“You’ve got every resource you need, Colonel. We’re on a tight schedule here, and you know what’s at stake. Do whatever you need to.”
“Then we’re in business. Inter-Allied is at your service and good to go!”
Chapter 9
The officers and senior NCOs sat about a briefing room looking at the blue prints of the German battleship, Nassau. There was utter silence as they stared at it and clearly wracked their brains for a solution to the behemoth they were facing. The air was thick, as none of them had even had a moment to wash since returning from their last mission. Taylor wiped the sweat from his brow as he felt the salt on his mouth from where it was seeping down his face. Eventually Silva broke the silence.
"Sure we can't send the fleet against them?"
Taylor nodded. "The EA fleet would have a better than average chance of victory against everything they have, but not quick enough to stop that grid from firing. If those weapons fire on Earth, it's all over. The EA and any allies we still have will be smashed."
"So we have about a thirty-second window to get past this thing and get to the defence grid before we're blown to shit?" Jones asked.
"Hey, I'm all for saving the planet and all, but this is crazy!" added Rains.
The room was silenced once again and all looked to Taylor.
"Look, I didn't order any of you to be here. I volunteered, and I am not asking any one of you to follow me. That is your choice."
"We want to follow you," said Grey. "We just want to know we're risking our lives with at least a chance of success, and not just being blown out of the sky without a hope in hell."
Taylor nodded. "Most of the ships in the area will be out of action for some time, both ours and theirs, so the Nassau is our primary concern. Thirty seconds of being without power is enough to make her vulnerable."
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking?"
He nodded. "Yeah, Jones, we have to board her and the defence grid simultaneously."
Silva shook his head. "And with how many men?"
"There are only a handful of ships fast enough to get from beyond the EMP range into action before that thirty seconds is up. I figure we could get maybe a hundred and fifty or so."
"A hundred and fifty to take on a battleship and the defence grid?" asked King. "The Nassau alone probably has a couple of hundred marines aboard."
"Yes, but scattered throughout the vessel and without the combat experience and skills of this Regiment."
"That's a big assumption to make," muttered Jones.
"At this point we are gonna have to make the best of a bad choice of options and go with it. We're leaving within the hour, so we better have a damn good idea of what we're doing," Taylor replied.
They all knew there was little else to be considered.
"Say we can pull this off and stop the defence grid, what happens to us then?" asked Grey.
"We hope the EA fleet can get to us in time to assist and hope for the best. Right now, our main concern must be deactivating those weapons, or it's all over."
They all knew their lives meant nothing compared to the importance of the operation’s success. None of them wanted to say it, but they knew it was true.
"Captain King, I want you and your Company on standby for this. If we can succeed in disabling both targets, you will come to our aid, because trust me, we'll need it. Dupont wants me to take on the defence grid personally, so I'll need a volunteer to lead the Nassau element of this operation."
It was a big thing to ask, and he knew who he wanted for the job.
"Nice to know I'm wanted," said Jones. "Yes, I'll do it."
Taylor nodded in appreciation. He still wasn't certain Jones was quite the man he used to be, but he certainly was still the right soldier for the job.
"Has the US declared war yet?" asked King.
Taylor shook his head.
"As far as I understand it, they recognise the threat the defence grid poses and condemn its use against Earth."
"Well that's a big fucking help."
Taylor grunted. "Well they have at least accepted our position on this and are guaranteeing us all immunity from prosecution for anything they wanted to levy against us should we pull this off."
"And survive," added Silva.
"Then they can at least give us control of the rest of Inter-Allied. Jackson and Ota, two extra Companies could go a long way in aiding King," said Jones.
"I'll see what I can do," he replied, turning his attention to the Nassau diagram.
"This blueprint definitely right?"
"I bloody hope so," replied Jones.
"Commander Phillips says so, and I am inclined to trust his sources," Grey said.
Jones was carefully studying every element of the ship.
"We'll hit them here," he finally stated.
Taylor looked carefully at where he was pointing. It was a power source for the ship’s weapon systems buried many decks below the surface. Taylor looked confused.
"Why there? We need a diversion, that's all."
"You need to be sure you are gonna make it, and the only way to be sure of that is if you aren't getting shot at. If I pinpoint everything at my disposal at that point, there is a fair chance we can give you a clear run. Maybe even a chance of giving our fleet a run at taking her out."
"It's suicide," added King. "Being a diversion is one thing, but you start causing that much trouble, and you'll bring a world of shit down on your head."
Jones shrugged. "We have one chance of getting this done, so let's do it right. All that is important is that we stop that weapon system. I think I can provide the best chance of Taylor making it."
Nobody responded while they waited for Taylor's opinion.
"It's a sound plan," he finally responded. "Anyone offer another in the next five minutes?"
"Board the Nassau and turn her guns on the defence platforms?" asked King.
Taylor mulled it over. "Not a bad plan, but there are too many variables. There are all kinds of ways those weapons could be shut down by the crew before we could make use of them, but I like your thinking. The UEN knew I was coming last time, and I bet they'll expect it again. Let's use that."
"UEN obviously wants your head."
"Yeah, Jones, so you want to be a diversion? You play me. From the moment we board, we go in full environmental suits, visors shut. We'll use voice scramblers to mix our two voices. As far as anyone else is concerned you will be me, and you will be going for the Nassau."
The others couldn't believe what they were hearing. Jones had already volunteered for a crazy mission and was having yet more danger thrust upon him.
"I like it," Jones replied.
"All right, not one word of this switch to anyone outside of this room until we're aboard our craft, you got that?"
They all grunted with approval.
"Right then, you know what you have to do, and Jones, you'll be flying with Rains. We have to give every indication that you are the real Taylor."
"Always saw myself as a Colonel someday," he replied with a smile.
* * *
"Ready?" Jones asked, looking at Taylor.
They were standing in Taylor's quarters and now in each other's uniforms.
"Yep, now remember who you're supposed to be, and try and stay in character. Once they know Colonel Taylor is heading for them, they'll do everything they can to end you."
"Not my first rodeo," Jones jested.
"No. The plan is simple. Stick to it and this can work. Good luck out there." He offered out his hand as a last gesture of friendship before they stepped out publicly. Jones took it gladly.
"You know of all the men and women in the World who could be going up there to do this, it was always going to be us. It always is."
"That is both our honour and our curse, Charlie."
Taylor pulled on the helmet, and Jones did the same. Taylor reached to the controls on the arm of his suit and tapped a few buttons. The visor shut
and went to blackout so that his face was covered. Jones did the same.
"Up and at 'em," said Taylor, doing his best to mimic Jones' mannerisms, and the suit modified his accent. Jones shook his head, as it was an eerie thing to hear. They turned and stepped out of the room to find Inter-Allied formed up with helmets on just as Taylor had ordered. Not an ounce of skin could be seen on any of them. Taylor stepped to one side and let Jones go forward to take charge, which he did so with confidence."
"You all know what you have to do. You all know what's at stake! Let's do this right. Load up and move out!"
That was short and sweet, Taylor thought, remembering his rambling speeches at such times. Three ships for each Company were all they had, and he watched as Jones boarded Rains' craft; so few souls. It seemed so insignificant for what they were going to face.
He took his seat to see he was amongst Jones' Company. They were men and women he had known well, but he had commanded few personally in combat. As the doors shut, he got up to address them.
"Listen up! I am sorry to have kept you all in the dark on this one, but it is the way it had to be."
As he said that, he raised his helmet visor. Several others did the same to get a look at him with their own eyes.
"The Nassau isn't our target. It is Captain's Jones'. You are coming with me to the real target. This secrecy was necessary until now. All communications from and to this vessel are now blocked until we reach our destination. I tell you now because once we're up there I want everyone to know the deal. This message is being relayed to the other two ships via platoon commanders."
Nobody said a word, but all raised their faceplates as he continued.
"All you need to know is that somehow we need to stop the defence grid. Every officer and senior NCO amongst us has access codes that will override the system from the inside, but how we do it really doesn't matter. You got that?"
"Yes, Sir!" they shouted.
Every single fighter under his command was from the British Army, and it brought a smile to his face at how bizarre it felt, and yet how little they cared. He looked around to get his bearings of whom he had with him. So many of the British paras he had come to know well were long gone from this world. He panned around, looking at the nametags on those sitting around him. He recognised almost every single one of them, and yet could rarely connect a face with each name.
Sergeant Herbert stood out to him, a tall but quiet man who had so frequently been close at Jones’ side during the worst of it. Taylor couldn’t remember speaking more than a dozen words to him in the time they had served together. The other side of the room he could see Corporals Brown and Harris. There were just twenty-five of them aboard.
“Sergeant Herbert will command his own platoon with Brown his second. The rest of you are with me. Remember, as far as you are concerned, I am Captain Jones, and that is how you will address me. If I should fall, it is essential that you keep going forward. You find a way to disable or destroy the defence grid, you hear me?”
“Yes, Sir!”
Dupont better have some serious reinforcements for us, he thought.
They all knew the EMP would mean they’d be waiting some time for help, but they prayed it would be sooner rather than later. Taylor looked down at his watch. Twenty seconds till the EMP. He counted it down in his head, watching the seconds pass. It finally it hit zero. He stepped up to the cockpit.
“Did it work?”
“That’s affirmative Col…sorry…Captain. Nothing much left to see.”
Taylor looked out to see they were passing out of the atmosphere to complete darkness at a rapid speed.
“Utter blackout up here. Never thought I’d see it in all my days,” the pilot replied.
“Yeah, well, let’s hope it stays that way for a while.”
* * *
Jones was looking out at the same blackness as Taylor and admiring the tranquillity that would be so short lived. He looked back to see Parker sitting in the nearest seat to the cockpit and realised how much Taylor was relying on him. He was leading almost everybody Taylor cared for into a suicidal mission. He had volunteered for it, but he had never asked Taylor to give him command of all those he held so dear.
There was nothing left to say now as they raced towards the silhouette of the Nassau. It was a vast ship that was part battleship and part carrier. There were still no lights visible, but they could see the outlines of a few support vessels floating in space between them.
“Cut all lights, and do whatever you can to avoid detection.”
“Already done, boss,” Eddie replied.
“Cut engines now, everything.”
Rains did so without question, and everything went silent as they soared through space towards the hulking vessel without any noise at all, until Rains broke the silence.
“Really think this can work?” he whispered, seemingly concerned the whole enemy fleet could be listening in.
“Why wouldn’t it?” replied Jones.
“I dunno. Few fools try and take on a fucking battleship, you don’t think that’s a little crazy?”
“It is ambitious.”
Rains chuckled for a moment before the seriousness of his situation silenced him.
“What the hell is that?” asked Jones.
Rains squinted at the space before them. Lights began to appear on the Nassau, and then he saw the light reflect and reveal a small vessel on the path ahead of them. Rains grabbed for the controls to manoeuvre, but he knew they had no power.
“We can’t risk it,” said Jones.
“We don’t put some power down, then we’ll be done for anyway.”
Jones thought about it for just a few seconds before replying. “All right, but the absolute minimum needed to get clear.”
Rains fired the landing boosters to alter their course, but even as he did so, he could see they weren’t going to make it.
“This is gonna be rough.”
“More power!” Jones shouted.
“Too late! Hold on!”
They slammed into the ship that appeared to be a small frigate without power. The impact rocked them hard, and Jones almost fell to his feet. He tried to hang on to a railing. Jones expected the ship to crumble and break apart any moment, but amazingly they were thrown into a spin.
“What the hell, Rains?” he shouted.
“I’m a pilot not a miracle worker!”
“Get us power!”
“I can’t. The engines are shot!”
They were barrelling out of control, and the only relief they had was that they would blend in with all the other craft floating about space.
"Tell me something, Rains!"
"I got no engines. Life support systems are failing."
"Can you get us to the Nassau?"
He looked out to see them approaching rapidly.
"It's not a question of reaching them, but not dying on impact!"
He was frantically trying anything he could to slow them down when he finally managed to fire a few landing thrusters. Jones could see the light they were emitting from the cockpit, but they had larger problems to worry about now.
"We're losing velocity, but not quick enough."
"Any ideas?"
Rains shook his head. "This bird ain't got nothing left to give!"
"If we jump now, let the ship make impact, and then use our own boosters to reduce velocity and make the breach, would that work?"
Rains mulled it over for just two seconds before finally shrugging. "Maybe, best chance we got at least!"
Jones rushed to the door, hit the emergency release, and ripped it open.
"Everyone follow me. Get your speed down quick and head for the breach!"
He jumped out and just had to hope the others would quickly follow. As he entered space, he could see lights firing up all along the hull of the Nassau, and it was a frightening sight to be in her gun line. He hit his boosters and was relieved to see the instant reduction in velocity, and the other couple of
dozen troops joined him. Their ship soared past them. It had recovered from its spin but was still racing for the battleship.
Jones could just make out the shape of Taylor's three craft passing close by the stern of the vessel and knew they were cutting it close. He turned back to their own ship and saw it crash into the side of the battleship. Half of the hull smashed over the thick armour; the rest pierced through and punched a hole several metres wide.
We're in business.
He turned to his side to see Rains join him and give him the thumbs up. The times Rains had ended up with them in shoulder-to-shoulder combat now were beyond counting and getting a little silly. As they got to twenty metres, Jones adjusted his positioning and looked around one last time to try and see the two other ships with him, but they were nowhere to be seen. We're on our own, he thought.
Jones tucked in his rifle and shield as close to his body as possible, and they raced for the breach at a speed that was still far faster than he would have liked. He burst through the breach and found the blast doors had already isolated the room. He hit the deck hard and slid twenty metres along the metal flooring, finally crashing into a thick bulkhead and coming to a halt.
He had to hope his suit was fully intact. As he got to his feet, he half expected to come under fire any moment, but it never came. He looked around to see they were inside a fighter maintenance bay, and there was no one to be seen but the twenty-five souls including himself who had breached the hull of the Nassau. Emergency lighting was on, and it was a sign of how quick the ship's systems were recovering. For all the danger they had just jumped into, all Jones could think was, I hope Taylor made it.
"We need to get out of this area now!" he ordered.
Rains was already at a small maintenance door fiddling with something, as Parker tried to find a way past the large blast doors which seemed to be the main way out. Within a few seconds, Rains had the door open and prised apart.
Battle Earth VIII (Book 8) Page 14
