Taylor looked to his friend in surprise. He could not believe the power and speed of Erdogan and was beginning to wonder if even together they stood any chance at all. They went at him again with another determined attempt while Aysen was still on the floor. Taylor leapt upwards and drove the counterweight of his halberd at Erdogan. It knocked him back a little, and then he swung the halberd blade over in a massive arc, which he didn’t believe anyone could parry.
Just as it was about to connect with Erdogan’s head, he raised his mace and parried with arms at each end of the shaft. The halberd stopped dead with the blade just centimetres from the alien’s exposed head.
“Nice try,” he replied.
With the halberd blade locked over the mace, he pulled it forward and ripped the weapon from Taylor’s grasp. Jafar jumped in quickly as Taylor was left helpless. His cut was parried, and he closed with Erdogan and reached under to grapple but was struck on the back of the head with the mace grip. He fell face first to the floor.
“Look at you, pathetic!” he sneered.
Taylor could see Aysen crawl up onto the throne and touch a few buttons on a control panel on one of the arms while Erdogan’s attention was focused on him. They were all beaten and bloody and could see no way of winning, let alone surviving. Suddenly, Aysen gave out a deafening cry as he charged towards Erdogan and crashed into him, driving him through one of the other doorways. As they passed through, the door sealed and locked shut behind them.
“What the hell is he doing?”
“Saving us,” replied Jafar.
“What? No!”
“Come on, we have to leave.”
“Not without him.”
“He did this for us. Now honour him and live.”
Taylor looked at Parker; still staring at him from behind the doorway he had first entered. She looked so utterly relieved.
“Get to the ships. We’ll meet you there!” he shouted to her.
Chapter 13
“He did that for you?” Taylor asked as they rushed through empty corridors to find their way back. He had nothing but his sidearm in hand and prayed they would not meet any Mechs.
“Yes, he owed me a great debt. One he has now paid.”
“He knew we couldn’t win?”
“Yes,” Jafar replied.
“You knew we could not beat him?”
“Erdogan is the most dangerous of my people to ever live in many generations.”
“So that’s a no?”
Jafar didn’t respond. It was a terrifying thought to know that one day he would surely have to face Erdogan once again. Taylor had never felt so outclassed by any opponent in his life, and he had fought some of the best.
“Next time we face him, we go in prepared and able to win,” he added.
They carried on room after room and corridor after corridor. Jafar seemed to know where he was going, and Taylor simply had to trust him. Finally, to his surprise they reached some of their Company and the Mastiff they had come in on. Parker rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around him, but as he held her firmly, he noticed Jones over her shoulder.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he let her go. Then he noticed Coco standing with him.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he added.
“Good to see you, too, Colonel,” she replied.
“Our boat is totally out of action. We aren’t getting out that way,” said Jones.
Taylor saw they hadn’t taken many casualties and so could already tell they weren’t going to be able to fit everyone aboard.
“You send out a pick-up beacon?” he asked.
“Yes, we’re awaiting pick-up.”
Taylor looked down at the watch on his datapad.
“Jesus, we’re cutting it a bit fine.”
“Time you head off. We’ll wait for the boat.”
Taylor didn’t want to agree, but he knew there was little more he could do.
“We can cram in about forty of your people. It won’t be comfy, but it’s a start.”
“Much appreciated, and I would ask that you please take my wife with you.”
“No, I will stay with you,” she insisted.
Taylor could see the concern in her face, but he could also see the determination in Jones’. One way or the other, she was going with him.
“Please no,” she pleaded, “I just got you back. I can’t lose you again.”
“Exactly my thoughts,” he replied, “Now, we will get off this boat, but I want to know my wife and son are safe at the first opportunity. We may have to go out into the black to get a lift, and you don’t even have the gear. I need to know you are safe, and I don’t have to worry about you any longer. You are going with the Colonel. You will be safe with him.”
She opened her mouth to protest but could see in his eyes that it was no good. Finally, as a tear dropped down her cheek, she nodded in acceptance. He turned around to Taylor.
“Get her to safety, both of them, you promise me?”
He looked deadly serious. Taylor stretched out his hand in friendship to confirm it, and Jones took it.
“She will make it. You have my word.”
He looked at his datapad once more before looking to the others who eagerly awaited his word.
“Let’s load up. We’re out of here!”
Cheers rang out as they rushed aboard the Mastiff.
“You know you look like hell, Mitch,” Jones joked.
He nodded in agreement.
“So did you get him?”
Taylor shook his head.
“Losing your edge?”
Taylor smiled. He leaned in close.
“Erdogan is like nothing we have ever seen or faced. You get your ass off this hulking piece of shit ASAP, you hear?”
Jones was surprised at how defeated Taylor looked, and he was starting to understand how serious their situation was.
“We’re about to enter a new phase in the history of humanity, and I want you there for it,” he added.
He turned, took hold of Coco, and led her into the Mastiff. She pulled free and looked back one last time, blowing a kiss to Jones as she continued to weep. Taylor pulled her along once again inside the ship. He put her into one of the bays and strapped her in before heading back to the pilot’s cabin.
“We ready to go?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Then take us out.”
“Aye, aye, Sir.”
Taylor looked around to see the pilot flew via a series of cameras that showed all angles of the exterior of the bullish craft. He fired up the engines as the doors sealed shut. They were crammed shoulder to shoulder throughout. A few moments later, they lifted off from the deck and soared out through the gaping hole they had created.
“Any news on the fleet?”
“Yes, Sir, whatever that alien did to interfere with the enemy systems, we have regained full communications.”
“And how are they doing?”
He did not respond.
“Well, come on, tell me.”
As they broke free of the enemy vessel, he could see some of the extent of it to himself. There were floating hulks of vessels all around of both human and alien construction. A few battles still raged between those craft still able to fight, and he could see several hundred vessels approaching from Earth’s atmosphere.
“Is that all that made it?” he asked in horror.
The pilot nodded. Taylor shook his head. There was nothing he could do about it now; just hope Jafar and Aysen’s efforts had worked. He looked at Earth and was simply in awe of its beauty, despite all of the horror going on at ground level. From space, it looked picturesque.