"What do you know, a Cholan with balls, backbone, and the skills to put them to use," he said, smiling as he felt blood dripping down his neck and tainting his uniform beneath the suit. Tuin still said nothing and rushed forward again, leaping into the air much like he had before. But Taylor was not going to underestimate the warrior a second time. He took a quick step back and swiped his shield across the Cholan's, which sent him into a spin. As his flank was exposed, he thrust his Assegai forward. But with his immense speed and agility, the Cholan dropped low and parried with his own shield just a split second before impact. Taylor kicked under the shield and launched him three metres across the room. Tuin landed hard, rolled twice, and spun back up onto his feet, ready to come at Taylor once more.
He rushed forward and swung with three fast cuts against Taylor. He parried all of them, but on the last cut the Cholan stopped half way and redirected to the other side. Taylor could not move his shield quick enough to counter the fast deception and had no choice but to parry with his Assegai. The sword connected and cut it in half, slicing through into Taylor's arm. The blade cut deep enough to draw a centimetre into his triceps. Taylor responded by punching forward with his shield. The impact was enough to throw Tuin onto his back, and Taylor quickly went forward to stamp down on his face.
Tuin rolled nimbly out of the way, but before he could raise his sword, he found Taylor's boot stamp down firmly on the blade, pinning it to the floor. The Cholan released his grip and rolled out of the way and back onto his feet. Taylor kicked the blade out of the way as Tuin powered his shield down, and Taylor did the same. Despite the pain and injuries, Mitch was really starting to enjoy himself now, but he was also starting to wish he did not have to kill the Cholan who had shown so much promise.
"Surrender," he said.
Tuin raised his arms into a fighting stance and shook his head to refuse. He came forward with a kick to the inside of Taylor's leg. The Colonel teetered slightly before he returned a powerful straight punch. His reach easily allowed him to strike the Cholan hard. His head snapped to one side slightly, but as Taylor lunged again, Tuin ducked under, punching Taylor to the face and breaking his nose with a precise strike. Blood burst out from both his nostrils and streamed down his face. Taylor staggered back slightly and smiled to reveal his blood soaked teeth.
"Well played," he stated and went forwards.
Taylor knew he had to be smarter and more refined with his actions now. He swung as if he intended a heavy hook, but as Tuin tried to duck under, he struck a kick with his long reach. The alien’s hands rose up just in time, but it was not enough. The power knocked him back and stunned him. Taylor leapt forward with a flying punch that struck him in the left eye. The impact seemed to stun Tuin. Taylor followed it with an elbow into his collarbone from above, and he keeled over. He could see Tuin was defeated but could not bring himself to kill the warrior who had fought so valiantly and with such skill.
His fist was held up ready for the final hammer blow. He quickly struck, and Tuin was knocked flat down to the ground. Utterly defeated, and with nothing left to give, he finally nodded in agreement to acknowledge his defeat. Taylor was glad to accept it. They could hear the thunder of footsteps. Jones and several of their Immortals rushed into the room in support, and then stop in amazement to see Taylor's condition and the standoff between him and the Emperor. Jones didn't say a word. He simply nodded to give his support. Taylor looked back at the Kuyok, who for the first time looked truly scared. Taylor's expression towards him was contemptuous.
"Colonel Taylor, we can surely work something out."
Taylor didn't say a word. He quickly drew the pistol from his side and fired a single bullet. It hit the Emperor between the eyes and killed him instantly. His body slumped forward. As he smashed down to the ground, the crown toppled from his head and rolled across the floor, coming to a standstill just a metre in front of Taylor. Jones couldn't believe what he was seeing; the others didn't fully appreciate the severity of the situation. He lowered his rifle and walked up to Taylor. The Colonel simply stood looking at the body of the dead Emperor that he had slain.
"What have you done?"
But to his surprise, it was not remorse Taylor was feeling, only a sense of achievement.
"Completed the mission," he replied confidently.
"Is this really what we came here to do?"
Taylor nodded.
"We came to do whatever was necessary to ensure the Cholans no longer presented a threat, and that they would fight for us," he replied, looking down at Tuin.
"Do you understand that?" he asked the Cholan.
Tuin nodded.
"I understand," he replied sincerely.
"You were willing to lay down your life to protect him, and yet this does not bother you?"
"I did everything I could to fulfil my duty, and I must continue to do the same for my people."
Taylor was impressed. He was the only Cholan he had ever found he could relate to, and as he swept the blood from his nose, realised an opportunity had presented itself.
"I don't want to seize power here. I only want the Alliance to be as strong as it can be. This back and forth, this violence, it ends today, you understand?"
Tuin nodded slowly. Taylor took a few paces forward and reached down to pick up the crown. He studied it for just a moment. It was far heavier than he had expected and could see from the rare jewels that it must be priceless. It was also tarnished with the Emperor’s blood. He looked over to Tuin who didn't understand what he was doing.
"I need someone who can be trusted to lead your people. You are the only candidate I am willing to back, want the job?"
Tuin shook his head.
"I cannot. I am not of noble birth."
Taylor smiled, knowing he had the right man. He tossed the crown into the alien's lap. Tuin caught it and almost seemed scared to touch it. He held it up and at a distance. It was clear he had never handled it before. One of the Cholan officials stepped forward in an exasperated fashion.
"Sorry, Colonel, but you cannot do this. We have a strict tradition that must be adhered to, and..."
Taylor swivelled around and glared at the alien, who stopped when he saw the pistol still in his hand.
"You know what I have learned about tradition?"
No one dared say a word and waited for him to continue.
"I learned that it changes in time. Whatever you have been doing, it isn't working, and whether you like it or not, I am here to tell you things are changing."
He stepped over to Tuin and hauled him to his feet. He took the crown from his hands and placed it on the Cholan's head. Tuin still looked uncomfortable, but Taylor placed a hand on his shoulder and reassured him.
"You are a better man than all these assholes. You've got skill and courage, and that is enough."
He offered out his hand, a gesture Tuin clearly recognised but had never experienced. He took it eventually.
"If you continue to show the courage I saw here today, then I will gladly call you my ally, and my friend. Your people need you. The Alliance needs you. Will you step up and do what needs to be done?"
Tuin looked past Taylor to the Cholan officials. It was clear none of them approved, but he nodded in agreement anyway.
"This won't be easy. There will be many who contest this."
"And you will deal with them. There cannot be another war or another division between us. Together we will fight the Morohta, but divided we will almost certainly fall."
Taylor strode up to the other Cholans and walked up and down the line. He intimidated them, and it was no surprise.
"You will support Tuin as your leader, or you will answer to me."
He looked back to the new Emperor and nodded as if to hand over to him. "Good luck," he added.
With that, Taylor picked up his rifle, turned, and left.
"That's it?" Jones asked, as they passed through the palace doors, "What is to stop them coming at us again?"
Ta
ylor shook his head.
"We can't enslave them. We have done all that we can do. Now they must sort it out amongst themselves. Something tells me Tuin will be a far more formidable leader than they could ever have imagined."
Chapter 4
Jafar groaned as he lay back into his chair aboard the bridge of the Yavuz. Sarik stepped into the room just in time to see his Lord suffering from the wound that was not yet healed, but he would not ask after him in front of the rest of the crew. Jafar studied the bridge carefully.
"Been a long time since I have been aboard this old warhorse."
His sentimentality amused and confounded Sarik.
"You speak like a Human," he added in a friendly tone.
Jafar nodded.
"You should continue to learn everything you can from humanity. For a weak people with just one planet, they defeated every fleet our forebears ever threw at them."
"I do not doubt their strength and ingenuity, but you would be wise to remember your origins if you are to visit the Barbarlars. They are not forgiving, and will only see your Human tendencies as weakness."
Jafar sighed as he thought about the road ahead.
"They will not fight for us."
"Then why are we going?"
"Because however unlikely, we have to try. Taylor showed me that."
"What exactly?"
"To not trust the odds. That often victory can be sought through adversity, no matter how severe or seemingly insurmountable."
"You are becoming philosophical in your old age."
Jafar noticed just a hint of humour in his voice.
"You are not without Human influence either."
Sarik did not respond.
"Plot a course. Let's get this over with," said Jafar.
"Are you sure you do not want to take a larger fleet? One Battleship and two support vessels will do little in the event that the Barbarlars take offense."
Jafar shook his head.
"I will not weaken the Alliance position here, and we cannot risk any more."
"But we are risking you, our leader. What if you were to fall?"
"Life will go on. Set the course, and get us moving."
He looked around to study the vessel. It was almost a hundred years old, and yet still one of the most powerful ships in his fleet. He could see its resilience in the battle with the Cholans only served to show the strength of the Yavuz.
"I am sorry we could not transport you on a more modern warship," added Sarik.
Jafar shook his head.
"The Yavuz is battle proven. Dependable. I'd rather rely on a ship with a proven history than the latest technology and a polished interior."
Sarik barked a few orders, and they were soon going forward towards the jump gate. It powered up, and Jafar knew there could be no turning back.
"Do you believe Colonel Taylor can succeed?" Sarik asked.
"I have no doubt he will. There is not a task that man has set himself to that he has not achieved. One has to wonder if he was sent by a higher power."
"Do you believe he was?"
Jafar shook his head.
"I do not know anymore. Certainly what he has accomplished goes beyond what anyone could ever have believed possible. Maybe he is the Dusmus Kahraman."
He had said it almost as a joke, an off the cuff remark, but Sarik had taken it very differently.
"You cannot believe he is the one?"
Jafar looked around to see the entire bridge crew had heard him and stopped in silence to hear him go on. It was in this moment he began to wonder at the significance of the legend.
"Dusmus Kahraman, the fallen hero," he translated as he thought more deeply at the matter.
"Could it really be? A fallen hero returned to us in our greatest time of need?" asked Sarik.
Jafar didn't believe it, for he never believed the myths and superstitions of his people, and his time with Taylor had only reinforced that position. And yet he saw the rise in the morale of the crew, and that he could use it to his advantage. He rose out of his chair to address them.
"Is Mitch Taylor the Dusmus Kahraman? I cannot know, and neither can you. But each of you should think about everything he has achieved. The legend never stipulated that the Kahraman was one of our own, only that he fought for us, and died for us. This world that was created, this paradise we have lived in since the demise of Erdogan, Taylor created that. It was Taylor who put me on this throne. It was he who enabled our people to live on Earth, who brought peace with the Aranui. Is he the Kahraman? He might as well be."
He was even starting to believe it himself and felt it had captured the imaginations of those around him.
"Taylor has gone to conduct one of the most important missions of the war, and like ours, he had too few resources and too little time. But he would never let that make him believe for a second that he could fail. I know what you think of the Barbarlars, for I think the same. They are a savage people that I would rather never encounter in person. When we arrive at their world, I ask for just two volunteers to come down to the surface with me."
"I will go," Sarik said without hesitation.
Jafar shook his head.
"Anyone but you, my friend. I will not risk any more here than we must. The war may go on without me, but the Alliance needs every strong fighter and ship it can assemble. If I encounter resistance when I meet with the Barbarlars, you will run, and that is an order!"
Sarik's lips were sealed.
"Promise me you will follow that order, even if it may be my last?"
"We swore an oath to you, how can we leave you?"
Jafar took a deep breath.
"Some things are more important than one man."
"And yet you would not say the same about Taylor?"
"But Taylor is no ordinary man. Just do this for me. Do not risk these ships and your lives in any futile attempt. If this is my end, and that is my fate, so be it. I am old. My best years are distant memories. This is your time. Now take us through, and let us do what we can."
He took a seat as they passed through the gateway, and Sarik knelt down beside him so that they might talk more privately.
"You don't believe there is any chance of this working, do you?"
"No," replied Jafar quickly and quietly.
"Then why go at all?"
"Because that is my duty."
Sarik looked frustrated. Jafar laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You will run if things go badly down there. Trust in Taylor. He is the key to victory, but he cannot do it alone. For it is not what he achieves individually that decides the outcome of a battle or a war, but what he inspires and the success he manifests in others. If I fall, he will support you in taking up my position as the leader of my people. It is my final wish that has been documented and arranged. With him by your side, you will make a great leader."
"Let's not talk like you are already dead."
"Don't think I want to be. I am not going down there to fail. I will, as I have always done, do my utmost to succeed. But we live in difficult times, the most difficult since the demise of Erdogan. I have lived through many wars, and I may yet survive this one yet. As Taylor would say."
They passed through the gateway that returned them to Krys space.
"It will be almost twenty hours before we can reach the Barbarlar sector. You should rest," said Sarik.
Jafar was glad of the suggestion and left the bridge.
Sarik noted the crew were uneasy and restless. None of them wanted to go anywhere near the Barbarlars. Sarik himself thought back to the only encounter he had ever had with them, and it almost cost him his life. But as he rested back in his chair, he began to think of the Dusmus Kahraman myth. He had grown up with tales of Taylor and never once linked the two together. He still didn't believe an alien could represent the myth, and yet it gave him some hope.
The time passed slowly as they travelled to the Barbarlar homeworld. They were nearing a moon outpost when finally they made
contact. Two craft were on an intercept course, smaller than the three vessels they had taken with them. Before Sarik could say a word, the door behind him opened and Jafar strode in.
"Will they fire on us?"
Jafar shook his head.
"We do not come in great enough number to pose a major threat. They will see this as exactly what it is."
"And what exactly is that?"
"Diplomacy."
"I am not sure they know that word."
"We are being hailed," said the comms officer.
"Put them through," replied Jafar, "They need to know I am on board."
"Why?" Sarik asked.
It was clear he was more concerned they would be fired upon as a result.
"Because they will understand the severity."
"I do not like this at all," replied Sarik as the screen displayed one of the Barbarlars. The face shape was recognisable, but black and white face paint and loose deep red and black clothing made him look like something out of their history books. The face was more wrinkled and a little simpler and angrier looking than a typical Krys.
"What is the meaning of this invasion of our space?" he demanded.
Sarik was unimpressed by the man's lack of introduction and rude tone, but he left Jafar to deal with it.
"I am Lord Jafar, leader of the unified Krys worlds. I come in peace and wish to meet with your leaders."
"We have no reason to talk."
"But we do. A threat exists that will come to your world after it is finished with ours. I offer my hand in friendship so that we might fight this threat together."
The alien's face seemed to light up slightly at the prospect of combat, and Jafar knew that was the bait with which to catch the primitive elements of these people.
"Hold your position, and I will take your proposal to my Lord."
Jafar nodded for Sarik to issue the order.
"Reverse thrust, hold position," he added.
The transmission ended abruptly without another word. Had it been anyone else, they would have assumed the signal had been lost, but it was clear that they were abrasive and rude.
Battle Beyond Earth: Insurrection Page 6