of Taylor's time in the country, he couldn't understand anything he said.
"Major?" Taylor asked.
He kept his voice low and shook Moye, trying to wake him up fully. Finally, he stopped mumbling and looked at Taylor's face, clearly recognising him.
"What happened? How did you even get here?"
"How doesn't matter. You've been boarded. Looks like they ran right through you."
The Major looked at the bodies around him.
"Yes, one of the big things. I think you call them Juggernauts."
Taylor shook his head.
"That's the last thing you want aboard."
"It's not like we haven't seen them before."
Taylor took his hand and hauled him to his feet. He winced in pain but was at least able to support his weight. The rifle slung at his side was snapped in two where he must have landed on it after being struck by the Juggernaut. He unclipped it and reached down to take one from his dead comrades, with no second thought. Taylor often forgot how much experience and combat everyone else had seen beside him. He knew that if Moye had made it this far in life, he must have at least some good qualities.
Taylor reached down and took one of the shields from the bodies. Moye picked his own up.
"They'll be heading for the bridge. They always do," said Taylor.
"I know, and we don't have long to stop them. If we can stop them at all."
"Lead the way."
They carried on alone. Two officers without any support at all. They both knew how desperate the situation was, but neither was willing to say it or let it affect them in doing their jobs.
"You saw the Washington go down?" Moye asked quietly.
"Saw it with my own eyes."
"Then I am sorry."
"Sorry for us all. She was as important to me as she was to us all."
"But your unit?"
"They either died doing their jobs, or they managed to get off before she went down. Nothing more I can do by worrying about them."
It was the kind of logic he always spouted to keep spirits up, but he still didn't believe it himself, and Moye gave him a bemused look that suggested he knew it.
Then they heard gunfire up ahead, but it was not coming from friendly weapons. The two officers continued on with their shields held out before them and trigger fingers ready to fire in an instant. They came into sight of the enemy. Their backs were in plain view, and neither gave them a chance to fight fair, opening up on fully automatic and cutting down two of the Mechs in the opening burst. Three more turned to return fire, but it was too late for them. They kept their fingers on the triggers until they were relentlessly cut down.
Neither of them stopped going forward as they changed out their magazines, and Moye led the way to the bridge. They passed the bodies of a dozen Mechs and more than three times their number in crew. At last they heard the familiar sound of Reitech rifles firing. Moye peered around a corner from where they could hear the sound and saw a group of marines dug in at an intersection and defending a single flank. He shouted something in French and followed it with his name before stepping out towards them. He spoke a few words and got several sentences back. Moye looked back to Taylor as if expecting input.
"In English?" Mitch asked.
"We've got multiple hull breaches and at least three boarding actions reported."
"They'll still be going for the bridge," he replied.
Moye ordered the marines to stay put, and led Taylor onwards. They would have appreciated some support, but they had to cover more ground than they would together.
"What will they do if they reach the bridge?" Moye asked.
"Kill the crew, turn any weapon systems still active on our own fleet, and likely attempt to ram the nearest one of ours."
"So if they take it, we're finished?"
Taylor nodded.
"Then let's not let that happen."
"Indeed."
"And that Juggernaut? What if it reaches the bridge?"
"I've got a couple of ideas on that."
"Want to share?"
A pulse struck the wall on their left, and they ducked down, returning fire from behind their
"Major?" Taylor asked.
He kept his voice low and shook Moye, trying to wake him up fully. Finally, he stopped mumbling and looked at Taylor's face, clearly recognising him.
"What happened? How did you even get here?"
"How doesn't matter. You've been boarded. Looks like they ran right through you."
The Major looked at the bodies around him.
"Yes, one of the big things. I think you call them Juggernauts."
Taylor shook his head.
"That's the last thing you want aboard."
"It's not like we haven't seen them before."
Taylor took his hand and hauled him to his feet. He winced in pain but was at least able to support his weight. The rifle slung at his side was snapped in two where he must have landed on it after being struck by the Juggernaut. He unclipped it and reached down to take one from his dead comrades, with no second thought. Taylor often forgot how much experience and combat everyone else had seen beside him. He knew that if Moye had made it this far in life, he must have at least some good qualities.
Taylor reached down and took one of the shields from the bodies. Moye picked his own up.
"They'll be heading for the bridge. They always do," said Taylor.
"I know, and we don't have long to stop them. If we can stop them at all."
"Lead the way."
They carried on alone. Two officers without any support at all. They both knew how desperate the situation was, but neither was willing to say it or let it affect them in doing their jobs.
"You saw the Washington go down?" Moye asked quietly.
"Saw it with my own eyes."
"Then I am sorry."
"Sorry for us all. She was as important to me as she was to us all."
"But your unit?"
"They either died doing their jobs, or they managed to get off before she went down. Nothing more I can do by worrying about them."
It was the kind of logic he always spouted to keep spirits up, but he still didn't believe it himself, and Moye gave him a bemused look that suggested he knew it.
Then they heard gunfire up ahead, but it was not coming from friendly weapons. The two officers continued on with their shields held out before them and trigger fingers ready to fire in an instant. They came into sight of the enemy. Their backs were in plain view, and neither gave them a chance to fight fair, opening up on fully automatic and cutting down two of the Mechs in the opening burst. Three more turned to return fire, but it was too late for them. They kept their fingers on the triggers until they were relentlessly cut down.
Neither of them stopped going forward as they changed out their magazines, and Moye led the way to the bridge. They passed the bodies of a dozen Mechs and more than three times their number in crew. At last they heard the familiar sound of Reitech rifles firing. Moye peered around a corner from where they could hear the sound and saw a group of marines dug in at an intersection and defending a single flank. He shouted something in French and followed it with his name before stepping out towards them. He spoke a few words and got several sentences back. Moye looked back to Taylor as if expecting input.
"In English?" Mitch asked.
"We've got multiple hull breaches and at least three boarding actions reported."
"They'll still be going for the bridge," he replied.
Moye ordered the marines to stay put, and led Taylor onwards. They would have appreciated some support, but they had to cover more ground than they would together.
"What will they do if they reach the bridge?" Moye asked.
"Kill the crew, turn any weapon systems still active on our own fleet, and likely attempt to ram the nearest one of ours."
"So if they take it, we're finished?"
Taylor nodded.
"Then let's not let that happen."
"Indeed."
"And that Juggernaut? What if it reaches the bridge?"
"I've got a couple of ideas on that."
"Want to share?"
A pulse struck the wall on their left, and they ducked down, returning fire from behind their
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