Chandra agreed as she stared back down the bridge in deep thought.
“To think this is what it took to finally bring us together, an apocalyptic war which could end our race.”
“It won’t last,” said Jones. “Everyone always wants more, and the Mechs want what we’ve got. If we ever win here, we’ll only want to take what is theirs.”
“War is in our blood, Jones, in the fibre of our species.”
Chandra dipped her head, overcome by the realisation that there was no end in sight. Was this to be her life, to fight until her last breath? She was alerted to the sound of tracks that wiped all the troubling thoughts from her mind. She turned to see a dust cloud emanating from between the buildings they had recently passed.
The three officers stood and stared at the sight as twelve tanks rolled into view, and the rest of the company cheered them on.
“Looks like the Commander came through,” said Jones.
The vehicles had German crosses painted onto their bodies and showed significant wear and repair from recent combat. The lead tank rumbled up and stopped just a few metres ahead of them. The roof hatch opened in the broad and flat turret. A sharply dressed officer in a black tanker’s suit stood up before them. His clean and well cut uniform was in stark contrast to his dusty and scarred tank.
“Major Chandra?”
He spoke in a coarse and distinctly German accent. He stood upright and proud, and with his arm resting on the holster about his waist. She could make out his rank.
“You’re in the right place, Captain.”
“Captain Becker, at your service.”
The German had a friendly grin spanning across his face and showing off his gleaming white teeth. He was a man who cared for his appearance more than most soldiers. It was obvious they had been involved in plenty of action in the previous week, but he looked as if he could have been on the parade ground.
“Good to have you, Captain.”
“Your orders, Major.”
“We are to hold this bridge until told otherwise, Captain. I suggest you go hull down.”
Chandra could just see the faintest of emotion in the man’s eyes. The prospect of standing against the Mechs once again was a fearsome one, but he did everything to hide it. He turned to the vehicles in his column and was already barking orders into his mic.
Taylor and Silva strolled onto the landing zone towards the transport that had been marked out for their journey. They stopped as a familiar face appeared on the loading ramp.
“Captain Reyes, you’re the last man I expected to see.”
“I’d have to say the same if I hadn’t already been briefed.”
Taylor stood back and looked at the transport craft.
“Bit of a step down from the Deveron?”
“She’ll be back, Major. Laid up until we need her again. Right now it’s too dangerous for her up there and too much of a target down here.”
Taylor nodded, but it was good to see a familiar face.
“I’ve got to be frank with you, Major. I’m amazed you’re even still alive. We were lucky to get off the Moon, but your luck seems to run on.”
“So far, Captain. Have you been briefed on our mission?”
“Yes, Sir. I am to act as your liaison officer at Ramstein. You’re stuck with me, Major.”
Taylor turned back to look at the camp. He felt awful for leaving almost all the friends he had in a city under siege, but there was nothing he could do about it. He turned back to the Captain.
“This better be worth it.”
They strolled up the ramp into the ship and were lifting off with a minute of taking a seat. They watched the city from the portholes one last time. The artillery continued to rain down through the vast metropolis. There was no sign of an enemy assault, but they all knew it was imminent.
Chandra walked along the lines of trenches that had already been set up. They had less than a quarter of the men they needed to fill them. She only prayed that the troops the Commander had promised them would materialise.
She stopped as a familiar and soothing smell wafted past her face. She sniffed again to be sure she wasn’t imagining it. She turned to see Captain Jones sat in the bottom of one of the trenches beside a military issue stove. Steam arose from it as tea brewed, Earl Grey.
“You want one, Major?” shouted Jones.
She smiled. She could not think of anything she’d rather have than a one-way ticket out of the city. She jumped down into the trench with the Captain and sat down on the firing ledge above him.
“Where on earth did you get that? All I could get at the camp was coffee.”
“Personal supplies, got enough to keep us going another few days. Dubois sourced it for me.”
“From where?”
“Those are the sort of questions you don’t ask, Major.”
She had visions of them being poached from the Commander’s own cabin. She hoped that was nothing more than her wild imagination, but sadly she knew it was likely a possibility. She didn’t care. Chandra knew there was a good chance the bridge would be the last place they ever saw on earth.
“Sergeant Dubois, you seem quite taken with her?”
Jones looked up with a quizzical and innocent expression.
“I won’t hold it against you, Captain. In this age, a little care could do us all some good.”
“Even if it compromises our integrity and professionalism?”
The Major knew that Jones was talking about Taylor’s insubordination to save Parker. They both knew it went against everything they had ever been taught, and yet they could fully understand.
“Mitch did what he thought was necessary. Sometimes life isn’t as rigid as the rules we are expected to work with. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same?”
“That’s what worries me.”
“What, that we care for one another? That we are human? What are we fighting for, if it is not that?”
Jones nodded as he poured out the steaming hot tea into two mugs and passed her one. It had not rained that day, but the ground was still soaked from the previous day’s downpour. The smell of fresh rain at least hid much of the smell of death and destruction that filled the city. Chandra took a sip from the mug as a shout echoed around them.
“Incoming!” Captain Friday called.
Chandra threw down the mug and jumped up to look over the trench to the other side of the bridge. She could hear Becker shouting commands to his crew as they battened down their hatches. She lifted her rifle onto the ledge and used the scope to try and identify the threat. She squinted as she tried to make out what she was seeing.
“What the fuck are those?” asked Jones.
“Looks like some kind of hover platforms, sure aren’t ours?”
Light pulsed from one of the incoming targets, almost blinding Chandra through her scope. A second later the blast smashed into the ground just a few metres from their position, throwing chunks of concrete all over the two officers. Chandra shook off the dust and turned over.
“Fire!”
Captain Becker was ahead of her, his tank firing before the word had left her mouth. The cannon fire was deafening, but it was also greatly appreciated by the troops. Chandra peered through her scope to see the results of their work. The enemy objects hovered a metre off the ground, and they were little more than the size of a motorbike. They had high-speed downwards facing rotors in each corner, and nothing but a fixed gun up top. She ducked quickly back down as fire rained down on their position.
The ground around them shook as the tanks continued to pound the incoming enemy, their machine guns opening fire now as well. She knew it was the signal that they had come into range. She turned to Jones who had a launcher in hand and was ready to go.
