were clear of the brig, Huber finally opened up the real reason he was released so soon.

“Colonel, we’ve got problems. Problems we could both see coming, and I need your help.

“What is it now?”

“Dissent among the fleet. Huang is winning support amongst a number of the ships. People are starting to question who should be in command, and what we should be doing. Some want to return to Earth and think we should never have left. Others want to see a President elected to rule us. It’s a goddamn disaster.”

“I told you, Sir, I am not a politician.”

“Yes you are, Colonel. You have been for a long time, whether you like it or not. Look, Taylor, there are many things in life we have to deal with that we don’t like and don’t want to do. You just want to lead marines and fight the good fight; I get it. But the people need more from you than that because you are capable of more.”

“Not sure I agree, Admiral, but I can’t hide the fact I am glad to be out. What is it you actually want me to do?”

“Huang, he is the key to this. He has some sway over the fleet, particularly those from the far eastern nations, but his support is growing. Huang is a good officer and a good Admiral, but he has no idea what to do in this situation of ours. He is going to get a lot of folk killed unless he can be made to see straight.”

Taylor was sick to death of being forced into verbal onslaughts to convince people he had no care for, but he knew he had no choice.

“How on Earth am I supposed to convince a Chinese Admiral to accept your authority?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but that’s your task now, and I have every faith in you.”

Taylor was led towards the bridge by Huber but stopped short where he found his Reitech suit awaiting him.

"Expecting trouble?"

"I want you to convey the image of Taylor the marine. I need you to both intimidate and bring a sense of confidence in us all at the same time."

Taylor pulled on his gear and carried on to the bridge where all the crew there turned to him, as if he would be able to speak some magical words that would end all their troubles. Admiral Huang was projected on a screen before him for all to see and hear.

“This is Colonel Taylor. He will act as mediator for us.”

Mediator? That isn’t how it was sold to me.

But he could see from Huang’s response to his presence that his reputation went a long way.

“It is an honour, Colonel Taylor. I am so glad you made it here to fight with us.”

“I didn’t come here to fight,” replied Taylor, “We came here to survive. Maybe that involves fighting, maybe not. All that matters is the human race survives, and for that we need to stick together and work together.”

Huang did not reply.

“If that is to be the case, this fleet needs a leader.”

“But it should not be Admiral Huber, the leader of the failed operation in enemy space.”

“Oh, really? And who should it be, someone with no experience that any of us have heard of? You? You have a third the vessels the US Navy has in this fleet. And you think you should be in charge? Huber is the obvious choice for this. Accept him, or leave this fleet and do not come back!”

The transmission cut off.

“What the hell was that?” Huber asked.

“You asked me to negotiate. Well, this is how I do it.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight, Colonel?”

Taylor turned to him and responded angrily.

“I am doing what you asked me to in the best way I know how. If you don’t like it, then why did you spring me from that cell? I will be a puppet to no one. I have been there, and I didn’t like it the first time.”

“Sir, the Chinese Battleship Lo Yang is launching fighters.”

“Power up weapons, launch fighters,” replied Huber.

He turned to Taylor.

“What have you done?”

"This shitstorm was coming whether we wanted it or not. Let's get it over with now before we really are deep in the shit."

"That was not your decision to make, Colonel."

"You put me in this position, Sir. I never wanted it."

"You see, Sir. Can you see him for the troublemaker he is?"

Taylor looked around to see Cordero standing on the bridge behind him.

"What the hell is he doing here, Admiral?"

"Captain Cordero is here to represent the interests of the Spanish Navy and her South American allies, who make up more than a sizeable amount of this fleet."

Taylor could see the smug look in Cordero's face, but he did not care for it.

"Sir, fighters are ready to launch," said Vega.

"I said launch, not prepare to launch. Get them out there!"

Taylor could see everyone on the bridge was uneasy with their position.

"Sir..." said Lieutenant Capwell.

"What is it?" he replied impatiently.

"Sir, A number of ships are moving out of formation and heading for the Lo Yang."

"What are their intentions?"

"Admiral Huang will not accept your authority," stated Cordero.

Taylor and Huber turned, suddenly realising the Spaniard knew more than he was letting on.

"All right, I'll indulge you. Speak," replied Huber.

"I am here to represent my people, who like Admiral Huang, are concerned about the direction you are taking this fleet in."

"Direction? We haven't even got a direction. We just got here."

"There are many concerned parties that do not believe you are the right man for the job, Admiral. Your track record thus far is far from exemplary."

Taylor knew he referred to their disastrous incursion into enemy territory, but that was not a fair blow to strike. General Dupont strode aboard the bridge in the silence that ensued.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

Taylor leaned over to him and responded quietly.

"We've got trouble. Admiral Huang is trying to seize power, and he's got a fair amount of support."

Dupont shook his head. "Huang? He's a crazy fool."

"A fool with a wealth of resources, though."

"Sir, we've got a signal coming in from the Lo Yang," said Vega.

"Put it through."

Huang appeared before them. He was a young Admiral with boyish looks, and although he must be at least thirty, he didn't look it. Huber opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Huang.

"Admiral Huber. You have been unwilling to hear and act upon the concerns of myself and many other Captains in this fleet. We therefore have no choice but to demand you stand down as Admiral of this fleet, a position that was never awarded to you, nor were you entitled to bestow upon yourself. We insist that you step down and accept negotiations as to the structure of this fleet. Or.."

"Or what? You'll fire on us? You'll fire on what remains of the human race? You wouldn't be here if it weren't for us and this ship, and don't you forget it!"

He cut off the transmission and looked to Capwell.

"Open a channel to the fleet."

"Everyone, Sir?"

"Yes, absolutely everyone, including the Lo Yang. I want everyone to hear this."

"Yes, Sir."

Capwell nodded to the Admiral to acknowledge he was now live with the entire fleet.

"This is the Admiral speaking. Admiral Huber of the Washington, flagship of the fleet. The Washington is the most powerful vessel we have, and as the highest ranked senior Naval officer, the responsibility of this fleet falls into my hands. I did not ask for this nor seek it. I don't want to rule as a President nor King. I will continue to serve in the capacity I always have done. But there are others among us who would seek to divide our forces and struggle for power themselves."

He looked to Taylor for support. Taylor nodded in agreement, and he went on.

"The survival of the fleet is dependent on us sticking together and doing what is best for us all. I will not tolerate dissent among the officers. It is a luxury we cannot afford. In time, we will establish a civilian government, and that process is already underway. But I want to assure you all, that I will do everything in my power to protect this fleet. Admiral Huang is taking up arms against us and is therefore threatening our safety. Those who would follow him and recklessly endanger all we have fought to defend, go now. Go, or stay and submit to my command."

He looked to Dupont who stood beside him in support.

"Admiral Huang, you have five minutes to recall your fighters and stand down. You may either end this peacefully so that we may go about our lives, or leave the fleet. The alternative will be your destruction."

Huber ended the transmission and watched the map projected on the table before them. He could see three warships embark for Huang's position, and one came back over to theirs.

"This will not end well."

"No, Colonel Taylor," he replied, "but I didn't pick this fight, and I'll be damned if I am going to back down and be walked over by this son of a bitch. What else could I have done?"

Taylor had no idea how to respond to that.

"I didn't say I had all the answers, but this isn't what we need right now."

"It wasn't of my choosing. If Huang wants to pick a fight, then that's his choice, but we'll be the ones to end it. Order all civilian craft to fall back twenty klicks to this point," said Huber as he pointed to the map.

"Anyone here know Huang? Anyone know what sort of man he is?"

"I do."

They looked around to see it was Cordero who had spoken.

"Will he fire on us? Is he that crazy?"

"He will do whatever is necessary to ensure the best course of action for this fleet."

"If he's as power hungry as he sounds, I have no doubt he will fire," Taylor added.

"Power hungry? That is rather rich coming from you all. You have seized power and have the audacity to call those who question it troublemakers. And you, Taylor, your loyalties turn like the wind. You are not a man to be trusted."

"Sir, I have Admiral Huang for you," said Capwell.

"Put him through!" Huber bawled.

"Admiral, stand down!" Huber pleaded with him.

"I am sorry but I cannot. If I allow you to continue on this path, it sets a dangerous precedent. If the fleet and her leaders agree to accept you as their leader, then I will stand by it, but they have not. You must stand down and bow to the will of your peers."

"I bow to nobody's will."

"Sir, Lo Yang fighters are in range of ours," Capwell interrupted.

"Don't be a fool, Huang. We cannot afford to lose lives over a petty dispute."

"There is nothing petty about this. We are fighting for the good of us all."

As he finished, Cordero quickly drew his sidearm and rushed towards Huber.

"Admiral Huber, I am placing you under arrest!"

Taylor had seen it happen out of the corner of his eye, and as the Spaniard approached the Admiral, he launched forward. With one hand he took hold of Cordero's pistol, and the other struck him full force with a straight punch to the head. Taylor forgot his strength afforded by the Reitech suit, and the impact snapped Cordero's neck. He became limp and collapsed onto the deck of the bridge. Taylor was appalled his own savagery and was speechless. He looked around to see that nobody made a single move, but Huang had seen it all on the video feed.

"Admiral Huber. Can you not see your failings? If this is how you run your ship, what hope is there for the fleet? I must insist you arrest Colonel Taylor immediately and stand down from your command."

Huber looked to Taylor and could see the sadness in his eyes, but he was appreciative, knowing what the Colonel had done for him. He looked back to Huang with disgust.

"You did this. You caused this young man, this young officer to die. His death is on your hands, as will many others today. I have never done anything to endanger the people under my command unnecessarily. I will not fire first, but know that if you do, you will be finished. I will ensure your death or imprisonment. This fleet will go on, and it will survive, but not while people like you meddle with power."

"Sir, I have B squadron commander asking for orders. They are closing fast with Lo Yang fighters," said Vega.

Huber looked back to Huang for an answer, but he said nothing.

"Order the Commander to not fire unless fired upon."

He had not taken his eyes off of Huang.

"I am sorry we could not resolve this peacefully, Admiral."

"Sir, I'm getting a massive energy signature five klicks off the port side," said Capwell.

"What the hell is it?" Huber asked.

He looked back to Huang.

"What have you done?"

Huang looked confused. "We are reading the same signature, but it is not of our doing."

"What the hell is going on?" Huber shouted.

He rushed over Capwell's console. The man seemed fixated on it. Taylor snapped out of his daze and raced to the Admiral's side.

"What is that?" the Admiral asked.

They were looking at what appeared to be some form of ship. It had a sleek slim profile and engines self-contained within the structure. The skin of the vessel partly mimicked the space around it and blended in well enough they had to look hard to identify it as a ship at all. It reminded Taylor of some of the stealth technology used by Karadag's forces in the first war.

"Huang, are you seeing this?" Huber shouted.

"Yes, whatever it is."

"Alert all fighters, redeploy to form a wall between us and this vessel, but do not approach behind two klicks of it."

He heard Huang issue similar orders.

"Jafar, get your ass over here!" Taylor called out.

The alien quickly came to their side and looked at the screen with the same puzzling expression as they had.

"What is it? Where did it come from?"

"Admiral, I have no idea," replied Capwell.

"Sir," added Vega, "unknown vessel is powering up."

"Weapons?"

"No idea."

"Get a firing solution on whatever it is and await my orders. And get that thing displayed on the ops table so we can get a better look!"

As the screen projected before them, lights began to glow on the craft and encased it in two bands of blue light.

"I don't like this," Taylor said.

"Prepare to fire," Huber ordered.

A dazzling flashed erupted around the unknown ship, forcing them all to look away for a second, and then look back to see it was gone.

"Where the hell is it?"

"Sir, it looks like it created its own space gateway and jumped out."

Taylor shook his head. "We are not alone. This will not end well."