Free Battle Earth: 11 by Nick S. Thomas Page A

Admiral was ordering an evacuation."
    "And what of the Admiral?"
    "He went down with the ship. He stayed there until the end to man the targeting systems and keep the guns firing. He wouldn't let anyone else stay with him."
    "His loss will be felt, but none of us could have asked any more of him. And our people?"
    "Scattered throughout a number of ships. Jafar is with King, looking for you as well. Morris is wounded, but he should be okay. At least half of our unit has made it. Still waiting on contact from any others. It's a complete mess down here, right now. Come on, I'll take you to King. He has been in charge until now. Last time I saw him, he was hounding Admiral Huang to send out search parties for you."
    "I bet that went down well."
    She took his arm and hauled him forwards. They weaved their way between hordes of personnel, many being attended by medics or their own comrades. They reached a temporary command structure and could see King stepping out with his shoulders slumped and looking thoroughly demoralised. Jafar stood waiting to address him.
    "Captain King!" Taylor hollered.
    King looked up in amazement, his eyes suddenly lit up, and Jafar followed close beside him.
    "How? Where the hell were you?"
    "Made it on to the Diderot and did what I could there."
    It was all they needed to hear, but before they could exchange any more pleasantries, Taylor heard his name being called. He turned and found Irala standing there. Just as before, he seemed to appear out of nowhere.
    "You fought with us," stated Taylor, "Thank you. Had you not, we would surely have been defeated."
    "My people had long sought to forget Erdogan and the wounds he had inflicted on us. But we could hold ourselves back no longer. The wounds cut deep, and seeing your people suffer at his hands was enough to remind us of the fact."
    "So you're with us?" Taylor asked.
    Irala avoided the question and instead turned to Jafar.
    "Still you trust this one at your side? He is one of them? Worse still, one of the personal aides to a Krycenaean Lord."
    "I know."
    "And you know it was ones just like him that have laid waste to your homes, and did so to ours?"
    "Ones like him yes, but not him. There are evildoers in all races, all nations, and all peoples, but I do not believe any of us are born that way. Jafar has more than proven himself to me, and I would trust him with my life, and I will not accept you treating him any differently to myself."
    Irala nodded and seemed to accept the situation.
    "Follow me," he stated.
    He led Taylor through the crowds and vessels out into the open plain until they were long out of hearing distance of anyone.
    "My people have agreed to allow you to live here. I believe we can live together peacefully."
    Taylor shook his head.
    "This is not agreeable to you?"
    "You saw what Erdogan just did. He'll be back when he has recovered, and he'll be back in far greater number. He won't stop coming."
    "What would you do?"
    "Take the fight to him. We know he'll be on Earth. It's the paradise they fought so hard to reach. We take the fight to him, kill him, and retake my world, where you can then live also."
    Irala thought about it for some time.
    "If we do this, the price will be great. Far greater than you can believe."
    "I understand loss, and I am willing to accept it."
    "I do not think you have experienced this kind of loss before."
    "What, can you see the future now?"
    "No, but we calculate and investigate with precise knowledge and mathematics. We predict the future with science."
    "Well, if you'd tried to calculate my chances of getting this far, you'd probably have me dead years ago."
    "It is only fair to warn you. You will lose more than I believe you can afford."
    "If that is the price of victory, I will gladly pay it."
    "And what is victory to you?"
    "Total victory. Erdogan dead. His armies defeated, whether they surrender or die. Our world back."
    "Total victory?" Irala asked.
    He seemed to go blank as if he were communicating