seat and was standing behind Silva.
“You okay, Colonel?” Rains asked quietly.
He gently nodded his head, and Silva helped him to his feet.
“We came close,” said Morris.
“Not close enough,” he replied.
They stepped out of the copter to find that the sun was going down at their base. He could hear music coming from one of the bars that had been set up nearby.
“Come on, Colonel, time we got you a drink,” said Rains.
“Best idea I have heard all day, Eddie.”
As they walked away from the copter, he stopped and looked over to Jafar who had remained behind. The alien rarely joined them for their evening entertainment, as he was not usually welcome by many of the troops who gathered for such occasions.
“Come with us,” said Taylor.
Jafar did not hesitate to follow them. It was a short walk to the bar, but as they entered, it took just a few seconds to hear a comment about him.
“Fucking alien spy,” one muttered.
Taylor turned and squared off against the Army corporal who had said it.
“I didn’t see you out there fighting for our freedom today. Apologise.”
“I’m sorry, Colonel. I didn’t see you there,” the man replied before sniggering slightly as his friends joined in.
“No,” added Taylor, “Don’t apologise to me, to him,” he said, pointing to Jafar.
The man looked absolutely stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing.
“Oh, yeah, I’m gonna apologise to one of them,” he replied and laughed once again.
The three of his friends found the whole situation hilarious before Taylor reached forward and grabbed him by his uniform. He held him in place and punched him in the face. He was careful this time as to go light, remembering the power of the Reitech suit and the trouble it had gotten him into before.
The Corporal recoiled before the blow, and would have dropped to the ground, were Taylor not holding him up. He clenched his nose as it gushed with blood. His friends leapt up as if to defend him but stopped when Taylor drew his pistol with his free arm and held it up at them.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Silva shouted.
“Stay out of this!” Taylor ordered.
He looked back to the soldiers who had their hands up and showed no signs of a fight.
“His name is Jafar, and you can bet your ass he’s done a whole lot more in this war than all of you put together. You don’t have the right to question his loyalty. None of us would even have made it this far without his help, so what’ll it be?”
The soldier was locked in his grip and still cupping his bloody nose.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, okay!” he yelled.
Taylor finally let go and holstered his pistol.
“Jesus, Colonel, no need to make such a big deal of it.”
“No need to make such a trivial deal of what Jafar has done, so don’t, and I won’t have to.”
They carried on to the bar while dozens around them stood silently and stared at the Colonel. As they reached the bar, they found drinks being handed to them before they could even say a word. Music soon started up, and everyone went back to their drinks.
“Walk with me,” Taylor said to Jafar.
They headed out of the group and to a quiet spot where Taylor found an ammo crate to sit on and enjoy his drink. Jafar stood waiting for him to speak. He finally grew impatient and spoke first; something he rarely did.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
Taylor took a deep breath; thinking over what he was going to say, and at last came out with it.
“Our plan is to kill Erdogan, right?”
Jafar nodded.
“What about after he’s dead? His armies will be leaderless, but what happens to the Krys?”
“Erdogan took over from Demiran, Karadag, and several other Lords from what I understand. That’s more than half of my people. They will support whoever kills Erdogan and shows himself strong enough to take his place.”
“I will kill Erdogan, but I cannot lead his people.”
Jafar looked confused and waited for him to go on.
“You can.
“You okay, Colonel?” Rains asked quietly.
He gently nodded his head, and Silva helped him to his feet.
“We came close,” said Morris.
“Not close enough,” he replied.
They stepped out of the copter to find that the sun was going down at their base. He could hear music coming from one of the bars that had been set up nearby.
“Come on, Colonel, time we got you a drink,” said Rains.
“Best idea I have heard all day, Eddie.”
As they walked away from the copter, he stopped and looked over to Jafar who had remained behind. The alien rarely joined them for their evening entertainment, as he was not usually welcome by many of the troops who gathered for such occasions.
“Come with us,” said Taylor.
Jafar did not hesitate to follow them. It was a short walk to the bar, but as they entered, it took just a few seconds to hear a comment about him.
“Fucking alien spy,” one muttered.
Taylor turned and squared off against the Army corporal who had said it.
“I didn’t see you out there fighting for our freedom today. Apologise.”
“I’m sorry, Colonel. I didn’t see you there,” the man replied before sniggering slightly as his friends joined in.
“No,” added Taylor, “Don’t apologise to me, to him,” he said, pointing to Jafar.
The man looked absolutely stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing.
“Oh, yeah, I’m gonna apologise to one of them,” he replied and laughed once again.
The three of his friends found the whole situation hilarious before Taylor reached forward and grabbed him by his uniform. He held him in place and punched him in the face. He was careful this time as to go light, remembering the power of the Reitech suit and the trouble it had gotten him into before.
The Corporal recoiled before the blow, and would have dropped to the ground, were Taylor not holding him up. He clenched his nose as it gushed with blood. His friends leapt up as if to defend him but stopped when Taylor drew his pistol with his free arm and held it up at them.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Silva shouted.
“Stay out of this!” Taylor ordered.
He looked back to the soldiers who had their hands up and showed no signs of a fight.
“His name is Jafar, and you can bet your ass he’s done a whole lot more in this war than all of you put together. You don’t have the right to question his loyalty. None of us would even have made it this far without his help, so what’ll it be?”
The soldier was locked in his grip and still cupping his bloody nose.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, okay!” he yelled.
Taylor finally let go and holstered his pistol.
“Jesus, Colonel, no need to make such a big deal of it.”
“No need to make such a trivial deal of what Jafar has done, so don’t, and I won’t have to.”
They carried on to the bar while dozens around them stood silently and stared at the Colonel. As they reached the bar, they found drinks being handed to them before they could even say a word. Music soon started up, and everyone went back to their drinks.
“Walk with me,” Taylor said to Jafar.
They headed out of the group and to a quiet spot where Taylor found an ammo crate to sit on and enjoy his drink. Jafar stood waiting for him to speak. He finally grew impatient and spoke first; something he rarely did.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
Taylor took a deep breath; thinking over what he was going to say, and at last came out with it.
“Our plan is to kill Erdogan, right?”
Jafar nodded.
“What about after he’s dead? His armies will be leaderless, but what happens to the Krys?”
“Erdogan took over from Demiran, Karadag, and several other Lords from what I understand. That’s more than half of my people. They will support whoever kills Erdogan and shows himself strong enough to take his place.”
“I will kill Erdogan, but I cannot lead his people.”
Jafar looked confused and waited for him to go on.
“You can.
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