Battle Earth IX

Chapter 12

Jones looked around for some sense of bearing. He'd seen the blueprints provided by Aysen, but he still didn't recognise anything. He lifted his arm to study the info on his Mappad and try and get a sense of their location. Now they were inside the vessel, they weren't getting any live updates on their location, and he had to rely on traditional map reading skills.

"Where the hell are we, Sir?" asked Robinson.

He studied the map a little further.

"I have absolutely no idea."

He pinpointed their current location so that he could at least retrace the distance and direction, and then looked up to the room before them. His Company had taken up defensive positions. They were in a broad circular corridor system that curved around either way. It looked almost like an outer ring corridor system, but he already knew the ship featured concentric circuits throughout.

Jones' attention was immediately drawn to the ceiling as he noticed some movement above him. The roof looked organic and seemed to pulsate like veins. It was not like anything he had seen on a Krys ship before.

"What the hell is that?" asked Robinson.

"It doesn't matter right now," replied Jones.

He had to decide which way to go, but knew that until he had some point of reference, he had no idea which one. He set the countdown on his datapad; thirty minutes, it was all they could afford.

"That way," he pointed.

He went forward and led the way. They got just twenty metres before Mechs appeared ahead of them. Jones did not even break stride. He lifted up his shield and held out his rifle beside it, firing as he went forward. The others joined him, and they cut down three of the creatures with little effort. As they passed over the bodies, the ceiling expanded upwards to what looked like some kind of organic organ with seven outlet pipes feeding out to two corridors.

Jones looked at his map and immediately recognised where they were. It gave him new hope as he correlated it with information Aysen had given him.

"What are you looking for, Sir?" asked Robinson.

Jones didn't respond as he studied the map intently.

"Sir, I thought we were here to buy time and raise hell."

"And that's precisely what we're going to do, Corporal, and we're going to rescue a prisoner in the process."

"That's crazy," added Wood.

The Corporal looked to him for answers as he could see Wood knew to what Jones was referring.

"Sergeant Dubois, the Captains wife. She's being held on board apparently."

"What?" asked Robinson.

"It's true," Jones finally replied, "All evidence we have suggests she is on board. If we survive this, we're leaving the Solar system for good, and I am not leaving her here. I'm gonna do everything in my power to get her back, you got a problem with that?"

Robinson shook his head. "We're with you, Sir. Colonel Taylor saw to our families. Let's now see to yours."

He nodded in appreciation before turning and quickly moving on. "We've got to drop down a few floors. Let's go."

He headed for a ramp, but as they started to descend, Jones began to worry about how little resistance they had faced.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"Who, Sir?"

"The enemy. This is their capitol ship. You know how many thousands crew our flagships? Where the hell are all the crew and marines?"

"Guess we got lucky."

"No chance," he replied.

He hated to be cynical in front of his own people, but he didn't want them getting a false sense of security. They reached the level he was looking for, and as they took a bend, they found what he had been expecting, a wall of Mechs. They carried shields locked together and were advancing shoulder to shoulder the width of the corridor. Jones leapt back as a few pulses rushed towards him.

"Fuck!"

He pulled out a grenade and armed it before tossing it down the corridor. A flash rang out, and he peered around to see the Mech shields locked against the floor, and a blast before them that had done no damage besides burning the surface of the shields.

"We don't have time for this," he muttered.

He looked back at the almost one hundred men and women who lined the corridor and hung on to his every word.

"We're going at em. Keep up the fire, give them everything you got, and do not stop!"

He was confident they knew what to do. He threw another grenade around the corner and immediately stepped out and advanced towards the Mech position, once more locking their shields down to the ground. Robinson launched a second grenade with a good throwing arm. It soared over the shield line just as the first blew.

A second grenade followed it, and two explosions erupted from behind the enemy. One of the shields, and the creature carrying it, fell lifelessly forward and smashed into the burn marks on the deck. Jones opened fire immediately into the gap and kept going forward. The two lines were advancing relentlessly towards each other now, and gunfire did little as another creature filled the gap. They charged at one another like classical hoplites.

The Mechs stood almost a metre taller than Jones and his paras. As they closed, he leapt upwards, using the power of his suit and all his bodyweight to smash into the top of one of the shields, driving it into the creature’s face and causing him to roll over the shield and land amongst the creatures.

There was an immense clash as the ten-metre wide lines hammered into one another and ground to a halt. Jones landed on his feet between the Mechs but felt like a child amongst giants. One swung for him, but he ducked, and the creature's spear delved deep into a Mech behind. He noticed it passed through armour with little resistance, just as their Assegais did.

Down on one knee, he drove his Assegai into his attacker's upper leg, and then withdrew as it as the monster began to collapse towards him. He brushed it off with his shield and a quick turn and went onto the next. As he did, Robinson and two of his own smashed their way in to join him. The Mech shield line was broken, and many behind them were not equipped for close combat.

Jones drove forward and smashed one of the Mechs back until it compressed into those behind it and stopped them bringing their pulse cannons to bear. With his shield pressed high against the creature, he thrust his Assegai beneath it. He stabbed three times through its armour and kept pushing so that the dead body collapsed back against those behind it.

* * *

"Get going," said Taylor.

Jafar and Aysen were wearing the engineers’ suits they’d so recently acquired. The bodies of their former owners lay thrown aside behind them. They turned to leave, but Taylor grabbed Jafar again.

"You really know what to do, right?" he asked.

Jafar nodded.

"And our destination?"

"I have been entrusted with making that decision, which I will make alone, and no other shall know until we reach it."

"And you know somewhere worth going?

"Somewhere better than here."

It was good enough for Taylor. He let go of his friend.

"Then good luck."

"And to you," he replied.

They wandered off into the distance. He had no idea where they were going, or how they were going to achieve it, and that left him feeling helpless. He had gotten so used to being responsible for the success of a mission, and now he was little more than a decoy and protection squad. He looked around to his people, and just as Jones had been, was surprised at the lack of enemy presence.

"We’re here to cause some trouble, so let's get to it!" he roared.

He rushed onwards in the opposite direction to Jafar and Aysen. Within twenty metres, he could hear gunfire, and it was a welcome sound. The silence and emptiness they had first found made him suspicious, but now he could hear the fully automatic fire of Reitech rifles. He had no idea who was up ahead, only that they were allies. He had hoped it to be Jones, but as he turned a corner he found British troops. He didn't recognise a single one of them, but they welcomed his arrival. They ushered him onwards to an officer.

"Colonel Taylor," he said to introduce himself.

"Lieutenant Riley, Sir."

"Know how many others made it?"

"At least one of our Mastiffs was destroyed en route, not sure any more of our lot made it."

The British officer spoke so matter-of-factly, as if it were no problem at all.

"You hold here. We're continuing further inwards."

"We haven't got long," he insisted.

"No, but we need to appear to making some determined effort as to not arise suspicions. I am going for Erdogan, and if I stand a single chance of finishing him, I will."

"Nail the bastard," he replied.

Taylor went onwards past the firefight into an open hallway beyond. He had to rush through enemy fire, with his shield held beside him, and hope for the best. They carried on. Parker stayed close beside him all the way. He was running now with a newfound determination. Far from being scared of Erdogan, he sought him out relentlessly.

"Taylor slow down!" Parker shouted.

But he would not listen.

Let's end this now, you fucker, he thought.

After several hundred metres, he stopped on seeing a gleaming light ahead, and the silhouette of Erdogan. He was in a room at the end of the corridor they were in, fifty metres ahead. He stopped and stared at the enemy leader for just a moment, wondering if it really was him.

Or is it another hologram?

He raised his rifle and fired a quick shot. The round struck his armour and ricocheted off. He had not made any attempt to avoid the impact and stood defiantly before them.

"What are you waiting for, Taylor?" Erdogan boomed.

The voice carried down the length of the corridor, all the way to the British Company, and it sent shivers down many spines. It was a powerful voice, and no one was left in any doubts that Erdogan was every bit as terrifying as they had feared.

Taylor felt nothing but a burning desire to stick his Assegai in Erdogan’s head. He leapt forward and rushed down the corridor at a sprinting pace.

"No!" Parker screamed.

She ran after him, but he had already gained a good few metres on her. The rest of the Company ran on with her, spurred on by Taylor's battle cry as he stormed onwards. Erdogan did not flinch or make any attempt to move. Taylor dropped his rifle and let it sling by his side as he drew out his Assegai.

This is it. This is my chance, he told himself.

"Wait!" Parker shouted.

He did not slow a single pace and rushed through into the room with Erdogan. As he did, the door behind him sealed shut, and he heard Parker and several others slam into it. He ground to a halt and looked around. It was a translucent barricade that had brought his colleagues to a standstill. He quickly looked back to Erdogan and could see the wicked and terrifying grin on his face.

He seemed to stand just a little taller than Demiran had. His armour was almost form fitting over a tall and muscular physique, and a dark red, almost black cloak stretched down to his feet. His head was completely exposed, and his armour enshrined with so many gleaming jewels and Krys symbols that he looked more like a ceremonial toy soldier than anything real.

For all of the minimalist and plain armour design of the Mech battle suits, it always amazed him how wildly different their leaders looked. It was as if they were kept at opposite ends of a scale in every sense of the word, just to underline the power balance. Taylor wondered for a moment if Erdogan was just a politician and not a warrior at all. He certainly looked more fantastical than anything he had seen before.

"I told you this day was coming, and yet you seek your death sooner than I had imagined," Erdogan stated calmly.

"I am going to kill you, and I don't see why I should be made to wait."

Taylor looked around the room for any sign of other opponents, but there were none. A large throne of steel lay at the far end of the room, and despite the fact he could see two other entrances, there was no sign of other life in sight. The ceilings were several metres high, and the roof decorated with art. He could make out Mech figures fighting several types of figures that he did not recognise. He could only imagine they were murals of some kind depicting Erdogan's great victories.

The walls were decorated with objects mostly foreign to Taylor, but many were identifiable as weapons. Some of Krys origin, but others looked entirely alien even to their culture. Projectile weapons and hand-to-hand combat weapons of all shapes and sizes were displayed as prized possessions.

"Have you any questions before you die?" Erdogan asked.

Taylor shook his head. "There is nothing else I want from you, besides your life."

Erdogan shrugged.

"Your loss."

With that, an armoured hood arose from behind the alien’s head and locked into place one plate after another until it utterly encased his head, and the very centre lit up in a letter T shape. It revealed a translucent section where Taylor could see his eyes and part of his mouth, much like an old hoplite helmet. He pulled out from beneath his cloak a weapon that he had been carrying at his flank. It was almost two metres long and resembled nothing more than an iron pole with a cannon ball attached. Taylor didn't want to imagine what it weighed, as the creature took a firm grasp with both hands.

"I am going to enjoy killing you, Colonel Taylor, before I kill her and your entire race," he said, pointing to Parker.

Taylor looked over to her. She was shooting at the clear screen and the mechanisms around it, but to no avail.

"I only wish this could have lasted longer. You are a puny people that will be ended like all others."

"You want my life? Come and take it!" Taylor shouted.

Erdogan rushed at him. He was a little slower than the lighting fast Demiran, but he came forward with immense power. He swung the giant mace vertically with all his strength as if to flatten Taylor with a single blow. Taylor didn't even try to parry the mighty blow. He turned and leapt aside quickly. The massive iron ball struck the ground where he had been standing and shattered the steel floor, causing it to buckle in a metre radius.

Taylor was shocked by the immense power of the blow, but he did his utmost to hide the fact.

"You're faster than I expected. Good. It would be such a shame for this to be over so soon."

Erdogan rushed forward again and swung a diagonal blow that Taylor was forced to parry. He took it on the shield, and it knocked him several paces to the side. He felt pain surge though the arm that still hadn't fully recovered. He grimaced in agony, and that brought another smile to Erdogan's face.

Taylor looked at his shield to see it had buckled slightly in the centre, and the top and bottom now curved out like a banana. Amazingly, it was still intact, but he knew he couldn't take many more like that. It was time to go on the offensive, and he knew it. He rushed forward and ducked as Erdogan made a rushed swing of the hefty and cumbersome weapon.

Mitch narrowly slipped under the blow and thrust up towards the alien, but he backed off at the last moment and pulled his mace back, catching Taylor's right shoulder blade and launching him forward. He landed face first at the feet of the alien leader.

He turned over to see the mace coming for his head and rolled out of the way just in time, but the huge ball struck the shield and smashed it off his arm, embedding it in the floor. Taylor rolled out of harm's way and back onto his feet. He was shaken by the impact and now felt naked without his shield. All he had left was his speed.

"You must try harder, Colonel. This does not impress me."

"Oh, quit your monologuing. You're goddamn boring me!" he yelled back.

He then took a run at Erdogan and used his boosters to launch up over the weapon and flip up and over, landing with one arm around the creature's neck. He raised his Assegai to thrust down into the collar, but as he did so, the alien reached up and took a firm hold on the Assegai. He pulled the Colonel off and swung around until he could no longer hold on. He was launched through the air and landed hard.

* * *

Jones pulled out his Assegai from a Mech, and it slumped onto his shoulder before sliding down and hitting the floor like a brick. He was looking around frantically now for any sign of Coco.

“Where the hell is she?” he whispered to himself.

He looked at the map on his arm once more.

We’re in the right place, so where is she?” he yelled.

As his call rang out, a single Mech took the corner; one of the heavily armoured type that their rifles could barely scratch. He could feel the hatred burning deep inside, and the second he clapped eyes on it rushed forward in anger. The Mech lunged at him with its spear-like weapon, but he nimbly ducked under and passed around its back, leaping up onto its shoulders.

The alien had only just begun to struggle when he delved his Assegai down into its collar and drove it up to the hilt. The Mech collapsed forward with him still on its back. Robinson and the others were still standing in shock from where he had first made his assault against the Mech. He finally looked up at them.

“What are you waiting for? Find her!”

They quickly split up, taking several different forks. Jones passed several laboratories of some kind and empty cells, but found no sign of life.

Come on! Please come on, where are you?

“Sir! Captain Jones!” a voice shouted.

He rushed onwards to the sound of the calling until he reached Wood standing outside a cell. He turned to look in and to his relief saw Coco inside. She was restrained on a tabletop, but she had turned to look at him.

“Coco, are you okay?” he cried.

She nodded but didn’t say a word. He raised his rifle and fired two shots at the locked mechanism. He barged through the door with his shield and rushed to her side, but just stopped and stared at her for a moment. She still didn’t speak.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he said, falling to his knees.

She shook her head. “How did you find me?” she asked and began to sob. He looked down at her restrains. There were some kind of metal clamps around her wrists and ankles, but he could see no release mechanism.

“Don’t you worry; I’m getting you out of here.”

He stood up, pulled out his Assegai, and cut through each of the bands. He carefully helped her to sit up.

“Sir, we haven’t got a lot of time left,” said Robinson.

He nodded an acceptance.

“Can you walk?” he asked Coco.

She nodded. “I think so.”

Jones hauled her off the table and let her stand on her own two feet. She wobbled for a moment before getting her bearings.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Aboard the enemy flagship.”

“What? How did I get here? And what are you doing here?”

“It doesn’t matter. All that matters right now is we have to get the hell off this damn thing.” He pulled out his sidearm and thrust it towards her.

“You stick close to my side, okay?”

She looked dazed and utterly confused by the situation, but she took the weapon as Jones whisked her away back the way he had come in. A broad smile stretched across his face as he realised he had achieved what he never thought possible.

We’ve done it, he told himself.

Coco’s rescue wasn’t the mission, but it gave him hope they may yet succeed in their endeavours.

* * *

Taylor stood empty handed now. His rifle had been ripped from his side during the fight, and only his sidearm remained. He knew it would do little to Erdogan. He began to circle and keep a keen eye on his opponent, who appeared to be waiting for him to act. As he circled, he looked around at the weapons on the walls around them and finally decided on a metre-long pole with a slightly curved metre-long blade protruding from it. He figured he would try speed against his powerful opponent.

As his fist clenched around the shaft of the weapon and drew it from the wall, the blade lit up and glowed green with electric sparks sizzling around its length. Taylor held it suspiciously at arm’s length before deciding it was worth a shot.

“You must know that I am impressed,” stated Erdogan, “As weak as you are, you have been a greater adversary than all those who came before you. For such a weak little being, you have done well. How have you survived this long?”

“Quitting just ain’t in my nature,” Taylor replied.

He rushed forward and thrust with the fiery blade. Erdogan sidestepped and swung for Taylor. He leapt back out of the way and quickly spun the blade over his head and cut across Erdogan’s arm as it passed by. The electrified blade cleanly sliced into the vambrace of his armour.

As the alien Lord took a pace back and lifted his giant mace, he looked at the wound on his arm. The faintest trickled of blue blood seeped from a slash in his armour.

“So you aren’t all powerful, after all? You bleed like every one of you I have killed.”

“Enough of this playing. It’s time to die!”

He rushed forward and swung the mace vertically, causing Taylor to jump aside, but he slammed his body into Mitch and forced him to stagger back across the room. As he tried to get his balance, Erdogan rushed at him, swinging the mace. All he could do was lift his weapon to parry the incoming attack, but it wasn’t enough.

The mace struck the pole blade he carried and snapped it in two with little resistance. The mace ball then struck Taylor’s armour at his solar plexus and threw him back against a back wall. He felt the wind being pulled out of his lungs, and he was shocked by the sheer power of the alien.

He was starting to realise he may not be able to win, and the desperation of the situation was weighing heavily on him. He reached for the nearest weapon to hand, a two-metre long pole, with a cutting blade and spike at one end resembling a halberd. He went forward and swung with the reach, but it was easily met with a parry from the shaft of Erdogan’s mace.

Taylor swung a few more strikes, but he could not get through and was starting to run out of options. He knew in his heart he could never beat any of the alien Lords alone, and yet he had attempted it, anyway. It was starting to sink in now that he may well die there in that room.

Was it all for nothing?

The two of them had parted and stood off several metres from each other now. Erdogan still looked as smug as ever. He knew Taylor couldn’t beat him. Taylor looked over to the doorway where Parker and the others were still trying to get through. She stopped and stared at him. She could see the desperation in his face. They both knew he couldn’t win.

“This is the end for you, Colonel. Your people cannot escape, and neither can you.”

He rushed at Taylor, and despite Taylor cutting in with the halberd Erdogan caught it and drove him up against the sidewall. Taylor was crushed and lifted up off his feet. His weapon was pinned across his body, and he could barely move a single centimetre. Erdogan’s helmet retracted back, and his face closed in towards Taylor’s.

“Good bye, Colonel.”

He drew his body back and kept one hand against Taylor, still pinning him to the wall, and lifted his mace in one hand. It was raised up ready to strike Taylor’s head. He knew he couldn’t survive the strike. He struggled but could not get free.

It’s over, he thought, but he could not let Erdogan have the satisfaction of seeing him look weak.

“You know some day it’s gonna be a human who takes your head off!”

Erdogan smiled, lifted the mace a little higher and went to swing it but felt his arm lock. He looked down. Jafar was beside him with a firm grasp on his arm.

“Let him go!” Jafar shouted.

Aysen approached from the other flank to strike, but Erdogan had already seen him. He launched Taylor at Jafar, and the two tumbled over to the floor. He then turned on Aysen. He took a swing, and Aysen barely ducked under, rolling out of the way across the room.

Taylor was quickly on his feet, but they were all frozen like statues. Erdogan stood at one wall with all three of them in front of him. He looked completely unfazed by their presence.

“Great timing,” Taylor said.

“We do not have much time,” Jafar replied.

Taylor looked down at his datapad, and as his eyes met with Erdogan, he could see some confusion in the alien’s face. He was trying to comprehend what they meant.

“You thought we came here for you, jackass?” Taylor asked.

He laughed as Erdogan’s face turned to stone and then disgust.

“Whatever plan you have, it will fail,” he replied.

But Taylor continued to smile, seeing the doubt in his face. Jafar drew out a two-handed sword, and Aysen took out a long blade spear. Taylor raised his halberd up one last time.

“So how about it? Let’s dance.”

Erdogan rushed right for him, and with the weight of a massive strike snapped the Halberd in two as Taylor lifted it to parry. He came in with another strike, but Aysen lunged at him, driving him back. Jafar cut towards him. The sword cut into the pauldron of his armour, but he backed off before it could penetrate deeper.

Aysen was the first to go forward and thrust repeatedly at Erdogan. He dodged and brushed off the spear thrusts with his arm, until finally closing and striking Aysen with a punch to the face that landed him flat on his back. Jafar was next and cut in with his sword, but Erdogan parried both attacks with his mace and then slid the ball end forward into Jafar’s face. The blow knocked him back several paces, and blood gushed from his nose.

Taylor looked to his friend in surprise. He could not believe the power and speed of Erdogan and was beginning to wonder if even together they stood any chance at all. They went at him again with another determined attempt while Aysen was still on the floor. Taylor leapt upwards and drove the counterweight of his halberd at Erdogan. It knocked him back a little, and then he swung the halberd blade over in a massive arc, which he didn’t believe anyone could parry.

Just as it was about to connect with Erdogan’s head, he raised his mace and parried with arms at each end of the shaft. The halberd stopped dead with the blade just centimetres from the alien’s exposed head.

“Nice try,” he replied.

With the halberd blade locked over the mace, he pulled it forward and ripped the weapon from Taylor’s grasp. Jafar jumped in quickly as Taylor was left helpless. His cut was parried, and he closed with Erdogan and reached under to grapple but was struck on the back of the head with the mace grip. He fell face first to the floor.

“Look at you, pathetic!” he sneered.

Taylor could see Aysen crawl up onto the throne and touch a few buttons on a control panel on one of the arms while Erdogan’s attention was focused on him. They were all beaten and bloody and could see no way of winning, let alone surviving. Suddenly, Aysen gave out a deafening cry as he charged towards Erdogan and crashed into him, driving him through one of the other doorways. As they passed through, the door sealed and locked shut behind them.

“What the hell is he doing?”

“Saving us,” replied Jafar.

“What? No!”

“Come on, we have to leave.”

“Not without him.”

“He did this for us. Now honour him and live.”

Taylor looked at Parker; still staring at him from behind the doorway he had first entered. She looked so utterly relieved.

“Get to the ships. We’ll meet you there!” he shouted to her.