It took them fifteen minutes to reach the CP as they worked their way through corridors filled with debris and the dead from both sides. As they approached Kelly’s position, they heard cheers ring out and stopped as they heard the trampling of heavy steps. He lifted his hand to stop and then turned and whispered for them to take up positions.
A few seconds later, a dozen Mechs took the bend up ahead and were running at a sizeable pace away from the CP. Taylor ducked down at the first sight of them, expecting some new attack, but then he realised; they were running away.
“Now!” he ordered.
He lifted himself up and opened fire, basking in the bloodshed around him. He’d not let them escape to fight them again in another hour or another day. A few of the creatures tried to raise their weapons and fight, taking cover in the edges of the hallway, but they didn’t stand a chance.
Taylor had for a long time wondered how it felt so emotionless to kill the enemy, even something to enjoy. He knew he would never feel this way if they had been human, and yet the aliens were feeling more human as every day went by. The two aliens stood at his side, and fighting with him only made that feeling stronger. He stopped firing and turned to look at their faces; and watched to see that they were engulfed in the slaughter as Hall and Parker beside them.
Before the last body had hit the ground, Taylor was stepping over the body of the first. He was striding quickly towards the CP, and the yells and shouts of excitement and celebration were growing louder. They reached the atrium that led to the Command Centre and found Major Achen stood there.
“Whoa, hang on! What the hell are they doing with weapons?”
He was gesturing towards the two aliens behind the Major and had his rifle ready to use.
“They’re with me. Get used to it.”
Taylor tried to step past, but Achen mirrored him and continued to block his entry.
“You may go to the Commander, but they stay here!”
Taylor shrugged his shoulders and accepted that the Major was right. He turned back to Eli.
“Sergeant, hold here. Take up defensive positions, and be sure nobody picks a fight with our new friends.”
Achen stepped aside and let Taylor pass. He stepped through into the CP to see it was littered with casualties, but many of them smiled through their pain and celebrated with the others who were still standing. Kelly turned form the comms desk with a huge grin spanning across his face.
“Schulz has arrived! The enemy is in full retreat!”
“I thought he didn’t have much in the way of combat ships?”
“They don’t know that, do they?”
Taylor strode forward with a laugh and shook Kelly’s hand in friendship.
“We made it, Major. You did it.”
“I didn’t get Demiran, Sir.”
Kelly looked puzzled.
“His craft was hit leaving the station and was last seen out of control and heading far away.”
Kelly smiled. “Good, we got rid of the bastard and survived, all in one. General Schulz is coming aboard imminently, and your presence is required at Docking Bay Charlie. You’ve got ten minutes.”
Taylor turned and quickly made his way back to his troops who were waiting uncomfortably outside. Parker was sat against a sidewall and staring at the two aliens. He panned around the atrium and could see that most of the humans glared at them and kept weapons close to hand. The creatures stood in a relaxed fashion with their visors still back, and their heads bare for all to see. Mitch couldn’t have believed he could ever trust one of the aliens in anyway, let alone with his life, but he knew he was alive because of them. He stepped up to their position. They towered a good half metre over him.
“What are your names?”
The two creatures look at him in surprise, as if it was the last thing they had expected in the world.
“Our leaders use no names for us.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
The other stepped forward and answered.
“Names in public are for Lords and those wealthy enough to deserve it.”
Taylor had always thought of them as a faceless enemy, and yet he never realised how close he was to be correct.
“Jesus Christ,” replied Jones.
Taylor looked back at them and felt some pity for how they lived.
“You must have names which you use for each other?”
They nodded in agreement.
“Then I would know your names, and they shall be used from this day forth.”
“Then I am Jafar, and this is Tsengal.”
“Alright, I am Major Mitch Taylor, and from now on you are serving with the 2 ^nd Inter-Allied Battalion under the command of Colonel Chandra. I am her second in command.”
Chandra stepped into the room as he spoke and heard her name, but she was too shocked at the sight of the two aliens to ask for clarification. She’d heard about their presence from others in their Company, but she hadn’t believed it until now. As obscure a situation as it was, she could see Taylor trusted them, and that was enough for her. She stepped forward to involve herself in the conversation.
“I hear you saved Taylor’s life?”
“Only after he had saved ours,” replied Jafar.
“You have given yourself to his service, but will you follow me? Will you fight for Earth, and abide by our chain of command? I will not, and cannot, have anyone in this unit who is not here to fight for everyone amongst us.”
“We are at your will. All we ask is the opportunity to fight beside you.”
She sighed as she thought about their proposal. It was the first she’d ever spoken to one of the creatures, and it scarcely seemed believable what they were asking. Yet she looked into their eyes and could see they were not so different to a human. It was a culture clash, and just as she’d had many times back home in previous years.
“Your support is appreciated. You must expect that your presence amongst us will come as a shock to many, and you will not be accepted lightly. Continue to prove yourselves and fight for our cause, and you’ll be well on your way. One thing is for certain, you can’t stay looking like that.”
They looked down at their armour and then to the troops all around them. Their blackened armour and bloody red ornamentation was in stark contrast to the human forces. She reached forward and tapped the armour. It felt like the armour of a tank.
“Sergeant Silva!”
He rushed to her position.
“Yes, Ma’am!”
“These boys are joining us. I want them in uniform.”
The Sergeant looked puzzled for a moment.
“Vehicles paints. Get them sprayed up to match our disruptive patterns, and whack some insignia on them. They’re in this Battalion now.”
“Yes, Ma’am!” he replied.
He turned to the two creatures. The hulking Sergeant was used to towering over all those under his command, but the huge creatures belittled the proud man. He had to look up to make eye contact.
“Follow me!”
“Schulz is arriving any minute, and we should be there,” said Taylor.
“Christ, nobody mentioned it, let’s move!”
The two entered the docking bay just as Schulz’s shuttle was on an approach to land. Taylor could see Eddie lying about on a storage crate to their side.
“Rains! You survived, you son of a bitch!” Taylor called over to him.
