Nick Thomas - Battle Earth IV

“Looks like they’ll be alright,” stated Taylor. “The support ships will pick ‘em up.”

Chandra slumped back down with a sombre look about her face. Taylor could see that she was beginning to remember what the war had felt like, and she didn’t like it one bit. They banked hard several times as they approached and were soon at the station unharmed. Just as they were about to land on the superstructure a porthole was lit up by an explosion, and one of the copters blew up at their flank. Taylor took just a quick glance to see remains of the craft drift past them and narrowly miss Rains’ cockpit.

“That one of ours?” Chandra asked.

Taylor nodded solemnly.

“One of Jackson’s! Looks like there are survivors.”

She looked out of her window to see several soldiers floating in space as they zoomed past. At least a good number seemed to still be moving, and she took solace in knowing they could survive long enough to get picked up, providing they saw victory that day. Chandra shook her head at the losses before they’d even reached their target.

“If they’ve gone as far as fitting defences, you can be damn sure they’re ready to give us a hard time on the ground,” Taylor said.

“There is no ground anymore, Major. We left the sensibilities of firm ground sometime ago,” she replied.

He smiled in response, but he wasn’t at all amused. The idea of space travel never sat well with him. Fighting in the uncertainties of space was something he’d have avoided at all costs, but that was not for him to decide.

“This is it!” yelled Eddie.

The engines rushed into reverse thrust, and the copter rocked as it landed with a solid clunk, latching itself to the outer structure of the station. Chandra leapt to her feet.

“Breach it!”

Doors opened on the floor of the copter and revealed an access tunnel that had extended from their craft. Corporal Hall manoeuvred a shaped charge on an extended bracket down the corridor until it clamped to the structure of the station. He looked up and nodded to the Colonel that they were ready.

“Do it!”

He pressed the trigger, and the small blast punctured through the outer skin with minimal effort. Hall waited for the dust to settle for just a moment to check the breach.

“We’re in business!”

“Go, go, go!” shouted Chandra.

The two platoons aboard rushed down the joining corridor and into the station. Chandra and Taylor got through after the first dozen troops and stood in surprise in a corridor to see no sign of movement other than themselves.

“This is Alpha1, we have breached and have met no resistance, over.”

She waited just a moment as the rest of the troops took up positions along the ribbed corridor. The large bracing structures allowed a natural defence. She got no response and got no radio traffic at all.

“God damn it, I thought our people had sorted this jamming out?”

Taylor shrugged his shoulders but was not at all surprised. She looked over to him.

“Alright, Taylor you can take them forward from here. Try and link up with the rest Alpha.”

The corridor was five metres wide, and clearly a main access route throughout the structure. Taylor paced forward to lead the two platoons with Chandra close by. They had got just a few metres when they heard rapid gunfire and shouts up ahead. The troops all instinctively dropped down to one knee and took cover.

“Must be Jones.”

“They clearly didn’t get the smooth entry we did. Move forward and provide assistance. I’ll bring up the rear.”

Taylor nodded before getting to his feet and beckoning for the troops to move forward with him. He rushed on at a jogging pace and quickly heard the fighting beyond get louder until he could no longer hear his own footsteps. They took a bend, and his heart raced as they came across twenty Mechs spread out through a large circular trading room. Jones’ troops had only just managed to breach and get a dozen troops a foothold. They were dug in under heavy fire, and one lay dead on the floor up ahead.

Taylor leapt into the cover of a large desk unit as they came out into the opening of the trading area and lifted his hand to draw them all to a halt. He looked back and beckoned for them to move forward with caution. He lifted his rifle and quickly took aim at the first creature that he had a clear view of from its flank.

“Fire!” he ordered.

Mitch immediately fired five rounds into the chest of the creature he could see the most of, and a final one through its faceplate to be certain. The beast dropped lifelessly to the ground as the others joined in. Dozens of rounds tore into the enemy, but they quickly took better cover as five of their comrades were dropped.

“Get those shields up here!”

The three soldiers carrying the Reitech shields rushed forward. They were all that could be taken with the confines of space.

“Grenades!” Taylor shouted.

“You sure?” asked Hall.

“The station can take it. Do it!”

He continued firing as five grenades were launched over their positions and erupted in the centre of the room.

“Forward!”

The shield bearers rushed forward, and Taylor leapt over the desk he was using for cover. A pulse rushed towards him but was caught just in time by one of the shields. The round crashed into the shield and burst into sparks that sprayed over the Major and burnt a few millimetres into his body armour.

A dozen troops followed him and fired as they advanced with the shield bearers at the forefront and joining in. The brutal volley of fire caught two of the creatures as they tried to rise up from cover and return fire. The fire intensified as Jones and several of his troop advanced from their battered positions.

Taylor’s magazine ran dry, and he ducked down behind the next layer of cover and was joined by the others. A few light pulses raged overhead as the pressure was taken off their foes. Taylor slammed in a new magazine and lifted himself, taking a quick aim at a creature. He fired two shots into its head, ducking quickly back down as a pulse flew overhead and skimmed the table where he was taking cover.

He looked back at the next wave of troops who had taken up their old positions; then back to see the first advance he had led were all hunkered down. He gestured to the others to fire over their heads, and it was quickly done. Rifle fire rushed over their heads as they waited their moment to strike. After a few dozen volleys, he lifted his hand to call a halt to their fire.

“Advance!”

He leapt up and jumped onto the table top, affording him a view of several of the Mechs from the vantage point. He stepped confidently forward as he poured fire into their positions. He snapped around as he caught movement, firing on full auto into a creature as it lifted up beside him. It dropped dead before it could even train its weapon on him.

The troops around him poured forward into the enemy positions and finished off the surviving Mechs. Taylor watched and grinned at the defeated foes before them. He turned back to the body lying on the floor in front of the breach. The Major jumped from the table and strolled over to the body of the lifeless soldier who had only gotten a metre from the breach before being struck down.

Jones joined the Major as he knelt down and rolled over the fallen soldier. Smoke still arose from the impact as the body rolled over; it was Blinker. His eyes flicked open, and he stared into the eyes of Mitch.

“Not dead yet, Sir,” he spluttered.

Taylor smiled as he hauled the man to his feet. Blinker coughed and sighed in pain, but his wounds were only minor. Monty rushed to his side and slapped him across the back of his helmet.

“Bloody idiot, getting shot like that!”