"I'm not sure she ever wanted anything different, Jafar. She was just taking her time. Now we've really made her mad. She doesn't care for playing her games anymore," replied Taylor.
"My people are scattered. I gathered what ships I could and fled from our world. We must hope there are more survivors, but we don't know."
Everyone was silenced. It had taken a little time for it to sink in, that things were as bad elsewhere as they were here.
"What of the Aranui?"
"Gone, Admiral, they were the first world to be struck. We received a distress signal from them, and that was the only warning we had of our own world being hit."
"They're gone? All of them?"
"We don't know for sure."
"Then this is it. The Alliance is over. Shattered and thrown the wind.”
"I fear that is the case, yes," replied Jafar.
"The Alliance isn't over. It is right here. It is each and every one of us, still drawing breath, still fighting back."
"But for how long, Colonel?" Santiago asked.
"If you aren't willing to fight, you might as well put a gun to your head right now and pull the trigger. We don't need those negative waves. You fight to survive, or you are no good to us."
Santiago desperately wanted to disagree, but the Admiral gave him such a look he did not dare.
"What do we do now, Taylor? We fought for our worlds. I fought for Earth, too. Those are gone now. Where do we go? What are we fighting for?"
Taylor was surprised by the question. Jafar looked exhausted. Not only was he getting old, but he looked weary and downtrodden.
"The Krys never needed a reason to fight. The Krys fought for honour, for duty, and for survival of the species. Tell me how that is any different today?"
"And Earth is not finished. There are survivors," added Rogers.
"Survivors? How can there be?"
"It's a long story, but there are millions down there that need our help. You might have come here looking for help, but we need it as much as you do," replied Taylor.
"So, what do we do now?"
"You know what needs to be done, Jafar, you always have. Bolormaa has to be ended. I don't care what it costs or how we have to do it. None of us will be safe until she is destroyed."
"And if it costs all of our lives, and still we cannot achieve that goal?"
Taylor smiled. "You talk more like a human all the time, my old friend. At the rate we are going, we are all dead anyway. That is what Bolormaa wants. So we can fight her, and give her everything we have to give, or lay down and die. You know which path I am going to take. You might have grown soft in old age, but you aren't that soft."
"The Krys were born to fight," added Sarik.
"And yet you learned to live in peace," replied Rogers.
"But we never lost the will to fight."
"You're right. And it was all leading up to this. The Krys have finally got a worthy enemy once more. But this time you aren't fighting for the greed of your leader, you are fighting for yourselves, same as we are. You are fighting for your freedom, and you know what? That makes us strong. A free man is ten times the fighter than a slave of Bolormaa's will ever be.”
Jafar and Sarik looked stunned. They rarely showed much emotion, and yet they had clearly been beaten down. Taylor could fully understand why. They had just been through the same as he had, or perhaps worse. To Taylor, Earth was almost a dream, a fictional place in his dreams. The only time he had been back in recent memory was to fight in the streets against invading forces. That isn't how he wanted to remember Earth. But for the Krys, their loss was far more significant. The wounds were far fresher and deeper.
"The Krys fought hard to take Earth because they wanted to live there. So don't tell me it's all about the ground under your feet. It is the people you have lost that you should mourn. They are the real loss. But your people have long been happy to move on, and many millions of Krys lived on Earth after the wars ended. We will find another world. We will find another home, and in time, we will make Earth our home once more. If we can make it through, the Krys will have a home on Earth. Hell, you could have a whole continent, it's not like we'd have a problem with overpopulation anymore."
He knew that was in bad humour, but they needed something to lighten the mood.
"That's not yours to give or promise," said Rogers.
"To hell it is. If they will fight with us now, then our world is as much theirs as it is ours. We have no right to it. We inherited it, and we are its keepers. Shit job we did of that."
"There is time to turn the tide yet. There is always time."
"So what do you say, will you stay and fight with us? Fight with us as brothers?"
The truth was he knew they had no choice. They had nowhere else to go. Safety in numbers was key, and even in such a crippled state, humanity was still a powerful force.
"We will stay and fight for you. I am coming aboard, as we have much to discuss."
The signal cut off abruptly. Taylor didn't want to celebrate the fact the Krys had suffered so badly, but he sure was glad of the support they now had. The fleet at Earth had been decimated, but once again, it was a force to be reckoned with.
"This is bad, the Krys worlds gone, Aranui, too. We haven't heard from the Cholans, and that probably isn't a good thing," said Rogers.
"Bolormaa sure has done a number on the Alliance," said Vega.
"Death and destruction is all she knows, and so long as she is alive, she will keep coming."
"It doesn't make any sense though, does it? She cut a bloody path of destruction through the Aranui and the Krys once, and then vanished. What stopped her back then? If the destruction of all races not loyal to her was her aim, why not have finished the job back then?"
Rogers' eyes lit up as if it was all starting to fit together.
"Because of the prophecy, Admiral."
"What? Not that again?" Taylor rolled his eyes.
"I'm not saying you are it, or that I believe in it, but she does. The prophecy is known to all the races, of a great champion that would deliver us all from a great evil. She was waiting for that champion. You know how she thinks. She wants to prove something to the universe, and what better way than by destroying the one man who was prophesised to end her?"
"But it's all bullshit."
"It is about belief and faith. It doesn't matter whether you believe it, or whether it's true or not. It matters what the people who follow you believe, and what Bolormaa believes. Both sides think you are it. She wanted to make her mark, and killing you was it."
"She could have killed me the first time we met."
"But she couldn't have known you were the one. You had potential, sure, but nobody recognised you as the prophecy back then. Now they do. She wanted to toy with you, and prove to everyone that she could not be beaten by this...this..."
"Superstition?"
"Whatever you want to call it, yes."
"That's pretty screwed up. Billions have died all because she wants to win a dick measuring contest?"
"How many wars ever made much logical sense? Power hungry monsters seek war, and many who survive it become one themselves."
"That's a pretty bleak outlook."
"You know the deal, life isn't nice most of the time."
"I don't know. I've had plenty of good times."
"Really?"
Taylor shrugged. "Sure, I make what I can of it. Sometimes no matter how bad things are, if you have good friends with you, life is good."
Rogers smiled. He didn't really understand it, but he did find it both amusing and endearing.
"You're getting soft in your old age, just like Jafar.”
"Having him here with everything he has brought. That changes everything."
"The Admiral is right. Whatever you have to do to keep him on side and that fleet with us, you do it," added Rogers.
"Damn right, I will. We will all stick together, and we will get through this."
"It'
s all coming together at the end," said Taylor as he smiled to himself.
CHAPTER 6
Jafar's ship was coming in to land. Many of the civilians had been cleared from the deck, but hundreds still remained. They had nowhere to go. Sparks flew as repair crews were patching the welding fighters and transports just metres beside the refugees from Earth.
"You know it won't be long until Bolormaa finds out that she failed to kill everyone on Earth, you do know that right?" Rogers asked as they waited as a welcome party.
"Don't you think she's done enough?"
Jones rushed in to join them. He had a fresh uniform on that hid his wound, and he was doing everything he could to pretend he was fit for duty. He wasn't, but Taylor would rather have him at half strength than not at all.
The ship finally landed, and the ramp came down. Jafar and Sarik stepped out, but to his astonishment, Babacan was with them.
"What the hell?"
The last time he had seen Babacan their alien comrade was almost dead. He didn't even know where he had been taken for care. He’d assumed he had been lost with Bolormaa's purge.
"Colonel, I believe this is one of yours," said Jafar.
"Damn right, but how?"
"A long story, but I am here now."
"Well, Gentlemen, these are dark times indeed. The darkest we have ever known, and yet it has brought us together. Together we are strong."
"Strong enough, do you think?"
The doubt in Jafar’s voice was surprising to Taylor, although the damage on the ships of his fleet gave some idea of what they’d fled.
"Bolormaa's resources are not unlimited. We can see that now," said Rogers.
"Not unlimited, but still far more than we have access to," replied Jafar.
"What about the rest of your people?" Taylor asked.
"The signal has been sent for any survivors to head here for refuge. Perhaps that was a mistake."
"No, we need to stick together. Bolormaa has hit us in isolation, she always has. She plays at being all-powerful, but always divides our forces before striking. She is not stupid."
"That is debateable. Many highly intelligent people are bloody stupid," added Jones.
"So what now?"
"First thing is to get your fleet patched up. We still have plenty of facilities on the stations in orbit above the planet, and we're working to get the fleet here back in top shape, or as close as can be."
"As the Colonel says, you are most welcome. We are as one now," said the Admiral.
"And who is in charge of this great gathering?"
Jones’ question was the one the rest of them were skating around.
"Admiral Vega, this is your Solar System, and we came to you for aid. You managed to survive Bolormaa when we were forced to run. We will happily follow you."
They were all taken aback. Not even Sarik tried to argue with the decision. The Admiral's communicator was flashing.
"Excuse me, Gentlemen."
"What is it?"
"Sir, we've got more jump signatures."
"More Krys stragglers?"
"Whatever it is, it's a lot of ships."
"Not ours," said Jafar.
"Shit," Taylor swore loudly.
"Battle stations, all hands on deck!"
Jafar turned to go for his ship.
"No, there's no time, stick with us!"
Jafar believed in Taylor, as he always had done, and so did as he said. They rushed on towards the bridge as a siren rang out. They could hear the power surge as the ship’s weapons charged and then fired. It had to be bad if they had opened fire without orders from Vega. It took them a few minutes to reach the bridge as crewmembers rushed back and forth through the packed corridors. Refugees lined every one of them, sleeping in the gangways. There was a look of despair and desperation on all their faces. The worst thing of all is that they were in the dark. They knew something bad was going down, but could do nothing but rely on others to protect them. Taylor felt for them. He wanted to give some words of encouragement, but there was no time.
They burst out onto the bridge and found an all out battle unfolding around them. The flagship that Jafar had arrived on was being pounded by fire from a dozen enemy ships, as though they were specifically targeting it. Twenty-five Morohtan vessels lay before them.
"All vessels in the system, engage the enemy, immediately!" Vega ordered.
"Bolo sure wants you," said Taylor as they watched the ship be dismantled. It was hulled so many times; it was a wonder it was still in the fight. The Krys flagship destroyed two enemy vessels, but succumbed to the constant bombardment before the rest of the human fleet could arrive in support. It lost power as sections of the stern were blown off and fires raged.
"She sent these assholes here to end you. She's terrified that we'd rally together," said Rogers.
"If Jafar were to fall now, the remaining ships in our fleet would scatter. They would not stay here to fight for you," said Sarik.
"Yes, and she knows that, too."
"Launch fighters, engage the enemy with everything we have!" Vega roared.
"Sir, we should not risk all the remaining assets we have left," said Santiago.
"Don't be a fool, we are fighting for what assets we have left," Taylor said.
Vega ignored the younger officer.
A jump gate opened, and a dozen human warships passed through to the enemy flank. Fighters were swarming out in the hundreds. The enemy fleet was surround on three sides and relentlessly bombarded by fifty-two vessels of the combined Alliance fleet. It was an impressive sight; except for the fact that they knew this was it. This was all that they had left. There was no reserve; nobody was coming to their aid.
"You made the right call coming here, Lord Jafar. Taylor is going to end this, the way we all knew he would."
"Because he is the one?"
"Yes," replied Rogers.
He thought Taylor hadn't heard. He had, but he didn't want to shatter their dreams. If they wanted to believe that, so be it. Rogers was a man of the cloth, even though he had long since moved on. Despite that, his faith still kept him going.
"If Taylor cannot defeat her, then nobody can."
Taylor appreciated Jafar’s vote of confidence, but it was an incredible weight to put on his shoulders. The fate of both races rested in his hands. He believed he could destroy Bolormaa, deep down in his heart. She was a shadow of her former self after their last encounter, and his determination was stronger than ever. They watched as the enemy fleet was ripped apart by the Alliance fleet, but not without losses.
The fight raged on as the Krys took the worst of it; the Morohtans seemingly intent to finish the alien race, and rob humanity of their support. The Resolution was taking almost no fire at all, but laying it down at an incredible rate. Volley after volley smashed into the enemy ships, and they only wished they were able to finish them sooner. They could not afford to lose any ships. After thirty minutes, the enemy had lost half their fleet, but five Alliance ships were destroyed and many more badly damaged.
Taylor wanted to get stuck in. He wanted nothing more than to climb aboard a transport and board one of the enemy vessels, but he had to sit back and let others do the work. The enemy was trapped within a horrific crossfire, and yet they fought on, knowing they could not win. The Alliance vessels were closing as they ran amok among the enemy fleet. At their head was the Attila, its unique armoured brow brushing off all that struck it. It pounded one vessel time and time again, but kept going towards it. Finally, it rammed the enemy ship, and the prow was broken off as the Attila passed through.
"Roworth, you crazy son of a bitch," muttered Taylor.
"I don't think that is quite what it was designed for," said Jones.
"High-speed craft designed to smash an enemy ship at close-range was an experiment, and the Attila is one of the few ships remaining from that experiment," Rogers said.
"Proof that new ideas aren't always the best. She is an old warhorse."
<
br /> "It’s hard to justify a ship like that when there is no enemy to fight," said Rogers.
Finally, a jump gate opened, and those that could fled through it. Vega wiped his sweaty brow and slumped down into his chair with a sigh of relief.
"She underestimated us once again," Rogers said quietly.
"And still that cost us nearly ten percent of our fleet, maybe more with some of the damage these ships have taken."
"And what did it cost her?"
"You keep thinking about our losses, and you are right to, Colonel, but what is the cost to her? With each attack she grows weaker. She has continued to try and divide our forces, but together, we are strong," added Rogers.
"Get repair crews out there immediately. Tow back anything that cannot move under its own power. I want crews working around the clock to get these repairs done. Don't give up on any ship unless you absolutely have to. I want this fleet jump capable and ready for action in forty-eight hours."
Everyone knew it was ambitious, but the Admiral had to push them along.
"That was almost the end of me," Jafar said, contemplating his own mortality.
"Divide and conquer, how many times have we seen it? With you and Sarik gone, who of your people would lead your fleet to serve with us?"
"There are still many among by people who believe that we should never have fled, that we should have fought, and died if necessary, at our homes."
"They are fools."
"Patriotic fools, Colonel," added Rogers.
"Sometimes they are the best kind."
"Those were resources she could not afford to lose, then."
"How can you know that, Admiral?" Jones joined in.
"Because if she had the resources to spare she never would have come to Earth with so few numbers, nor sent this suicidal raid to kill Jafar. It stinks of desperation. She is worn down and spread thin," replied Taylor.
"Are we any different?"
"Yes, we're in a better position than she is. We have people that want to fight, and have to fight, because our very existence is at stake. She has slaves, and the futility of her war must surely be apparent."
Battle Beyond Earth - Box Set (Books 6-9) Page 72