Opposite them were sat Commander Kelly and three of his troops. They looked up at him but showed no aggression. Despite the pain in his body, he felt remarkably sober. He must have been out for some time.
“How you doing, Major?” asked Blinker.
Taylor turned away from the Commander to look at the two friendly faces.
“Still standing, how long we been here?”
“Few hours,” replied Monty.
“Guess they aren’t too keen on a little friendly disagreement?”
The two brothers chuckled.
“You got us in here, Major,” muttered Kelly. “Think you can get us back out?”
Taylor turned around to see that the MDF Commander was not joking. Blood had dried where it had poured from the man’s mouth. He was stern and confident but not confrontational.
“It was your boy that started this. Striking a superior officer, that’s a serious offence.”
“Ah, hell, what does it matter anymore? We just need to get out of this shithole.”
“It matters to me. We have given everything in this war, and I don’t appreciate having the efforts of my Company brought into question by an officer who wasn’t even here.”
Kelly nodded in agreement.
“Look, I get it. I have seen the reports. I know what you and your people have done.”
“No, you don’t,” interrupted Taylor. “You weren’t there. You think you can have any idea of what we went through by reading a few notes?”
Kelly nodded in agreement once again.
“I get it, Major, I really do. We cannot know what you went through, but we didn’t sit this war out either. We were prisoners in our own colony. We had nowhere to run. We were waking up every day and expecting it to be our last. Do you know what it feels like to live within a siege? When you know that if the defences fail, everyone dies. Every soldier, every civilian, all the children.”
Kelly stopped for a minute to take in a deep breath and calm him. “Our war was no walk in the park is all I am saying.”
“I never said it wasn’t, but I didn’t look for a fight back there,” snapped Taylor.
Taylor turned and paced back across the room.
“I am not saying what Lieutenant Perera did was right. I’m just saying that under such extreme pressure, we don’t always make the best decisions. We’ve lost our home colony and a great deal of our friends. I will discipline him appropriately.”
Taylor strolled over to Monty and took a seat beside him on the hard and uncomfortable bench that ran the length of the wall.
“You should know that I never wanted to leave your colony back then. I wanted to help you, but I had no choice.”
Kelly sighed. “I know. None of us could have foreseen this was the way it was gonna go. Who could have known we would ever have to face such an enemy in our lifetimes? Hell, in our history?”
“We made it though, didn’t we?” replied Taylor. “We’re still standing.”
“True, but many aren’t. All we ever wanted was to be left alone on our colony. We thought the threat upon us came from Earth, from corporations and governments wanting to muscle in on what we had. Never could we have imagined that we’d have to flee our homes.”
“You really like it up there that much? Living in artificial environments?”
“It was our land. Few Earthers ever understood.”
“No, I get it. A man will defend what is his to the very end, no matter how little it may seem in the face of others. But now you have a chance to rebuild your community here on Earth. Hell, there’s certainly some space going free.”
“It’s not a pleasant thought to be filling a space where a population has been exterminated,” he replied.
The cell went silent as they all thought about it for a moment.
“By that thought, we’d never live anywhere. Humans have butchered each other for as long as we have lived, and wherever you are, you stand over bloodied ground.”
“Maybe that’s why we liked the Moon. We started from afresh,” replied Kelly.
Doors opened down the corridor and footsteps approached. Moments later, Commander Phillips appeared with an MP on either side. No one in the cell uttered a word.
“Major Taylor, it seems you are adamant to get back behind bars. Commander Kelly, I was surprised to see your name on the list of those detained during this disturbance.”
“It was a soldier’s disagreement, nothing more.”
“I trust it has now been resolved?”
The two officers nodded in agreement.
“Good. We have seen enough conflict over the last year, so how about we work together from now on? I can put this down to a little too much drink and a one off incident, but Gentlemen, do not let it happen again. The French authorities are trying to rebuild their country, and the last thing they need is trouble. You’re all here to help rebuild, not destroy what’s left.”
“Understood, Sir,” replied Taylor.
“Major Chandra informs me that you are moving out at noon. I have procured release for all of you, on the condition that you will all return immediately to your billets and sleep off this silliness.”
“Much appreciated, Sir. You won’t see any more trouble from us.”
“See that I don’t.”
The MPs stepped forward and opened the doors of the cell. The soldiers sat on both sides of the room sighed as they stood up and worked their aching muscles and joints. Kelly stood before Taylor.
“We don’t blame you for not helping us. You have become famous for your deeds down here to save Earth, but you can’t help some of my lads feeling a little put out.”
“I was only following orders,” replied Taylor.
Kelly nodded. “I know. Sometimes orders are the best thing to do, but not the right thing. I know you have some experience of this.”
Taylor smiled in response, and Phillips laughed at the sentiment. Taylor had breached his orders more than any man could ever expect to get away with.
“You look after yourself, Major,” said Kelly as he strolled out of the cell.
“Go home, Major, enjoy what sleep you can get before dawn.”
Home? He wasn’t sure he had one any longer. The company of Eli seemed to be the comfort and security a home might offer, and it was the best thing he could hope for. He stepped forwards and out of the cell. In the corridor, he found the other doors open and the rest of the troops being released. Eli stood awaiting him with a bruised jaw.
“You just couldn’t stay out of it, could you?” he asked.
She smiled in response.
“Hey, it’s been years. After the battles we’ve been through, it was nice to have a fair fight for a change.”
He threw his arm over her shoulder, and she wrapped hers around his waist. He winced as he felt new bruises on his flank where someone must have kicked him on the ground after he’d been knocked unconscious.
“You okay?” she asked.
“This? It’s nothing.”
She didn’t press him any further. Taylor had been through far worse beatings and didn’t need to be reminded of it. The bloodied soldiers staggered back to their billets. It was a pleasant reminder of some of the good nights out they had enjoyed before the war had begun, but the locals didn’t seem to agree. Civilians continued to pour into the country day and night. Vehicles rolled past that were packed to the roof while others walked back to their homes.
“What are they even going home to?” asked Eli.
“Whatever is left, it’s still their homes, where else are they supposed to go?” replied Taylor.
Police sirens rang out as MPs tried to weave through the heavy traffic and clogged paths. Many roads were still not clear of debris, and some no longer existed. Much travelling had to be done by military vehicles and the few civilian cross country vehicles that could be mustered.
“Think we’ll be here much longer?”
Taylor sighed. “I guess not.”
She stopped him and loo
ked in surprise. “You don’t want to go home?”
Taylor shook his head.
“This has become home, more so than ever. Does going home mean returning to lives we no longer know, and leaving behind so many we now call friends? Returning from where we came is not going home.”
“Well that’s pretty fucking cynical.”
Taylor shrugged his shoulders. He could not help but feel disassociated with his old life. Victory had not been anything like he had hoped for. He knew he should be thankful for escaping any charges that night, but it was little relief. His head was swollen, and his worn and faded uniform soaked in fresh blood of his own. None of them spoke anymore on their return.
Mitch kicked open the door of his temporary shelter and stumbled inside with Eli close behind. He winced as he pulled off his uniform. He was tired of the pain he felt physically and emotionally. Eli came close and wrapped her arms around him, but he had little care for it. He brushed her aside and climbed into bed. She could see the sadness in his eyes and did not pursue it. They lay side-by-side for a few moments until she realised neither were ready to sleep.
“Karadag...” she said.
“What of him?”
“We never discussed him.”
“What is there to say? We left the bastard in a pool of his own blood.”
“I know. What I meant was, there must surely be more like him? We have many Generals and many heroes in our armies.”
Taylor stopped and thought for a moment. They had been so focused on taking down the enemy leader that the idea of others had passed him by. It was a depressing thought as he realised she was bound to be right.
“Maybe, but armies of Earth used to led by Kings, so maybe he was the same. When Alexander the Great died, his armies scattered to the wind. Same as Genghis Khan.”
“That’s wishful thinking,” she muttered.
“Have we not suffered enough against them? Maybe they want this war to be over as much as we do?”
They both fell silent as they thought on that concept. It was hard to imagine that the Krycenaeans could ever live in peace.
“Makes you think, doesn’t it? If they exist, what else is in the universe? Are there whole other worlds?”
“That have already been conquered or obliterated by the Krycenaeans?” asked Taylor.
“Or something bigger and meaner?” she responded.
“All we ever wanted to do was reach the stars, and look where it has gotten us. Had we not gone to the Moon, to Mars, maybe they would never have found us,” mused Taylor.
“And maybe they would have found us just the same, and they would have found a far less capable opponent. We survived this war by the skin of our teeth. We survived it because the human race always strives for more and better. What happened to you Mitch? Since the fighting ended, you’ve become a shell of your former self. Isn’t this the peace you wanted?”
He grunted and lay silent.
“What more can we ask for?” she insisted.
“I can think of a lot. For this war to have never happened.”
“And I am sure all that have seen such days they wished they had not, but we made it through.”
She knew she wasn’t getting through to him. She went silent and cuddled into his side in the hope of giving him some comfort. There was little time left until dawn, and as much as dire thoughts plagued Taylor’s mind, he eventually succumbed to his exhaustion.
Chapter 2
Taylor awoke with a blistering headache and looked across to see an empty bed. They worked hard every day to help restore some normality to the region, but it felt like a never-ending job. It was only broken up by an ever more tiring series of parties and intoxication. He sighed as he crawled out of bed and sat up. A cold breeze swept in from where the door was ajar. The snow of winter had already begun to set even in the busy streets. All of Eli’s gear was gone, including her Reitech suit.
“Ah shit,” he muttered.
He pulled on his gear and stepped out into the daylight. Most of the Company were sat under a dining shelter enjoying their breakfast.
“Hey, Major!” shouted Silva.
The Sergeant beckoned for Mitch to join him. Taylor strode over and could see that Jones, Chandra and Yorath all sat together. A seat was left empty with a full plate of food placed next to it.
“Much appreciated,” shouted Taylor as he took his seat among them.
“We’re heading out in thirty minutes,” replied Chandra.
“Thought we had work to finish up here?”
“We did, but Command wants to clear the path west. Those who survived and fled want their homes back, and we’ve got refugee camps backed up hundreds of miles. The locals are taking here, and we’re moving forward to Reims ahead of schedule.”
“Great, quicker the better.”
“It shouldn’t be long now. A few more weeks work, and the rebuilding should be able to get started.”
“What then?” he asked.
“We’re soldiers. We’ll find a new battle to fight.”
“You think they’ll send us to the Moon?”
“Fucking ‘ey!” yelled Silva.
“How can they not?” replied Chandra. “We have a hostile army waiting on our doorstep.”
If only they could return to whatever hole they came from, thought Taylor.
“You don’t seem convinced, Major? I’d have thought you of all people would want to see this through?” asked Chandra.
He nodded, but she could see he was not at all happy.
“What is it?”
He looked up at her as he chewed a mouthful of food and thought.
“I want to see an end to the war, certainly. I’d just like to see it without losing anymore friends.”
The table went silent. It was the one subject all thought about and avoided discussing. Taylor looked up at their faces, realising that he wasn’t being the officer they needed him to be. He felt shallow and selfish for having broken the mood.
“Ahh, don’t listen to me. My head’s spinning, and I didn’t really sleep. I’m rambling.”
“It’s in all of our thoughts, but look at them,” Chandra said as she pointed to the rest of the troops enjoying their meal and larking about. “They need what morale they have. Thinking what might become of us serves nobody any good.”
“I know,” he replied.
He already regretted voicing his bleak emotions so publically. He rubbed his weary eyes and looked up with a smile.
“I just need a coffee and all will be well,” he replied.
The post war conditions had led to stagnation and a time of uncertainty. They were rebuilding while the enemy still loomed over them. They finished up as the trucks arrived to take them onwards. Chandra looked to Silva.
“Sergeant, get them loaded up.”
He nodded in acknowledgement as he leaped to his feet, bellowing his orders that echoed around the area for all to hear. Chandra got to her feet and followed Taylor so she may talk to him alone.
“You okay?” she asked.
He turned and smiled but winced as it hurt his bruised face.
“Just a rough night, is all.”
“I can’t tell whether it’s peace you want or more war,” she replied.
“Either would be better than this, just to know where we stood.”
She nodded in agreement as they strode to the lead vehicle. Taylor approached to see that Eli stood there, ushering the troops aboard. She smiled at seeing him, and it was a welcome sight after the grim manner he’d previously been in. They climbed aboard and were on the move within minutes. It was a tedious journey to get out of the town as the drivers fought through the traffic and chaos, but they soon hit the open road. They were once again travelling in open country that showed no sign of the war that had passed it by. Farmhouses were deserted, and the trails of tracked vehicles through many of the fields were the only sign of the recent conflict. The snow was already beginning to cover over such sights.
“
What’s our job in Reims?” asked Taylor.
“Same as usual. We are to clear all roads and repair where necessary.”
“Engineers work,” he replied.
“Sure, but there are too few of them to work alone, and these Reitech suits surely make light work of the job. Plenty of civilians have already managed to get back, but many of the access roads are still a mess. We’ll be working to the west and the road to Paris. Even the name of the city conjured up a wealth of images they all wanted to forget.
It was noon when they finally arrived in the city. Few soldiers were to be seen amongst the ruins. Many of the allied armies had quickly returned to their native lands after the enemy’s retreat. Much of the city lay in ruins, and few had managed to get anywhere near the centre. A single policeman ushered their vehicles down a rubble-strewn road until they could go no further.
Taylor and Chandra leapt out from the trucks to survey the scene and gasped at the sight before them.
“Shit, this isn’t going to be a quick job,” shouted Taylor.
Two tower blocks had collapsed into the road in front them, and the rubble more than ten storeys high.
“We’re gonna need help, lots of it,” replied Chandra.
The policeman strode up beside them and patted them on the back.
“Good to have you here.”
Chandra turned to him.
“We’re happy to help, but we can’t do it alone. We’ve got engineers and a few vehicles on their way to assist, but more than anything, we need manpower.”
“What do you suggest I do?” he replied.
“The people returning from the east, they want their homes back, do they not?”
The man nodded.
“Then I suggest you send them our way to lend a hand. We need the roads cleared and access and communication links restored.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Not good enough. I want all physically able men and women between sixteen and sixty that arrive at this city to report immediately to work detail here,” growled Chandra.
Battle Earth IV Page 2
