"It's about time. We've been fighting this long enough."
Taylor reached down to his comms unit and set it to a private channel to just their own battalion.
"This is Taylor. Somewhere amongst that army is Demiran. Lord Demiran who came to destroy the human race, the same bastard who escaped us and has been the cause of millions of deaths. He is coming for us because he knows who the 2nd Inter-Allied are. He knows our reputation, and he knows what we have done. What he doesn't know is what we are still capable of."
He went quiet for a moment and turned to see many were thinking hard about what he was saying.
"You have all sacrificed a lot in this war, and the war before it. But I ask you now to follow me. Let's end this today. We could fight on and sees tens of thousands die before the year is done, or you can follow me to victory today. I don't say it'll be easy. But if you do so with the same courage I have seen from the beginning, I can guarantee you, I will kill that son of a bitch and end this war!"
He hadn't said what or how he intended to do it, but it was clear to many. He looked around to see plentywere nodding in approval. Then he caught Eli Parker's gaze, and a single tear dropped down her face. They both knew it could cost them dearly to succeed in what he was intending, but she would not be the one to stop him.
"So I need to know. I can't do this alone, are you with me?"
Jones nodded in agreement, but he knew the Captain would follow him no matter what.
"Damn right," came the reply from Jackson.
"Yes, Sir, all the way," added Ota.
"As always, we trust you to see this through, we are with you," said Grey.
Thank God. He knew he had to take the fight to Demiran with their support or not.
"There's always time to reconsider," said Jones.
"No, my mind is made up, Charlie. I won't have this battle descend into a month of bitter bloodshed."
He lifted his intercom.
"Then keep a keen eye for Demiran. He is the key to it all. Be ready for him."
It wasn't long before the massive enemy armies were reaching their own trench works and passing them. They were reaching noon, and the heat was becoming intoxicating. The enemy advance began to grow as they reached their frontline, and a dust cloud was forming at their backs like a storm bearing down on the allied defences.
Artillery began to roar behind them, and the armour dug in also joined the fight. They could see the enemy had little in the way of heavy armour. What had survived the crash of the K'til had largely been expended in the folly attempt to take Jerusalem. The sun glinted off the tens of thousands of Mech suits that they could see. They approached as a wall across the desert.
"Five hundred metres," said Jones.
"Prepare to fire in your own time," ordered Taylor.
"Four hundred metres."
"Steady."
"Three fifty!"
"Fire!
The opening volley was deafening as the enemy front was smashed. Every one of the Brigade took well-aimed shots, and the effect was devastating. And yet they still came.
"Two hundred metres!"
Taylor slammed in a new magazine and kept firing. He knew Demiran couldn't be far from the line they were firing on, as he would be actively seeking Mitch out. The second magazine emptied. Just a hundred and fifty metres out, Taylor caught a glimpse of something standing out in their lines; blackened armour, that of Demiran and his personal retinue. They quickly disappeared again as Mech infantry formed around them to keep moving forward.
"This is it," said Taylor. "Our opportunity is finally here."
"What are you doing, Mitch?" asked Jones hesitantly.
"2nd Inter-Allied. Lord Demiran lies ahead of us. This is our chance. This is our time to make him pay for everything he has done."
Taylor leapt out of the trench, turning his back to the enemy.
"I'm going to kill that bastard! Who's with me?" he shouted.
"Oh, hell," Jones muttered.
The Battalion arose almost like clockwork from the trenches, leaping out onto the open plain and rushing forward with their shields held before them to cover the advance.
Phillips couldn't miss the shocking sight from his position behind the lines with Harney. They were in an armoured command truck two kilometres back.
"What the hell is he doing?"
Harney rushed to the screen and shouted at an operator beside it.
"Zoom in there!"
"Demiran, it's him," replied Phillips.
Harney turned, looking at the Commander utterly puzzled.
"He thinks he can finish this. Crazy fool."
"Yes, but our crazy fool, and one who actually has some chance of doing it.”
He moved to order the rest of the Brigade forward, but it was too late, they had already followed the Colonel. Gallo was at the head of his battalion, only a few metres short of Taylor.
"Get the Fifth forward, immediate advance!" screamed Phillips.
Harney hesitated for a moment, for it seemed like suicide.
"Do it!"
"This is Colonel Harney, advance. Advance now!"
Taylor's Battalion was covering the ground at a rapid pace, and his shield had already brushed off two pulses when he got halfway. He pushed his rifle out to the side between his and Jafar’s shield to fire as they advanced. A wall of fire they were defenceless against hit the Mechs’ advance. But the first few shields were breaking under the weight of the enemy fire, and he knew they had to get past it quickly. He saw a dozen of their own fall around them and knew they'd have taken many more casualties covering the open ground.
Mitch activated his boosters and leapt ten metres off the ground, launching himself at the frontline of Mechs. He landed hard against the first one, one foot on the ground, and the other on the Mech's torso where he had smashed it to the ground. Before it could recover, he fired a burst into its head.
Jafar surged past him and barged into the next alien in his way. The nimble and strong alien ducked under one of the Mech's weapons and impeded an Assegai into the faceplate of another. Taylor looked back to their lines for just a second and could see thousands of troops rushing forwards to assist them. Many more were clambering out of the trenches to join in. He didn't know whether the order had been given of not, but it had gotten the effect he wanted.
Few could stand and do nothing when they saw the charge led by Taylor himself. Gallo was scared to death, and yet he still charged for the enemy beside the 2nd Inter-Allied.
"This is it, they're coming!" he yelled.
He turned back to the fight and saw a pulse rushing towards him. Jones jumped into the path of it, and the pulse burst over his shield, sending the debris shattering around both of them.
"This is your chance! Let's do it!" Jones shouted out.
Taylor stepped off the body of his first victim and strode forward. He could see Jafar had got ahead of them and cut down another two before they could reach him. A pulse hit Taylor's rifle as he progressed into the enemy ranks, and it was shattered in two. He unclipped it from his armour, let it drop to the ground, and drew his Assegai. Monty and Blinker were close by their side and jumped forward to help. Blinker ducked down but was hit full force by one of their cannons. It hit his face and snapped his neck.
Monty didn't hesitate and jumped forward, driving his Assegai deep into the Mech. The blade entered at its stomach and drove up into its chest, running the hilt up to its armour. He pulled out the bloodied blade and could see his brother was already dead. He had no words for it, only rushed on forward to join Taylor in the killing.
Jones' platoon smashed their way through three more ranks of Mechs, losing just a few of their own when Taylor finally came to a halt. Demiran stood ten metres away with his four bodyguards. He pulled off his helmet so he could gaze upon Taylor with his own eyes. A massive glaive was held in one of his hands, and he was clearly there for only one purpose. His bodyguards all carried the same weapon. Taylor looked to his side. Silva was with them, and Yorath led a platoon on his other side.