Taylor could do nothing but laugh as he turned back to the viewing screen, checking the enemy’s progress. They had to make light of the situation. It was the best way to calm their nerves at the realisation of what they were about to attempt. The first enemy cruiser struck a mine at the opening to the field. The device tore a chuck from the hull, but it continued on all the same until its power failed and it floated off as one more wreck in space.
'Got to be close now!'
'Wait for it, Eddie,' replied Taylor.
He watched as the fighter wings from the Neptune soared through the enemy fleet, creating a wave of confusion and firing everything they had at the weapon ports of the cruisers. Taylor lifted his Mappad and allocated a ship to each platoon that was waiting before hitting the submit button.
'That's it, we're in place and good to go. Punch it!' he shouted.
Eddie was quick to respond. The engines were already running at minimal power and within a second were roaring. They lifted off from a rock that they and several other craft had been using for concealment. With full power down, they were rushing towards the lead enemy vessel at an immense pace. Eddie only let off the power at the last second, giving it full reverse thrust. They hit the hull of the cruiser hard, rocking all aboard, but they knew the impact would not have been felt inside the massive armoured beast.
Jones and his team got to work immediately. They opened the hatches and set the charges. Taylor was still doubtful they'd get through the thick skinned hull, but he was glad to have made it there alive, as they all were. There was a dull thud as the magnetic shaped charges were thrown against the hull of the enemy ship.
'Fire in the hole!'
They turned away as the button was pressed, and a sharp but short explosion erupted. It sounded more like a shotgun going off. Taylor turned in amazement to see a clean hole in the hull. They had gone through the inch thick blast doors that protected the windows to a cabin at the outer skin of the cruiser, as Jafar had said.
'We're in business!' Jones called out.
'Go!'
Jones was the first through the breach, and Taylor followed him. They had their weapons at the ready and shields held out to take an impact, but the room was peaceful. It reminded Taylor of the quarters he had occupied while on the Deveron. Some kind of workstation lay in the middle of the room, and an archway led to what appeared to be a bedroom. The layout was not unfamiliar, only the decor. A rack of what appeared to be either relics or trophies lay on a wall as prized possessions. Aside from a few weapons, Taylor did not recognise any of the items. Several appeared to be rifles and close quarter weapons, not of Mech origin, but he had little time to study them.
'We won't have long. The hull breach alert will already have activated,' Jafar said.
'Lead the way,' replied Taylor.
He stayed close to his alien friend as they were led down a long corridor that obviously led deep into the underbelly of the ship.
'Jesus, no wonder our guns can barely touch these things. The depth of this armour is like nothing we have ever seen,' said Jones.
They finally reached a set of secure blast doors.
'Get these open,' ordered Taylor.
Before the troops could act upon the order, several lights flashed and the doors before them prized open. Four Mechs stood in front of them with their weapons held low and unprepared. The eight members of the platoon at the front opened fire with vicious effect. The creatures were dead before they had known what hit them.
'They really underestimated us, didn't they?'
'This is the last thing they could have expected from us, Colonel,' replied Jafar, as he stepped through the dead. 'We're not far now.'
They reached a four-way junction and stopped for a moment.
'The bridge is just up ahead.'
Taylor turned back to the platoon.
'One section each way, as we planned it. Go.'
He leapt forward with Jafar and Jones. This made Jones' section the strongest, but they were also heading for the main entrance. The corridor had only small strengthening girders each side, providing little cover. They were glad of the shields, or they'd be badly exposed. Taylor caught a glimmer of movement up ahead and realised it was the shape of two enemy soldiers guarding the doorway. They were raising their weapons as they too realised the threat.
'Fire!' he shouted.
Taylor didn't know if any of the others had spotted the creatures or not, but he knew the command would tell them everything they needed to know. There were thirty metres of open corridor between them and the enemy, but they did not slow their advance.
Holding their shields as barriers, they advanced with guns blazing. Taylor felt the heat of a pulse smash over his shield. The impact jolted his arm and reminded him of the pain from the shot that had blasted through when they had been boarded. It was also a pleasant reminder of how they were returning the favour.
A dozen or more shots pierced each of the Mechs’ armour as they continued to cover the ground at almost a sprinting pace. Jafar got ahead of them and reached the doors first. He smashed his fist into the entry button, and the doors slid open. They were greeted by half a dozen of the enemy, waiting with their weapons at the ready. Three wore Mech armour that they were familiar with, but the others wore no armour at all, only their skin fitting body suits.
Pulses smashed into their shields, and the platoon split across the corridor, trying to hide from the volley of rounds coming through the open doorway. Taylor saw Blinker lifting a grenade from his webbing.
'No! We need the controls intact!'
It was too late, the grenade was launched through the air, and they couldn't risk trying to stop it. The explosion sent vibrations through the deck, and Taylor could only pray their plan had not failed at the pivotal point. Never before had he been so relieved that the enemy weapons continued to fire. The grenade must have bounced to the edge of the room.
'Wait for it! Wait!'
A few seconds later, another blast rang out from inside the bridge and another soon after that.
'Now!'
Taylor took the bend first and charged through the doorway, almost falling over the dead Mech on the deck. A single pulse rushed past his head, but the other targets were already occupied by the breaches in their bridge either side from the other sections. He let go of his rifle, allowing it to drop to his side, drawing out his Assegai as he continued his rush towards them.
The Colonel hit the first creature at full speed with his shield and sent it tumbling to the floor. He jumped onto the stunned alien, thrusting the weapon into its throat before it could recover. The lack of armour made it all the easier for the Assegai to pierce the skin.
A few cries and shots rang out around him. By the time Taylor had pulled the weapon from his bloody victim, the bridge had been seized. He got to his feet and looked around in shock that it had gone so smoothly.
'You weren't wrong, Jafar.'
The alien merely nodded as if surprised there was any other possibility.
'Jones, have a section set up defences here. Have the other two sweep and clear the ship.'
As the Captain rushed off, the nuclear weapon was carted in and dumped at the very centre of the bridge among the enemy dead. Jafar pulled out the control module he had organised, twisted the power activator, and placed it onto a table beside one of the main consoles.
'How do you know how to do this?'
'High-ranking officers and Lords have wireless override keys which allow them to control a ship once on the bridge.'
'But you are neither,' replied Taylor.
'No, but information is power.'
'Ain't that the truth?'
'Armed and ready to go, Sir.'
