“Why don’t you ask Jafar and Tsengal? I’m sure they could answer some of your questions.”
She sighed. It was clear she had no intention of ever speaking to them, let alone trusting anything they had to say.
“There are many times in our history when an enemy one day, or one year, is an ally the next.”
“But those were humans, our own people. We always had something in common with them.”
“I am sure that is not the way the native Indians felt, nor the Africans under British rule, or the Mayans when the Spanish invaded. So they look different and come from different lands. I’ve seen more humanity in those two than some of the spineless bastards we’ve had to deal with back home.”
They eventually fell asleep that night, and Taylor got the best sleep he’d had all year; surrounded by his companions, and awaiting a mission which would reclaim the ground that was the one blemish on his career and conscience. He was up early and before most of the others. Only Chandra was fully awake and already geared up.
“Another day, another fight, hey, Colonel,” Taylor said.
An hour later, they were formed up at their docking bay as agreed. Rains stood beside a newly arrived copter while the wreck of his old one still lay untouched in the docking bay deck. The area was silent, and they were all awaiting the final command by Schulz. Finally, his voice came over the tannoy.
“Good morning to you all. Today we embark on a mission to re-claim a colony which had long been lost to the enemy. We stand ten thousand strong, and the Moon Defence forces, that fought so bravely to defend their lands, are among us today. We fight for them, for their homes and lands. But we also fight for our own. The Moon was the first civilian colony to be attacked, and they fought bravely. Let us honour their sacrifices here today, and reclaim it in the name of the human race!”
Cheers rang out. Inter-Allied shared their docking bay with Kelly’s MDF forces and another thousand troops. The deck below them shook under the stamping of feet from the excitement of the troops.
“Yesterday, we lost many fine soldiers to capture this station, and many more will bear scars and wounds for life. Let us remember them, and honour their efforts today by continuing their fine work. Good luck, and God speed. COs have your troops emplane. The time has come for us to strive forward and seek victory!”
The crowds cheered once again and many of the Inter-Allied troops could not help but join in. Taylor was impressed, despite not wanting to be. He never disliked Schulz as a leader, only as a man.
Chapter 12
The fleet was rapidly descending on the Lunar colony, and the troops sat quietly aboard next to the copters. Taylor and Chandra were aboard the Deveron once again. It had been hastily patched up after the last battle. As infantry, they all prayed they would make it to land intact, for there was nothing they could do until that time.
The Colonel and Eli sat one side of Taylor, Jafar and Tsengal the other. Captain Jones sat opposite them. It suddenly struck Taylor how accepting the Captain had been of their new allies, especially when he thought back to the punishment and suffering he had faced at the aliens’ hands. Taylor nodded at him and gestured for him to leave their seats for a word. The two officers stepped out of the landing bays and out of sight of the others.
“I have brought two creatures into our unit. Creatures which until recently fought against us. It’s not been a popular move, and yet you’re one of the few who doesn’t seem to have had a problem with it. It surprises me. You’ve got more reason than any of them to hate these newcomers.”
Jones shrugged his shoulders as if he had nothing to add.
“Come on, Charlie, I need you with me a hundred percent, and that means I need to know what you’re thinking.”
Jones looked down and then back up at Taylor. There was sadness in his eyes that Taylor had awoken.
“They may have done some horrific things to me, but it wasn’t those two. The two out there are soldiers, just like us. I’d like to think if I were ever captured that I would be treated the way you treat prisoners.”
“But you weren’t.”
“No, but that’s no reason to act like animals. I have chosen to base my judgement on Jafar and Tsengal on what I see with my own eyes, not what we think of them based on some reputation. You say they saved your life. They certainly helped saved mine. As far as I am concerned, they are our comrades, providing they continue on as they have started.”
Taylor smiled in response.
“You’ve come a long way since those dark days, back to the man I used to know.”
“Mostly,” he replied.
Lieutenant Ryan came over the intercom.
“We’re on approach to the colony, all troops to board their copters. Clear the decks, and gunners to their positions. May God be with you all.”
“God? I wasn’t aware he was watching,” replied Taylor.
Taylor laughed. “Let’s go.”
Fifteen minutes later, the Deveron’s guns opened fire on the enemy ships approaching their positions. They expected a vicious defence and knew that the battle must have commenced a good fifteen minutes before their arrival as the first wave of fighters and cruisers tried to cut a path through.
Taylor was strapped in aboard Rains’ copter when the first enemy pulse smashed into the Deveron. The ship rocked violently but continued onwards. They could just hear the sound of Ryan’s orders echoing around the docking bay outside.
“Docking doors open, launch in five, four, three…”
The engines roared to life around them, and a second later their craft rushed out from the Deveron’s docking bays; out into space where railgun rounds and pulses flashed past the windows of their craft.
“Jesus Christ!” Hall shouted.
“Hold on to your asses, this is gonna be a rough one!” replied Eddie.
Their copter dodged and evaded pulses and the wreckage of fighters from both sides as it soared towards the Moon. All around they watched ships of both sides interlocked into dogfights. Beyond them, they could see the larger ships duking it out and tearing each other apart. The Deveron was long out of sight, but they knew Ryan would have taken them quickly forward into the battle.
Taylor and Chandra were closest to the cockpit and could see the Moon looming ahead of them. Pulses rushed towards them from ground positions, and they could only watch in horror as one of the MDF copters burst into pieces as it took a direct hit.
“Still happy you volunteered to go in with Kelly?” called Taylor.
She turned and glared at him. They both knew it was the right course of action, but they only hoped they could survive long enough to reach the surface. A minute later that felt like five, they were banking hard and coming in to land. Chandra blew a sigh of relief as she realised they had passed within the enemy’s defence grid.
“Now it’s on us!” shouted Taylor.
It had been a long time since Taylor had set foot on the Lunar colony, and it was a wound that still cut deep in that they’d had to flee from it so quickly. He was eager to make up for the orders he’d never wished to receive; finally he was given the opportunity.
“Half of you were with me when we came here last, and remember that day! Because today we get payback!”
Eddie brought them in for a rapid landing. They hit the ground hard, to the level that the undercarriage buckled slightly as they put down. The troops were quickly on their feet and heading for the door. Taylor smashed his hand down onto the door release, and they were out into the low gravity of the Moon.
“Head for that door!” Chandra ordered.
Taylor turned to see a main access point into the station. They had landed exactly on target as Kelly had asked. He leapt from the door and bounced along the surface towards the several metres wide entrance. It looked as if it was intended for more than one vehicle to pass through at a time, and there was a numeric datapad for entry on the wall. Taylor punched in the code Kelly had given him, and the huge doors quickly lifted. The structure looked thick enough to withstand heavy artillery.
