one purpose — war.
“Not quite the luxuries of home, Major?” asked Captain Vega.
“Actually a reassuring sight. Our armies and navies had become soft over generations of peace.”
The bridge lay deep within the bowels of the carrier, far from the gun batteries and aircraft hangars. From approaching the ship, he had expected to find a luxurious and lavish bridge, but what he discovered was as utilitarian as everything else he had seen. The XO introduced him as he entered. In the centre lay an operations table where the Admiral stood. The bridge was manned by just fifteen crewmembers and was a far cry from anything he’d been accustomed to in the Corps. Colonel Chandra and four other officers stood next to the Admiral.
“Welcome aboard, Major!” Huber said enthusiastically.
Taylor saluted and approached with a smile. It was good to see Chandra again, and he already liked Huber’s approach to running his vessel. Mitch and the XO joined the others at the operations table.
“I am sorry to say there isn’t much to tell at this stage. We have plotted a course to the destination that our experts have been given, based on the intelligence you gathered. It’ll be a two-week journey at the very least, assuming we hit on it first time. A space gateway, I hear this thing called. A year ago, I would have called the whole thing nonsense, but we have all learned to be a little more open minded.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I have already arranged to have your Battalion billeted here on the Washington. Make it your home.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“It’s an honour to have you aboard, but news of the two aliens among your ranks has already spread like wildfire throughout the ship. The fact you trust them goes a long way with me, but let’s not be in any doubt, we still understand little about this alien race. They must prove themselves to me before I will place my trust in them. Many of the crew will be uneasy with their presence. It is a fact we will all have to weather.”
“Understood, Sir.”
“Good, square your kit away, and see to your marines. Tonight, after you dine, you will all join me for a drink in my quarters. That’ll be all.”
Chandra and Taylor stepped off the bridge together.
“You’ve been causing quite a stir,” she said.
“Nothing new, then.”
She smiled.
“And you get to continue the war you wanted,” he added.
She stopped him in his tracks.
“I never wanted a war. I never wanted to continue fighting. I only knew it wasn’t over. I wasn’t willing to lay down my weapons, knowing that there was more to come. I will rest easy when I know we have truly won and made our homes safe.”
“And when will that be?”
“When the enemy can no longer present a danger.”
Taylor shook his head. It was hard to believe now that it could ever be a possibility.
“This space gateway, or whatever it is. If we can destroy it, we may cut off their route to Earth for hundreds if not thousands of years.”
Taylor nodded in agreement. It was an appealing idea.
“Let’s not speculate just yet. I’d like to know exactly what we’re dealing with before coming to any conclusions.”
That evening the Marine and Army officers gathered at Huber’s quarters for the drink he’d invited them for. The only other Navy officer was Captain Vega. He welcomed them in and sat down at a dining table, barely large enough for them all to fit. His quarters were spacious but hastily prepared. In the corner was his private office. It was decorated with naval weapons and particulars from hundreds of years gone by.
The dining table was of thick varnished hardwood; an antique and decadent feature, contrasting heavily against the rough welded and riveted structure and interior of the vessel.
“Good Evening to you all,” greeted Huber. “I know several of you have not met.”
He point around the table.
“Colonel Chandra and Major Taylor of 2 ^nd Inter-Allied. Colonel Hicks of 2 ^nd Marine Division, Major Klimenko of the 874th Naval Infantry Battalion, Major Warren of 42 Commando, and Colonel Chen of the 55 ^th Infantry.”
Taylor nodded in greeting to Chen, who he’d last seen during the battle for the Moon. Admiral Huber continued.
“As you all know, this is a fact finding mission, but with the possibility of an engagement of the enemy. This new ship is a boon to the fleet, but let us not be in any doubts, space combat is something that is in its infancy for the human race. This should be a predominately Naval operation, but we still have no idea of what we will find out there. No ship which has headed for Mars since the war began has made it back.”
“What exactly are our orders, Sir?” asked Chandra.
“To investigate for any evidence of an enemy gateway into our Solar System. We are to seize control of any assets if the opportunity presents itself.”
“Sir, if this gateway does exist, it threatens the safety of Earth for every moment it is allowed to remain.”
“That is a consideration, Colonel. The possibility of destroying the enemy’s access point into this system is one that was discussed, during a remote emergency summit held with world leaders just last night. I am in favour of doing such, but many within the Navy feel we should not destroy a major asset.”
“Major asset? It might as well be a doomsday weapon if it allows the might of the enemy forces to be on our doorstep in a matter of days,” replied Taylor.
Huber nodded in agreement.
“As much as that might well be true, we cannot make any decisions without the facts before us. It is also not our decision to make. It is a joint operation of Earth forces, so our elected leaders must decide on this.”
“Surely this is a military matter, Sir,” Chandra added.
“Ordinarily, yes, but there is no precedent for such an event. They will have competent military advisers to hand and can make their decision based on the information we provide.”
“And if the enemy engages us?” asked Hicks.
“We can defend ourselves without recourse,” replied Huber.
Taylor shook his head in disbelief.
“I wasn’t aware we had to adhere to the rules of engagement against this enemy.”
Huber took a calm sip of his drink and sat back as he eyed up the Major, evaluating everything he saw.
“It is not for the enemy which we follow our rules of engagement. We are going after a device that is completely unknown. We must know what we are dealing with before we make any brash moves.”
Taylor rested back in his chair and knew that the Admiral was right. He could not bear the thought of another alien invasion, but also knew that haste could be the end of them all. Huber continued on.
“Colonel Chandra, your Battalion has been assigned this carrier. You will work in close correspondence with me, and I believe Major Taylor and your two alien marines could be a great resource to us. You will remain in an advisory position, as well as fleet defence, should we be at risk of boarding action. Keep your people sharp, and be ready for anything. We’ve probably got an uneventful couple of weeks ahead of us, but we are going into the unknown, so keep your guard up.”
As the evening came to a close, Taylor finally made his way to the individual quarters that had been assigned to him. As he turned a bend in the corridor, looking for the number of his door, he stopped at the sight of Eli sat against the wall and clearly waiting for him. She looked tired and must have been there for more than an hour.
“I don’t want to fight with you anymore,” she whispered.
He nodded in appreciation.
“You’ve put your trust in me before, so do it now. I trust Jafar and Tsengal with my life, as much as I trust you with it. You must do the same. Inter-Allied is more a family than we ever knew in the Corps.”
She did not disagree. He could see she had come to the realisation that she must put her past scruples
