“Welcome back, all of you! I would like to personally extend my gratitude to all of you that have made it, as well as the many more who were not so lucky. A lot was asked of you over the last few days, and I am sorry for your losses. However, I cannot be sorry for the task you did. You have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people!”
No one responded to the Brigadier, they were too stunned and traumatised from their experiences.
“As much as I would wish you all to have adequate rest and leave, we are in a state of war. The enemy approaches Paris in vast numbers. We will need your courage and strength once again in the coming days. For now I ask that you rest easy here. I will see to it that everything you need is brought to you. Please rest and await further orders, that’s all.”
Saunders turned to his Captain, angry at the speech they had just heard.
“Wow, we go through hell and that’s the thanks we get!”
“If you wanted thanks you shouldn’t have joined the army, we did what we had to.”
Jones was relieved to see trucks arrive with food and water. There was little that could help them feel better at that moment, but that was it.
“Captain! Come with me!” shouted Chandra.
The Captain sighed, he was just about to sit down. He stretched his body as he walked, aching from the days of fighting. He walked up to a meeting of the surviving officers with Commander Phillips, the Brigadier was already leaving the scene on his personal truck.
“Any ideas on numbers?” asked Phillips.
“Not exactly. However, I estimate about three thousand troops entered Brest, I think little more than three hundred made it out.”
“Christ, we can’t afford those losses!”
“Yes, Sir. How is the rest of the division doing?”
Most fell back after the defeat at the coast. We fought running battles all the way to Rennes where we finally made some headway. Casualties average maybe thirty percent of the division, a damn sight better off than your para boys.”
“Sir, I think we have enough to amalgamate into a single company.”
The Commander shook his head.
“Do it! Paris is becoming the number one priority. Infantry and Armoured Divisions are setting up on the west and southern perimeter. We’ve got maybe a day until they hit us. Emergency shelters are en route, I suggest you all get some kip.”
* * *
“Major?” asked the Doc.
Taylor was hunched in a chair outside the medical room with his head in his hands. He shot up in hope of hearing some good news.
“She’s alive and stable for now.”
“But?”
“But she needs surgery, work I cannot do here. We’re en route to Portsmouth right now, she can get the care she needs there.”
“Will she last that long?”
“We’re on emergency conditions right now and therefore travelling at maximum velocity to our destination to assist the rest of the Fleet, her condition should remain stable until we reach the port.”
Taylor nodded and sighed in relief.
“I am not promising anything, Major. She’d sustained massive injuries, but she has a chance.”
“Thank you.”
He stood up and continued up through the decks until he reached the open air. Many of his marines sat about the deck with their kit strewn about. The Navy crew had never seen the deck in such a state of disarray, but nobody had the heart to tell them to sort it out. Taylor walked up to a railing overlooking the waves as they crashed below. They were indeed travelling at an immense speed for the size of vessel.
“How is she?” asked Friday.
Taylor turned to see the Captain stroll up to him and rest against the railing bulkhead.
“She’s got a chance once we get to Portsmouth.”
The General’s gonna have your ass for this, you know that don’t you?”
“Under normal conditions, yes. Look around us. The rules have gone out the window. White needs me and needs us, he’ll just have to accept it.”
“What about the assault on Tartaros? It wasn’t exactly all we hoped for.”
“No, but it was something. We had to take action no matter what.”
“What do you think the brass will do next?”
Taylor lowered his head and stared out at the waves. He’d been so focused and single minded after Parker had fallen that he’d given no further thought to the situation.
“They’ve accepted that we have to keep up the fight. If attacking Tartaros directly isn’t realistic, they’ll look to fighting on the ground. My guess is they’ll be organising combat in North Africa and Spain as we speak.”
“And us?”
“I have nothing left to help the brass with. We are no more experienced than thousands of others now. We’ll fight wherever we are needed. Once we reach Portsmouth I intend to request that we join the EUA forces in France.”
Friday nodded. He knew what the Major was saying was that he wanted to help their friends, just as he had saved Parker. He was aware that there was far more than a professional relationship between Parker and the Major, but also it was best not to interfere. The Major was letting his emotions drive him. Many would say it made him unpredictable, but Friday knew it made him a good leader.
“Major! I have General White on the line for you!” shouted the ship’s Captain.
“Looks like the devil has found you.”
Taylor smiled at Friday’s sharp wit. On any other occasion he would dread the call from the General after disobeying orders. However, after everything he had given, he feared nothing. He stepped up to the bridge and pulled on the headset as he sat down.
“Taylor here.”
“Major, I know why you did what you did. I have also been informed of what you and your men sacrificed today. You care about those under your command like family. I can respect that. How is your company?”
“Down, but not out, Sir.”
“Good to hear, because I have a new task for you.”
“Sir?”
“The EUA are rallying around Paris and making a stand there. They’re calling in all the help they can get. We are working on a new strategy for a ground attack. However, seeing as you’re already there, I want you to rally with British para battalion under Major Chandra.”
“Chandra? What happened to the senior officers there?”
“Dead, as are most of the battalion as I understand it. You are to join them under her command.”
“Sir, I have a marine in critical condition here in need of urgent attention.”
“I am aware of the situation, Major. I have already dispatched transports from our UK bases to get her to the facilities she needs and to get you to Paris. They’ll arrive within the hour.”
“Sir, I fully apologise for breaching orders.”
“Understood, Major. We all do what we have to do. The attack on Tartaros was brutal, but we gave as good as we got, it has to have hit them where it hurts. You have your orders, good luck and give them hell.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Taylor pulled off the headset with a wide grin on his face. He was glad to be wrong about the General. White had given him hope and a chance to be exactly where he needed to be. The Captain tried to speak to him but the words fell on deaf ears as he dashed off the bridge. He leapt down the ladders to the deck where his marines were waiting. There morale was as much affected by his mood as anything else. He could already see the fire in their eyes grow as he approached them with his shoulders held high once more.
“D Company! Gather round!”
The troops eagerly assembled to hear the news. Combat deployment was a given, it was no longer to be feared. More than anything, they wanted payback against the brutal enemy that had mauled them so heavily just hours before.
“Today we struck at the enemy on their own turf for the first time! We never expected to hold ground. Yes, we hit heavier resistance than expected, but we did it. The brass is already planning their next attack. Right now our biggest concern is that our allies in Europe are taking a beating!”
“Was it worth it, Sir?” asked Price.
Taylor looked up at the faces of his marines, still shocked at the losses of their friends.
“As marines we chose to put ourselves in harm’s way. In Europe the alien bastards are gunning down civilians and the EUA forces are doing everything they can do to fight back. We fight and die so civilians don’t have to. There are people’s families being murdered every minute.”
“What are we going to do about it, Sir?” asked Silva.
“Paris is has become the stronghold of France. General White has ordered us to head there and lend a hand. We are to rendezvous with the 2
nd
Parachute Battalion and do what we can.”
“What is their status?” asked Friday.
“From what I hear they have had it a lot worse than us. We are to combine with them under the command of Major Chandra, who I suspect will be a Colonel by the time we arrive.”
Sighs rang out across the marines at the idea of anyone having a worse time of it than their experiences.
“That’ll be all, gentleman. Wheels up in under an hour, be ready!”
* * *
It was late at night when Taylor’s company set foot in the public park where they had been deployed. Pop-up tents had already been erected ready for them to rest out the night. In the distance they could hear the rumble of tanks and the construction of defences as fresh troops continued to toil away.
There was no sign of the British parachute battalion, though he imagined that after the mauling they’d received they were catching up on some much needed rest. The camp guards showed them to their tents and they gratefully lay to rest for the night.
Taylor woke naturally as the sun beat down on his tent. The light and heat were enough to awake him from even the deepest sleep. Having no further equipment and clothing he went out of his tent with stubble on his face and the previous day’s blood and grime. He was surprised to see that the British troops were already formed up for inspection as his marines were scrambling out of bed. Their discipline never ceased to amaze him.
“Stand easy!”
Taylor recognised the voice of Charlie Jones as he strode along the line of his troops. The Major ambled over to the Captain, still feeling the weariness of the previous day. The Captain turned to face the Major with a grin.
“I see the yanks have finally decided to join us!”
Taylor smiled as he shook hands with the Captain. Jones’ face was rough with cuts and bruising. They looked at their distressed and dirty uniforms, realising that they must look as bad as each other.
“Glad to see you made it, Captain, I hear you had a rough time of it.”
“And yet here we are, still on our feet!”
He looked back to his men and shouted for them to fall out. He beckoned for the Major to follow him a few steps out of the hearing of his troops.
“Mitch. I put on a brave face for them, but it’s been frightful. I was made acting company commander in Brest, my company can now only amass one platoon, which is what I have had to amalgamate them into.”
“Christ, how about the rest of the battalion?”
“It’s now at company strength. How many marines did you bring with you?”
“I have one hundred and one, all that is still fit for duty in my company.”
“Glad to have you with us, but we could do with a hell of a lot more.”
“Agreed.”
Major Chandra approached with a smile. They had always had a good working relationship with Taylor’s unit.
“Major, glad to have you here. However, there is no time for pleasantries. The enemy’s an hour or two from our perimeter. I am merging your company with ours. Henceforth we shall be known as the 2
nd
Inter-Allied Battalion. Full gear and ready to march in ten.”
Taylor nodded and gave a quick salute before running back to his marines who were still rising from their beds.
“Everyone up! Fall in! Full gear!”
He rushed back into his tent and pulled on his body armour that was still covered in dust and debris. Starting the day in filthy clothing and without a wash was never something the Major would wish on anybody, but needs must. He stepped out from his tent to find the platoon assembling.