Sighs of reliefs came from all the crew, but all was not over. Bailey spun around to look directly into Jafar's eyes.
"Do it!"
He did not hesitate, and Taylor was frozen solid watching the display screen. Ripples ran through the front of the K'til until cracks appeared and the blast burst out of the structure, tearing frigate size pieces from the outer skin. Explosions erupted through the ship, and the massive pulse cannon was ripped apart.
"Yes!" yelled Bailey.
Cheers echoed around the bridge as the crew leapt up from their seats in celebration. She turned to Jafar.
"Thank you, you've done us a damn good turn."
He nodded in agreement in his typically calm character. Bailey turned back to the ops table where Taylor had not moved, and her smile was quickly erased.
"They're still coming at us," he whispered.
"Their defence grid must be down with all that damage. Launch nukes into that breach, now!"
The gunnery officer stood speechless with his mouth open.
"Fire the damn nukes now!"
"Admiral!" Taylor shouted.
She spun around to see a large metallic glowing object soar towards the fleet, but it did not appear to be targeting any ship in particular. Jafar recognised it immediately, but he did not have any time to warn them, not that it would have helped. They all stared as boosters came on to draw it to a standstill, and then it erupted with a shockwave. Just three seconds later the bridge went dark. All lights, power, and displays shut off.
"What the hell just happened?" Bailey cried out.
Taylor felt the weight of his Reitech suit almost drag him to the ground as its power source had also cut out, and he felt three times heavier than a second ago. He reached for the catches to release the suit from his body, and it hit the deck with a loud crash.
"That was an EMP!" he answered.
For a few moments there was complete blackness. Deep in the core of the hull of the Neptune they were a long way from any windows that would bring in any light. Even if they were closer to the outer skin, the blast shields were up. The entire ship was not in blackout; thirty seconds later, lights flickered across the bridge and emergency lighting powered up. It was a muted red ambient lighting, but it was enough to get by.
"That's the reserve power source kicking in. It's shielded against EMPs but will only power basic life support. Enough for us to get working," the Admiral explained.
Taylor turned to Jafar for answers and didn't even have to ask.
"This is an act of desperation. The EMP will have disabled the vessels of both sides. Demiran must have seen the end was close for the Gezgen K'til. He is scared."
"That's all very well, but it leaves us hanging," replied the Admiral.
"How far will this have spread?"
"Only those ships on the very fringe of this fight would have escaped it."
"You're telling me there are hundreds of ships floating in space without power, just like us?" she asked.
"Yes. The EMP cannot be directed. Like you, the Krycenaeans’ vessels have only limited shielding, as it is impractical to have it all encompassing. However, they are better prepared for this."
"You're saying they'll get active before us?"
"Almost certainly."
"Christ, if they can get that monster going before our ships recover, they can fire on Earth without anyone to stop them," she replied.
"Is there no one left to continue the fight?" Taylor asked.
She looked up into his eyes with fear and shook her head.
"We committed everything we had to this, how could we not? The greatest threat the World has ever known?"
"So let me get this straight. Both fleets are floating about without power. You reckon they'll fix the Planet Killer before we can get any ships online, and that'll be the end?" he asked of Jafar.
The alien nodded in agreement.
"Well, fuck that. We didn't get through years of this shit to sit here and watch it all end."
"There's nothing else to do. Our crews will already have started work. We can only hope they get us operational before we’re blasted by their weapons."
"And what would we go home to? No way. I won't accept it."
He lifted up his comms unit.
"Lieutenant Rains to the bridge…"
He realised the comms units were down as well. It would be weeks of repair work until everything was restored.
"How long do we have till the Planet Killer is operational?"
"Two hours, maybe."
"Allright. Maybe we can't get the Neptune up and running in that time, but we can surely get marines into action before then."
"What are you thinking?" asked Bailey.
"I'm thinking we'll hand deliver those nukes gift wrapped, " he replied confidently.
"Anything you need, Colonel. The only thing that matters anymore is destroying that ship. It doesn't matter what it costs. Take any resources you need. Your mission must come before the repair of this ship. Within the emergency shielded core, you will find a reserve of armour and weapons, along with a few other core components. You have the full resources of this crew at your disposal. I don't care how you do it, or at what cost, just get it done!"
Taylor nodded in acceptance of the mission. He knew it was unlikely anyone else in the fleet would have the information, ability, or initiative to act against the K'til. The fate of Earth now lay in his hands. He gestured for Jafar to follow him, grabbing his Reitech rifle from the deck. Without the support of his exo-skeleton, it weighed a tonne. They rushed from the bridge at a quick pace. Taylor felt more vulnerable than ever. He had no armour, no communications, no power, and a rifle he could barely carry.
Two minutes into their run they bumped into Jones and one of his platoons. They’d setup in defensive positions around an air lock. Taylor could see the Captain was anticipating a breach at any moment. They too had stripped off their armour and suits that had become dead weights. Jones arose from cover as he saw them approach. He looked flabbergasted.
"EMP? What the hell's going on?"
"Both fleets are out. I don't have time to get into the details. A breach isn't our concern, right now. We're heading for the docking bays. Join us, and I'll fill you in on the way."
"Doesn't sound good. Follow the Colonel!" he ordered.
"I'd love to say it's the same shit, different day, but this time, it's a whole lot worse."
It took them just a few minutes to reach the bay where they had left Ota's Company. Only she and one platoon now remained.
"Sir, we didn't know what the hell was going on. I have dispatched units to defend the nearest ports."
He acknowledged her as he rushed past without a word to get to Rains. He was sanding on top of a crate with his head and torso up inside the engine bay of his Stallion.
"Eddie, tell me you can get this bird going!"
"Not without the parts, Colonel. The CPU is fried, and a few other components that she won't run without."
"I might be able to get what you need from the emergency stores," he replied.
"That could work. We still have some major issues though. She's gonna need more than a few bits."
He reached forward and grabbed the pilot’s arm, hauling him down.
"I need you flying in the next thirty minutes, or Earth will be destroyed. Is that enough motivation?"
He looked down into Taylor's eyes for a second and saw the seriousness in his face.
"Well, holy shit, you aren't joking."
He jumped down to the deck, and his tone had changed completely.
"Get me to the parts!"
He looked over to his co-pilot and the Engineering Chief who had been helping him, pointing for them to follow him.
"Jones, you and your platoon with me, come on!" yelled Taylor.
They rushed towards the nearest corridor, and Taylor lifted his Mappad to check the location of the emergency stores.
"God damn it."
It was ano
ther piece of technology disabled by the blast. He turned back to the Chief, knowing he knew the ship better than anyone.
"The emergency storeroom, take us to it."
Without a word, the Chief rushed forward to lead the way. He too had heard Taylor's grim insight into their future, should they fail in their task. Eddie was running alongside the Colonel and still in shock at what was being proposed.
"No bullshit about this, we get flying or it’s all over?"
"That's right."
"So you're pinning the entire survival of the World on our ability to bodge an EMP hit Stallion which will get you what, a one-way ticket riding nukes into the biggest mother fucking ship I have ever seen?"
"That's about the sum of it, yeah."
"Well I hate to say it, Colonel, I might be a mechanical wizard, but I ain't no miracle worker."
"Today you are."
"This is it!" called the Chief.
He punched in the access codes, and thankfully the huge shielded blast doors slid open. The room was the size of a tennis court and a couple of metres high.
"This is everything we have that'll still work after an EMP."
Jones rushed inside and hauled the Chief alongside him.
"Please be in here, please be in here," whispered Eddie.
Taylor could see a rack of Reitech equipment.
"That's at least something. Must be enough to kit out all of us here. Gear 'em up, Captain," he ordered Jones.
"You heard the man!"
They quickly strapped themselves into the suits, a drill which they had become more than used to doing in quick time. As Taylor secured the last clips onto his arms, Eddie approached with a large trolley stacked with component parts.
"We got some of what we need. Most of this stuff is last gen, and we'll only get the bare bones up and running. Maybe the engines and manual controls, no weapons, life support, grav, scanners, comms, nothing."
"Just get her flying, that's all we need!"
He continued on to the corridor.
"Chief, I'll need you and a dozen of your best to have a hope in hell of getting this done!"
"Anything you need," he replied, and they rushed away with the cart.
"What's the play here?" asked Jones.
"Exactly what it looks like. We're hand delivering a few nukes."
"Doesn't sound like the best plan in the world. They must have thousands of Mechs aboard that thing, maybe even tens of thousands."
"Yep, and we have just one long shot of making this work. If you can think of something better, I'm all ears. Otherwise, prepare for a ride into hell."
He turned back to address Jones' platoon.
"By now, you probably all have idea of what we're about to do. I am sorry to say you have ended up on this mission through the shear bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I needed assistance, and you were the first I reached. However, we have been together since the very beginning, and there's nobody I'd rather trust to undertake this mission. I know you want to live, and do not believe for a moment that I have a death wish. But this mission is more important than any of our lives. If we have to give up a few dozen to save a few billion, so be it. But let's not give those lives willingly."
It was a lot to take in for a group of veteran soldiers who had so recently been preparing to fight en masse on their own ground with all the support of the Battalion and Navy crews.
"Let's be clear here. If there is any chance we can make it out alive, then we will, but only once our mission is complete. Grab you gear and another half a dozen sets,and let's haul ass back to Rains."
When they were on the move in the corridor, Jones finally spoke again.
"You promise me something, Mitch."
"Anything."
"Dying fighting these bastards is not something I fear, but being taken alive by them again is. You promise me you won't let that happen. Whatever happens over there, you promise me that!"
It was a sombre thought, but Taylor fully understood where he was coming from, and it was not the first time Jones had asked it.
"If it ever came to it, you have my word, but it won't. We have debts to pay, and there won't be any dying until those scores are settled."
Jones nodded in acknowledgement. That was something he certainly agreed with.
They arrived back at the docking bay to find twenty mechanics going at the Stallion like never before. Sparks were flying as components were cut and welded. Rains’ head was buried in the access hatch where they had first found him when it had all begun.
"Where are we up to, Rains?" Taylor asked.
He finished tightening something down before ducking back down to see the Colonel.
"It ain't pretty, but we have a chance of making this work."
Taylor breathed out a sigh of relief.
"And how long will this masterpiece take?"
"In ten minutes she'll either run, or it's all over."
"Then get on it and be sure it works," Taylor snapped back.
Rains held up his hands as if to complain that he was already being distracted. Taylor turned to see the platoon all stood there, watching the work. It was hard to tell if they were keen for it to be successful or not.
"I want two full suits prepared for the pilots. They'll need them as much as us, including weapons."
As he was speaking, Silva pushed through the ranks to reach the Colonel.
"Sir, permission to join you."
"We have limited space here, Sergeant Major, if we get off the deck at all."
"Sir, you need all the help you can get. You have a few spare sets of gear, and I don't see many volunteers taking them up."
Taylor sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
We’re already putting two key officers of the unit in danger, but it doesn't seem to matter anymore.
"What the hell, I haven't got the will to argue anymore. Just do me one thing, get word to Parker's section that they are to stay put. I don't want her knowing about this mission. You do that,and you get a seat on this ride."
"Aye, aye, Sir."
Silva seemed excited by the news, which astonished Taylor.
He must be mad. Still, I’m glad to have the Sergeant Major by myside.
"So this is it, thirty-three against the World?" asked Jones.
"Plus Eddie and his co-pilot,Perez, and a handful of nukes."
"Sounds like an interesting recipe."
Taylor looked down the docking bay and could see Kato working on one of the other Stallions with a repair crew, but they weren't getting anywhere near the attention and work put in that Rains was. He could see it would be some time before the other craft were up and running.
The next ten minutes seemed more like an hour as the platoon lay about on the nearest boxes watching Eddie and the others slave away as quickly as they could. Jafar sat one side of Taylor and Jones the other.
"Assuming we get inside this thing, what then?" asked Jones.
Taylor turned and looked to Jafar for answers.
"If they launched an EMP, then the situation must have been desperate. There must be a hull breach so severe that much more damage, and the K'til would be inoperable. The power source and weapon itself is at the very core of the ship. If we want to guarantee success, then we must get your nuclear weapons as deep into the vessel as possible."
"How far are we talking?" asked Jones.
"At least a kilometre in."
"Christ!"
"But we have already done a tonne of damage, so we should be able to fly a good way inside the structure," replied Taylor.
"The crews will still be in chaos trying to recover and repair the ship. Their communications will be out of service just as ours, but it will not be long until they recover."
Engines pulsated before them as Rains’ Stallion fired up. Cheers rang out from the crews all around, but not from Jones' platoon. All Rains’ success meant to them in that moment was that they would have to enter the jaws of death. Rains’ voice rang ou
t as he shouted for Perez to test the controls before he finally jumped down to address the Colonel.
"We have power and basic controls, but that's it."
"That's all we need."
Eddie wiped the sweat from his brow, which was as much from working as it was the stress he had been placed under.
"Suit up."
Rains turned and gestured for Perez to get back to the deck and do likewise.
"Make way!" a voice yelled.
Taylor already recognised it as Admiral Bailey.
"Attention on deck!"
"As you were!" she hollered back.
She strolled out onto the docking bay deck, with twenty crew in tow. At the head of the column, they wheeled in three nuclear weapons."
"This is the entire compliment for the Neptune, so use them well."
I hope it'll be enough. It was all Taylor could think.
She stepped in close so she could address him privately.
"You really think this can work?" she asked him.
"In all the crazy suicidal plans I have heard and participated in, this has to be the most ridiculous, but we haven't failed or died yet."
"I guess that's hopeless optimism."
"Not hopeless. This has to work, and I'll give it everything to make it happen."
"I wish there was more we could do. It's crazy that with all these ships and all this man power, it's going to come down to what, thirty marines?"
Jones could just hear what she was saying from his position behind Taylor and coughed deliberately at hearing his troops being called marines.
"Captain Jones, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, Ma'am."
She looked down at his uniform to see he still wore the Parachute Regiment patches and British Union Flag adorning his sleeves. It was clear the insignia was much older and more fatigued than the rest of his attire, and she could tell it had been carried over to every uniform he had worn since the fighting began."
"No, not marines. Does it matter anymore, Navy, Marines, Army, Paras? We're all in the same shit and fighting the same battle. On behalf of the Navy, I extend my gratitude for the sacrifices that you are about to make. Make it home or not, it will never be forgotten."
"Unless we fail, and there will be no one left to remember it," Jones jested.
Bailey could not refrain from smiling. It pleased her to see their spirits were high. Taylor looked around to see Rains and Perez were kitted up and ready to move. They were waiting at the door to their Stallion and overseeing the loading of the nukes.
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