“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.
Chapter 13
“He did that for you?” Taylor asked as they rushed through empty corridors to find their way back. He had nothing but his sidearm in hand and prayed they would not meet any Mechs.
“Yes, he owed me a great debt. One he has now paid.”
“He knew we couldn’t win?”
“Yes,” Jafar replied.
“You knew we could not beat him?”
“Erdogan is the most dangerous of my people to ever live in many generations.”
“So that’s a no?”
Jafar didn’t respond. It was a terrifying thought to know that one day he would surely have to face Erdogan once again. Taylor had never felt so outclassed by any opponent in his life, and he had fought some of the best.
“Next time we face him, we go in prepared and able to win,” he added.
They carried on room after room and corridor after corridor. Jafar seemed to know where he was going, and Taylor simply had to trust him. Finally, to his surprise they reached some of their Company and the Mastiff they had come in on. Parker rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around him, but as he held her firmly, he noticed Jones over her shoulder.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he let her go. Then he noticed Coco standing with him.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he added.
“Good to see you, too, Colonel,” she replied.
“Our boat is totally out of action. We aren’t getting out that way,” said Jones.
Taylor saw they hadn’t taken many casualties and so could already tell they weren’t going to be able to fit everyone aboard.
“You send out a pick-up beacon?” he asked.
“Yes, we’re awaiting pick-up.”
Taylor looked down at the watch on his datapad.
“Jesus, we’re cutting it a bit fine.”
“Time you head off. We’ll wait for the boat.”
Taylor didn’t want to agree, but he knew there was little more he could do.
“We can cram in about forty of your people. It won’t be comfy, but it’s a start.”
“Much appreciated, and I would ask that you please take my wife with you.”
“No, I will stay with you,” she insisted.
Taylor could see the concern in her face, but he could also see the determination in Jones’. One way or the other, she was going with him.
“Please no,” she pleaded, “I just got you back. I can’t lose you again.”
“Exactly my thoughts,” he replied, “Now, we will get off this boat, but I want to know my wife and son are safe at the first opportunity. We may have to go out into the black to get a lift, and you don’t even have the gear. I need to know you are safe, and I don’t have to worry about you any longer. You are going with the Colonel. You will be safe with him.”
She opened her mouth to protest but could see in his eyes that it was no good. Finally, as a tear dropped down her cheek, she nodded in acceptance. He turned around to Taylor.
“Get her to safety, both of them, you promise me?”
He looked deadly serious. Taylor stretched out his hand in friendship to confirm it, and Jones took it.
“She will make it. You have my word.”
He looked at his datapad once more before looking to the others who eagerly awaited his word.
“Let’s load up. We’re out of here!”
Cheers rang out as they rushed aboard the Mastiff.
“You know you look like hell, Mitch,” Jones joked.
He nodded in agreement.
“So did you get him?”
Taylor shook his head.
“Losing your edge?”
Taylor smiled. He leaned in close.
“Erdogan is like nothing we have ever seen or faced. You get your ass off this hulking piece of shit ASAP, you hear?”
Jones was surprised at how defeated Taylor looked, and he was starting to understand how serious their situation was.
“We’re about to enter a new phase in the history of humanity, and I want you there for it,” he added.
He turned, took hold of Coco, and led her into the Mastiff. She pulled free and looked back one last time, blowing a kiss to Jones as she continued to weep. Taylor pulled her along once again inside the ship. He put her into one of the bays and strapped her in before heading back to the pilot’s cabin.
“We ready to go?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Then take us out.”
“Aye, aye, Sir.”
Taylor looked around to see the pilot flew via a series of cameras that showed all angles of the exterior of the bullish craft. He fired up the engines as the doors sealed shut. They were crammed shoulder to shoulder throughout. A few moments later, they lifted off from the deck and soared out through the gaping hole they had created.
“Any news on the fleet?”
“Yes, Sir, whatever that alien did to interfere with the enemy systems, we have regained full communications.”
“And how are they doing?”
He did not respond.
“Well, come on, tell me.”
As they broke free of the enemy vessel, he could see some of the extent of it to himself. There were floating hulks of vessels all around of both human and alien construction. A few battles still raged between those craft still able to fight, and he could see several hundred vessels approaching from Earth’s atmosphere.
“Is that all that made it?” he asked in horror.
The pilot nodded. Taylor shook his head. There was nothing he could do about it now; just hope Jafar and Aysen’s efforts had worked. He looked at Earth and was simply in awe of its beauty, despite all of the horror going on at ground level. From space, it looked picturesque.
“Are we really leaving?” the pilot asked.
“Leaving or dying,” he replied.
He looked up to Parker.
“Get Dubois a suit.”
“Will she need it?”
“No idea, but let’s play it safe.”
“How long?” he asked Jafar.
“Any moment now.”
Taylor took a deep breath as he prayed for the plan to work. He closed his eyes and looked away.
“Sir, I’m getting some readings… what the hell is that?”
A beam of light ten metres wide surged from Erdogan’s ship. He looked up in time to see it. For a moment, they all thought it was a weapon. But the light stopped and expanded out into a huge sphere that began to spin. It looked just like the entrance of a space gateway, only without the framework.
“Have you done it, is that it?” he asked Jafar.
Jafar nodded.
“That’s it. We’ve got a way out of here!”
<
br /> A few cheered, but most realised that survival meant leaving Earth, and that was a terrifying thought. He tapped his communicator.
“Jones, come in, Jones.”
“Colonel? What’s happening?”
“We’ve got our way out of here. What’s the ETA on your ride?”
“Gunboat just offered us a ride. It’s en route.”
“Good, get the hell out of there now. We’re getting out of here.”
“Affirmative, over and out.”
Jones looked back to those who remained with him. Five of them were firing back down a hallway at Mechs advancing on them. The rest eagerly looked to him for the order to leave.
“That’s it. Boat is incoming, but we can’t get aboard. We’re making a jump for it. Let’s go!”
None of them moved, as they couldn’t believe the time had finally come.
“Come on, go!”
They rushed several rooms over to the breach and looked out to space. They saw the ship approaching. A fast and agile gunship with limited stowage capacity.
“It’ll have to do,” he said. He took the leap and used his boosters to accelerate towards the incoming vessel, which banked and came to a standstill ready for them.
As he floated through space, he looked at Earth just as Taylor had and marvelled at its beauty. “It was worth fighting for, wasn’t it?” he asked through his intercom. Nobody responded, but he knew they felt it too. The large side door opened on the gunboat ahead, and Jones was first through and turned to wait at the door to see everyone safely aboard.
“Come on, come on! Come on!”
The last of them was through. He hit the door shut button and felt the artificial gravity systems take effect. He rushed through onto the bridge to find the Captain awaiting him.
“Glad to give you a ride, Captain Jones.”
“Much appreciated. Now let’s get a move on.”
“With pleasure.”
He looked out to see the fleet approaching the jump gate.
“It’s really happening? We really did it?”
Pulses and missiles continued to race before them as the two sides continued to duke it out. He could see the Mastiffs towards the rear of the fleet, but they were a distance off.
Battle Earth IX (Book 9) Page 19