Nick Thomas - Battle Earth V

Eventually, they were through the swirling light. For a few moments, they were bombarded with strobes of bright white light that the ship’s display quickly dimmed to accommodate. In just ten seconds, they rushed out into the black of space once more. Many sighed in relief and looked around to see the fleet coming out behind them.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Chandra said.

Huber spoke up.

“Scan the area. I want a full status update on our location.”

The only light in the area was provided by the gate itself and the lights of the ships of the fleet. Like the other end of the gateway, it had been built far from any sign of life.

The comms officer spoke, but there was shock and disbelief in his voice.

“Sir, we are in the Tau Ceti system. The computer is still gathering data, but our maps are mostly accurate for this system already.”

“How far are we from the nearest inhabitable planet?” asked Huber.

“All planets in this system are hostile to life, but they may yet support it. I believe we could reach the first in twenty-eight hours, Sir.”

“Then plot a course, and open a channel to the fleet.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The room was silent as they awaited the Admiral’s announcement.”

“This is Admiral Huber speaking. We have now entered the system we refer to as Tau Ceti, named after its sun. We are almost twelve light years from home, and a distance the human race could barely comprehend just a year or two ago. Now we have travelled that distance, which is no small thing. Under any other circumstances, this would be a feat worth celebrating, but we didn’t come here to explore, or to mine, or to colonise. We came here to fight, and I fully intend on doing so.”

He took a deep breath before continuing. Several of the bridge crew nodded and murmured quietly in support.

“Admiral Uxbridge and half of the fleet will remain here to guard the entrance to gateway. Orders and status updates are being updated as I speak. Remember, that if the enemy cannot get through this gate, they cannot reach our homes. The Washington will lead the rest of the fleet to the nearest planet that we believe to be an enemy colony. Today we bridged the gap between our civilisations. Tomorrow, we make them pay for what they did to humanity, Washington out.”

Taylor still stared out into the depths of space. Up ahead, they could see the glimmer of stars and planets. The nearest appearing as a similar size as the Moon viewed from Earth. He had expected to step into a whole new and different world when they passed through the gateway. It was an anti-climax he was actually glad to have experienced. Huber turned around to address them.

“We’re heading for that planet to cause merry hell. There may also be much to learn on the enemy’s own soil. You can bet that we’ll need troops on the ground. Have your people ready.”

“Always, Sir,” replied Chandra.

The days and weeks of travelling were making them all feel utterly exhausted. Space travel had been limited before to the extent that few ever passed beyond the Earth’s Moon and the LaGrange stations. Taylor sighed as he yawned.

“We should both get some sleep,” Chandra said. “We aren’t needed here for a good few hours, and we’ll certainly need our strength when we arrive at our destination.”

Taylor agreed with her. He wasn’t going to fight about it. They strolled off the bridge together.

“I know you didn’t want to tread this path, Mitch. But you should know I would never have chosen it if I thought there was a better way.”

“I appreciate that. It just seems that whatever happens, we are always thrown in the shit. Isn’t it about time we were laid up to rest, and others took on the work?”

“We aren’t the only unit on this mission. The fleet is packed with soldiers and marines.”

“Mmm,” Taylor muttered, thinking about the most recent troops to join them. They had both been ducking Suarez since he had returned. “You know this Grey-Suarez situation needs to be resolved?”

Chandra sighed at the very thought of it.

“Follow me. Let’s get this over and done with.”

She carried on to the elevator, lifting her Mappad to check the unit schedules. She quickly learnt that Grey and his Company were carrying out hull breach drills. She hit the button in the elevator and stood silently. They rapidly descended to the Lieutenant’s level. When the doors opened, she stormed out at a quick pace with Taylor in tow. As they took a bend, they could see Grey up ahead. He stopped his unit and called them to attention.

“Lieutenant Grey! In recognition of your fine services during the assault on the space gateway, for your continued fine service, and under several recommendations, I am hereby giving you a field promotion to Captain. Your papers will be put in order on our return home, and your pips will be delivered to your quarters with the hour.”

The British former Staff Sergeant was flabbergasted.

“Well, what have you to say for yourself?” prompted Taylor.

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“Carry on, Captain.”

She turned and strode quickly back to the elevator, leaving Grey still motionless and shocked by his abrupt promotion. When the doors of the elevator closed, Taylor finally spoke up.

“That wasn’t exactly…by the book.”

“What in this war is?” she replied.

“Oh, I hear you. It’s a band-aid fix to the Suarez issue. The fact you promoted one of your NCOs over him will probably just piss him off further.”

“Probably, but I’d rather have him pissed off than hounding me. I can promote whom I bloody well choose, and I just as rather Suarez had stayed at home. How you ever tolerated him, I will never know.”

“You can’t choose every officer in your command.”

“More’s the pity. I am sick of dealing with morons, cowards and idiots.”

Taylor was taken aback by her sudden outburst, but he didn’t want to pursue it any further. He had gotten himself into enough trouble in the past as it was.

“How about getting that rest?” he asked.

He could see the weary look in her eyes. They both knew a battle was coming, and neither of them wanted to go into it already fatigued. Taylor barely remembered much from this point on. He stumbled into his quarters and had just enough time to strip off his exoskeleton suit before dropping into bed with his uniform still on.

Fourteen hours later, he awakened and looked in shock at his watch. It was more sleep than he’d gotten in years, and it was an odd sensation to arise naturally. But within just a few minutes of sitting up, a warning alert blared out from the speaker in the corner of the room. A voice was calling him to the bridge.

“This is finally it.”

The Major hauled on his equipment and rushed to Admiral Huber’s side. He entered the bridge to find Chandra already there, and she didn’t have the recently awoken look he sported.

“Did we wake you, Major?” she asked with a smile.

He looked out to the display screen to see a zoomed in picture of the planet they approached. It was a reddish-orange and appeared dry and rocky. The surface looked jagged and bombarded with space debris, but amongst it all, he could make out the uniformed structures of buildings created by intelligent beings.

“Have your alien friends join us. They may be of help,” ordered Huber.

They all stood and marvelled at the display, trying to imagine how it would look and feel to stand on an alien world. They didn’t have the technology to scan for much in the way of useful information at such a distance, but they could still peer at it through their ship’s telescopes.

Jafar and Tsengal stepped in, and it was clear they had been standing guard outside. They stood and stared for a moment, the same as the rest present.