“I’m not the only one,” he stated as he gestured towards the craft.
Eddie looked around at the copter and turned back with a smile on his face.
“Old Bessie here has been given a new turn of speed.”
“That how you made it across the channel?”
“Damn straight, no bastard in this universe could catch this bird!”
Taylor looked into the pilot’s face to see that his eyes were swollen and his face was pale. It was clear that the only thing keeping him on his feet were stimulants.
“I thought you were working the Moon supply runs. You gone AWOL, Lieutenant?”
“No, Sir! Moon supply is still ongoing with new pilots. I was ordered to report to you with all urgency.”
“By who?”
“General White himself.”
“On what task? I need soldiers, not pilots.”
“Glad to know I’m appreciated, Major,” laughed Rains. “Honestly, I have no clue. He said I’d know when you did.”
“Great, that helps,” mused Taylor.
Taylor looked beyond the Major to the other officers watching the conversation. He recognised most of them.
“Ma’am,” he greeted Chandra with a nod.
He looked back to Taylor with a quizzical expression.
“Where is Captain Jones?”
They all went silent.
“Dead? Can’t be.”
“We simply don’t know. He was detained by locals in a town that has since been overrun by the enemy.”
“What the fuck? Detained?”
“It’s bullshit, Eddie, we all know it. We were just discussing how we could get back to the town to attempt to find the Captain and Private Walker who was with him. But we can’t cover the ground fast enough, and these tanks need work.”
“Well, hell, I can get you there, no problem.”
Taylor turned to Chandra who was still in charge. He didn’t actually ask her permission, but she knew that’s what he wanted. She thought for a moment and then looked to Eddie.
“You sure you’re ready for this, Lieutenant? You’ll be going over a hundred kilometres into enemy territory.”
“Damn straight, Ma’am, I can get you there in no time at all, and get you out of trouble just as fast.”
She nodded several times as she thought it over. She didn’t want to risk further troops in her command, but she knew how important the Captain was to them all. To not search for him, when they had the opportunity, could severely hit the morale of the Company. She wanted to believe that she was thinking as Jones’ friend, but she no longer had that luxury. She had to think like a leader first and foremost.
“Taylor, the Company has been ordered to hold this position, and as the commanding officer I must do so. However, I am authorising you and the Lieutenant here for a search party. Take ten of your marines and be as quick as you can.”
A broad grin widened across Taylor’s face as he turned to bellow his orders.
“And, Major. Stay safe.”
“Sergeant Silva, gather your section, we move out immediately!”
Chapter 9
Commander Kelly paced around the command centre. Lewis stared at him. The comms officer knew that their leader was coming to realise their chances of survival were minimal. He was mulling over the few options they had. He finally walked up to Lewis.
“Gather the leaders.”
“With regards to what matter, Sir?”
“I don’t give a shit what you tell them, just get them here!”
“Yes, Sir,” muttered Lewis.
He looked up to see the staff and soldiers around the room all staring at him.
“Well, what are you looking at? You’ve got work to do!”
Ten minutes later the Commander stood before the remaining Lunar leaders in their makeshift meeting room. They all had long faces and few words to utter. The supplies from Earth continued to arrive in large enough quantities to keep them going, but they were losing ground all the time.
“It must not have escaped your notice that we will eventually have nowhere left to run. If we don’t start taking the fight to the enemy in a major way, then we are finished. In the confined spaces below ground their weapons are more devastating than ever.”
“We can’t survive in open battle!” shouted Vella.
Kelly shook his head, asking himself, what the fuck does she know?
“We cannot survive down here anyway, Senator. We have to try and hit them hard and try to make a difference.”
“And what difference can we make?” asked Allard.
“If the armies of Earth cannot hold these invaders back, what chances do we have?” asked Yang, the police commander of the city.
“So you would do what, lie down and die?” asked Kelly.
“We must do the best we can to survive down here until Earth forces can come to our assistance!” Vella yelled.
“But they are already beaten!” shouted Yang.
Kelly slammed his fist down on the table.
“God damn you and your infighting. This isn’t a time for petty squabbling. The Earth armies have had it hard, no doubt. But they are still fighting. It’s clear that our people down there are already adapting the enemy technology and are still firmly in the fight.”
“Our people?” asked Allard. “Earth folk don’t give a hoot about us.”
“And you could say the same for the relations of many Earth nations, and now look at them. They stand together as one,” snapped Kelly.
He stood up from his chair with a sigh and walked slowly around the table. The air was thick and far from fresh. The colonists had little time or resources to wash their clothes and bodies. He could feel his flesh was thick with dried sweat and clammy on top of it. He scratched what little hair was left on his itchy head. It can’t have come to this, thought Kelly.
“I refuse to die down here. I thought we had pride in the colony we have worked to establish here. Did our forefathers reach this moon for us to simply give up on it? I’d rather fight and die up there than wait to be butchered down here.”
He continued around the room as they all thought about the choice before them.
“And if you fail, and we are forced back down here with fewer people and resources than we started?” asked Allard.
“Then we will have done our best. From what we can tell, the alien forces have set up base on Earth. Their numbers and resources here are not endless. Every one of theirs we can kill will improve our situation.”
“I cannot agree with this course of action, Commander,” said Vella.
“And I am not asking you to. As the military leader of the colony, I alone will make the tactical decisions that I feel best serve our people. I consult you out of courtesy and to advise.”
“Then let us advise you, Commander,” snapped Vella.
Kelly sighed. He had no respect for the woman. He didn’t like her last month when things were as they used to be. He liked her even less now that she was trying to dictate military tactics.
“You would have us wait here to die, Senator. That may be the easy option for you. It involves no risk, no responsibility. Start thinking less like a politician and more like a human being. If we take the fight to the enemy and lose, we are no worse off. We will have lost people who will die when they reach us anyway.”
“I know what you’re saying, Commander, but I cannot justify sending our people to their deaths.”
“And that is why you are the Senator for Industry, and I am in charge of the defence of this great colony,” fumed Kelly.
Vella’s face scrunched up as she glared at the Commander with a bitter hatred. She knew there was nothing further she could do. More than anything, she was angry about the way he treated her, a fact that gave Kelly even less respect for the Senator.
“I am doing what is best for our colony. For our morale, for our people, and for our humanity. We may well all die in this war, but let us at least do so on our own terms.”
He strode out of the room to leave the rest of them sitting in silence. Many of the remaining leaders gathered knew that he was making the right decision, but they could not bring themselves to admit it. Kelly went up to Lewis.