"They fear death and injury, but are too scared to disobey their orders," replied Jafar.
"Colonel, you're to dig in here and await further orders. We'll take ground at every opportunity and make new defensives quickly and at regular intervals. We know how detrimental trench warfare can be to both sides. This war may be in its final stages, but it will not be over soon."
Don't be so sure, thought Taylor.
"Carry on, Colonel."
They carried on down the line. Taylor looked on to see the trench positions they had been given were manned by just a single detachment from Harney's Fighting Fifth. They were at the front trench, and he could already see they wouldn't be keen to give it up. They had been given a stretch of land half a kilometre long, meaning they'd be tight on space.
"Into the trenches," Taylor said across the comms.
Many had been expecting to get into the thick of the fighting and make the enemy suffer. They paced enthusiastically over to the defences, realising how long the war could go on for once both sides were entrenched. Taylor turned back to Rains who stood at the ramp of his copter.
"I believe your war is over, Lieutenant. Fall back to the staging area five clicks north of here. You may be needed yet when the casualties start piling up."
"Can't say I'm sad to be benched, Colonel. Good luck out there."
He stepped aboard and was quickly firing up the engines to lift off. Taylor turned back south; most of the Brigade was at the edges of the trenches and piling in to what many expected to be their homes for some time. He had other ideas. He turned to Jafar at his side.
"Tell me you have a way of contacting Demiran?"
"There is a way, why?"
"He may not want to dirty his hands in this war, but I know exactly how to call him out."
"You think you can force him out here? Then what?"
"Then we kill him, and anyone who stands in our way."
Jafar smiled. He already liked the sound of the plan.
"Make it happen. I want to talk to him myself, and I don't care who sees it."
"This isn't going to be the long drawn out fight Phillips thinks, is it?"
Taylor stepped forward and noticed Jones had been standing the other side of Jafar, and so obscured by the alien.
"No, not at all. This ends here and now."
Chapter 12
Demiran lay back in his throne aboard the stricken wreck of the K'til. He still could not believe he had fallen so far. He was slumped and lost. He wanted nothing more than to leave Earth for good and return home, but he knew with so little left, he would be torn apart by the other Lords. He suspected Erdogan would have already claimed his homeworld if news had gotten back to Tau Ceti of his plight. Six months since the destruction of the K'til, and he had made no progress. He had the look of a soldier who was utterly beaten.
A projection suddenly appeared before him. Used only by his close counsel, he sat up quickly when he realised who was addressing him. Taylor stood just five metres from his throne. The projection was near perfect with only minimal transparency. He had not seen the Colonel since his time in captivity, but he knew exactly who he was.
"I am Colonel Taylor of the 2nd Inter-Allied."
Demiran stood up, and his back straightened as he felt hatred invigorate him.
"Your time is coming to an end. Your fleet is destroyed, and your armies are surrounded. Your Planet Killer is finished."
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I want to kill you like the dog you are."
"And what makes you think you could?"
"Because I killed Karadag. With my own hands."
Demiran's eyes widened at the news. It was clear he did not know Taylor had been the one to do it.
"It was you who ended my kinsman's life and mission, and you who imprisoned me. You, who did this to the Gezgen K'til! You, who have turned one of my own against me. I am going to kill you before this is over!"
Taylor could see the alien’s blood boiling and smiled to only fuel it further.
"Come and try."
The creature screamed in fury as it grabbed a table beside his throne and launched it across the room in anger.
"I'll be waiting," added Taylor confidently and ending the transmission.
Jones breathed out an uneasy sigh, thinking about what Taylor had just done.
"You've baited a dangerous opponent."
"Do you want this war to go on another six months? We'll lose thousands, maybe tens of thousands of soldiers if this war goes on. What if it could be ended in just one bloody day?"
"I'm not sure that was your decision to make."
"Well, tough shit."
"This is Taylor to the 5th Brigade. Prepare for combat. We have incoming."
He could see that many around him appeared surprised. There was no sign of movement as yet, but they readied their weapons as ordered. A few minutes passed, as Taylor stood on the flat plain above the trenches, watching south. Eventually, his Mappad began to flash, and he lifted it to see enemy advances all across the front. Phillips had been walking the line when he rushed to Taylor's position.
"Looks like they're coming at us."
"Damn right, Sir. They're out for blood. This isn't going to be a meat grinder. This ends in one pitched battle."
"What? How do you know?"
Taylor smiled.
"You did this? You riled up Demiran like you do every leader, haven't you?"
"It wasn't difficult."
"God damn you, Taylor, this better work."
"Don't worry, it will."
"Christ," he uttered, rushing off to get to HQ.
Taylor knew he would be in deep trouble for what he had done, but nobody had time to do anything about it. The Mappad showed enemy advances over ten kilometres of the front.
"He's coming," stated Taylor.
"Yes, are you ready?" asked Jafar.
"Have to be. Demiran had you as a bodyguard, am I to assume there are others like you that will do the same?"
"Yes, always four, and always from my homeworld. They will not be so easily swayed to our cause as Tsengal and I were."
"No, those were exceptional circumstances. But it does mean we'll have to take them on also."
"Yes."
Taylor was expecting some kind of emotion, but he appeared to show none. He turned and glared at his friend until he provoked a response.
"I would hope they would join us, and I would never wish to kill my own. They were brothers to me once, just as you are now. But I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done."
It was all the confirmation Taylor needed. Though he still was uneasy about the thought of four bodyguards of Jafar's calibre surrounding Demiran. His Mappad flashed as fresh orders came through.
"Hold position."
They would do so for now, but no one was in charge of Taylor any longer. He knew what he must do for himself and all who had fought from the beginning. He stepped up to the front trench and Jones followed suit.
"You can't fight him alone," stated Jones.
"I don't intend to."
"You just issued a personal challenge."
"I did no such thing. All I did was piss him off enough to want to come and deal with me himself. If he assumes this is gonna be one-on-one, then he's a fool. Anyway, when have they ever played so honourably? No, he'll come with everything he can get. He must know his war is over. It's just a matter of time. Killing me is the only thing left he could achieve."
"Let's see it doesn't happen then. As reckless as you can be, I've grown rather fond of you, Mitch."
"Don't go all soft on my now, Charlie? Where's the fire in you?"
"It's coming, don't you worry."
They watched the enemy amassing in the distance. As far as the eye could see in either direction, they were coming.
"Could this really be it? The last battle to end it all?" asked Jones.