Battle Earth X

Nick S. Thomas Battle Earth X

Prologue

From Colonel Mitch Taylor's personal journal -

Uncharted space, Day 5

Leaving Earth has changed each person differently. We haven't even been gone a week, and men and women are tearing themselves apart at every level of our new found society.

I needed Jones to be at my side as we drove forward into a new era for humanity, and his loss is one of the greatest. We beat Karadag, we beat Demiran; no one ever imagined we could be beaten so quickly by Erdogan. He is a new breed of enemy, unlike any we have seen before.

Earth fell, and we have been cast adrift in the universe. But we are alive. We will return to Earth. I don't know when, and I don't know how, but we will take our home back.

Chapter 1

The crowds were still cheering from Taylor's triumphant and hopeful speech when warning lights flashed on several consoles across the bridge. The cheering quickly curtailed as the ensign yelled, "We've got multiple hull breaches, Sir!" Taylor rushed to the ensign's console to see the locations himself on a blueprint screen of the massive vessel.

"Are we under attack?" Huber asked bluntly.

Taylor looked up grimly. "Bet your ass. Those aren't random. We've got five breaches at least, and hard to tell how many more as your security systems falter. We've got unwelcome guests, lot's of 'em."

Huber opened a comms channel throughout the ship.

"This is the Admiral speaking. We..."

"Sir," the ensign interrupted, "We've lost all comms. Weapon systems are down, engines, too..."

"What the hell is going on?"

"They're dismantling your ship," replied Taylor.

"It'll be chaos. Few of the crew are armed and ready to fight those things."

"What emergency communication do you have?"

"Without power?" Huber asked, "Light beacons, that's it."

"Taylor turned to the comms officer."

"Put out this message."

The officer looked over to Huber for confirmation. The Admiral simply nodded for him to comply, but Taylor had already continued relaying the message.

"Enemy forces aboard. Do not approach or attempt to make contact in any way, and keep repeating it."

"We could call on some of the Marine ships for assistance?" Huber asked.

"Negative. We have no idea how bad this situation is for us or any other vessel in the fleet. We need to resolve this ourselves and quickly. Where is your officer of the watch?"

"Here!" a hesitant voice shouted.

Taylor looked around and found a young female officer. She was almost shaking in fear and shock.

"Your job is to put the word out. Send runners if you have to. Ensure all aboard know what to expect and are appropriately armed and prepared for it."

"What should they expect, Sir?" she asked.

"All hell to break loose. We've almost certainly got Mechs aboard and in some number. Get to it."

"Aye, aye, Sir," she replied.

The officer rushed off with the utmost urgency, now she had some task to work on. Huber had brought up a 3D projected model of the ship before them, with all known breaches marked.

"We've still got some power, then?" Taylor asked.

"Life support and basic systems, but that's about all," replied the ensign.

Taylor signalled for Jafar to step up beside them.

"What are they planning?"

He looked at the 3D map for just a few short seconds before replying bluntly, "Have they destroyed the ships weapon systems?"

"No," replied Huber, "Just disabled our power."

"Then they intend to seize the weapons for themselves."

"To what end?"

"Maximum destruction of the fleet."

"They've already got our guns. All they'd have to do is seize the bridge, and they'd manage it," Huber gasped.

"That's not gonna happen," Taylor said confidently.

He could tell Huber didn't look so confident.

"Parker!" Taylor roared.

Sergeant Eli Parker rushed up to him.

"You and your platoon are staying put. You stop any of those bastards getting in here? Got it?"

She nodded in agreement, rushing off to gather her unit.

"And get Dubois in here. You keep her safe now."

"Got it!" she yelled and she continued on.

He looked out at two-dozen of the Inter-Allied troops who had come aboard with him. They were laying about the entrance. He quickly noticed Corporal Robinson and was surprised to see he had made it.

"Corporal, amongst Jones' Company that came aboard, who is the most senior?"

He shrugged for a moment and then responded, "I guess I am."

"You've got about platoon strength. They're yours now. Do the Captain proud."

His face went blank in disbelief, but he accepted it in a dignified fashion.

"Platoon leaders, get your asses here now."

The remaining three, including Corporal Robinson stepped up and joined him and the Admiral. Lieutenants Matthews and Anders. Both men promoted up from the ranks that Taylor had gotten too little time to get to know as officers. All he knew was they were hardy enough fighters to have made it that far with him. Jafar still stood and listened in, and Morris joined them.

"What can I do?" asked the former MDF Captain.

Taylor had forgotten he was even still with them. He had blended into the grunts throughout the operation. Taylor knew the former Moon colonist had no idea if his people had made it out alive, and yet here he was doing everything he could to help.

"You stick with me," replied Taylor.

Morris did not protest. It was clear he was not going to wrestle for any kind of command or leadership capacity. Taylor pointed to the lower decks of the ship. "Anders, here. Matthews you'll take the port side. I'll sweep the starboard decks."

"And the centre?" Huber asked.

"Your people are gonna have to take up some of the slack. We're in communication blackout. For most of the crew that means they're on their own; mostly lightly equipped and probably unaware of the enemy presence. Lives are at stake here, and every second we waste will be more lives lost. Jafar, you stay here."

The alien looked surprised, but Taylor merely glared at him, and he did not protest. Taylor knew he was his strongest asset, and he needed that asset protecting the bridge.

"And me?" Silva asked.

"On me," he replied.

He fully intended to sweep quickly through the ship, and he wanted the Sergeant Major by his side. He looked around the bridge to see few of the crew knew what they could or should be doing. Most had little control over the systems they were tasked with monitoring. He leaned in close to Huber.

"You've got weapons lockers nearby?"

"Yes."

"Then draw everything you can. Get a gun in every one of their hands, and be ready for a fight."

Huber was taken aback. It was clear he had never had to fight with his own hands before, despite being a competent naval officer and commander.

"You can stop them, can't you?"

"We have to."

Taylor turned and headed for the door where Parker was now waiting with her platoon.

"Come on, let's move!"

He tapped Parker on the shoulder as he rushed past without a word and grabbed a shield that lay propped up with others at the entrance.

Here we go again, he thought.

"Any idea on their number?" Silva asked.

"No idea," he replied.

They quickly took a turn and headed for the start of the areas he had designated for his platoon.

"Lot of ship to cover," Silva commented.

"Sure is."

They carried onwards and stumbled across three crewmembers walking the decks as if it were any other day.

"We've been boarded. Get to cover," said Taylor. He wanted to yell at them but knew he had to keep his voice down. The three crew and stopped and looked at them in shock, but as they looked past Taylor to the line of marines at his back, they began to take his words more seriously and rushed off without another word.

"Think Kelly made it with us?" Taylor asked of Morris.

"Off Earth, or into wherever the hell we are now?"

Taylor shrugged. "Either, I guess."

"Commander Kelly believed in the Exodus, but it doesn't mean he wasn't stubborn enough to stay put and fight it out on Earth."

"You think he'd do that?"

"You nearly did."

Taylor nodded in agreement as they continued on. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for Morris. They had all walked away from their lives, but most had brought at least some friends and family with them. What did Captain Morris have? He had evacuated his home for the second time, and probably left everyone he knew to an all but certain death.

"You want a job in the Regiment?" Taylor asked him.

He looked back to see Morris shrug.

"We're the closest thing you have got to family in...well, wherever we are. I know you are up to the task. Keep your rank. I need solid officers right now. What do you say?"

"I'm in. Just as long as you know it's only until such time I can get back to my own people."

"Sure."

Morris nodded in gratitude, and Taylor could see a little relief in his eyes, but there was no time to dwell on it. Gunfire erupted nearby, and they were not human weapons. Taylor rushed on to find an intersection, with pulses smashing into a position where three naval crewmembers were huddled back behind a few crates. The range was shortening as their attackers advanced on them. One of the crew put a pistol out from cover and fired a few blind shots, but they had little hope of doing damage even if they found a target.

The crew hadn't even noticed his arrival under the hail of gunfire. One had his head in his hands and was frozen solid in panic and shock. Taylor reached down for a grenade but found his webbing empty.

Shit, he thought to himself.

The gunfire was close now, and he had to act. He did the only thing he could think to do. He rushed out from the cover of their corridor and charged towards the source of the gunfire.

A few seconds later, he stormed past the crew who still hadn't noticed their presence over the noise of the impacts landing all about them. As the creatures came into view, he saw the nearest was one of the heavily armoured line breakers, but he did not have any option but to head right for it. Two pulses smashed into his shield, and he fired repeatedly as he advanced. Every single one of his shots was absorbed by the Mech’s heavy armour until finally he dropped his rifle and drew his Assegai.

Mitch hit the creature with his shield head on, and with all the power his body and exoskeleton suit would afford him. The creature slid back half a metre and then came to a dead stop.

Oh, shit!

He felt his shield being yanked forward as the creature took a hold of it, lifted him up, and smashed him into the ceiling like a ragdoll. He winced in pain from the impact but managed to keep hold of his weapon. A moment later the Mech's massive spear-like weapon was driven up through his shield and pierced the ceiling. It just skimmed the flank of his armour. Gunfire rushed past beneath him, as Morris and the others fired under him to try and take the beast down. They had little effect, but it was enough to give him an opening.

He let go of the shield, for he had no chance of getting away from the alien's grasp, and rolled off behind the Mech. As he descended, he thrust his Assegai into its back. It penetrated deep into the armour; the Mech spasmed and straightened its back. He hit the ground and watched the Mech then become limp and collapse down before him. He turned just in time to see the barrel of a pulse cannon in his face. He rotated around and out of the way of the shot.

As he did so, he drew his pistol and fired three shots into the Mech, but they did little as they found the thickest of its armour. The alien pivoted the gun around for a second shot, but as it did, it was struck by a dozen Reitech rounds and killed where it stood. He looked back to Morris' position, in time to see a grenade fly past him, and he heard the words, "Get down!"

Mitch collapsed down to the deck, using the cover of the dead Mech to shield him. A moment later, a blinding flash ignited the corridor. He felt the blast rush past, and fragments striking his helmet and shoulder armour. From his position, he reached over for the Assegai in the dead Mech and drew it out in readiness. He kept his head down, as friendly gunfire raced overhead for almost half a minute, and then all went silent. He felt something touch his shoulder. He turned quickly in shock to see Silva was kneeling down beside him.

"Anyone ever told you you're a crazy son of a bitch, Sir?" he asked with a smile.

"Not recently."

The Sergeant Major helped him to his feet, and he picked up his shield that had been bent around his body, and still had the alien's spear embedded. He put his foot on the surface and pulled the shaft until the blade prised back out. He looked at the weapon for a moment. It was as he had first thought, little more than a double sized version of their Assegais. It was unwieldy compared to his, but felt like it could do wicked damage on impact from its sheer size and breadth alone.

Mitch laid his shield flat to look at the gaping hole which had nearly been his death. The steel had folded in and been penetrated like tin. Three leaves stuck up from where the metal had been forced apart and left a huge hole. He knew it wouldn't do to use it in that state. He turned the enemy spear around and smashed down at the shield where it was damaged; and hammered the damaged parts back down flat so that they almost touched one another once more.

It was a desperate measure, but he'd rather have a damaged shield than none at all. He threw the enemy weapon aside in disgust and looked up at the others who had been fixated on his bodge of a field repair.

"You find a better one along the way, you let me know," he said to them.

He remembered the Navy crew and pushed his way through to reach them. They hadn't moved from their cover. They were too terrified to do anything at all, and had nothing but a single sidearm between them.

"The ship is under attack. Either get somewhere safe or draw weapons and fight," he said to them, "Carry on like this, and you'll be dead before the day is out."

"What...what can we do against those things?" one of them stammered.

"What we have been doing since this began. Give them everything you've got. Now move!"

He grabbed one of them and hauled them out from cover, and the other two followed. "Go!" he yelled at them.

"You know they won't survive two seconds if they run into another Mech?" Morris asked.

"Yeah, and none of us will last much longer if we don't get this situation under control."

A Mech lying seemingly dead beside him began to move, but he quickly responded by kicking it back down and then driving his foot into the faceplate three times until it cracked, and he crushed the creature’s head inside.

"Next time you put one of these things down, you be sure to finish the job," he said to the Captain.

With that, he lifted his shield back up from the floor and continued onwards.