Taylor nodded in acceptance.
“Will that be all, Sir?”
“Tread lightly, Major. We don’t know what you’ll face up there. We need to understand what we are dealing with. I wish you the best of luck.”
Taylor saluted the General and left the room. He rushed out of the building and towards the cellblocks to find his two friends. As he approached the building, he caught sight of something bizarre out of the corner of his eye. A basketball match was in play with marines in exosuits. The hoops had been placed at six metres from the ground.
He stopped and watched as the players leapt great distances in a superhuman fashion. Then as one of them leapt up to one of the hoops and scored, he realised it was Jafar, and that Tsengal was not far behind. He quickly rushed to the game and noticed Weller and several MPs stood on the side watching.
“Quite remarkable, isn’t it?” Weller said as he approached.
Taylor looked back at the match again as play continued, and he was left open mouthed for at least a minute.
“Incredible,” he replied. Taylor snapped out of his daze.
“I am departing Earth within the hour, and those two are coming with me.”
“I’d need orders from General White to free them into your care.”
A bleep rang out from his Mappad, and Weller lifted the device, looking surprised.
“You do have friends in high places, Major. Looks like they’re free to go.”
He lifted up a whistle and blew loudly, calling the match to a halt just after another hoop was scored.
“Jafar, Tsengal, you are hereby inducted in the Marine Corps. You are to report to Major Taylor immediately for operational duty!”
Jeers and cries of celebration rang out from the exoskeleton clad marines. Several patted the two aliens on the back in respect of their achievement. They stood silently, not knowing how to respond. Taylor watched in fascination as the marines passed them by and welcomed them as brothers. He didn’t recognise any of them.
If only Eli could have seen this, he thought.
The two stepped up to Taylor and saluted in a perfect manner, having copied it from what they had seen others do. He reached forward and shook their hands to congratulate them. They grasped his hand delicately, yet could still feel an immense strength through their hands.
“We set off immediately. Follow me.”
“Good luck, Major,” Weller said.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other,” replied Taylor.
Mitch turned and led his two newly enlisted marines to their landing zone where the two companies under his command had assembled. The Deveron awaited them with the newly promoted Captain Ryan on the ground to greet him.
“Always the first into the frying pan, ey, Sir?” he asked.
“I joined the Corps, remember!” he jested.
He looked around to see his marines loading all their gear aboard. He caught a glimpse of Eli. She noticed his stare and looked back. For a moment she smiled, until she saw the presence of the two aliens behind him. She turned and scuttled off. Taylor turned to his new friends.
“You’re in the Marine Corps now. It’s a great leap in becoming accepted in our community, and in our race as a whole, but there’s a long way to go.”
“You keep worrying about us fitting in. We only care about continuing to work for you.”
“Is there nothing more to life than work?” he asked.
They looked to one another.
“I believe what you call comradeship. It is the only comfort we have ever known.”
“Then you are in the right place. The Corps looks after its own. Load up, we head out shortly.”
Eddie Rains stepped into view.
“All squared away?” asked Taylor.
“Bet your ass, Sir. I see you won through in the end,” he replied, gesturing towards the two aliens.”
“Yes, but their arrest was not without benefit. We’ve learnt a lot from the questions asked of them. In fact, this whole operation revolves around it.”
“Then let’s just hope they truly are on our side.”
Eddie turned and strode aboard the craft. Taylor gritted his teeth. He trusted Jafar and Tsengal, but he knew the pressure was mounting on them all, to the degree that a tingle ran down his spine. He knew in the back of his mind there was still a chance they could be working for the enemy, but everything he had seen and heard told him there was good in them.
“Load up, we lift off in ten minutes.”
They passed him and a few seconds later, Parker approached in a line with her kit on her back. Her eyes avoided contact. He grabbed her, pulled her from the line, and whispered in her ear.
“Whatever is between us, do not forget who is in charge.”
“And do not forget who your friends are,” she replied.
He sighed as he let her go, and she continued on to the ramp.
What will it take to get rid of such bitter hatred? He muttered to himself.
Within a few minutes, he was aboard the bridge, and they lifted off. He never liked leaving Earth and still despised doing so. He turned to Ryan.
“The enemy, they believe this to be a paradise world. Maybe they’re right.”
The notion took Ryan back for a moment, but as a well-travelled Navy pilot, it quickly made sense.
“Of all the inhospitable places in space I have seen, I think they’re onto something.”
With the rapid speed of the Deveron, it was a matter of hours before they reached L2. As they approached, they could see the twenty ships of the Battlegroup orbiting the station. Ryan gasped as he saw the Washington. It was the first time any of them had seen the latest flagship of the US Navy. It looked just as it was, a hybrid of human and alien technologies.
“What a beauty,” Taylor said.
Every ship of the Battlegroup dwarfed the Deveron. Every one of them was newly manufactured or extensively re-fitted.
“It used to take three years to construct some of those ships.”
“War can be a rapid catalyst for change, Captain,” replied Taylor.
“One day I will command a ship like that, but I do not begrudge Admiral Huber’s task here.”
As they approached the dock, a signal came into the bridge. The Admiral was projected before them all.
“Welcome to the fleet. You will all know that there is no time to waste. The fleet is ready to embark, are you clear and ready to join us?”
“This is Major Taylor. That is affirmative, Sir.”
“Good, then have your captain dock with the Washington as we depart. Huber out.”
The projection disappeared, and once again they could see out to the vast Battle Group.
“Dock? With that?” asked Taylor.
“I am informed the Washington carries three of this craft and has further docking facilities for two more.”
Taylor shook his head in astonishment at the vast carrier. He could make out a dozen fighter bay doors on three levels of the port side that they were approaching.
“Then take us in, Captain.”
The vast engines of the carrier roared to life, and it soared forward with the rest of the fleet surrounding it as they approached. Their pilot took them in on the landing procedure to dock with a bay that would half conceal the Deveron with the superstructure of the Washington.
Ten minutes later, the Major stepped out to be greeted by the XO, Captain Vega. He led Taylor to the bridge while other staff established the companies on board the vast carrier.
As he passed through the Washington, Taylor was astonished at quite how utilitarian it was. The armour plating was thick, and there were no windows in sight. Much of the interior was bare metal and had yet to see a coat of paint or other finish. There was not a hint of luxury. The Washington was a ship built in haste to serve only
