Authors: Nick S. Thomas
“And why not? He wants a piece of me. I want a piece of him. Can’t we settle this properly?”
“If he could, he’d order you killed in a heartbeat.”
“No he won’t. He won’t because he has too much pride for that. He came to destroy this world through bitter hatred. The only thing he hates just as much is me. He knows who I am.”
“Wait, this isn’t what I signed up for,” replied Parker.
“No, you signed up to the Marine Corps, to do your duty,” snapped Taylor.
“And what if you’re wrong?” she asked.
“Then we fight on no matter. Our armies are heading for the K’til. All this can do is accelerate that path. Who knows what they could be planning? A lightning attack to bring this to a close is exactly what we need.”
“And what do you believe will happen to the hundreds of thousands of Mechs if and when you do kill Demiran?” asked Jones.
“I bet their number isn’t what it was when they got here. Without him, they’d scatter. Those who could will probably leave Earth on any ships still operational. Though they probably won’t make it past our grid and Navy. The rest will scatter across the continent and be mopped up in time.”
“Are you that confident that the death of their leader is enough to finish them?”
“I saw it in Jafar and Tsengal, Eli. Demiran died to them the minute he showed his true self and they had a way out.”
“I sure hope you’re right.”
She knew there was no good arguing with him any longer.
Nothing more was said on the subject until Jafar returned, but the first they knew of it was the sight of him and Rains traipsing across the tops of the trenches towards them.
“They’re back,” said Parker.
“They survived,” added Jones.
“But have they got what we need?”
“I tell you what, this is the last time I fly under this crazy bastard’s command!” yelled Eddie.
“Did you get the information? Do you know where Demiran is?”
Mitch could already tell they did.
“Yes, and it was easier than expected,” replied Jafar.
“What d’you mean?”
“Son of a bitch is in his quarters aboard the K’til, right where he was when this all began,” added Eddie.
“This for real?”
Jafar nodded.
“But why?”
“Unfinished business,” added Jones.
Taylor turned in surprise to see Charlie was really onto something.
“He’s been waiting for you. This is personal.”
“So why don’t we just bomb the crap out of him now?” asked Parker.
“No, I want to know this scumbag is dead. I want visual confirmation, confirmation with my own eyes. Even if we could succeed with a bombing of the target, we’d have to obliterate the area beyond all recognition. I want to see Demiran dead, and then I want the whole World so see him that way, both races.”
“Isn’t this getting a little too personal?” asked Parker.
“You’re damn right it is,” added Rains.
Taylor was surprised to see the pilot so vocal and determined.
“I lost one of my best friends because of this bastard, one in a long line of losses since they invaded Earth. I’m with you.”
It was just a few hours to sunrise, but before they could make a decision, new orders came in to Taylor’s Mappad. He lifted it up to carefully study the map and information given.
“We’re heading southeast, just as we thought. The K’til is a few hundred kilometres south of Tripoli.”
Nobody spoke for a moment as they considered the possibilities of what Taylor’s plan could involve. He looked around to each of their faces. One by one they slowly nodded in agreement.
“Allright, then let’s do this. Let’s kill this bastard and be done with it!”
He lifted his comm.
“5
th
Brigade form at my position and prepare for immediate pickup.”
It was close to lunchtime when their copters were reaching the frontline. Rains looked to Taylor, uncertain of their orders.
“Put us down here as ordered.”
“I thought we were going for Demiran?”
“We are, but not like this. We’ll never make it to the K’til. She may be a wreck, but she’s still death trap. I want Demiran to come to us.”
“Whatever you say, Boss.”
Jones seemed to recover his faith in Taylor with these words.
“I thought you were leading them right for us,” he whispered.
“I said I wanted to go kill him, not on his terms though.”
Jones could see Taylor was being deliberately vague. What concerned him was he wasn't sure if Taylor had a great idea or was making it up as he went along. They heard the roar of engines and dozens of copters flew into view.
"Your boys?" Jones asked Eddie Rains.
"Hell, yeah, I knew the Colonel wouldn't be staying put."
It’s all moving so fast, but I can't see any way of slowing things down. The wars have gone on long enough. Maybe Taylor can end them in a day. Just maybe, but is he crazy enough to do what is needed? I suspect so.
"If we do this, we do it together, and we do not stop until Demiran lies dead before us," Taylor said.
"Exactly what I had in mind," Rains laughed.
"5th Brigade, load up, we're outta here," Taylor ordered.
When Jones and Taylor finally sat down in the copter, with at least a little privacy behind the cockpit, Taylor brought up his Mappad.
"Friendly units have moved a hundred kilometres south through the night."
"A hundred kilometres? They'd have to be going all out."
"From what I can see the enemy forces were amassed in three places. The K'til, with their leader, the far north of Tunisia and Algeria where they would have expected our assault, and at the walls of Jerusalem."
"So we've pushed through an opening, but what happens when they begin to close in around us?"
"With the taking of southern Tunisia, it was guaranteed there would be a drive north to stop the enemy from regrouping with those at the K'til. This is the reason we were no longer needed in Gabes. And I have no doubt the armies in Jerusalem will show no mercy in pursuing the enemy at their walls, should they try and run. The enemy is spread thin and weak."
"But we both know Demiran could still be dangerous."
Just after sunrise they put down in the Libyan Desert. It was a flat and barren landscape with little cover of any note. But as Taylor stepped out from the copter, he was met with an imposing and horrifying sight, the crash site of the larger part of the K'til. Even at fifty kilometres south, it still dominated the landscape. Allied artillery had already begun a bombardment, but they were positioned a kilometre away, so it was a dull muted drone.
To their front they could see three lines of trenches that had clearly been dug just a few hours before during the night.
"These boys can't have had a lot of rest."
"Not like they use shovels anymore," replied Taylor.
"No, but to have made it this far in this quickly. They must have met at least some resistance."
Out of the corner of his eye, Taylor noticed an officer and his contingent approaching. He turned to see that it was Colonel Harney with Commander Phillips. There would be no saluting, now that they were at the frontline.
"’Morning!" yelled Taylor.
"Welcome to the front," replied Harney.
He could see Harney was more than a little pleased with himself. He strutted about as if he had claimed a massive victory. But Taylor knew they were where they were now not through hard fighting the past few months, but good planning.
"Good work on getting so far," he replied sedately and turned to Phillips.
"Sir, this was a fine display of intelligence and organisation."
"Thank you, Colonel."
"What do we do now?"
"We might have made it this far, but now we come up against the largest of Demiran's three armies, most likely with him at the head of it. It has become clear that many of the anti-aircraft systems aboard the K'til are once more operational, and that makes it dangerous to approach from the air. The first Navy boys who did were blasted out of the sky. So, this'll be a ground fight. We advance as much as we can when we able to until they have nowhere else to go."
"You think they'll stand and fight now we're here?" asked Harney.
Taylor did not have to respond. Jafar did so for him.
"While Demiran lives, they will fight to the very end for him."
"No one ever thought of stabbing him in the back?" Jones asked.
Harney looked to the Captain with disgust, for he knew the thought alone could be enough to cause chaos among their own armies.
"If soldiers repeatedly killed their leaders, where would we be?"
"Beg your pardon, Sir. But Demiran isn't you or I. He is a ruthless dictator who would have seen the utter destruction of our race. I can't find any remorse or sympathy for his situation."
Harney had read Jones' file and gave him some leeway as a result.
"So, enemy positions and strength?" asked Taylor.
"They’re just over a kilometre ahead of us in the same trenches we saw at the coast, but in much greater number," replied Phillips.
"Below ground, they'll be a tough nut to crack," added Jones.
"Yep. That armour they wear is thick, and with the cover of trenches, our artillery will have a hard time shifting them. I doubt the psychological effects will mean much to them."
"They fear death and injury, but are too scared to disobey their orders," replied Jafar.
"Colonel, you're to dig in here and await further orders. We'll take ground at every opportunity and make new defensives quickly and at regular intervals. We know how detrimental trench warfare can be to both sides. This war may be in its final stages, but it will not be over soon."
Don't be so sure,
thought Taylor.
"Carry on, Colonel."
They carried on down the line. Taylor looked on to see the trench positions they had been given were manned by just a single detachment from Harney's Fighting Fifth. They were at the front trench, and he could already see they wouldn't be keen to give it up. They had been given a stretch of land half a kilometre long, meaning they'd be tight on space.
"Into the trenches," Taylor said across the comms.
Many had been expecting to get into the thick of the fighting and make the enemy suffer. They paced enthusiastically over to the defences, realising how long the war could go on for once both sides were entrenched. Taylor turned back to Rains who stood at the ramp of his copter.
"I believe your war is over, Lieutenant. Fall back to the staging area five clicks north of here. You may be needed yet when the casualties start piling up."
"Can't say I'm sad to be benched, Colonel. Good luck out there."
He stepped aboard and was quickly firing up the engines to lift off. Taylor turned back south; most of the Brigade was at the edges of the trenches and piling in to what many expected to be their homes for some time. He had other ideas. He turned to Jafar at his side.
"Tell me you have a way of contacting Demiran?"
"There is a way, why?"
"He may not want to dirty his hands in this war, but I know exactly how to call him out."
"You think you can force him out here? Then what?"
"Then we kill him, and anyone who stands in our way."
Jafar smiled. He already liked the sound of the plan.
"Make it happen. I want to talk to him myself, and I don't care who sees it."
"This isn't going to be the long drawn out fight Phillips thinks, is it?"
Taylor stepped forward and noticed Jones had been standing the other side of Jafar, and so obscured by the alien.