“Bolormaa,” she replied solemnly.
“The Captain fought her?” he gasped.
“Yes, we had no choice. She came after us. We were trapped here. The Captain fought for us, and then she let us live.”
“Why?”
“So that we could deliver a message of what we saw here, but we couldn’t leave, not with the damage we took.”
He looked at the Captain’s wounds and back to the suit.
“How much damage did he inflict on the Queen?”
She shook her head.
“He must have done something?”
“The suit failed him. He held her for a brief moment, but the suit lost power, or it looked like it to me.”
She could tell there was some relief in his eyes, and she didn’t understand that at all.
“You know why, don’t you?”
“Now is not the time or place. Your Captain needs medical attention, and the Alliance must hear the news of what happened here.”
He signalled for his two guards to pick up the AR2 suit.
“Give me a hand here, will you?” he said to King as he lifted the Captain up. They carried him out trailing his feet.
“The Colonel and that suit are coming with me, and so are you,” said Rivers.
“On whose authority?”
“Taylor doesn’t care for authority, and neither does your Captain. They care about results. I can help him, maybe even save his life, and you saw first hand what happened. I need you right now.”
“And the rest of our people?”
“Trust me, I wouldn’t risk leaving the Phoenix behind. I’ll have my people here in no time and get her patched up.”
But as they reached the tiny vessel he had arrived in they found Kaner blocking their path.
“Where are you taking the Captain?”
“Somewhere I can save his life,” replied Rivers in an offended tone, as if surprised he even needed to be asked.
“You are not taking him.” Kaner held out his hand and stopped them from moving.
“It’s okay. They are here to help, and I won’t leave his side,” insisted King.
“If anyone can save his life, it is my team, trust me,” said Rivers.
“Kaner didn’t look convinced at all. King looked to Mirov for some help.
“I’ll go, too, and make sure the Captain gets the best treatment he can.” Mirov stepped up to try and diffuse the situation.
Still Kaner did not move.
“Look, if it wasn’t for Rivers we’d all be left here to rot. He’s one of the good guys. He is sending help, and I will make sure he keeps his word,” said King.
There was till no response.
“CJ is going to die if he doesn’t get help, and this is the only help that is coming. Please, Kaner!”
“If this is a trick, I will find you!”
“Fair enough, now let us get on with what needs to be done.” Rivers passed over the carrying of CJ to Mirov.
“Come on. There is no time to waste. I will send help for the rest of you immediately. You have my word.”
None of them said a word. It was clear they didn’t trust him. The few humans that did know his name had no reason to. None of them knew him for the work he had done during the war, only a vague image of his lavish lifestyle from before the war.
“This is for the best, trust me,” said King.
That did little to convince them as they climbed aboard, and the ramp shut.
“It is for the best, isn’t it?” she asked Mirov.
“At this stage, we have nothing left to lose.”
That wasn’t much of a relief, and yet she’d rather be going anywhere right now. Anything that meant leaving that blood-soaked deck.
“You can save him, can’t you?”
“I will do everything I can, and he will be in the best of hands. That is all I can promise, Lieutenant.”
She appreciated his honesty, but it brought little relief. They hadn’t even noticed they had lifted off; the small craft was silky smooth.
“The suit failure, when it lost power. It didn’t surprise you, did it?” she asked Rivers.
“You knew this would happen?” Mirov asked angrily.
Rivers sighed. “The AR2 is a prototype piece of equipment. Highly advanced, and extremely powerful, and in there lies its weakness. The power demands of such a suit are beyond your comprehension, and we have been unable to overcome its relatively short capacity.”
“Short? How short?”
“Approximately thirty minutes. It is regenerative over the space of a day, even more so under a light source, and that can be accelerated further with a power source, but nonetheless it presents problems in the field. In the lab, the AR2 suit is perfect, but in real world application, it has limitations that we are yet to overcome.”
“Thirty minutes? What the hell can you do in thirty minutes?”
“Kill Bolormaa, and end this war!”
“Why didn’t we know about this limitation?” Mirov demanded.
“Because you had no reason to know, none of you. The AR2 suit was not Taylor’s to trade. It was careless and foolish to do so, although that is usually the trend with Colonel Taylor. It is because of him the enemy now knows about the AR2 suits. A secret that had been well maintained, and should have been for many more weeks, or even months to come.”
“I told CJ he shouldn’t mess with that suit. I told him we should never have launched this mission,” said King.
“We could not have known that Bolormaa herself would come after us,” replied Mirov.
“You should have done. These suits are the one threat to Bolormaa that she is scared of right now.”
“What can one man in a suit of armour do? No matter how special it is?”
“You don’t think one man can change the course of history.”
“No,” he replied cynically.
“Then I guess you need to read a little more about Colonel Taylor.”
“Taylor? He’d be the first one to admit that he achieved all that he has because of everyone who stood beside him,” replied King.
“He is modest, but anyone who knows their history will know well that he has changed the course of human existence, often with his own two hands.”
King grumbled as she reluctantly agreed, but it was clear she wasn’t convinced, or didn’t care. She was lost in her own world. Maybe still in shock from everything that had happened.
“You said the suit lost power, and Bolormaa saw this?”
Rivers sounded excited by the prospect, and that made no sense to King and Mirov.
“I thought these suits were your great wonder weapon.”
“They could well be.”
“And how does Bolormaa knowing their weakness help?”
“Because I don’t think she is half as smart as she thinks she is. The way she came after you and your Captain when she got news of your attack, that was foolish.”
“How? She kicked our asses, didn’t she?”
“But she didn’t plan. She didn’t think. She didn’t work a strategy. She was entirely reactionary. She was closing in on Taylor, and maybe an end to it all as far as she could see. And this little blip was enough to draw her away. She was scared.”
“And maybe now she isn’t. What has she got to fear from these suits?”
“At their full potential, plenty.”
“I sure hope you are right, because what we saw was a disaster,” said Mirov.
“So do I,” he replied as they made their jump.
Moments later they appeared inside a lit tunnel, and that caused King to gasp.
“How the hell did you navigate a jump into this?”
“I could explain it, but the science would bore you. Just be content in the fact that it works.”
They came in to land and were soon met by a medical team. They rushed CJ away on a stretcher, and Mirov was close at their side. King wanted to go too, but she knew she was needed.
“The Captain will have the fin
est treatment. Here we have some of the greatest medical minds in the Alliance.”
“I thought you were here to develop weapons.”
“Not just that, but anything that can assist in the war effort. Programmes to advance the potential of human anatomy require experts with skills beyond what I possess.”
“I thought you were some genius wizard.”
“I am an ideas man. Science comes naturally to me, but I cannot be an expert in every field, but I can bring those experts together, and get them working in a way that others can’t.”
“You don’t really strike me as a people kind of person.”
“Maybe not your kind of people, but I can work miracles with mine.”
He led her through into the facility. It soon opened up into the vast dome where hundreds of scientists worked away on all manner of projects.
“This is where Taylor has been, isn’t it?”
“Yes, this has been his home since he recovered enough from his wounds, a secret that was known to only a handful of people outside of this facility. But none of that matters anymore. The secret is out. What matters is what we do from here. Taylor is going to have to face Bolormaa. That much is certain. And it is our job to ensure he has the best possible chance of victory, and I do mean us. This responsibility falls to all of us.”
“I don’t know what I can do to help. I am not much of a fighter.”
“There are many ways to fight a war, Lieutenant. I have been fighting since the opening weeks of this war, but I have never had to encounter the enemy. There is value in all work that is done towards the goal of victory in this war.”
“Anything I can do to help, I will. Just please do not forget about CJ. He is not a good man, but he does not deserve to die. He has more than paid his dues to the Alliance.”
“He is a monster from another age. You know that, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“And you know what the Alliance will do with him when they no longer have need of him?”
She shook her head for a moment, but soon stopped, knowing precisely what he meant.
“You know your Captain might have just done both the most stupid and the most clever thing all at the same time.”
“I am not with you.”
“Follow me.”
* * *
Taylor was huffing and muttering as he scrolled through the casualty lists. It was a remarkably long list. Some of the captains and ships he knew personally, others in passing.
“Was it all for nothing?” Vega asked.
Taylor had thought he was alone as he sat in the artificial garden aboard the ship, with trees all around and birds singing, or the illusion of it at least. The Admiral took a seat on the bench beside him. His jacket was unbuttoned and hung open. He had a bandage on the side of his neck and dried blood on his shirt, as well as a lighter cut and abrasion on his face.
“I just don’t know. I don’t know how her mind works. I wish I did.”
“Why do you always come here? Wherever you are, you always flock to the parks.”
“Because it’s the closest thing to Earth that I can get.”
“You miss it that much?”
Taylor took a deep breath and exhaled. “Yep, I sure do. When I grew up, the prospect of leaving Earth was absurd. Sure a few units here and there would see service off world, but it was pretty rare. I never thought I would leave. And look where I am now, about as far away from home as I could ever hope to be.”
“And this helps?”
“It’s the best I can hope for, I guess. It’s better than wandering the decks of a ship. It’s cold, featureless, and depressing. Like I imagine a submariner might have felt back in my day.”
“I think things have moved on a little since then, Colonel.”
“Not to me.”
“They have, whether you want to accept it or not.”
“I accepted it a long time ago. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“So Bolormaa ran, why do you think she did that? I thought she wanted you so bad she wouldn’t stop for anything or anyone.”
Taylor shrugged.
“I thought so, too, and so did everyone else around us. But it wouldn’t be the first time the experts were wrong, would it?”
“You think she saw the threat for what it was. Somehow knew what I would be willing to do if you failed?”
Taylor grimaced and did not look convinced.
“I don’t think so, maybe, I don’t know.”
“Colonel, Colonel Taylor!” a voice called out.
It was Rogers. He would recognise that voice any day.
The Captain rushed into view, and Jones was close on his tail.
“What is it?”
“A report from Rivers,” said Rogers breathlessly.
He could barely get his words out, as he had clearly been running to get to them. Neither Taylor nor the Admiral could understand what would bring them to deliver the message by hand, and yet the mention of Rivers name had to be it.
“It’s Bolormaa. Bolormaa!”
“What about her?”
“She didn’t run from this battle. She was drawn to another,” said Jones.
“What? What are you talking about?”
Rogers tried to get his breath. Both men must have sprinted some way to find him, but Rogers was looking around cautiously to see who else was listening in. Taylor grabbed him and shook his impatiently.
“Come on, what the hell is going on here?”
“It’s CJ. He launched an assault on one of the enemy’s stations. A facility the Alliance wouldn’t dare hit with what resources we have, and neither would he had it been any other time. But it’s the suit!”
“What? What suit?” Taylor demanded.
“The AR2 suit that he wrangled from you. He put it to use, and from the sounds of it, he raised hell for a while.”
Taylor couldn’t wrap his head around it. None of it made any sense to him.
“What does this have to do with Bolormaa and why she left?”
“It has everything to do with it, Colonel.”
Taylor looked at him blankly as if waiting for an explanation.
“As far as she is concerned, the AR2 suit is tied to you. She probably only knows of the existence of two of them from our interaction with…Lieutenant Hariz.”
His voice faded off, knowing he had touched on a delicate subject that they had all tried to avoid.
“So…she heard about CJ’s attack and assumed it was me?”
“Yes, she must have thought what we were doing here was a trap, and she went after what she thought was the real you.”
“That scum being mistaken for me? Great,” replied Taylor sarcastically, “That idiot has blown our entire operation. All those lives lost, and for what?”
“It’s not all bad, Colonel. CJ fought her.”
“And?”
“Well, he lost, but not because of the failings of the suit, but because he did not know the limitations of its power source.”
“And now she does. Well, that’s just fucking great. CJ continues to fuck us at every stage.”
“But it might be a blessing in disguise.”
“What? It’s a disaster.”
“All we have to do is create a scenario where you can fight her in that suit at full power and in a fair fight.”
Taylor grimaced as if in pain. “What the hell makes you think I can beat her? Why me? I am one man.”
“Bolormaa wants single combat with a great champion, and you are the best we have. You have proven that. You have overcome the most ridiculous of odds, and it doesn’t matter what we think anyway, it matters what Bolormaa thinks. She cares enough to make this personal. We can’t defeat her in open war, but boiled down to a single fight, and with the right conditions, you can put an end to this.”
Taylor looked to Jones for an opinion. He didn’t need to say a word, as his old friend knew exactly what he was after.
“It’s worth a shot. Yo
u know it is. You have a puncher’s chance, and that’s a damn sight more than the rest of us have if this war goes on. Her armies, her fleets, they are all controlled and led by her. Kept together as one by her, but without her, they will be scattered and divided.”
Taylor paced back and forth as he thought about it. He hated the prospect of facing her once again. He had built himself up in readiness for that day, or as best he could. But now he had to do it all over again, and in the back of his mind was the nagging question of what really happened to CJ.
Was it really the power of the suit that failed him? Or was the suit just not up to the job? As much as I hate CJ, I am well aware of his fighting prowess. If he could be defeated so easily, could the suit really beat Bolormaa?
Those were the horrifying questions rolling around in his head that he could not bear to share with anyone. To do so would break his own principles, that believing you can win is half the battle.
“CJ’s people? What happened to them?”
“She let them live. Some of them are with Rivers, including CJ, the rest are being picked up as we speak, and will be put under your command for the foreseeable future.”
“My command, CJ’s people? They’d just as soon as stick a blade in my back than work for me.”
“I think you might be pleasantly surprised.”
Taylor was not convinced.
“CJ, he lives?”
“Barely. It’s hard to say if he will make it.”
“He was a fool to face her,” said Jones.
“Any more a fool than I am?”
“You know he is. He didn’t plan it and didn’t think about it. He didn’t know what that suit could and couldn’t do, and so ran into a situation blind, and paid the price.”
There was bitterness in Jones’ voice, and Taylor did not blame him. The Captain had every bit as much a reason to hate CJ as he did. After all, he had stolen the identity of the most decorated officer in Jones’ family history.
“You are trying to spin this as something good, but let’s not be under any illusions, this is a fucking disaster. We had a real chance. I had a chance, and a backup strategy that was pretty foolproof, and CJ has taken that away from us.”
“And Bolormaa now thinks she is one step ahead. She thinks there is only one suit left. She thinks it is weak, and its power is limited.”
Battle Beyond Earth - Box Set (Books 6-9) Page 52