Battle Earth VI

Chapter 6

Taylor was speechless for five minutes as he watched the two parts of the K'til were drawn in towards Earth and broke through the atmosphere. Several of the enemy ships that had regained power followed. There was not a single remainder of the Washington to be seen, but everyone could see the evidence of her efforts.

"That thing is gonna land hard when it hits land," Eddie said.

"No, those ships are going to assist," replied Jafar.

"What do you mean assist?"

"They'll use their own power to reduce the speed and impact of the K'til."

"Why?"

"Because Demiran is onboard," said Taylor sternly.

"So?" snapped Eddie.

"Because those who don't make an effort to assist their Lord will feel his wrath, should he still survive."

"Yes," added Jafar.

"There must be thousands of Mechs aboard that thing too," continued Jones.

"And you think they can break the fall of something that massive?" Eddie asked.

"Enough to save those aboard, yes. But the K'til will never fly again."

Power was being quickly restored to those ships around them now, but clearly many still did not have access to weapons. Most of the enemy ships made a beeline for Earth to follow their leader. They passed the monstrous Earth Defence Grid lying lifeless and unable to stop them.

"We've stopped the weapon, and they're stranded here now, but we've got a long road ahead."

"We've beaten them on Earth before. We'll do it again," replied Jones.

"This battle is over. Eddie, get us back on firm ground."

"Yes, Siree, batten down the hatches because we're going home!"

The Stallion landed hard, bouncing on the landing strip, but they quickly came to a halt and were relieved to once again be on home soil. Jones pushed open the damaged doors, with the help of Jafar, and stood aside to allow Taylor through first. He looked around to see the base was in absolute chaos. Fighters, Stallions, and others cargo ships were scattered all over. Larger ships had put down near the hangars. Fire trucks were trying to put out what they could, and medics and doctors were treating wounded at make shift aid points. A line of body bags lay across the way beside one of the buildings. They were the only things laid out tidily with respect.

"Colonel! Colonel Taylor!"

He turned to see General White and his entourage approaching. They were all armed and armoured with the same Reitech equipment he wore.

"Is the base under attack, Sir?"

"Uhh… no. This is precautionary only. We have no idea what to expect. Communications have been down with the fleet for some time, and we are only now getting reports through of what happened. Enemy ships have entered the atmosphere and seem to be putting down somewhere over Africa or Europe. What the hell happened up there?"

"It's a long story. But the short version is that the mothership was taken down when Admiral Huber rammed it with the Washington. It's broken into two sections and has come down to Earth."

White's eyes widened.

"And the lack of communication? From down here it looked like both fleets just went dead. My experts tell me some kind of EMP."

"Exactly that, Sir."

"Okay, so let me get this straight. We won up there. Their fleet is now stranded somewhere on Earth?"

Taylor nodded.

"Well, the last thing I ever wanted to see was those bastards step foot here again, but it could have gone a whole lot worse. This Planet Killer weapon, is it done with?"

Taylor turned to Jafar for confirmation.

"Absolutely. The Gezgen K'til was the weapon, and that has gone."

White took in a deep breath and relaxed. He needed to hear the information from a reliable source before he could really take it in.

"What now, Sir?" asked Taylor.

"That's not my decision to make. They have not landed on our soil. It is for higher powers to decide that. Right now, my priority is getting these wounded seen to. I'm glad to see you made it through, Colonel."

"What are our orders?"

"Stand down, rest. You've been through hell. We have plenty of marines to get to work here. There will be a briefing at 0800 hours that I expect you to attend. Until then your time is your own."

"Thank you, Sir."

White had just left when Taylor heard his name yelled once again. It was Parker rushing towards him. Her pace slowed as she saw the bodies being carried from their Stallion. She looked at him, checking he was okay.

"You did it?" she asked.

"No, Huber did it. Our nukes went off but didn't get the job done."

"I'm afraid that's not how we saw it."

Taylor looked passed Parker to see Vega, the Washington's XO. The man had never liked him, but that dislike seemed to have washed away.

"We picked up a lot of the drop pods after the blast," Eli added.

Vega paced forward to shake Taylor's hand. He was shocked but accepted as the Captain continued.

"We were doing everything to get power back when the Planet Killer began to cycle that weapon up. We could see it but were powerless to do anything. We figured we had just a couple of minutes, but it wasn't enough. Then a massive blast tore through the ship. Not enough to destroy it, but they lost power to the weapon and had to begin the cycle again several minutes later. In that time,we had got power to the engines."

"What are you saying?"

"That you delayed the weapon for maybe five minutes, enough for our engineering crews to get the ship back on her feet for one last run. Huber ordered all crew off and remained at the manual controls until the very end. The Washington may have destroyed that thing, but it would never have been possible if it were not for you and your people."

Taylor could see Jones' platoon had been listening in. Their efforts had not been wasted, and the deaths of three of their comrades had not been in vain, but the sombre tone remained until Eddie finally felt the need to break it.

"So the long and short of it is, we whooped 'em again?"

Taylor had to smile.

"See to the dead and wounded. After that you have the night to yourselves. The battle for the Solar System is over. Tomorrow the second Battle for Earth begins. Get some rest and be ready for it."

Parker wrapped her arm around his as the others parted and led him back towards his quarters.

"You're a crazy son of a bitch, you know that? One of these days one of your crazy missions is going to be the end of you."

He turned to her and could see she jested with him. It was hard to be tough on him after the results he had achieved.

"All the crazy stunts you pull, and yet you're still alive? How do you do it?"

"I'd like to say I'm lucky. But I don't feel lucky. I ache like hell," he retorted with a smile.

They got back to his private quarters to find them just the way he had left them, spotless. All squared away and with little sign of a living inhabitant at all. He stripped off his armour and suit, throwing it all to the floor with no care in the world.

"Damn it feels good to be out of that thing."

He felt Parker's arms wrap around his shoulders from behind, and the soothing feeling of human contact made him relax immediately and feel drowsy.

"We've got one night till the shit hits the fan again," he said.

"Then let's make the most of it."

Taylor stepped out of his quarters feeling fresh and invigorated. A jeep awaited him with Captain Ryan at the wheel.

"’Morning, Colonel!"

"Glad to see you made it," he replied.

"Likewise, Sir."

"How is the Deveron?"

"She's been through hell, but she'll be back on the line in no time. Like a lift?"

"Sure."

He climbed aboard, and as the open topped vehicle got moving, he revelledin the fresh air gushing past.

"So it looks like we have a land battle on our hands?"

"Seems so."

"Most of the Navy ships are either seaborne or space based. The Deveron is capable of operating effectively inside Earth's atmosphere with a larger payload capacity than almost anything else in the air."

"I remember."

"What I'm saying is; my crew don't want to be left out of this fight that is coming, Colonel."

"I wouldn't be so eager to get your heads blown off."

"Why, should somebody else take the risks for us? The Deveron is one of the most capable assets the Navy has, and since the death of Reyes, the crew are all to eager to stick it to the enemy."

"So this wasn't just a courtesy call?"

Ryan turned to see the comical expression on his face.

"It's good to see you alive and all that, Sir, but we want in this fight, and you're the man who can assure it."

"The enemy have come to Earth in great numbers. We're going to need any and all assets available to us. However, if you’re eager to be attached to Inter-Allied, I can see to making ways for that to happen."

"Thank you, Sir. It would be much appreciated."

"You won't be thanking me when you're up to your ears in shit and having to fight them face to face."

"Been there and got the t-shirt."

Taylor thought back to their intelligence-gathering mission and remembered he was right.

"The Deveron has been good to us, both under the command of Captain Reyes and yourself. Good luck charms are hard to come by. I'll see to it that we continue to work together."

They arrived at conference hall of the base to find it guarded by twenty fully armoured marines with armoured vehicles covering all roads.

"Thank God for that. We're actually prepared for a change," whispered Taylor to Ryan.

The guards waved them through without checking IDs. There was not a marine on base who did not recognise Colonel Taylor.

"Are you authorised to be here?" he asked Ryan.

"I'm with you, aren't I?"

Taylor laughed.

"One day I'll break a rule too many, and it'll be my balls on the line."

"Haven't you already been through that?"

Taylor nodded.

"Hell, yeah."

They stepped through to see a hundred officers had gathered. Most were US Marine and Navy and with a small handful of foreign representatives. Jones was already inside as the number two for their Battalion. White spotted Taylor, and it was clearly the signal for things to get moving.

"All right, Gentlemen, Ladies, be seated!"

A display screen behind him, several metres wide, had a map of Earth up but with no annotations of information as of yet.

"First of all, I'd like to thank and congratulate the Liberty Battlegroup on a job well done. Admiral Huber gave up his life, along with so many others in defence of Earth, and as a result, we are still here today to carry the torch!"

Cheers rang out.

"Allright, all right. It should also be noted that were it not for the daring efforts of Colonel Mitch Taylor of the 2nd Inter-Allied, none of this would have been possible."

Cheers and clapping continued, but White soon drew them to a close.

"As much as we'd all like to celebrate our successes and pin medals on the uniforms of many deserving men and women, the fight isn't over."

The General got up from his seat and stood beside the map with a stick. He refused to use the laser pointers that had become the norm. He did, however, have an assistant sitting at the table ready to overlay the information as he spoke.

"This is what we do know. The so-called Planet Killer was blown into two pieces, and its descent was assisted by other enemy vessels to put down in North Africa. We're still having trouble getting satellite images as the EMP damaged many of them, but we expect that to change within the next day or so."

He lifted his cane to the map.

"The landing sites appear to be in Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Now you all know that these areas were ravaged during the first war, as they were some of the first targets struck. Many of the refugees who got out have never returned. So much of those countries are wastelands. This may well be the reason they chose the area, but they may not have had a choice. We cannot confirm either way at this time."

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the next stage.

"Sergeant Jafar, who by now you are all aware of, has spent the last few hours analysing all the images and information we have to make some projection at the enemy strength."

A loud cough echoed around the room that was a deliberate interruption to make a response. It came from Lieutenant General Smith.

"Are we basing our knowledge of this enemy force on an alien who used to be not so long ago one of them? From what I understand, he was the personal bodyguard to the leader of this force."

Taylor opened his mouth to speak in defence of Jafar, but he was not given the opportunity. A fist was slammed violently down on the sturdy table, causing several present to recoil. Taylor turned to see it was Commander Kelly who he had not previously noticed.

"Sergeant Jafar is one of the finest men I have ever met, and I will not have ill spoken of him. When this war began, my colony was left to fend for itself for many months, and yet when it came time to take it back, it was Sergeant Jafar at the front with heroes like Taylor who fought for us. Let's just remember that there are good people, and there are scumbags in all society and all walks of life. He may not be born one of us, but he is a better man than many I have known."

Kelly's booming voice and damning response to the General silenced the room. Despite having no authority on Earth, his presence and opinion held weight among many. Taylor did not feel he could respond after Kelly's praise for both him and Jafar. Kelly had one hated Taylor, just as he had hated every alien. Now they were as one fighting a common cause.

"Gentlemen, please let us keep this civil. Sergeant Jafar has proven himself time and time again. Despite my initial doubts, he has my full support, and I will not have his loyalties questioned by anyone. Now let's move on."

General Smith slumped back in his chair and avoided eye contact with both Kelly and Taylor. Taylor knew Smith wasn't a bad man or a bad officer, he just had no field experience and understanding of the way the World was changing.

"As a rough estimate, Sergeant Jafar and our intelligence analysts have put together an idea of what we are facing. They believe the enemy force could include up to five hundred thousand soldiers. Armour and numbers are unknown, but Jafar believes much of their number will have been destroyed aboard the K'til."

"Hang on, five hundred thousand soldiers?" asked Richards.

"What were you expecting?"

"I thought they came here to destroy the planet, not occupy it!"

"Jafar believes they would have intended to establish colonies on Mars and the Moon, ready to inhabit Earth when it was hospitable once more, following the strike by the K'til."

"That's some long term planning," whispered Taylor.

"We believe and hope that their access to armour and aerial support will be limited as a result of that and the damage our Navy inflicted upon them. They are stranded here, but we must not underestimate them. Yes, we have proven we can beat them in the past, but let us not forget how close we came to defeat. The World has sustained hundreds of thousands of military losses in the last few years, and God knows how many civilian."

"Then what are our intentions?" asked Smith.

"It is not for us to decide a response. World leaders and their ministers have done that. It is their belief that an immediate response to the forces in North Africa is too dangerous to engage, and that time is on our side. They believe that as a stranded army on foreign soil, every day that passes makes us stronger and them weaker."

"Jesus," whispered Taylor.

White just heard him speak and turned his attention to Taylor.

"You do not agree?"

"Hell, no, Sir. If they get a foothold on Earth, they'll gain lands and begin production of weapons and equipment quickly. Nothing good can come of their presence here. They should be hit hard, quickly, and repeatedly until they are dead. All of them."

Grunts of approval echoed the room.

"Pipe down!" White ordered. "I am inclined to agree with you, Colonel, but that is not our decision to make. This affects the entire World, and any action against the enemy will need the combined forces that every major nation has to offer."

"And how long do these leaders advise we wait?"

"A two pronged approach is being put into place. Africa is being marked out as enemy territory, and they should be contained on that continent. Rapid reaction forces are to engage all enemy presence that has landed in southern Europe and to strengthen the old defences on Israel's border with Egypt. They are to be kept inside Africa."

"What are the human numbers still on the continent?" asked Taylor.

"The estimated population of the entire continent since the war is less than a hundred million. Several operations to recover that population to safer lands are already underway, but we simply can't save everyone."

"So we defend the borders and then what? Wait?" asked Kelly.

"For one year, that is the plan agreed to by the United Nation of Earth, andtherefore we must abide it. One year to strengthen our forces and prepare for the battle to end it all."

"Preparation? Is that not what we have been doing ever since we pushed them out of this Solar System?" asked Kelly. "Are you to trying to tell me that we are not ready?"

"I am sorry, but you are preaching to the wrong man. I said this day would come, and all of us here knew it, but I do not control military budgets."

The room was silent as they all considered the prospect of a whole year with enemy occupation once more. It was starting to set in that they could not argue with the decision.

"Okay, so this is how it's gonna be," said Taylor. "You mentioned enemy elements in Southern Europe. That must now be our priority, as it is something we can deal with."

White nodded in appreciation for Taylor taking the heat off him.

"The enemy move fast. We know that from the last war. A few vessels put down on the south coast of Spain, Italy, and a few islands of Greece, as well as a number of other locations in the Mediterranean. It's pretty damn clear this war isn't going to be fought on American soil. We had it the lightest last time, and it looks like we're lucky enough to see that again. It means our civilians are safe. The European Union Army Chief has already requested assistance from both the United States and the South American Union and Canada to deploy forces immediately to the Mediterranean. Middle East and Far East forces are already amassing in Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia to counter the threat from Egypt."

"Bet they're really happy about that," replied Ryan.

White looked up to see the Navy Captain standing behind Taylor. He recognised him quickly and refrained from silencing him.

"Right now, the border disputes between the Middle Eastern countries are a storm in a tea cup compared to what's coming, and I believe they see it the same way. Hostilities in that part of the world reduced significantly during and after the last war. Seems they just needed a mutual enemy to bring 'em together."

A few laughs rang out, but many were still too concerned with their own situations.

As for our own operations,the Navy is deploying four battlegroups to the Mediterranean to guard the waters around North Africa. The US Marine Corps is to deploy three divisions to the same area, along with another two from the Army. Their task is to work alongside local forces to find and destroy all enemy forces who made it to the continent, and then defend the borders until we are ready for a full scale invasion into North Africa."

"Great, when do we leave?" asked Taylor.

"For you, today, core elements of the 5th Marine Regiment depart for Southern Italy in five hours, under the command of Colonel Harney. Your Battalion will be part of that task force. You will receive landing instructions and enemy positions live en route. At this stage, there is little else to discuss, so I suggest those engaged for this mission leave now and prepare for departure. Good luck."

Taylor pushed back his chair and left without another word. It pleased him to be getting into the fight, but their leaders lack of initiative to bring the invasion to a quick end was demoralising.

"Can you give me a lift to my unit?" he asked Ryan.

"Sure thing."

"Is the Deveron ready to go?"

"There's still work to be done, but…"

"Is she ready or not?"

"Yes, Sir."

"All right, I'm having you attached to 2nd Inter-Allied on a more permanent basis. The Deveron hasn't got the capacity for the whole Battalion, so we'll need a few other ships, but I'll choose to take her any day."

They leapt in the vehicle. Jones rushed to the side and jumped in as they tore off across the base.

"You really buying that shit about leaving the enemy alone for a year?" he asked.

"I don't know. We all want to see them ended, but we shouldn't be hasty to underestimate them. The last time we did that it cost us many lives."

They reached the Battalion's parade ground to find Silva had everyone assembled and ready as if he had been expecting their arrival. The officers were huddled around discussing something of great importance out of earshot of the grunts. Taylor leapt out and immediately paced up to the Sergeant Major as he called the Battalion to attention.

"Something big happening, Sergeant Major?"

"We're going to war, Sir."

"And why would you think that?"

He was expecting someone had already leaked the news of the mission, but it was not the response he got.

"Because the alien sons of bitches are back, and we're always first to go at 'em, Sir.”

Taylor could do nothing but nod in agreement, but he turned to see that the officers clearly knew more than that.

"At ease, Sergeant."

He stepped up onto one of the small walls surrounding a barrack room to address the Battalion, without stepping in to discover the manner of the officers’ meeting.

"You all know the second battle for Earth has begun. It began the moment those alien bastards came back through the Gateway. They came to destroy life on our planet. They failed. Just as they failed to conquer the planet the first time around, I want nothing less this time!"

Cheers sounded from across them all. The fear of the aliens had subsided. No one wanted to die, but they were now all more confident of victory than ever before.

"You have three hours before we assemble at landing zone B. You know what you have to do. Draw any new equipment you need, ensure everything you have is on the top line, and know that we aren't going to see our homes again until this is done and over! Fall out and get to it!"

"That really the case, we're in combat till this ends? Not exactly the way I heard it from the General."

"What is planned and the way it goes down are two very different things, Charlie."

"They are when you pick and choose how and which orders to obey," he replied with a cheeky smile.

The other officers of Inter-Allied joined them, and he could see they had already known the news almost as quickly as he had. He glared at them until they finally caved in and admitted it.

"Friend of mine in the 5th told me we were heading to Italy a few hours back," stated Jackson.

"Well nice to know somebody is kept in the loop."

"What do you mean?"

"We're heading for Italy merely to sweep and clear the coast and then hold there to ensure the enemy does not cross the Mediterranean in any great numbers."

"For what reason? Shouldn't we be hitting them now while they're in disarray?" asked Ota.

"Damn right, but that's not our call. Grab your gear, and be sure you're ready for a prolonged deployment because we're heading east to sweat to death in the baking heat."

"Hell, after almost dying in that cold and fighting through it last time, it'll be a pleasure," replied Jones.

Taylor turned and walked away, signalling Jones to join him.

"I'll remind you of that when we're slogging it through the desert; when your lips are cracked, and your vision starts to blur. You'll pray you were up to your ears in snow again," replied Taylor.

"Well, aren't you a merry one this morning?"

"I just don't like this. This is a gamble which could cost us dearly."

"You think they'll get established and have a foothold on Earth?"

"Yes, they pretty much managed it before. I can't help but feelour people are hoping if we leave them alone, they'll fix up their ships and just take off."

"You think are that naive?"

"Yes, I do. I know they are."

It was not far from midday by the time the 2nd Inter-Allied had assembled on the strip. The dead and wounded from the day before had been removed and taken care of, but much of the wreckage still lay about the scene; spaceships as large as frigates had been forced to put down on any spare ground and wouldn't be moving again any time soon. Much of the base was beginning to look like a scrap yard, and like a scrapyard, mechanics were salvaging any parts they could from the wrecked craft to get going what they could.

The smell in the air was still of burnt electrical components where pulses had done so much damage to everything which had returned. Jones approached, and he still wore the battle-scorched armour that took the impact and saved his life in the Stallion the day before. Only his uniform had been changed and was almost new.

"You seriously going to wear that thing?" asked Taylor.

"Hey, if this isn't lucky, what is? I'll have some techs do repairs when we get the time, but this armour is staying right where it belongs."

He wasn't going to argue. The fact they werestill breathing was astonishing. He didn't want to tempt fate or risk losing the cast iron morale his unit were so famous for.

"This leader of theirs, Demiran. He seems to be pretty pissed with us. Seems to me he'll go to the ends of the Earth to end us."

"Seems so, what about it?"

"Reckon he was the one who attacked Red 1 and forced us to leave Chandra behind?"

Taylor was quiet for a moment. He wasn't going to admit he’d had the same thought, for such personal revenge could destabilise the unit. He knew all too well what the effects of getting personal were.

"Yeah, I suppose there is a good chance."

"Mmmm."

"What?"

"I'm just thinking what I'm gonna do to that bastard when we finally meet."

Taylor rested his hand on the Captain's shoulder.

"Now you remember what happened last time, when we took down Karadag. You disobeyed my orders, and you compromised us all with your anger and frenzied attack."

Jones dipped his head in shame.

"If we get a chance at that son of a bitch, we're gonna do it right, you hear?"

"Sure thing. I was a wreck back then. I wasn't thinking straight."

"I know, forget about it. It's been and gone now. Important thing is we toasted the bastard."

Taylor could see Jones was deep in thought once again.

"What is it?"

"You know how we feel about Demiran, how much we all want our revenge. Surely he must feel the same for the death of Karadag. After all, they were more than just allies. They were family."

"True, but let's not forget who started this fight?"

"And if the circle of revenge simply continues one after the other for both sides?"

"Well, I guess we'll just have to kill enough of them that it ends."

"It's not a bad idea."

Genocide? Taylor thought.

He'd never considered it a possibility for a civilized people, not until now. He turned to look at Jafar, reminding himself of what the aliens had the potential to be. He tried to humanise them to keep his own humanity.

"Enough of this, it's time."

"No send off speech by the General?" asked Jones.

"No, he's busy arranging resources for the next wave. If this year-long preparation really is as he suggests, then they have a whole lot of work ahead of them."

"Why though? Why not just amass everything we have and go in now? Hit them before they can establish themselves."

"I suppose nobody wants to gamble with the whole World. To take them on we will need a vast army, with all major powers in the world contributing. Imagine if that failed. Imagine 1943, and the allies threw everything in against the Germans and lost. Just try and imagine the World if that had happened. I may not like this strategy. It shows a caution we are not used to as field officers, but it is right for the human race. Who could make that gamble?"

Jones was taken aback by his assessment and gave it some real consideration and reflection.

"Yeah, that's a reality kick in the head."

Taylor laughed.

"Don't worry about it, ain't gonna happen."

"Guess it's your time for a speech then?"

"Haven't I given one already?"

Jones shrugged his shoulders. Taylor turned to the Battalion who were formed up with all their gear, awaiting orders. He was all out of speeches.

"Load up and be ready to kick some ass!"

"Go, go, go!" Silva shouted, as they stood stunned for a second.

The troops turned and rushed for the ships. The Deveron was reserved for Taylor and Jones' Company. Two other ships lay alongside Ryan's. They were both civilian freighters designed for high-speed haulage across the globe. Neither were armed or armoured in anyway.

"Better hope we don't hit any trouble in the air," said Jones.

"We'll be fine. The enemy is probably still in a complete mess, and we have been guaranteed fighter escort when we cover the Atlantic."

"Just as well," replied Ryan, "because our guns still aren't working either. The chips and electronics on our missile bays are fried, and the gun positions got hammered during the last couple of fights. Just be thankful that at least we have speed on our side."

"Compared to what?"

"Compared to those rust buckets," he replied, pointing to the other two ships.

"Is this really the best they could get for us?" asked Jones.

"At this short notice, I guess so. The proper kit is probably being reserved for the big operation."

"In a year? Get real. We've been given the junkers."

"Hey!" yelled Ryan."The Deveron may be a little rough right now, but she's still the best ship operating inside the atmosphere, and don't you forget it!"

Jones shrugged in an apology as they stepped up the ramp. Taylor slapped his hand on the fuselage as he passed through the door.

"Yep, this girl has done us proud."

Taylor followed Ryan up to the bridge. He had gotten so used to long distance travel in space that he had begun to think of setting up home, but Italy was just a few hours away by air.

"We still not got coordinates?" asked Ryan.

"Nope, you're to follow the 5th Marine ships, and we'll be given operational details as and when they are available and needed."

Ryan looked out to the Marine regiment mounting up. Their ships were brand new off the line and gleaming, the next generation on from the Deveron.

"Don't let their good looks fool you, Colonel. They're bigger than this girl with a bigger payload and more guns, but we can still outrun 'em any day."

The 5th Marine Regiment had dozens of ships and was beginning to lift off, despite the fact no orders had been passed on to Taylor.

"No take off authorisation or orders?" asked Ryan.

Taylor shook his head with a smile.

"The 5th haven't seen action in some time and are eager for glory. They won't share any information unless they absolutely have to. You just tail them till we know otherwise. If they want to lead the way into the enemy, let 'em. Makes a change. It's usually us having to take the flack."

"Power up and lift off."

Ryan felt awkward not having any coordinates to give to his crew, and he refused to tell them to follow the 5th Marine.

"Plot a course for Southern Italy, Cozenza."

Taylor turned in surprise. He'd never been to the country and was surprised to hear Ryan even know the name of any towns there.

"That place mean something to you?"

"I knew a girl there once," he replied.

"I bet you did."

Jafar stepped up onto the bridge. Taylor wasn't sure if he was going to join them at all and must have got on just before the doors shut.

"Good of you to join us."

"I told them I will help all I can, but where you go, I go."

"How'd they take it?"

"Why should you care?"

"Mmm… fair enough. Good to have you with us. This ain't the strike I was expecting, but atleast we're heading in the right direction."