“Put out the order for all senior officers to come to me immediately.”
“This it, Sir? Are we finally taking the fight to them?”
“Damn right, it’s time we stopped skulking down here and kicked some ass.”
Chandra walked along the line of trenches where they’d so recently fought from. Many of the men were making repairs to them with their e-tools, others sat quietly with a mug of tea or coffee. She continued on towards what was the makeshift aid station. There were twenty soldiers in various states of care. Only one was seriously wounded. The base doctor and his aides were administering to them.
“Doctor, I am Major Chandra.”
He continued on his work of injecting a healing serum into one of the soldiers as he talked.
“Matthew Wright.”
“This the first combat medicine you have administered, Doctor?”
“Yes, Ma’am, I was expecting more wounded.”
She looked across at the injuries. They were mostly minor glancing strikes or shrapnel.
“They don’t leave many. A good hit from their energy weapons will kill any man.”
The doctor nodded. After studying the scenes of field hospitals in war from archive footage, he’d expected a far more blood thirsty and gruesome sight. There were no screams of agony. The burning hot energy weapons cauterised many of the wounds.
“I was still expecting a lot more casualties, Major. The reports we have been getting have indicated far heavier losses.”
“It’s true. This has been our most successful skirmish yet.”
The doctor looked up and across at the casualties. He could see the mix of uniforms and had already realised they were an amalgamation of several units that had been decimated.
“God save us all.”
“God won’t save us from this enemy, Doctor. It’s up to us.”
The Major turned and strolled away before the doctor could argue. She stopped, noticing Captain Becker stood in her path. His face looked more exhausted and distraught than ever. His previously impeccable uniform was now unzipped and dirtied. He either no longer cared for his appearance or was too distressed to realise it was in such a state.
“What’s the status of your unit, Captain?”
He didn’t respond immediately, staring blankly past her at the wounded.
“Captain?”
His eyes turned and gazed at her, though he still did not speak.
“Becker, give me an update.”
The Captain coughed to clear his throat and finally answered in a coarse voice.
“Only two of my tanks are still operational, and even those are getting some urgent maintenance as we speak.”
“And your crews?”
He shook his head as he was reminded of the horror of it.
“Eight still active, two wounded.”
“Is that all that made it?
He nodded. “The rest perished in their vehicles.”
She looked out across the line to see the hulks of the vehicles still smouldering. The enemy had been quick to target what they must see as the greatest threat.
“I am sorry for your losses, Captain, but you should know that your people have made all the difference in the past few days. Without you, we would all be lost.”
The Captain nodded as he looked out across the plain at the twisted wrecks of the enemy vehicles and went into a daze. She knew there was nothing more she could say to consol the officer. Nothing would bring back his comrades.
She continued on to the trench where she had stood beside Taylor. Captain Friday was sitting on the side with his legs dangling down into it. He had ripped off most of his gear and thrown it down. Now he wore nothing but his BDUs. He was opening a ration pack with such excitement that anyone would think he’d been given a plate of steak.
“They don’t taste that great, you know,” she jested.
“When you’re hungry, they do.”
He dove into the meal.
“That new equipment really as good as it looked?” she asked.
The Captain nodded and grunted with a mouth full of food. As he swallowed it down, he looked up at the Major.
“It’s the shit. If we can get this to every grunt, then this war could be turned around as quickly as it started.”
“I fear they won’t give us that much time,” she mused.
“Well, we stopped them here, didn’t we?”
“It’s not the front line that bothers me. They’re building at an immense rate to the west, and whatever it is can’t be good. We won’t be the only ones looking for the next tactical advantage in this war.”
Friday shook his head.
“I’ll take the victory while I can. We did well today, and we should celebrate it.”
“Oh, I am, Captain, but we must also think of tomorrow, and next week, next year. We have survived this long, but many haven’t. How much longer do you think our luck will hold?”
Friday smiled as he threw the food down his throat.
“When it runs out, I won’t know it. I’ll be dead.”
Chandra laughed. She appreciated Friday doing his utmost to brighten the day.
“So you think Taylor will find the Captain?” he asked.
“I bloody well hope so, but I can’t say it’s likely.”
She sat down on the opposite edge of the trench facing Friday. There was nothing left for her to do that day but rest in readiness for the next battle. Trucks were already arriving with fresh supplies to keep them in the fight.
Taylor looked out at the passing landscape as they rushed along the treetops at barely a couple of hundred metres from the ground. The landscape was mostly abandoned and peaceful, but they saw the odd smoke plume in the distance from various battles. They could only guess at the outcome of the war that raged along the ever changing lines.
“We’re coming up on the town, Major!” shouted Rains.
“You know where we’re heading, right?”
“Yes, Siree. Major Chandra told me they were being held in a station directly south of the centre.”
He tapped his controls and a map projected on a screen. He pointed out an area along a main street heading out of the city.
“This has to be the place.”
“Okay, let us out over the roof.”
“Want me to stay in the air?”
“No, I don’t want to attract any unnecessary attention. It that a field there?”
Taylor pointed to a square area of greenery just over a block from the police station.
“Looks like a kid’s park, Sir.”
“Alright, you can wait for us there. Keep the hatches battened down, and be ready for anything.”
Taylor stopped and looked to the empty co-pilot seat and then back to Eddie.
“They were busy with the Moon runs. I was all they could spare.”
Taylor smiled. For all of Eddie’s rebellious image, he was one of the most loyal and dependable pilots the Major had ever met.
“Good luck, Mitch.”
Taylor nodded and went back to his troops. All ten marines wore the identical new equipment as provided by Reiter.
“We’ll be dropping onto the roof. I want to be in and out as quickly as possible, got it?”
“Yes, Sir!” They shouted.
“Let’s do this.”
The marines stood up and took hold of the rails above them as the thrusters reversed. Eddie brought them in on a sharp and rapid decent until they came to a hover a hundred metres over the roof. Taylor reached forward and hit the door release. It quickly slid back and let the breeze of air rush in.
Mitch didn’t say another word, and he simply jumped from the door. The others quickly followed him. They hit their thrusters on the way down and came to a surprisingly soft and cushioned landing. The suits took the impact from their legs.
“Ortiz, Ryan, stay put, the rest with me!”
They reached the roof fire exit, but it was locked from the inside. Taylor lifted his leg and smashed it into the door. To the surprise of them all, the door flew from its hinges with ease and down the steps below. Taylor turned to Silva with a grin, they’d never felt such power before. The Major lifted his weapon and rushed down the stairs.