Battle Earth VI (Book 6) by Nick S. Thomas

Author:Nick S. Thomas [Thomas, Nick S.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Swordworks
Published: 2012-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

It was not far from midday by the time the 2nd Inter-Allied had assembled on the strip. The dead and wounded from the day before had been removed and taken care of, but much of the wreckage still lay about the scene; spaceships as large as frigates had been forced to put down on any spare ground and wouldn't be moving again any time soon. Much of the base was beginning to look like a scrap yard, and like a scrapyard, mechanics were salvaging any parts they could from the wrecked craft to get going what they could.

The smell in the air was still of burnt electrical components where pulses had done so much damage to everything which had returned. Jones approached, and he still wore the battle-scorched armour that took the impact and saved his life in the Stallion the day before. Only his uniform had been changed and was almost new.

"You seriously going to wear that thing?" asked Taylor.

"Hey, if this isn't lucky, what is? I'll have some techs do repairs when we get the time, but this armour is staying right where it belongs."

He wasn't going to argue. The fact they werestill breathing was astonishing. He didn't want to tempt fate or risk losing the cast iron morale his unit were so famous for.

"This leader of theirs, Demiran. He seems to be pretty pissed with us. Seems to me he'll go to the ends of the Earth to end us."

"Seems so, what about it?"

"Reckon he was the one who attacked Red 1 and forced us to leave Chandra behind?"

Taylor was quiet for a moment. He wasn't going to admit he’d had the same thought, for such personal revenge could destabilise the unit. He knew all too well what the effects of getting personal were.

"Yeah, I suppose there is a good chance."

"Mmmm."

"What?"

"I'm just thinking what I'm gonna do to that bastard when we finally meet."

Taylor rested his hand on the Captain's shoulder.

"Now you remember what happened last time, when we took down Karadag. You disobeyed my orders, and you compromised us all with your anger and frenzied attack."

Jones dipped his head in shame.

"If we get a chance at that son of a bitch, we're gonna do it right, you hear?"

"Sure thing. I was a wreck back then. I wasn't thinking straight."

"I know, forget about it. It's been and gone now. Important thing is we toasted the bastard."

Taylor could see Jones was deep in thought once again.

"What is it?"

"You know how we feel about Demiran, how much we all want our revenge. Surely he must feel the same for the death of Karadag. After all, they were more than just allies. They were family."

"True, but let's not forget who started this fight?"

"And if the circle of revenge simply continues one after the other for both sides?"

"Well, I guess we'll just have to kill enough of them that it ends."

"It's not a bad idea."

Genocide? Taylor thought.

He'd never considered it a possibility for a civilized people, not until now. He turned to look at Jafar, reminding himself of what the aliens had the potential to be.

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