It was the best he had felt all day, soothing and relaxing, even if his face stung, too. Things had seemed so dire until so recently. The loss of Earth had felt like the end of days. A failure to defend what he had spent his life working towards. But all of that was gone now. To know there were survivors down there, and that Earth was not finished, that changed everything for him. He wished he could share it with everyone else.
He was soon pulling on a fresh uniform. For a moment, he thought about getting back into his armour. It seemed overkill, and yet they had been caught out before. But he settled for his pistol and fastened it about his waist. He took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. His face was cut and bruised. He looked like he’d been in a car crash, and that wasn’t so far from the reality of it. But he also felt fresh and invigorated. He stepped outside his room. Jones was waiting for him.
“Just couldn’t stay away, could you?”
“You get how bad this is, don’t you?” he said with a stone-cold expression on his face.
“Sure, and I wouldn’t begin to even suggest I know what it’s like to go through this, because I don’t. But one thing I do know is that we are alive,” he said, patting Jones on the shoulder.
Jones tried to smile, but it was a reserved one at best.
“It was inevitable, I guess. All this fighting, Earth had to get hit sometime.”
“Things may be shit right now, but we have people down there, and Earth is still there. It isn’t the end, and do you know how resourceful humanity can be? Earth will be beautiful once more. Maybe not in our lifetimes, not that any of us can say what that is anymore. I should have died a few hundred years ago. The wonders that are worked on these days. Who knows, maybe we’ll live on like the Krys do, to a grand old age and see it returned to the way it was?”
“Wishful thinking, don’t you think?”
“Sure, what is the point of any other kind?”
“Being realistic, being honest to ourselves.”
“You mean set yourself limits and live within the confines of them? I spit on the idea. I wouldn’t be here if I’d lived like that.”
“Positive waves are good and all that, but you have to admit, this is beyond a simple fix.”
“No doubt, but you know what isn’t?”
Jones shook his head as if expecting some great words of wisdom.
“A drink. The bar’s open and well stocked I hear. We’ve got hours to burn, and I think we’ve earned them. The Admiral certainly thinks so.”
“How can you drink at a time like this?”
“How can you not?”
“There has to be something better we can be doing with our time.”
“Our work is done for now, but it’ll soon be our turn once again. But for now, we need to clear our heads. A lot of people we know have lost friends and family down there…”
It was in that moment he realised that included Jones.
“I am sorry. I hadn’t thought, are they…”
“I don’t know, and we won’t know for sometime.”
All of Jones’ family were on Earth, a fact that had slipped Taylor’s mind. They had not talked about them in such a long time. The odds were against them having survived, and they all knew that. They wandered on towards the bar, not thinking of anything better to do. Jones’ tone had already changed, knowing it was pointless to stay angry, but that was replaced by a deep sadness.
“Will it all be worth it in end, do you think?”
“There is no answer for that.” Taylor sounded as if he had been asked it a hundred times before.
“Why not?”
“Because that implies we ever had a choice to fight this or not. We were faced with complete destruction. You could have laid down and taken it. Be destroyed, and let everything you know and love be destroyed.”
“Hasn’t it been?”
“We’ve all lost a lot, but we haven’t lost everything. You were there when all this began. You made first contact. You saw it first-hand. Did you want to lie down and take it? Let them kill you, or did you stand and fight? Did you put a line in the sand and say, this stops here?”
Jones grumbled.
“No, because you weren’t willing to accept this, none of us were. Between fighting for what we have or losing everything because we wouldn’t, that’s no choice at all. I am sorry for what you have lost, but since you awoke Bolormaa, can you imagine any other outcome than the one we have today? It’s a damn miracle that any of us are still here.”
They reached the bar to find it was the quietest he had ever seen it. Not because it was empty, far from it, but because the patrons were in near solemn silence. They were stunned. Pale faced and lost. Drinking their pain away. It was a tragic sight, and one that lowered Taylor’s spirits immediately. These were the men and women he had fought for his entire life, and to know that he had failed weighed on him heavily. He thought about the comforting words he had given to Jones, and yet he couldn’t quite take consolation in that himself.
The barman put out drinks for them without having to ask what they wanted. They each knocked their drinks back and slid their glasses forward for more.
“Look at them, completely lost.” Taylor looked out across the quiet bar. Those drinking there were like zombies. They stared out into space as if their minds were no longer in their bodies, “However bad you are feeling, imagine how they are now. There is hope, but they don’t know it. There are survivors, and they don’t know that either.”
“You heard the Admiral, and you know what is at stake.”
“Yes, but how can you expect them to fight when they have nothing to fight for?”
Jones shrugged, having no answers for him. Taylor knocked down his second drink and slammed the glass down before leaping up from his bar stool.
“What are you doing?” Jones asked suspiciously.
“I am going to remind people that there is something worth fighting for.” He stormed off, and Jones rushed after him, trying to catch up.
“What are you going to do?”
“Only what needs to be done, what should have been done.”
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Tell me, how do you think it could get any worse right now?”
“I wouldn’t ask that, not anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because things can always get worse.”
“You saw them back there. Half of them are ready to put a gun in their mouths and blow their own heads off. The rest wouldn’t stand in a fight. They are broken.”
It was hard to argue with that. Rogers rushed to their side, surprised that they were moving with such purpose.
“I guess this isn’t a social call?”
Taylor shook his head. They soon reached the bridge and stormed onto it.
“Colonel, I gave you express orders!”
“And I promised to see this fight through, and do everything in my power to protect this Alliance, and all who live in it, Admiral.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The people need to know. They have to, or there is nothing left for them to go on, no reason for them to keep going forward or have any fight left in them.”
He approached the communications console.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“What I should have done the moment you told me the truth.”
“You can’t do that!”
"Yeah? Watch me."
"No, Colonel, this is not a game."
"No, it's not. So let me speak to them, and when I am done, this is going to spread to the rest of the fleet in no time, so why not save me the trouble and patch me through, to everyone?"
“Guards!”
Taylor ripped his pistol from his holster, but he didn’t aim it at anybody, and Jones felt obliged to do the same. They weren’t threatening anyone, but had to show they were willing to take it a step further.
"You have no idea what you're doing."
"None of
us do. Tell me one among us who has ever been at this point in their lives. Not even Taylor," replied Rogers.
“This is a mistake.”
“Maybe, but so is letting what remains of our people fade away because they have nothing left to live for.”
Vega didn’t fight him any further, although he could have, if he’d so wanted. Like the rest of them, he was deeply conflicted, too, and so didn’t push any further.
“Put me through to the fleet,” he said as he towered over the communications officer.
“You can’t do this!” Santiago yelled.
Vega held up his hand, calling for him to stop.
“But, Sir, he cannot fly in the face of the chain of command. You know this.”
“Forget what you think you know, life isn’t the same anymore,” snarled Taylor.
“You are a loose cannon, Colonel, and you are going to get us all killed.”
Taylor slammed his fist down on the console before him.
“I was fighting for our people before you even existed. I’ve made tough calls, and not all of them have been right. But if I hadn’t made them, humanity wouldn’t even fucking exist for Bolormaa to have found us!”
“With respect, Sir, that doesn’t make you right.”
“No, but I don’t see anyone else offering up any other solutions. I won’t leave our people to whittle away and tear themselves apart because they think it’s all over. It’s not over, and they need to know it. They need hope. Now put me through!”
Santiago looked to the Admiral to intervene, but he was just shaking his head.
“I don’t like it, but there are no easy answers. The Colonel has gotten us through tough times before, and I say we trust him once more.”
Santiago looked furious, but he would not go against the Admiral. He couldn’t without looking like a hypocritical ass.
“Open channel, do it,” said Vega.
The comms officer obliged. Taylor sighed for a moment as he realised how many times he had done something like this. Never in such dire circumstances, and yet it was also a relief to be able to share good news. That was the beauty of his position. He could speak from the heart, and say and do as others could not. He bent and broke the rules whenever he saw fit, and so far, it had kept him alive, and had kept the Alliance moving forward. He saw no reason to stop now.
“This is Colonel Taylor speaking. Please, whatever you are doing, stop and give me a few moments, for what I have to say you will want to hear.”
He coughed to clear his throat and think about his next few words.
“Please listen to me. For many of you, life seems like it is over. You think all left on Earth have perished. Well, listen up, that isn’t true. I have had guaranteed confirmation that there millions of our people are still alive down there. Safe inside purpose built facilities designed to protect against massive biological attacks.”
He could already see some hope returning to the faces of those around him on the bridge, and that warmed his heart.
“We don’t know the total number of survivors, but I can assure you that it is in the millions. Earth has been hit hard, and there is no denying it. But this isn’t over. It isn’t over because there are people down there, and they need our help. Just as it has been since the day this war began. This war isn’t over. Life isn’t over. We are going to go on living and fighting. We will not be destroyed. We will not be forgotten. We will not be relegated to the pages of history. We are still here, and there are people who need us, people who need us to go on fighting.”
He took a deep breath and let it sink in, but before he could continue, one of the bridge crew began to clap. All the others, all except Santiago, soon joined them. Taylor wanted to tell them to stop. He didn’t want any credit. All he had done was tell them the truth. But at the same time, he could see how much their spirits were lifted. The clapping went on for a full minute, and the comms officer piped in video feeds from other ships across the fleet. They celebrated as if there had been some great victory. Finally, it began to die down.
“This fight isn’t over. It isn’t over because we are still standing, and because Bolormaa still draws breath. I promised you that I would end her life, and I intend to keep that promise. Never give up. There are too many people depending on you. I intend to see this through because millions are depending on me to do so. What do you say, will you keep fighting for them?”
A roar of excitement rang out over all the screens. He nodded to the comms officer to end the signal. He had said all he had to say. Santiago was shaking his head, and yet everyone else was overjoyed.
"How can you let him get away with this?" Santiago whispered to the Admiral.
"Because he gets results. You start achieving the things he can, and I'll start listening to what you have to say."
Santiago looked even angrier, but nobody cared about him. The Admiral strolled over to Taylor with a smile on his face.
"Not bad at all. Now will you take that break?"
"How about that drink?" he asked Jones.
CHAPTER 4
Taylor awoke to the sound of a call coming into his quarters. It was ringing in his ears as if it was a dream, but he was slowly coming around, and realising it was real. His head was sore, but he smiled as he remembered the night before. A chance to relax with friends was something to be cherished, more so now than ever. He groaned as he got up and accepted the call. It was Vega, with a serious expression on his face.
"Colonel, we need you up here."
"How urgently?"
"Now."
He nodded in agreement and cancelled the call. He didn't even bother to shower. He had the sense that wherever he was going, it was going to be dirty work anyway. He quickly got dressed, stepped into his armour, and took up his rifle. That was when he noticed it was etched on the stock with its previous owner, 'EP.' He couldn't even think who that was, but it added a nice bit of history to the weapon. He headed out the door, half expecting to find Jones or one of the others waiting for him, but it was empty.
"Another day in the Corps," he said as he smiled to himself.
He knew things were bad, and there was so much to mourn, although he didn't know any of those who were lost on Earth. He would gladly give everything to protect them, but he had no friends there. His friends were right here, or those that remained anyway. He thought back to some of the friends he had lost over time. It seemed as though he was the only constant, as nobody else lasted long enough. Jones and CJ were an odd reminder of old friends, but it wasn't the same. He hadn't seen Jafar in quite a while now. With all his responsibilities, they rarely got to communicate anymore. Irala had been there throughout so many of the wars, but now he was gone, too, not that he was much of a talker.
To know life was going on was a relief, and despite all the losses, he felt surprisingly positive. More than anything he was thinking about his fight with Bolormaa. He recounted every move of the fight as though he was watching it on film. He thought of all the damage he and others had inflicted, and how weak she must now be. It was a turning point, and she knew it, too. It was the reason she had not fought him again. The reason she fled, and the reason she was going apoplectic. She couldn't win, and she knew it. That made him smile. He had lived in fear for too long. Fear that she could strike him down whenever she pleased. But that had passed. He was no longer at her mercy; the tables had been turned.
"It's time she knows what it's like to feel that," he muttered to himself.
He strode onto the bridge. Jones and Rogers were already there with the Admiral.
"What the hell is this?"
"It was a relief to see you getting some rest, Colonel. I called your two men here to assist me, but frankly the situation has changed substantially over the last thirty minutes.
"What situation?"
"The Lunar Colony."
"What about it?"
"Morohtan forces are on the surface. At first we thought it was a few stragglers, but they have already overwhelmed loca
l defence forces and a team that was sent to assist."
"That isn't a few stragglers."
"No, it is not. Initial estimates show there could be as many as five thousand enemy troops on the surface, and frankly, there could be a lot more. In fact, I am inclined to think with what we have seen so far, it could easily be double that number or more."
"Why, why would she leave them here?"
"Maybe they got stranded here, maybe she left them to cause trouble. All we know is that the colonists there need our help. Even with everything that has gone on in this war, almost a million people still live there. They not only need our help, but we will need theirs in the weeks and months to come."
"So it falls to us?"
"Not a lot of Marine units in good shape or as capable as we are," said Rogers.
"It’s not like we have a lot of manpower right now, is it? What can we assemble, two hundred marines?"
"Not even that," replied Jones.
"How much can we really do?"
"Come on," said Jones sarcastically.
"We can take on Bolormaa, we can take on these assholes," Rogers added.
"Thousands, did you hear that, right? Sure we've done plenty of damage, but the maths here just don't add up."
"I didn't say it would be easy," replied Vega, "Our resources are spread thin, probably far thinner than you realise. Marine detachments across every ship took a beating, not just yours. Many were completely wiped out, along with their ships. Right now you have the strongest and most capable unit at our disposal. I have arranged smaller Marine detachments and Navy crews to assist with the evacuation, but it will fall on you and your boys to keep the enemy busy."
"Keep them busy? We aren't frontline troops for the meat grinder. Every one of the men and women in my unit is the best. We are an elite force."
"Yes, but you are also the best chance of saving as many lives as possible. You asked who is in charge up here, and I am telling you. I am, and you have your orders, Colonel!"
"Why are you even fighting this?" Rogers asked.
"Because this is what Bolo wants, to wear us down with crap like this."
"We've handled worse before," said Jones.
Battle Beyond Earth - Box Set (Books 6-9) Page 69