Battle Earth II

Chapter 2

“Fire! Keep firing!” shouted Kelly.

The line of twenty Moon Defence Force soldiers were huddled behind a make shift barrier defence, desperately struggling to hold the enemy back. They had succeeded in hampering the enemy’s efforts on the colony but had yet to reclaim any ground. Martinez leapt up beside him and fired his launcher, hitting a Mech square on and shattering it into a twisted wreck.

“We must fall back, Sir!” Martinez shouted to him.

“No! We must keep fighting!”

The Commander leapt up and fired quickly with well aimed fire. He knew that the fight was lost, but it pained him to have once more pushed for ground above the surface and to have failed again. He ducked behind cover and dipped his head, disillusioned with their fight for survival. Martinez looked down at their leader, knowing that he had to act.

“All units fall back! Fall back!” he ordered.

He grabbed the Commander by the shoulder, hauling him to his feet and into a run. Energy pulses flew past their heads and blasted into the interior walls. The troops around them gave covering fire and quickly followed suit. It was another sore defeat for the Moon forces. They clambered down the hidden access tunnels leading underground, and all was quiet once more.

Kelly and Martinez headed up the column of soldiers as they strolled between the lines of civilians. Their faces were dirty and equally as grim. The Commander could not help but think that he was failing the people he was employed to protect. Kelly could barely make contact with the men and women he passed. A few patted him on the back, but it gave little relief.

They finally reached the command centre that had so recently been set up. Lewis sat at the improvised comms desk. He had scavenged more and more equipment over the last week. He spun around in his chair, and his smile quickly left his face as he could already tell the result of their fight. Kelly strode past him and slumped into his chair, throwing his rifle roughly onto the desk. The clatter of the heavy weapon made several nearby jump. They could see their leader was losing faith in the war.

The Commander took his helmet off and wiped his sweaty brow. The cuff of his jacket was dry and coarse from ingrained dirt and debris that they’d not the time, nor willpower, to clean out. As he placed his helmet down, he turned to see a boy of less than ten years old stood in front of him holding a steaming mug of coffee.

“Sir, this is for you.”

The boy handed the mug to him. Kelly could not help but smile at the gesture. It reminded him that all was not lost yet.

“Thank you, what’s your name?”

“Miguel,” the boy confidently replied.

“My son,” said Martinez. He strolled past and ruffled the boy’s hair.

Kelly took the mug and nodded in gratitude. He turned to Martinez.

“Assemble the command staff.”

“Sir?”

“Whatever we are doing, it isn’t working, so we need to re-think our operations.”

“Yes, Sir, I’ll get right on it.”

“Sir,” said Lewis, “we now have direct lines to most of the tunnels. I can put the word out for you.”

Kelly nodded for him to do so. A week without the communications equipment they had become so reliant on, plunged them into a dark age that they had quickly adapted to. The luxury of organisation from a central base had almost been forgotten by the Commander.

“Get them here ASAP, we have work to do.”

Charlie Jones still sat amid the rubble of the city they had fought so viciously to defend. He slowly ate from a food ration pack that was steaming from the integrated heating element. The food tasted better than most people would think, but he barely even noticed it. He was still stunned and deeply reflecting over recent events. He could hear footsteps getting nearer, but it didn’t concern him as he was surrounded by friendly troops.

“Captain Jones.”

He looked up to see Captain Friday.

“What can I do for you, Captain?”

“You have been ordered back to command.”

“Just me?”

“Your whole unit, Jones.”

“What happened to the Inter-Allied Company?”

“You’re asking the wrong man. Major Chandra is awaiting you there for further orders.”

Jones’ eyes lit up. With all their losses in the previous week, they wanted nothing more than to get some familiar faces back.

“The orders were quite clear, Captain. They want you there immediately.”

Jones got to his feet with a weary sigh. His knees were sore from their patrol, and his body felt more exhausted by the day.

“Any word from the Major?”

“That’s a negative. Taylor is still scouting the northern sectors.”

Jones nodded, and he knew they could be of no more service there. He picked up his rifle and turned to face his troops who were scattered around the rubble. He no longer knew what to call the remnants of his troop. They had been 2 ^ nd Battalion, then 2 ^ nd Inter-Allied. They had amalgamated the surviving sections so many times that he simply had no idea what to call them anymore.

“2 Para! On me!”

The Brits got up with a startled expression. They had barely gotten any recuperation time and had gotten well settled into working with Taylor’s marines. A few groans rang out, but nobody questioned the orders. The battle weary group got to their feet and followed the Captain back behind the front lines to the nearest motor pool. The remnants of their unit were now able to squeeze aboard a single truck, and it was a sore reminder of their losses.

“Sir? What’s the deal here?” asked Green.

Jones shook his head, not knowing or particularly caring.

Rain beat down all around the vehicle. Taylor was mostly shielding from the ferocious downpour, but it was starting to run like a river through the street. He had not seen rain like it in years, and the drains were already spilling over. The Major was alerted to movement in the vehicle. He lifted his upper body slightly to investigate. His Sergeant was rousing with a drowsy and slurred cry of pain.

“Silva, Sergeant,” he said.

Taylor’s legs were still trapped beneath the vehicle, and he only wished they were still strong enough to carry him. Silva didn’t answer at first. He was dazed and subdued. He was facing away from the Major, but Taylor could still make out the blood around the man’s collar.

“Sergeant Silva.”

Mitch wanted to shout, but he would not risk drawing any attention to them. He repeated himself, hoping that he could get through. The Sergeant quickly turned his head looking for the origin of Taylor’s voice. He turned fully and caught sight of the Major. A broad smile widened across his face. Much of the blood had congealed, but it still trickled between his teeth and out of his mouth.

“Thought we were goners, Sir.”

“Not yet, Sergeant.”

“Anyone else make it?”

Taylor shook his head. Silva’s smile quickly vanished.

“We’ve got to get out of here, no telling when they’ll send more troops.”

“Can you move?”

“No, how about you?”

Silva turned and tumbled in the over turned vehicle, crumpling hard onto the ground. He sighed in pain, feeling the many bruises and worse.

“We made it this far, Sir, so we aren’t stopping now.”

He dropped out of the vehicle and quickly surveyed the scene. The road was scattered with debris from the ruined Mechs. He could see the bodies of their fallen comrades, and it was evident that they were long gone. He looked up to the skies, and the heavy and relentless rain hammering down on him. It was a relief to feel the clean running water wash down his gritty and dust ingrained equipment. He looked back to the Major, and he could see that the roll bar of the vehicle was crushing his leg.

“You ready to push?”

“Anything that’ll get us out of here.”

The Sergeant took up a good lifting position.

“Ready? Three, two, one, lift!”

The Sergeant was a tough marine, more than most. He shrugged off his head injuries as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience. With all their might, they lifted the corner of the vehicle just a centimetre. It was enough to get clear. Taylor hauled his legs out. The heavy vehicle dropped with a muted landing onto the running water.

For a moment the Major lay flat out on the road, glad to be free of the wreck and enjoying the freshness of the storm. Despite the torrent of water, the street still smelt of burning metal and electrical systems. He sat up and tried to move his legs. Shock filled his face as he stared at the Sergeant. They both realised what he had discovered.

“My leg, I can barely move it.”

“At least it’s still attached. Get you back to base, and they’ll have you patched up in no time.”

The Sergeant reached into the smashed wreck of the jeep to salvage any weapons and ammunition he could.

“One launcher, one rifle, that’s it. Ammunition could be better, too.”

He looked back down to the stricken Major.

“We need to get a splint on that leg.”

“Agreed, but we should get off this street first. The enemy will surely be here to investigate before long.”

Silva slung the launcher onto his back and hauled the Major to his feet. He handed the rifle to Taylor and threw Mitch’s arm over his shoulder. The two looked down the street to the south, and the direction of friendly forces.

“There, the hardware store will do us just fine,” said Taylor.

Silva put on a brave face, but they were both aware of the danger they were in. They scrambled for over a block to the shop but were severely hindered by the injury. The Sergeant laid the Major to rest and pulled out a door breaker. It was a small pressured device that wedged between the door and its frame, expanding until the lock broke. He readied himself to tackle the alarm system, but nothing signalled the break in.

“Guess they didn’t set the alarm,” said Silva.

“Aliens invading your city, would you bother? Poor bastards were running for their lives.”

Mitch looked up and down the long street once more. It was still eerily silent and with no sign of forces from either side. He hobbled in through the door with the assistance of Silva and reached a small desk where he dropped down and sat.

“We’ll need some strong bars and tape.”

“On it.”

“Welcome all of you,” said Kelly. “As the military leader of the Lunar colony, I am calling you here as advisors and councillors. Over the last week we have made regular attacks against the invading forces, but we are yet to make any headway.”

“Commander, we are still alive and safe. I would say that’s a good start,” said Secretary Allard.

Kelly nodded. Survival was not enough for him, and he knew that it would ultimately end in defeat.

“Earth forces have been getting equipment to us, but the truth is we simply don’t have enough fighters. Right now we have little use for the tasks most of the colony worked. I propose that we introduce compulsory enlistment into the MDF of all able bodied men and women between sixteen and fifty.”

Several of the councillors gasped at the suggestion.

“Commander Kelly, you would have us become a colony devoted to war?” asked Vella, the Senator for Industry.”

Kelly shot a wicked glance at the woman.

“That choice has been taken from us, Senator. We are fighting for the very survival of the human race, so what are you doing to help?” he snapped back.

Vella was taken aback by the sharp recourse. She was clearly not used to having her authority and duty questioned.

“What would you give up, Senator? What would you give up to save the lives of our people? I didn’t take this job to fight wars and send men and women to their deaths. What will you do to ensure the colony’s survival?”

She remained silent, both shocked and embarrassed at the Commander’s statement.

“Commander, let’s keep this calm and civil,” said Allard.

“Calm and civil? Right, because that will help our position. We only need one thing right now, fighters. Men and women who can wield weapons, and have the stomach to do so. There are very few tasks left that our people are needed for. Don’t you think they’d want the chance to make a difference?”

“You want civilians to take up arms without training or experience?” asked Allard.

“It’s not about what I want, but what we need. Sacrifices must be made. We have experienced trainers who will get civilians up to par with weapons and equipment. All I need from you is the go ahead. I run and manage the defence, but this decision is yours.”

Kelly shot up from his chair and slowly paced around the make shift conference table. Many of soldiers had been intently listening to the conversation. They didn’t have enough space to hold the discussion in private. The Senators and officials could see the dirty and bloody soldiers lying about around them. Their placement was clearly intended to shame them into action, and it was working.

“And if doing this only results in more deaths?” asked Vella.

“We are at war, Senator. These monsters do not want our submission. They want our lives. We either lie down and die, or give them hell. I believe we have a responsibility to every man, woman and child who have made this place their home, to defend it to our last breath.”

“Is this what it has come to?” asked Allard. “The utter extermination of our people? Have you accepted that none of us will make it through?”

“Far from it. We are fighting to win. Earth continues to support us, despite the colossal losses they have witnessed. If they can hold on, what excuse do we have for giving up?”

He walked around the group, letting them think it over while he towered over them. He reached his place at the table and leaned on the back of the chair.

“The request has been made, and the points have been discussed. You must now decide.”

Allard sighed, it was a call which none of them could ever imagine they would have to make. In doing so, they knew they would be sending many of their own sons and daughters to fight against the fearsome invaders.

“Those in favour?” he shouted.

He raised his hand first, eager to support the Commander’s plan. Slowly and hesitantly many others followed suit.

“In lieu of the absence of our Prime Minister, and reverting to majority rule, this motion is passed.”

Kelly nodded his head in gratitude, but he refrained from a smile. Sending more people to fight and die was never something he would choose lightly. He could see the soldiers around the room were already whispering amongst themselves, spurred on by the news.

“Thank you, all of you. I will have call ups issued throughout the sectors. Within a few days, we can double our force, and more so over the coming week.”

“I wish you every luck, Commander, and hope that this most troubling motion can be of some benefit,” said Vella.

Kelly opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a siren alert from Lewis’ work station. He spun around to see the ghostly expression across the comms officer’s face.

“What is it, Lewis?”

“A breach, Sir! Sector 21 to the south!”

The room erupted into motion as the soldiers grabbed their rifles and pulled on their helmets.

“Martinez, assemble your troops and get there immediately!”

The young officer nodded in response and barked his orders out across the room. The Senators and councillors remained at the table stunned, realising how helpless they were. Kelly rushed to Lewis’ desk and grabbed his rifle that was propped up next to it.

“Any idea on numbers?”

“No, Sir, looks like the enemy have blasted into the tunnel there.”

“Shit. Divert any troops you can to the breach, but do not leave any sector unguarded!”

He threw his helmet onto his head and rushed out of the room towards the defence. Running hurt his old joints, and he knew that his days as a soldier were at their end. All he wanted was to hold on long enough to save his people. He panted heavily as he ran through the corridors. Kelly was a long way from the fitness of his youth. It was a fifteen minute jog to the co-ordinates, but he could already hear the echo of heavy gunfire coursing through their underground tunnels.

They had retreated into the tunnels as a last line of defence. Kelly was all too aware that they had nowhere left to run. Dozens of MDF soldiers rushed past him, their youthful legs carrying them at almost twice his speed. Explosions erupted in the distance as he heard the now familiar sound of their explosive rounds. Deep beneath the surface they were highly effective and perfectly safe from a breach of the atmosphere.

Kelly reached a crossroads and turned quickly down the tunnel towards the gunfire. The tunnels were more than twenty metres wide, intended for large cargo wagons to run through. He could see the battle up ahead long before he reached it. He rushed through the tunnel as light pulses flashed down it.

Moments later, the Commander caught sight of the enemy dropping into the tunnel up ahead. More than fifty soldiers were scattered amongst the rubble firing wildly, and many of their comrades lay dead as more rushed to join the fight.

Kelly lifted his launcher as he was running and trained it on the nearest targets. He stopped as he came into range and fired immediately. Two of his grenades struck a Mech and vaporised it. He jumped behind a large section of the collapsed tunnel roof beside another soldier who was cowering from the intense gunfire. The Commander looked at the man who was too scared to return fire. He slapped his helmet.

“Keep that up and we’ll all be dead! Get up there and shoot!”

The man looked at him with a lost expression, not sure whether to comply or not.

“What are you waiting for? Now!”

The soldier took a deep breath and lifted himself up to fire, but he was immediately struck by an enemy pulse which blew his shoulder off and broke his neck. The body slumped down behind the cover still smouldering. Kelly looked down at the fallen soldier. The smell of burning flesh was repugnant, and the taste glued to his tongue, burning his eyes.

Kelly got to his feet and ran across the open ground, jumping in behind another large section of cover where three soldiers were firing from.

“Who’s in charge here?” he shouted.

“Captain Jansen, Sir!”

“Where is he?”

The soldier turned and pointed.

Kelly turned to see a wounded officer trying to reload his weapon with his one good arm as he rested back against the cover of an old rail cart. Kelly turned back to the breach and looked out from behind the shelter. No matter how many Mechs they destroyed, more were dropping into the tunnel. He raised his launcher and fired off with a scattered grouping. There were so many of them that he no longer had to choose his targets.

Kelly leapt from the cover and rushed across the opening. He jumped in behind the rail cart as a pulse landed behind his feet. It blasted a crater in the floor, projecting him into the air and smashing him against the metalwork of the carriage.

“Sir, are you alright?” shouted Jansen.

Kelly rolled over onto his hands and knees, coughing and spluttering. The wind had been taken out of him, and he was breathing dust and grime into his lungs. He rolled up to a seated position beside the Captain.

“I’m still here, Captain. Give me an update!”

The cart at their backs rocked as it was struck by enemy fire.

“Just as it looks, Sir! One breach, they’ve not gained any ground yet, but they seem to have no end of Mechs to throw in!”

The Commander looked back down the tunnel where he’d come from. Martinez was running towards them at the head of his team that he’d quickly assembled. Kelly grinned at the sight of re-enforcements, but before they could reach the defence lines an energy bolt flew overhead and smashed into them. Three of the soldiers were thrown down and smashed into the walls.

“Come on! Keep moving!” shouted Kelly.

He watched as Martinez stumbled to his feet, clearly dazed.

“Run!”

He quickly came to his senses and staggered towards the defensive line as quickly as he could. Martinez dropped down in front of the Commander. Shrapnel littered his body armour and had punctured through in several places. Blood seeped from the wounds. Kelly wanted to enquire about his condition, but there was no time.

“We’re in deep shit here. This is a meat grinder.”

“We can’t let them get a hold underground, Sir!”

“The longer we stay here, the more people we lose!”

“Then what are your orders, Sir!” shouted Martinez.

The Commander lowered his head, looking up at the lines of dead and wounded. Their forces battled on bravely, but they were taking more losses than they could afford. He looked up at the other officers for answers.

“Sir, we could blow the tunnel,” said Jansen.

“And give up more ground?” Martinez asked.

“What else is there to do?” shouted Jansen.

“Sir, we can’t fall back!”

Kelly turned to Martinez, but he knew he no longer had a choice.

“This battle is over, so let’s not make it our last.”

He turned to the wounded Jansen.

“How can it be done?”

Light pulses still surged overhead as the soldiers battled on to a stalemate with the Mechs. The enemy never seemed to be able to push enough forces in to break the line, but they always sent enough to keep them on their toes.

“I have already rigged up explosives a hundred metres back down the tunnel!” shouted Jansen.

Kelly had never given such orders, but he could not bring himself to discipline a man who may well prove to be their saviour.

“What do you need to do to set them off?”

“There’s a control box on the sidewall marked with MDF warning signs. Just arm the three switches and hit the big red button. The fuse is set for thirty seconds.”

Kelly sighed as he looked back over the defences to see the mound of dead Mechs, and the fresh ones that continued forward. He could not believe they had to give yet more ground although there appeared to be little choice left. He turned back to the two officers who waited for his answer with baited breath.

“Sound the retreat and get everyone back. Last one of us to pass that box hits the button.”

Martinez nodded, and he leapt out and ran for the other cover to pass the word to the troops.

“This definitely going to work?” asked Kelly.

“Definitely, Sir, the charges are placed on a joining point for the tunnel. They’ll bring down enough ground to ensure our safety.”

“And the buildings above?”

“A school. The colony’s systems will section off the area.”

The Commander nodded. He liked the news less and less as it was laid out before him. He looked across for Martinez who was staring back at him and ready to move. Almost a hundred soldiers now defended the tunnel, many packed shoulder to shoulder. He looked around for one last moment, hoping to see some reduction in the enemy’s advance, but there was no such luck. He looked back to Martinez.

“Go!”

He knew that the officer would not hear him over the gunfire, but he could see well enough to understand the order. Martinez shouted and the message was passed along the line. The troops quickly took flight. For the soldiers whose sole purpose was to fight, fleeing the battle was welcome news. Kelly grabbed Jansen and hauled him up. Martinez rushed to his side, and they each took an arm each of the wounded officer.

The fleeing Moon defence colonists rushed across the crater and debris-strewn ground, occasionally turning to fire back. The Mechs were advancing slowly down the tunnel. Kelly winced in pain. It was hard enough work for him to run in armour, let alone having to help another. His knees buckled slightly with every few steps, and he thought every second that death would come.

The air in the tunnel was thick, and the lights reflected the clouds of dust particles they were charging through and that were clogging their lungs. Kelly could feel the acidic salt of his sweat dripping into his eyes and mouth. Mixed with the smell of death and destruction it was enough to make any man vomit, if they weren’t running for their lives.

The tunnels were lit by low ambient temperature tubes running along the roof and sides of the structure. Several of the light modules were smashed by stray enemy fire. The fleeing troops were lit up every few seconds by pulses zooming over their heads, and the occasional one struck at the ground behind them.

“Keep moving!” Kelly shouted.

He could barely get his breath. They had fallen to the back of the column, encumbered by the injured officers and the Commander’s increasing fatigue. They finally caught sight of the control module.

“That’s it!” shouted Jansen.

They rushed to the box as most of the troops continued to flee, oblivious to their work. Just three soldiers at the rear stopped to protect the officers as they activated the explosives. In the distance, they could just about make out the silhouettes of the Mechs. Every few seconds the tunnel would light up as a weapon was fired, revealing their unrelentless foe. Explosions erupted around their position, but they did not flinch.

They hauled Jansen up beside the control module, propping him against it. They opened the clear cover on top. He flicked three control switches which revealed an arming button.

“That it?” called Kelly.

He turned to the Commander.

“You sure you want me to do this, Sir?”

Kelly reached forward to the switches and smashed the large red button down, starting a countdown on a display beside it. He looked back to Jansen. The man looked relieved not to have had to make the final decision.

“That’s it, let’s go!” ordered Kelly.

He moved to help Jansen when a pulse exploded beside them. Kelly was thrown a metre and landed hard on his back. He quickly came to his senses and spat the dirt from his mouth. Kelly rolled onto his side and looked towards where he’d been standing. Jansen’s body was a twisted wreck, and Martinez was stumbling about.

“Sir? Sir? I can’t see!” he shouted.

The other three soldiers had been knocked down by the explosion but were unharmed. They rose to their feet and looked on in horror. Kelly quickly realised that their time was running out. He staggered to his feet and grabbed Martinez by his arm.

“Run!” he shouted.

The Commander took to a jogging pace, hauling Martinez behind him. Energy surges continued to rush down the tunnel and smashed into the structures either side. The tunnels had been built to survive even the greatest of stresses, so Kelly could only hope that the late Captain Jansen knew what he was doing.

The five soldiers had got just a hundred metres from the control box when a vast eruption exploded. The pulse wave sent the troops tumbling to the ground. The tunnel shook all around them as a dust cloud swept across their position. They were deafened by the tumbling metal and stone.

Kelly quickly turned and got up to his knees. Shards of rock and metal fell from his armour and clothing, and he puffed smoke out from his mouth. He stared down the tunnel, waiting for the dust to settle. Stone and metal continued to clatter for another minute until there was utter silence.

The Commander got to his feet and waited impatiently to see if their defences had been sealed. The other three soldiers watched the settling dust with a mix of fear and anticipation. The view finally opened up and they could see the tunnel had collapsed all the way up to just twenty metres from where they stood. The fact that they had been so close to being crushed to death did not even cross their minds.

Martinez and the others leapt up, shouting with excitement at the perceived victory. Kelly did nothing, simply staring into the wall they had created and thinking of the friends and colleagues he had just lost. Losing any soldiers was unacceptable, but Jansen had been a good friend. Shouts of excitement, clapping and cheering rang out from further down the tunnel as the other troops joined in the celebrations.

The Commander turned and ambled down the corridor towards the shouts of the men. He wiped his face with his hand. The glove was dry and rough, and it did little more than move the dirt across his face. The sweat was mixing with the grime and dripping into his mouth, the dust clogging his nostrils. Kelly could not help but think that they were losing the war at an alarming rate.

“Commander Kelly!”

A soldier came rushing towards him full of excitement.

“What is it, son?” He responded with a grim and disheartened tone. The man rushed up to Kelly, kicking up dust as he slid to a halt.

“Sir, re-supply is incoming.”

Kelly straightened his body just a little as he welcomed the first good news of the day. Every supply drop they received meant that the Earth forces were still fighting hard.

“Good, have we got the secure landing zone and approach ready yet?”

“Yes, Sir! Landing shortly, they’ve got a thirty minute window with us.”

Kelly nodded. They had been getting an old underground docking bay back into operation with a hidden approach tunnelled from a nearby canyon range. In the early days of the colonisation of the Moon, nobody could ever have predicted an alien invasion. They did, however, plan for the hostility which could come from Earth powers. He turned back to Martinez.

“Glad to see you are recovering. Hold here with your team. I want a full assessment of the defences of this tunnel. Get barriers set up, and make sure you have a wired connection to HQ. I am amalgamating your team with Jansen’s. You have command, Captain.”

Martinez nodded in return. Any other time he would have been ecstatic about the promotion and responsibility he was being given, but the death of the Captain weighed heavily on his shoulders.

“I’ll get it done, Sir.”

Kelly nodded in gratitude. A single tear came to his eye at having to utter the name of his fallen comrade. He turned back to the troops stood before him and quickly wiped the tear away, mixing it with sweat and dust.

“Supplies are incoming! Jansen’s unit is now under Martinez! Anyone who was on duty, return to your posts! The rest of you, with me!”

He slung his launcher over his back and strode confidently down the tunnel towards the docking bay. It was a twenty minute walk to the district that just two days before was a sealed off and abandoned sector. The cleanup crews had worked day and night to get it back into operation. As Kelly approached, he could hear that the bay was a hive of activity, and the ship had already landed.

He took a turn from a broad corridor into the docking bay, and he was greeted by the sight of his people enthusiastically unloading mounds of supplies from a familiar ship. An officer stood at its base with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was a roguish looking character and looked too ill disciplined to be a soldier, but it was clear that he was the pilot. Kelly strode up to the laid back character.

“I’m Commander Kelly.”

“Eddie Rains, good to finally meet you.”

“So it’s you who’s been supporting us from the beginning?”

“And the three other boys.”

Kelly reached out his hand in friendship to the man. Rains had shown no desire to salute the Commander, but Kelly liked him enough to not care.

“You must have balls of steel to have volunteered for this duty, son,” said Kelly.

“Hey, the opportunity to fly the fastest ship man has ever seen, how could I pass it up?”

The Commander grinned. He appreciated the pilot’s sense of humour, and the fact that he remained so humble.

“How goes the war?”

“Paris is still ours. Most of Africa is in enemy hands, as well as Spain and the west of France. South America has seen the start of it. People seem to think we have stopped them dead, but I don’t think it’ll last.”

“That’s a pretty sceptical outlook.”

Eddie took a sip from his coffee mug and sighed before looking back at Kelly.

“Well, Commander, tell me things are going any better here?”

Kelly lowered his head with a scornful expression. He wished he had an answer, but all he could think about was Jansen’s death. He turned and watched the loading crews enthusiastically empty the vessel. Part of the Commander wished he had left on the Deveron with the Prime Minister when he had the chance. He hated himself for wishing he could have taken the coward’s way out. Every time he saw the hope and determination of the colonists, he was reminded of why he did the right thing. He turned back to Rains who was sat back enjoying his coffee. The pilot was hiding well the fatigue he was experiencing.

“Is there any hope in sight?”

“You’re asking the wrong man, Commander. I just do the flying.”

The Commander turned to the easy-going pilot, knowing he must have further information.

“This isn’t exactly a routine mission, so you must be in regular contact with General White.”

“For briefings yes, but are you not in contact now, as well?”

The Commander sighed.

“Yes, but with only limited information. I’ve just learned more from you than we’ve been told all week. Earth forces continue to deliver aid, but to what end?”

“Commander?”

“Are they helping to protect the colonists, or because we are a thorn in the invader’s side?”

“A little of both, I guess.”

“Thank you for your honesty, at least.”

“Hey, while you’re still up here, and I still have a bird to fly, we’ll keep you going.”

The Commander turned back and looked at Eddie, studying him.

“You’re not a Navy pilot are you?”

“No, Sir, Marine.”

“You’re a combat pilot?”

Eddie nodded and grunted as he threw back his coffee.

“What on earth are you doing up here?”

“Job needed doing, Commander, so we improvised.”

Kelly smiled. Despite the impending doom at their doorstep, he was encouraged by the sheer enthusiasm which still existed among men.

“The marines you typically fly for, where are they now?”

Rains winced, the first sign of hardship which the Commander had seen in his face.

“Out there, in France, giving those bastards hell.”

The Commander thought about the little news they had received of the war in France. He didn’t know whether to inquire further or not, for he knew the losses were vast.

“Don’t worry for my people, Commander. The Major leading them, he’ll go to hell and back to win this war.”

Kelly smiled as he turned and looked at Eddie’s ship. A broad shark’s mouth and teeth had been painted around the nose cone. On the fuselage, the image of a stripper had been applied next to a silver rib of the hull that gave the impression of a pole dancer. The Commander chuckled.

“A few weeks ago, I wouldn’t let you land looking like that.”

“Funny how times change, Commander. All we needed was a war to mellow you out.”

Kelly laughed.

“I’ve wanted to get close to one of these monsters, ever since I first lay eyes on them.”

“Still just two of a kind, right now. We’re working all out on developing the technology, but it’s taking some time to reverse engineer them. We still don’t fully understand how they work, just that they do.”

“It’s a fascinating freak of engineering.”

“Lampeter class boats. This girl is called Greta. Not exactly as agile as what I’m used to, but damn she’s fast.”

“Is the General working on modifying and copying other alien technologies? We outnumber the Mechs in every battle. If only we could match any of their armour and weapons.”

“Sorry, Commander. My head has been in this project from the very beginning, but if it isn’t to do with birds, then I simply can’t help you.”

Kelly so desperately wanted more information of the situation on Earth and what was being done to counter the enemy, but he knew Eddie was being honest in his limited knowledge of the subject.

“My people want to fight, Eddie, and they will fight to their very last breaths. None of us want to run, but may I ask a favour of you?”

“Shoot.”

“Start ferrying the children out of here.”

Rains recoiled at the thought, his face turning to stone.

“The General would never approve it, Sir. He’d have my ass.”

“I am not asking for an evacuation of our people, Eddie. I need every adult who can hold a rifle to be doing as such. The children only stretch our resources and give cause for concern. Get them out of here, and you will help our forces no end.”

“And when I get back to base?”

“The General will understand. He has to. I’ll send a request ahead of you that they are to be sent to live with families on the bases.”

“And if the General declines?”

“He’ll have no choice. If Earth wants us to keep up the battle, then they are going to have to take up some of the slack. There may be war on many fronts down there, but we are living in a permanent war zone, and it is no place for children.”

Eddie nodded. He knew that it was the right thing to do. He never was good with authority, and he knew that the forces could not afford to lose him. He would be safe enough.

“Alright, Kelly, I can take about a hundred per trip. Get them quickly, my window is running short.”

The Commander reached out his hand in friendship once more to the pilot. They both knew that their time could be up at any moment, and it was a relief to still have friends in their greatest time of need.