“With us on the job, not long at all. Why? I thought you wanted to get back in action?”
“Only in place of the shit work we have been doing.”
“Lost your stomach for war?” she asked.
“Haven’t we all? I didn’t think any of us were still here because we enjoyed it.”
They went silent as they watched the ground zoom past through the glass of the fuselage. Chandra studied his face, trying to understand where his head was at.
“And if you could be anywhere doing anything, right now, what would it be?” she asked.
“Ah, hell I don’t know. I don’t know what I want anymore.”
She could see he genuinely meant it. They all lived in a world of uncertainty, where the possibility of death was a fear each day.
“Do you really want to keep serving?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You must have served far more years than you ever signed up to. The current war has come to an end, and no one would think lesser of you for wanting to give it all up and go on home.”
“And the next war?”
She sighed. “The world fooled itself this last century. Thinking there could ever be an end to war when it is in our nature. There will always be another battle to fight, but there’ll be new soldiers to do it.”
He sat back and thought about it for a moment. It was the first time he had given some genuine thought to handing in his papers since joining the Corps.
Has it really gotten that bad? He asked himself. He nodded to himself as he answered his own question and continued on.
“Na, I couldn’t leave you all now. How could I go home without my friends? This is my family.”
“Alright, then, you’re stuck with us.”
Chandra was contented that Taylor’s heart was still in it. She sighed in relief at the thought. She couldn’t bear to lose another close friend and ally. The rest of the short journey went by in almost silence as they soared south in the lightning fast copters. Before they had even had time to settle down and rest, Eddie was calling out over the intercom.
“Troyes is up ahead. We’ll be landing in two.”
Chandra leapt to her feet and took hold of the grab handle above.
“Remember, this is no stand up fight. We’re on the hunt. Stay alert, and watch out for traps, bombs and potential ambush zones!” she shouted.
The front thrusters kicked in hard as Eddie brought them in for an abrupt and death defying landing. Taylor could just see out through the cockpit as they narrowly brushed the edge of a tree line and suddenly felt as if the whole craft was cushioned. Chandra rocked to one side but held on firm to the grab handle as the rapid decrease in speed jolted them all forward.
The undercarriage touched down lightly, and Chandra immediately punched the door release.
“Lets go!” she ordered.
They had seen no sign of the enemy, but they all knew how vulnerable they were in a bird on the ground; especially after the roar of their engines would have notified all to their presence. Taylor leapt first from the door, so much so that he missed the ramp and hit the ground running.
His eyes took a moment to adjust to the gleaming light bouncing off the thin sheet of snow that covered the park. He reached an old stone wall and knelt down beside it to survey their surroundings. Silence overcame the area as all crouched and awaited their orders.
Chandra half expected to land in a hot LZ and to have to hit the ground shooting. Despite the relief of the silence, it also made her nervous. She got to her feet and rushed to the wall where Taylor was waiting.
“I don’t like this.”
“Why? Feels like we’re right back to our training scenarios. These are the kind of actions are we trained for. We never expected to be slogging it out in trenches.”
“Maybe that’s it, what we have become accustomed to. Either way, Mechs fight in open combat, this feels off.”
“Aliens invaded our fucking planet. It all feels off.”
She smiled in response and was glad of his cool headedness.
“Back when this was a total war, we accepted casualties as a daily part of life. Those days are over, you hear me?” she whispered.
“I hear ya,” he replied.
She looked around to the other platoon commanders and nodded for them to continue as planned. The Company arose after just a few hand signals and hushed orders. Taylor and Chandra advanced just a few metres apart with their platoons surrounding them. They quickly exited the park and were within sight of the university building. The vast complex was in stark contrast to the historical beauty of the stone churches and shopping quarter around it. The walls were of reinforced and mirrored Perspex.
“No visibility in and a hard outer shell, not a bad defensive position,” said Taylor.
Chandra drew them to a quick halt as she tried to identify what was on the ground near the entrance. She lifted her rifle and peered down the scope. The body of a dead civilian lay in a pool of blood. It didn’t shock her after the bloodshed they had witnessed, but she did sigh at the thought of civilians being killed while trying to rebuild their lives.
“This certainly looks like the place.”
She scanned the area and quickly found two trails of blood where human casualties had been dragged away. The ground and building beside the scene had familiar scorch marks where energy pulses had smashed into the stonework.
“Doesn’t make any sense,” said Taylor.
“I don’t think they meant to leave these soldiers behind. They’re just trying to survive,” replied Chandra.
“You make them sound almost human.”
“How would you feel if your armies had left you to die like this?”
She stopped herself as she remembered Taylor’s experience of just that. As the shock left his face, he finally nodded in agreement.
“How do you want to play this?” he asked.
“They must surely know we’re here, so we have no choice but to hit them hard and quickly.”
She tapped her radio mic and was surprised to see it was working.
“No jamming equipment?” she asked in surprise.
“All units breach, go, go, go!”
She leapt to her feet and rushed for the main entrance of the building with the others following closely. Experience of the enemy had taught them to stick close to concentrate their fire. Just as they got within a few metres of the entrance, the Perspex shattered as a pulse ripped through the doors. Chandra rolled and tumbled against a brick wall that surrounded the complex. Taylor smashed into the wall beside him as other pulses rushed overhead.
“Not the best welcome we’ve ever had!” yelled Taylor.
Gunfire rang out as the Company poured fire into the entrance of the building, bringing down much of the frontage. Taylor peered out from cover and quickly identified the Mechs inside.
“I see three targets. Eleven and one o’clock.”
“Looks like they’re dug in there pretty good,” replied Chandra.
“We could call in a strike, flatten the complex? Not like there is any risk civilians.”
“No, this country has been demolished enough already. The people need some hope that they can return to their old lives.”
“Alright, no air support, at least we’re used to it now,” he replied.
The two of them rose up and fired several controlled bursts into the atrium that was now fully visible from the street. They could make out movement as the Mechs disappeared from sight.
“They’re falling back!” Monty called out.
“Forward!” Chandra ordered.
They leapt forward and were quick to utilise the opportunity to get inside. Their boots trampled over the mound of shattered Perspex as it crunched under foot. They reached the long welcome desk from where the Mechs had defended and hunkered down for cover. They expected a continuation of the fight, but the spacious atrium was almost silent as the troops settled down into position.
“Not much of a defence. What the fuck is going on?” whispered Chandra.
“Would you have stood against these odds?”