He jumped onto the next one and thrust down his Assegai into its chest, forcing it to collapse down onto the ground. Just as he drew out the blade, he was hit by the backhand of one of the Mechs and tossed aside. The impact snapped his neck back and broke his right arm. He rolled over on the ground and just managed to get back to his feet. The creature turned its rifle on Taylor and was about to fire when Jafar rushed forwards. He barged it into the wall, and the pulse it fired missed Taylor by just a few centimetres, bursting into the wall behind him.
Taylor marvelled at Jafar’s ferocity as he tore the creature’s faceplate off and crushed its skull with a single strike. He jumped forward and took his weapon in his left hand as he saw the last reach for Jafar. Mitch thrust his Assegai up into the beast’s belly, and it keeled over. He drew the weapon out and thrust it in with two other wicked thrusts to make sure. The two dead Mechs dropped to the floor together.
“You’re a formidable fighter,” Jafar said.
“Likewise.”
Taylor turned as he heard coughing from behind them. Kelly was on his knees but keeled over in immense pain. He rushed over to the Commander who was clearly severely wounded. The flank of his armour was badly buckled, and it was clear he needed help quickly.
“Help me up,” he gasped.
Taylor hoisted the Commander up with his left arm and gritted his teeth through the pain he felt soar through his body. He could barely support the Commander who was laying most of his weight down on the Major. Mitch looked to Jafar who stood awaiting his orders.
“Give the Commander a hand,” stated Taylor.
The creature quickly responded and rushed to Kelly’s side, simply hoisting him up as if he weighed no more than a child.
“The flag!” Kelly murmured.
Taylor crouched down and lifted the flag onto his shoulder and braced it with his broken arm, despite the pain.
“We’ve got just a few metres left, and I’ll be damned if we aren’t gonna make it now!” Taylor shouted.
They continued on towards the roof access chamber. Taylor could feel his body was a wreck once more, and he was thankful Jafar was taking the weight of the Commander, as he was barely able to support him. They reached the access doors and stepped through into the chamber. The interior doors clamped down, and they instantly felt gravity lessen which took the pain and pressure off them all.
“This is it. You won your war, Major, and today we win ours,” Kelly said.
He reached forward and winced in pain as he hit the door exit button. The heavy double doors swung back before them, and they stepped out onto a small platform. It had a ladder that led to the very highest point in the colony. Jafar lifted Kelly onto his shoulder and hauled him up with Taylor close behind.
Pulses of light and tracer still lit up the sky above them, but far less than they had seen on their descent. They reached the top of the steps and staggered out across the rooftop to where the flag used to stand. All that was left was a snapped mast where the enemy had torn it down. Kelly dragged himself up and took the flag from Taylor. He used it to support his weight as he limped to the post. Finally, he turned back to look at their fleet and stretched upright, holding the flag with pride.
* * *
General Schulz had been watching the progress of the battle over several display screens on the bridge of his vessel when it suddenly caught his eye.
“What the hell is that? Focus on that for me.”
The Navy officer quickly zoomed in on the scene, and Schulz looked in astonishment at the moving sight. The officer quickly tapped a key and displayed it on the main monitor for all on the bridge to see. At first, several looked confused at the sight of the two men and the alien atop the building. But the reason quickly sank in.
“They’ve done it!” one shouted.
Cheering rang out across the vessel. Schulz turned to his comms officer.
“Send word to the fleet. Mission accomplished! The Moon is ours!”
On the rooftop of the Parliament building, Kelly turned to Taylor and reached out his hand in friendship.
“I never thought I’d see the day, Major, let alone to see you are the one here with me.”
“I didn’t do this alone, Sir.”
Kelly nodded in agreement. He turned to the alien standing beside him.
“I didn’t catch your name?”
“Jafar.”
“I am in your debt. It will not be forgotten.”
He reached out and shook the alien’s hand that dwarfed his.
“This is a new dawn, Mitch. Humanity has taken back what is rightfully theirs. We have triumphed against all odds.”
* * *
Chandra looked down at the bodies of fifteen soldiers that had fallen, and a medic who was desperately working to save two others. They were cutting down their enemy in vastly greater numbers, and yet they continued to come. Then when she was starting to doubt if they could win, Jackson’s voice rang out.
“They’re running! They’re running!”
Chandra looked up to the ecstatic officer and rushed up to the edge of the defences to see for herself.
“My God, Kelly’s done it,” she whispered.
She turned back to the troops who were weary but in a frenzy of excitement.
“I won’t see one of those bastards escape this Moon. Kill them all!”
She lifted her rifle and leapt of the barricade, rushing forward and firing as she went. The troops screamed as they charged after her. An hour later, she was soaked in the enemy’s blood and stood satisfied that she had done as they had promised. She had lost friends that day, but at least she could feel she had given better than they got. Jones rushed down the corridor to greet her, stopping in shock at the thick blue blood that was sprayed across her body and dripping from the Assegai in her hand.
“It’s over, Chandra. We’ve won!”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, the troops of Inter-Allied lay about in the conference hall and surrounding rooms of the Parliament building. They had no idea where their lives went from there, but they were relieved. Eli lay stretched out in Taylor’s arms. She was cut and bruised but felt better than ever.
The Colonel finally strode in to meet Taylor. She had wiped the enemy blood from her face, but it was stuck like glue everywhere else. She looked down at the two of them and smiled to see they had made it through. Jafar and Tsengal sat among the troops as they’re own. They were engulfed in conversation with several of Taylor’s marines.
“I guess they came through, then?” she asked.
“More than you can imagine.”
A voice came over the tannoy throughout the whole colony. It was General Schulz.
“We have won a victory today of truly outstanding proportions. I want to thank every man and woman among you for your efforts. You have done everything that was asked of you and more. The invaders took humanity to the brink of destruction. Today we have clawed it back, and stand victorious!”
Cheers rang out and echoed all around the Parliament building.”
“Today we reclaimed what was ours. Tomorrow, we take the fight to their lands!”
Clapping and cheering rang out. The thought of getting real payback was appealing to them all. But Taylor now knew one thing for sure; there was no end in sight to their war.
Defeating the enemy on Earth had ended the first Earth War. Invading the Moon had started the second.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
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Battle Earth IV Page 21