turned towards the door. He rushed forward and grabbed her arm. She was hauled around and back into his arms.
“Don’t think we aren’t going to make it through this. I need you to have faith in me, in all of us. I need you to be the best marine you can be.”
Her face grew taut and her posture straightened. She would not let another tear reach her skin. Taylor couldn’t tell if she was putting on a brave face for him or genuinely had faith. But at least she won’t demoralise the others, he thought. Taylor pulled on his Reitech suit over the German camouflage BDU that still appeared as almost new.
By the time he left the billets, the Company was already streaming towards the landing zone in dribs and drabs. The German Company was already formed up and awaiting their arrival. Their uniforms were well worn, and several displayed recent battlefield cuts and scars, but they all wore brand new Reitech equipment on top. Their leading officer stood before the Company, waiting for Chandra and Taylor. He saluted as they approached.
“Hauptmann… uh Captain Wittman, 391st Mechanised Infantry Battalion.”
Chandra stepped up informally to the officer and shook his hand.
“Thank you, Captain. I’m sure you have been fully briefed on your part in this mission?”
“Yes, Ma’am, we ensure the safety of your Company from the surrounding enemy forces. We will have your backs covered.”
“You realise what that means, Captain? You’ll have the weight of all forces in the area bearing down on you.”
“You do what you have to do, Major. We are no strangers to war anymore, and we will do our duty.”
The Captain relaxed and smiled as he recognised Mitch.
“Major Taylor, I never thought I would meet you in person. How have you come so far and still be alive?”
Taylor smiled as he shook the hand of the German officer.
“I can’t say all my friends have been so lucky.”
The two Majors looked down the line of the German Company and could see that they were little more than one hundred and twenty strong.
“You look as if you have seen more than enough action yourselves,” added Taylor.
“No, this war is not an experience I would wish on anyone. But it has come down to us.”
“Good to have you with us, Captain,” replied Chandra. “We’ll be loading in five. Good luck, and may we both succeed for the sake of everything and everyone.”
The German officer saluted confidently. Chandra already knew he was more than capable of doing what was being asked of him. She gestured for Taylor to follow her to where Captain Jones had assembled their Company. Charlie stood at ease before the troops. He was still doing his job, but the fire in his eyes and the joy in his heart had long gone. He had become so soulless that he was almost a machine.
“Thank you, Captain,” shouted Chandra.
It saddened her to see her friend as a shell of the man he used to be. She had looked forward to his return more than anything in their current lives, but she could not help pity the man he now was.
“You all know what we must achieve. Our Generals believe that what we accomplish here could end it all. We cannot fail. We cannot falter, and we cannot stop at any price! Many of us may die here today, but all that matters is that Karadag dies. If we fail, our armies face the biggest threat they have ever known. This mission may likely determine the outcome of the entire war.”
She strode along the lines as the troops stood silently awaiting their departure.
“I thank you all for following me into the fire. We have stood together from the very beginning. None of you have faltered. We will fight, and if necessary die together. Good luck to you all. Emplane and prepare for immediate departure!”
“Fall out!” shouted Jones.
The troops rushed towards the three enemy craft that were awaiting them. Few had ever seen the monstrosities up close. Experience had shown they were built as a mixed fighter-bomber that could carry a dozen of the airborne Mechs. The Air Force engineers had stripped out much of the hardware and converted the internals to provide substantial personnel transport bays.
Taylor stepped inside to see Rains at the cockpit, which had been retrofitted at the console as well with as several other human manufactured pieces of equipment.
“Good to see you, Eddie. I thought Schulz would have had your balls by now.”
Rains chuckled.
“He saved his wrath for you. I’m just a pilot. I go where I’m posted and do as I’m told.”
“You really believe you can get us past their defences in these heaps of junk?”
“I figure so. Those bastards have become wise to our tricks, and they’ve been identifying my Eagle, despite the modifications. They must be relying heavily on visual identifiers, which is sensible considering.”
He tapped his hand on the alien console.
“With these babies, we should glide right in there.”
A few minutes later, they were lifting off the landing zone and gaining speed quickly. The engines were almost deafening. The unmistakeable drone of the enemy vessels was something to be feared, and yet they were now travelling aboard the aerial beasts. For all of their raucous bellowing, they were exceptionally fast craft.
The short trip to Paris felt like an afternoon, but they could see through the pilots’ cockpit that it was still day. Cloud cover got thicker as they headed further west until they hit rain clouds that peppered the hull. Chandra and Taylor carefully studied the surveillance images on her Mappad one last time.
“They are not a subtle enemy, but they must now know that we are not above these clandestine operations,” she whispered.
“You believe they’ll be better prepared for us?” asked Taylor.
“I don’t know. The weapon in Poitiers was an obvious target that they arrogantly assumed we could not reach. Their leadership may not seem such a draw for us, but they must surely have increased their defences.”
“Schulz seemed to think they had little more than fifty Mechs and a similar number of drones in the area.”
“Yes, well I wouldn’t place too much faith in that.”
Taylor smiled.
“We’re gonna hit the ground running. Whatever happens, you must find Karadag and end him. I don’t care what it costs you. If we all die today alongside that bastard, it will be a mission well done.”
“But I pray that not to be our fate.”
She nodded in agreement.
“Heads up, we’re making our approach!” Rains called out.
Taylor stood up and paced towards the cockpit, gazing out at the enemy base. It had been built right on top of the ruins surrounding the Eiffel Tower. The famous symbol of the city had been smashed during the battle for the city. Taylor could only think that the establishment of the enemy there was intended to rub salt into the wound.
The aircraft rushed over the enemy perimeter defences without opposition. Taylor could make out several dozen enemy Mechs and drones patrolling the grounds as they closed towards a line of metal structures that he recognised from their surveillance images. The buildings were fifty metres high, and their impeccable condition contrasted deeply against the rubble and ruins around them.
The nose of the craft lifted as Eddie came in for a landing. They were putting down in a quiet spot past the nearest structure, and out of the gaze of the patrols further out towards the perimeter. Taylor didn’t feel his heart race like he had gotten used to before such dangerous missions. He didn’t know if it was because he was used to the emotion, or that he no longer cared for his own life. But as he turned, he saw the faces of Eli, Chandra and the others and remembered why he had feared so much before.
A loud clang rang out as the undercarriage smashed into the ground in a less than eloquent landing. Eddie looked back at them and lifted his hands as if to mutter the word ‘what’. It didn’t matter. They were on the ground. Sergeant Silva smashed his fist onto the door release button, and it quickly lowered to make a ramp to the surface.
“Here we go again,” whispered Taylor.
