Battle Earth: 12 Read Online Free Page A
Author: Nick S. Thomas
that was lost on Taylor who simply replied, "Good, we need it operational again ASAP."
The shuttle carrying them was one that used to do runs between the Lunar colony and Earth and had a capacity of one hundred. Windows allowed everyone aboard to see out, and it had no weapons or armour to speak of at all.
"You must have travelled in this girl more than a few times?" Silva asked Morris.
He shook his head.
"I rarely ever had a reason to go to Earth before the wars."
Silva shook his head.
"What is it?" Morris asked.
"Well, I am with the Colonel on this. I can't see why any human would want to spend their lives entirely in environmentally controlled confines with such a harsh environment outside. Wouldn't you be climbing the walls to get to some real air? Didn't you ever want to just walk on grass and rocks and enjoy all that nature has to offer?"
Morris smiled.
"You were born on Earth, so I guess it's natural you like it. To me it's just an area with too many uncertainties and variables, the weather and temperatures and constantly changing. It's hard work getting anything done when you’re contending with all that."
"So you'd go right back to the Moon if you could?"
Morris nodded slowly and let his mind slip back into a time when he still lived there. They were entering the atmosphere of Ony now with several other transports and two of the Aranui vessels who had gone in support of them. The second they had put down on the surface, Taylor was already at the door and storming out as quickly as he could, but he was soon stopped in his tracks by Major Moye.
"Glad to see you made it, Colonel. Got an official casualty list yet?"
Taylor shook his head. It was clear to them all he hadn't given their losses a second thought, and yet he didn’t regret it.
“You must have done okay,” he replied, “We didn’t see any ground reinforcements beyond the shit King landed in the middle of.”
“We paid a heavy price protecting your asses,” Moye replied sternly.
“Yeah, price ain’t all paid yet,” said Taylor, seemingly without any sympathy at all as he carried on walking past the Major. Moye turned and walked with him.
"I hate to bring this up, Colonel, but we need more recruits. We're not getting volunteers in numbers fast enough right now."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Admiral Lasure is in charge of the fleet now, but you put him there. You have a lot of say in how things go on around here."
"Talk bluntly, Major, what do you want me to do?"
"Get the Admiral to begin conscription."
Taylor stopped dead in his tracks.
"You know how long it's been since any civilised country on Earth has done that?"
"But we aren't on Earth, and neither are we a country. We're an army and a navy with a lot of civilians hanging on."
Taylor sighed and thought about it for a moment.
"You know the dangers of lowering the quality of the average fighting man when you bring that to the table?"
"I didn't say I wanted to do it, Colonel. I say we have to do it. If we don't win this, then they're dead anyway."
Taylor slowly nodded his head and looked back to Silva.
"Have them ready for 0600 tomorrow, same as before."
"Getting into a bit of a pattern, aren't we?”
"Yes, Major, a pattern of taking Erdogan's forces down piece-by-piece, and he must be feeling it by now," added Taylor.
Silva began barking his orders at the troops still disembarking from the transport. Taylor finally looked back to Moye and could see he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"I'll see what I can do. Walk with me."
Taylor carried onwards, but his first stop was to an ammo dump en route to HQ. He walked in to find a quartermaster arguing with a Lieutenant, but on seeing Taylor, they both fell silent until the quartermaster finally asked.
"What can I get you, Colonel?"
Taylor pulled out six empty magazines from his webbing and threw them down on the counter.
"Six mags and three HE grenades."
"You got it, Colonel."
Everything he had asked
The shuttle carrying them was one that used to do runs between the Lunar colony and Earth and had a capacity of one hundred. Windows allowed everyone aboard to see out, and it had no weapons or armour to speak of at all.
"You must have travelled in this girl more than a few times?" Silva asked Morris.
He shook his head.
"I rarely ever had a reason to go to Earth before the wars."
Silva shook his head.
"What is it?" Morris asked.
"Well, I am with the Colonel on this. I can't see why any human would want to spend their lives entirely in environmentally controlled confines with such a harsh environment outside. Wouldn't you be climbing the walls to get to some real air? Didn't you ever want to just walk on grass and rocks and enjoy all that nature has to offer?"
Morris smiled.
"You were born on Earth, so I guess it's natural you like it. To me it's just an area with too many uncertainties and variables, the weather and temperatures and constantly changing. It's hard work getting anything done when you’re contending with all that."
"So you'd go right back to the Moon if you could?"
Morris nodded slowly and let his mind slip back into a time when he still lived there. They were entering the atmosphere of Ony now with several other transports and two of the Aranui vessels who had gone in support of them. The second they had put down on the surface, Taylor was already at the door and storming out as quickly as he could, but he was soon stopped in his tracks by Major Moye.
"Glad to see you made it, Colonel. Got an official casualty list yet?"
Taylor shook his head. It was clear to them all he hadn't given their losses a second thought, and yet he didn’t regret it.
“You must have done okay,” he replied, “We didn’t see any ground reinforcements beyond the shit King landed in the middle of.”
“We paid a heavy price protecting your asses,” Moye replied sternly.
“Yeah, price ain’t all paid yet,” said Taylor, seemingly without any sympathy at all as he carried on walking past the Major. Moye turned and walked with him.
"I hate to bring this up, Colonel, but we need more recruits. We're not getting volunteers in numbers fast enough right now."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Admiral Lasure is in charge of the fleet now, but you put him there. You have a lot of say in how things go on around here."
"Talk bluntly, Major, what do you want me to do?"
"Get the Admiral to begin conscription."
Taylor stopped dead in his tracks.
"You know how long it's been since any civilised country on Earth has done that?"
"But we aren't on Earth, and neither are we a country. We're an army and a navy with a lot of civilians hanging on."
Taylor sighed and thought about it for a moment.
"You know the dangers of lowering the quality of the average fighting man when you bring that to the table?"
"I didn't say I wanted to do it, Colonel. I say we have to do it. If we don't win this, then they're dead anyway."
Taylor slowly nodded his head and looked back to Silva.
"Have them ready for 0600 tomorrow, same as before."
"Getting into a bit of a pattern, aren't we?”
"Yes, Major, a pattern of taking Erdogan's forces down piece-by-piece, and he must be feeling it by now," added Taylor.
Silva began barking his orders at the troops still disembarking from the transport. Taylor finally looked back to Moye and could see he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"I'll see what I can do. Walk with me."
Taylor carried onwards, but his first stop was to an ammo dump en route to HQ. He walked in to find a quartermaster arguing with a Lieutenant, but on seeing Taylor, they both fell silent until the quartermaster finally asked.
"What can I get you, Colonel?"
Taylor pulled out six empty magazines from his webbing and threw them down on the counter.
"Six mags and three HE grenades."
"You got it, Colonel."
Everything he had asked
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