Battle Earth VI

anger.

'I'll be waiting,' added Taylor confidently and ending the transmission.

Jones breathed out an uneasy sigh, thinking about what Taylor had just done.

'You've baited a dangerous opponent.'

'Do you want this war to go on another six months? We'll lose thousands, maybe tens of thousands of soldiers if this war goes on. What if it could be ended in just one bloody day?'

'I'm not sure that was your decision to make.'

'Well, tough shit.'

'This is Taylor to the 5th Brigade. Prepare for combat. We have incoming.'

He could see that many around him appeared surprised. There was no sign of movement as yet, but they readied their weapons as ordered. A few minutes passed, as Taylor stood on the flat plain above the trenches, watching south. Eventually, his Mappad began to flash, and he lifted it to see enemy advances all across the front. Phillips had been walking the line when he rushed to Taylor's position.

'Looks like they're coming at us.'

'Damn right, Sir. They're out for blood. This isn't going to be a meat grinder. This ends in one pitched battle.'

'What? How do you know?'

Taylor smiled.

'You did this? You riled up Demiran like you do every leader, haven't you?'

'It wasn't difficult.'

'God damn you, Taylor, this better work.'

'Don't worry, it will.'

'Christ,' he uttered, rushing off to get to HQ.

Taylor knew he would be in deep trouble for what he had done, but nobody had time to do anything about it. The Mappad showed enemy advances over ten kilometres of the front.

'He's coming,' stated Taylor.

'Yes, are you ready?' asked Jafar.

'Have to be. Demiran had you as a bodyguard, am I to assume there are others like you that will do the same?'

'Yes, always four, and always from my homeworld. They will not be so easily swayed to our cause as Tsengal and I were.'

'No, those were exceptional circumstances. But it does mean we'll have to take them on also.'

'Yes.'

Taylor was expecting some kind of emotion, but he appeared to show none. He turned and glared at his friend until he provoked a response.

'I would hope they would join us, and I would never wish to kill my own. They were brothers to me once, just as you are now. But I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done.'

It was all the confirmation Taylor needed. Though he still was uneasy about the thought of four bodyguards of Jafar's calibre surrounding Demiran. His Mappad flashed as fresh orders came through.

'Hold position.'

They would do so for now, but no one was in charge of Taylor any longer. He knew what he must do for himself and all who had fought from the beginning. He stepped up to the front trench and Jones followed suit.

'You can't fight him alone,' stated Jones.

'I don't intend to.'

'You just issued a personal challenge.'

'I did no such thing. All I did was piss him off enough to want to come and deal with me himself. If he assumes this is gonna be one-on-one, then he's a fool. Anyway, when have they ever played so honourably? No, he'll come with everything he can get. He must know his war is over. It's just a matter of time. Killing me is the only thing left he could achieve.'

'Let's see it doesn't happen then. As reckless as you can be, I've grown rather fond of you, Mitch.'

'Don't go all soft on my now, Charlie? Where's the fire in you?'

'It's coming, don't you worry.'

They watched the enemy amassing in the distance. As far as the eye could see in either direction, they were coming.

'Could this really be it? The last battle to end it all?' asked Jones.

'It's about time. We've been fighting this long enough.'

Taylor reached down to his comms unit and set it to a private channel to just their own battalion.

'This is Taylor. Somewhere amongst that army is Demiran. Lord Demiran who came to destroy the human race, the same bastard who escaped us and has been the cause of millions of deaths. He is coming for us because he knows who the 2nd Inter-Allied are. He knows our reputation, and he knows what we have done. What he doesn't know is what we are still capable of.'

He went quiet for a moment and turned to see many were thinking hard about what he was saying.

'You have all sacrificed a lot in this war, and the war before it. But I ask you now to follow me. Let's end this today. We could fight on and sees tens of thousands die before the year is done, or you can follow me to victory today. I don't say it'll be easy. But if you do so with the same courage I have seen from the beginning, I can guarantee you, I will kill that son of a bitch and end this war!'

He hadn't said what or how he intended to do it, but it was clear to many. He looked around to see plentywere nodding in approval. Then he caught Eli Parker's gaze, and a single tear dropped down her face. They both knew it could cost them dearly to succeed in what he was intending, but she would not be the one to stop him.

'So I need to know. I can't do this alone, are you with me?'

Jones nodded in agreement, but he knew the Captain would follow him no matter what.

'Damn right,' came the reply from Jackson.

'Yes, Sir, all the way,' added Ota.

'As always, we trust you to see this through, we are with you,' said Grey.

Thank God. He knew he had to take the fight to Demiran with their support or not.

'There's always time to reconsider,' said Jones.

'No, my mind is made up, Charlie. I won't have this battle descend into a month of bitter bloodshed.'

He lifted his intercom.

'Then keep a keen eye for Demiran. He is the key to it all. Be ready for him.'

It wasn't long before the massive enemy armies were reaching their own trench works and passing them. They were reaching noon, and the heat was becoming intoxicating. The enemy advance began to grow as they reached their frontline, and a dust cloud was forming at their backs like a storm bearing down on the allied defences.

Artillery began to roar behind them, and the armour dug in also joined the fight. They could see the enemy had little in the way of heavy armour. What had survived the crash of the K'til had largely been expended in the folly attempt to take Jerusalem. The sun glinted off the tens of thousands of Mech suits that they could see. They approached as a wall across the desert.

'Five hundred metres,' said Jones.

'Prepare to fire in your own time,' ordered Taylor.

'Four hundred metres.'

'Steady.'

'Three fifty!'

'Fire!

The opening volley was deafening as the enemy front was smashed. Every one of the Brigade took well- aimed shots, and the effect was devastating. And yet they still came.

'Two hundred metres!'

Taylor slammed in a new magazine and kept firing. He knew Demiran couldn't be far from the line they were