Taylor lifted his comms unit.
"Inter-Allied assemble immediately, and make your way to the landing zone north of here. Captain Jackson, get your company down here as well, we're moving out fast!"
He gave no information away, but he knew it wasn't necessary. He and Jones turned and quickly got to a running pace. On both sides he could see their units joining them.
"You wanted to get out there and strike at them. Looks like you got your wish, Mitch!”
"They reached the edge of the treeline, and the three companies swarmed out onto the open plain. The copters swooped in with perfect timing. Taylor barely had to break stride as the ramps of the copters were lowering when they reached them. He rushed aboard to a jovial greeting from Rains as always.
"’Morning, Colonel!"
"You know where we're going?"
"We received our orders from Commander Phillips en route. He's with Captain Jackson now. So we're heading for the holy land?"
"Something like that."
"All aboard!" called Jones.
"Get us in the air, Eddie."
They lifted off after having been on the ground for only a minute.
"Haven't several armies already got forces in the area we're heading?" asked Eddie.
"Yeah, but what is there has taken a beating. Further local troops are on the way with reinforcements coming in from neighbouring countries, but this is big. It's gonna take a lot to hold 'em back."
In just a few short minutes, Italy had gone from view, and they were over Greece. They could make out the silhouettes of dozens of warships off to their starboard side.
"Why don't we just nuke 'em?”
"I'm sure we'll try soon enough, Eddie, but with the countermeasures we have seen them use before, I doubt it'll work. No, this going to have to be fought with conventional forces, the way we always have."
It was just over an hour when they saw the coastline of Israel. Eddie was about to announce it when they were rocked by an impact, which he only just managed to brush off.
"We got incoming!"
Pulses rushed up between the copters. Taylor grasped one of the handles at the back of the cockpit to brace himself.
"That's coming in from just a little south, maybe around Gaza!" Eddie shouted.
"Christ they must be close!"
A pulse clipped the engine of one of the copters to their side and cut most of its power. They watched as the pilot fought for control but had no hope. The troops inside bailed out and used their boosters to move as far north as they could.
"How much further?" Taylor asked.
"We're coming up on Hebron now!"
"He lifted his Mappad and saw they were over friendly positions."
"2nd Inter-Allied deploy now, and get these copters to the base north of the city!"
He got to his feet, but as he turned to speak to Eddie, a pulse that ripped a hole in the side of the fuselage struck them. Two of the platoon were thrown out.
"We're going down!"
"Come on!"
Taylor grabbed Eddie and jumped from the door. He knew his boosters would have a hard time breaking the fall of their combined weight over the several hundred metres drop, but it was Rains’ only chance of survival.
"I told you that you should have worn your suit!" he yelled at the pilot as they dropped towards the dusty, hard ground."
"I know that now!"
Guns raged below as they could see Israeli armour battling the enemy advance just a few hundred metres south of where they were going to land.
"This is gonna hurt!"
They hit the ground, and Taylor went into a roll, trying to take the impact and cocooned Eddie in the roll. As he tumbled across the ground, he lost his grip, and Rains was tossed out across the dirt. Taylor finally crashed to a halt as his shoulders smashed into a large rock. He groaned in pain, but he could tell he was still in one piece. He rolled over and got up onto one knee to look for Eddie.
"God damn that hurt," he moaned.
He was still flat out on the ground. His clothing was covered in dirt, and his arms were cut and bleeding, but he was alive.
"Next time I say wear your suit, wear you suit!"
"You got no argument from me."
Taylor stumbled over, hauling him to his feet. The others landed all around.
"That could have gone better."
"We're alive aren't we, Charlie?"
He looked up to the line of armour up ahead. To their backs APCs approached, and artillery fire shot overhead from both sides.
"Looks like we landed in the shit," said Eddie. He pulled out his personal sidearm, the only weapon he had on him.
"We need to find you a proper weapon."
"I'm sure there'll be no shortage lying about the ground."
Taylor motioned for them to go forward even though they were still missing several platoons. He got to a jogging pace as he could see the tanks were fighting from a crest that hid the enemy from view. As they neared, he slowed and through the dust and smoke could see that troops were scattered along the edge and lying in prone positions.
"Friendlies coming in!" he yelled.
There was so much fire all around that only a handful of the soldiers even noticed. He ducked down and went prone beside a few that had turned to acknowledge them. For a moment, they looked both surprised and confused to see their uniforms, but within seconds they no longer cared.
"Colonel Taylor, who's your commanding officer?"
"He's dead. Lieutenant Amar is in charge. She's over there!" he shouted, pointing east along the line."
"Thanks." He noticed several of Jones' platoon had started taking shots at the enemy who were still two hundred metres out.
"Ota! Jackson! Take up position here. Grey spread out to the west! Jones you're with me!"
He got up and rushed behind the cover of the nearest tank while he looked out east. He could see a women shouting at several of the troops and guessed it was Amar. Dead IDF soldiers lay around her position, and a medic was fighting to save one of the wounded. He rushed over to her position and hit the dirt beside her. His landing threw dust up over the Lieutenant. She spat it out, looking back at Taylor ready to yell at him but saw he wasn't one of hers.
"Colonel Taylor, we're here to help."
"About time!"
"What can we do?"
"Get firing. We've got thousands of Mechs advancing on us. We've lost five kilometres in the last hour. Much further and we'll be at the city!"
He looked back to Jones and his company and beckoned for them to move forward and take the positions where the dead lay. They were almost shoulder-to-shoulder with the IDF soldiers wedged between two tanks, one of which was a burning wreck. Taylor put his rifle on the shelf they were using for cover and immediately targeted the first Mech. They were advancing in waves and quickly covering the ground. Several armoured vehicles from both sides lay burning across the plain.
There were so many targets to choose from, he could almost fire blind and still hit something. The enemy front expanded as far as he could see both sides, though smoke and dust limited visibility. Pulses exploded all around, and he felt the burning residue landing everywhere. A heavy weapon beyond his sight hit the surviving tank next to them. The turret was ripped from the hull and sent hurtling twenty metres behind them. He looked back to the enemy and could see a never-ending surge of Mechs and armoured vehicles.
Taylor turned to look at what they had at their backs, and there was nothing but empty space. He grabbed Amar's arm, forcing her to turn away from the battle.
"We can't stay here!" he shouted at her.
"We have to. There is only a kilometre left between here and the city."
"Then we will have to take up position in the city outskirts."
"I won't leave my post!"
Without thinking, he slapped her hard across the face. He hated himself for doing it, but he didn't see a woman before him; he saw a brave officer who was going to be dead, along with all her comrades if he didn't act. Blood seeped from her mouth, and she said nothing.