“Damn fine soldiering, Monty.”
They arrived back on base within hours to a hail of applause by an entire division that had assembled to greet them, along with detachments from a dozen countries. When they hit the ground and disembarked, Chandra could see that Wittman had over a dozen dead and almost as many wounded. It saddened her to see what a price it had cost them, but they were welcomed back as heroes, nonetheless.
General Schulz and his staff awaited them and saluted as they paced down the ramps. Taylor smirked as he was amused by the amount of kiss ass he knew he had earned from the man who had sent him to prison. Though he looked past to Dupont who still glared at him with disgust and refused to salute.
“Major Chandra, Major Taylor, welcome back!”
They could see the General was desperately awaiting news. They could have transmitted it soon after breaking free of the enemy blocking zone, but they were less than eager to send the news ahead and let their superiors take the glory. Schulz lifted up his hand for the troops to silence themselves and listen to Chandra. He beckoned for his aide to go forward with a microphone that had been linked to speakers all around the base.
“Major, please tell us the news.”
“Thank you, General, but I must let Major Taylor have this duty, for he has earned it more than any of us.”
Schulz begrudgingly accepted. She could see that his hatred of Taylor had waned to little more than a mild annoyance, but it still pained him to see Taylor stealing the spotlight. She passed the mic to Taylor who coughed to clear his throat. He looked out at the eager faces of all the soldiers who awaited the news. Line after line of troops watched him with eager eyes; so many faces that reminded him of all those they had lost on the road to this point.
“I can confirm that as of 1500 hours today, Karadag, the leader of the enemy army on Earth, is dead, witnessed by myself and Sergeant Eli Parker of the 2nd Inter-Allied Battalion…”
The roar of clapping and whistles cut off his speech as the troops could not restrain themselves. They could hear the celebrations ring out across the base. There was not one among them who could not leap for joy at the news. After several minutes of ecstasy, they finally quietened and waited for him to continue.
“We did this together, not as a nation, an army, but as a race. We stood together as the human race. I can guarantee you that this war is not over, but I can also assure you that I will not stop fighting until it is!”
General Schulz stepped forward and raised his hand to ask Taylor for the microphone. He handed it over without question. He didn’t like the man, but he liked speaking publically even less. Schulz picked up the mic and turned back to the troops with a smile.
“This is General Schulz, Commander of the joint European armies. I want to thank you all for your continuing efforts. We believe that our actions today have broken the spine of this invading force. I have already had confirmation that Russian, Swedish and Danish troops are already well on their way to assisting in the Battle for Berlin. That fight is no longer our concern.”
He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath for dramatic effect.
“We can drive our enemy into the sea, and I fully intend to do it. At 0500 hours we advance east, and we keep advancing until we reach the sea!”
One week later. Taylor and Chandra stood at the foot of Jones’ hospital bed. His body was all but recovered, but he gazed into space without any sense of reality.
“Charlie, France is saved. Tartaros is leaving!” shouted Chandra in joy.
He looked over at her with a blank expression. A few months previously it would have been the greatest news the Captain could ever have heard, but now it was if it went in one ear and out the other. The doors swung open, and Taylor turned quickly to see Sergeant Dubois stood before them and gazing at the Captain with sorrow.
“May I?” she asked.
Taylor nodded and took a pace back to let her pass and stand at his bedside. She knelt down beside the bed so that her eyes were at his level. She said nothing, only staring back into his eyes and deep into his soul. She did so for what felt uncomfortably long. Finally, she stretched forward and kissed the Captain.
Taylor watched in amazement as his eyes flickered, and for a moment he saw the life return to them. He reached out and laid his arms around the French woman, holding her tightly. From over her shoulder, he turned and nodded to Taylor; a recognition that Mitch had not seen since they had returned from Paris. Chandra smiled as she realised that Dubois might well have brought him back from the brink of insanity with a single kiss.
Taylor turned to Chandra.
“This isn’t over. We have broken the enemy’s will to fight, but there will be more leaders, more armies. Can you honestly believe whatever other forces they have could let us get away with this?”
Chandra shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to celebrate the victory they had and worry about the future a different day.
“Come on, let’s leave them to it.”
They stepped out to find, much to their surprise, General Schulz sat in the waiting room for them with several members of his staff.
“How is Captain Jones?” he asked.
Taylor strolled up to the General and could see the concern in his eyes was genuine. For the first time since they had met, he did not hate the man.
“I believe he may have a chance,” replied Taylor.
“That’s wonderful news. The war is over, and the enemy is in full retreat.”
“To where?” he responded.
“Where, why should we care? Anywhere, but here!”
Taylor nodded in appreciation of the news, but he was far from wholly satisfied. He looked past the General to one of his aides.
“Get a message to the Moon for me.”
“Uhh…”
Schulz turned around and nodded in agreement to the young officer.
“A message from me, Major Taylor, to Commander Kelly of the Moon Defence Force. Tell him the war isn’t over. Tell him, we’re coming for him. We’re coming to take back all our lands, human lands.”
He turned back to Schulz.
“Earth has been saved, but while the enemy values our planet and know our location, this war will never be over…”
