Taylor grunted. "Well they have at least accepted our position on this and are guaranteeing us all immunity from prosecution for anything they wanted to levy against us should we pull this off."
"And survive," added Silva.
"Then they can at least give us control of the rest of Inter-Allied. Jackson and Ota, two extra Companies could go a long way in aiding King," said Jones.
"I'll see what I can do," he replied, turning his attention to the Nassau diagram.
"This blueprint definitely right?"
"I bloody hope so," replied Jones.
"Commander Phillips says so, and I am inclined to trust his sources," Grey said.
Jones was carefully studying every element of the ship.
"We'll hit them here," he finally stated.
Taylor looked carefully at where he was pointing. It was a power source for the ship’s weapon systems buried many decks below the surface. Taylor looked confused.
"Why there? We need a diversion, that's all."
"You need to be sure you are gonna make it, and the only way to be sure of that is if you aren't getting shot at. If I pinpoint everything at my disposal at that point, there is a fair chance we can give you a clear run. Maybe even a chance of giving our fleet a run at taking her out."
"It's suicide," added King. "Being a diversion is one thing, but you start causing that much trouble, and you'll bring a world of shit down on your head."
Jones shrugged. "We have one chance of getting this done, so let's do it right. All that is important is that we stop that weapon system. I think I can provide the best chance of Taylor making it."
Nobody responded while they waited for Taylor's opinion.
"It's a sound plan," he finally responded. "Anyone offer another in the next five minutes?"
"Board the Nassau and turn her guns on the defence platforms?" asked King.
Taylor mulled it over. "Not a bad plan, but there are too many variables. There are all kinds of ways those weapons could be shut down by the crew before we could make use of them, but I like your thinking. The UEN knew I was coming last time, and I bet they'll expect it again. Let's use that."
"UEN obviously wants your head."
"Yeah, Jones, so you want to be a diversion? You play me. From the moment we board, we go in full environmental suits, visors shut. We'll use voice scramblers to mix our two voices. As far as anyone else is concerned you will be me, and you will be going for the Nassau."
The others couldn't believe what they were hearing. Jones had already volunteered for a crazy mission and was having yet more danger thrust upon him.
"I like it," Jones replied.
"All right, not one word of this switch to anyone outside of this room until we're aboard our craft, you got that?"
They all grunted with approval.
"Right then, you know what you have to do, and Jones, you'll be flying with Rains. We have to give every indication that you are the real Taylor."
"Always saw myself as a Colonel someday," he replied with a smile.
* * *
"Ready?" Jones asked, looking at Taylor.
They were standing in Taylor's quarters and now in each other's uniforms.
"Yep, now remember who you're supposed to be, and try and stay in character. Once they know Colonel Taylor is heading for them, they'll do everything they can to end you."
"Not my first rodeo," Jones jested.
"No. The plan is simple. Stick to it and this can work. Good luck out there." He offered out his hand as a last gesture of friendship before they stepped out publicly. Jones took it gladly.
"You know of all the men and women in the World who could be going up there to do this, it was always going to be us. It always is."
"That is both our honour and our curse, Charlie."
Taylor pulled on the helmet, and Jones did the same. Taylor reached to the controls on the arm of his suit and tapped a few buttons. The visor shut and went to blackout so that his face was covered. Jones did the same.
"Up and at 'em," said Taylor, doing his best to mimic Jones' mannerisms, and the suit modified his accent. Jones shook his head, as it was an eerie thing to hear. They turned and stepped out of the room to find Inter-Allied formed up with helmets on just as Taylor had ordered. Not an ounce of skin could be seen on any of them. Taylor stepped to one side and let Jones go forward to take charge, which he did so with confidence."
"You all know what you have to do. You all know what's at stake! Let's do this right. Load up and move out!"
That was short and sweet, Taylor thought, remembering his rambling speeches at such times. Three ships for each Company were all they had, and he watched as Jones boarded Rains' craft; so few souls. It seemed so insignificant for what they were going to face.
He took his seat to see he was amongst Jones' Company. They were men and women he had known well, but he had commanded few personally in combat. As the doors shut, he got up to address them.
"Listen up! I am sorry to have kept you all in the dark on this one, but it is the way it had to be."
As he said that, he raised his helmet visor. Several others did the same to get a look at him with their own eyes.
"The Nassau isn't our target. It is Captain's Jones'. You are coming with me to the real target. This secrecy was necessary until now. All communications from and to this vessel are now blocked until we reach our destination. I tell you now because once we're up there I want everyone to know the deal. This message is being relayed to the other two ships via platoon commanders."
Nobody said a word, but all raised their faceplates as he continued.
"All you need to know is that somehow we need to stop the defence grid. Every officer and senior NCO amongst us has access codes that will override the system from the inside, but how we do it really doesn't matter. You got that?"
"Yes, Sir!" they shouted.
Every single fighter under his command was from the British Army, and it brought a smile to his face at how bizarre it felt, and yet how little they cared. He looked around to get his bearings of whom he had with him. So many of the British paras he had come to know well were long gone from this world. He panned around, looking at the nametags on those sitting around him. He recognised almost every single one of them, and yet could rarely connect a face with each name.
Sergeant Herbert stood out to him, a tall but quiet man who had so frequently been close at Jones’ side during the worst of it. Taylor couldn’t remember speaking more than a dozen words to him in the time they had served together. The other side of the room he could see Corporals Brown and Harris. There were just twenty-five of them aboard.
“Sergeant Herbert will command his own platoon with Brown his second. The rest of you are with me. Remember, as far as you are concerned, I am Captain Jones, and that is how you will address me. If I should fall, it is essential that you keep going forward. You find a way to disable or destroy the defence grid, you hear me?”
“Yes, Sir!”
Dupont better have some serious reinforcements for us, he thought.
They all knew the EMP would mean they’d be waiting some time for help, but they prayed it would be sooner rather than later. Taylor looked down at his watch. Twenty seconds till the EMP. He counted it down in his head, watching the seconds pass. It finally it hit zero. He stepped up to the cockpit.
“Did it work?”
“That’s affirmative Col…sorry…Captain. Nothing much left to see.”
Taylor looked out to see they were passing out of the atmosphere to complete darkness at a rapid speed.
“Utter blackout up here. Never thought I’d see it in all my days,” the pilot replied.