Battle Earth: 12 Read Online Free PDF

sustainable force for our attacks on Earth."
    Lasure was even more shocked than White had been.
    "What do you think, General?" Lasure asked.
    "It doesn't matter what I think. This is a numbers game. They have more. We've got tens of thousands of military personnel fighting for our survival, and we've got probably hundreds of thousands of fit and able civilians who would be able to fight."
    "And you need my authority to issue such an edict? You know if I do this we could have full-scale riots, mutinies, and unrest on our hands? It's not just about those civilians. How do you think our crews will feel having their families and loved ones asked to go to war?"
    "I think they'd understand by now," replied Taylor quickly.
    Lasure laughed. "Understand? Plenty of people haven't been all that understanding of my sudden promotion. How do you think it would go down if I tried this? I could be deposed within a day."
    "Then don't."
    Lasure looked confused by the General’s response.
    "The Colonel here is our poster boy. Let him take it to them. He gets shot down for it, and we carry on as is. They accept it, and you pass the edict without any problems. You can't lose on this one, Admiral."
    Lasure thought for a moment, then turned his attention back to Taylor.
    "And you’re happy doing this? Happy forcing civilians into this fight?"
    "They seem happy to let us fight and die for them, so yes. Every fit man and woman not in a protected profession should already have signed up. But if they haven't, then we'll have to give them a bit of a push."
    "And you think they'll go along with being forced?"
    "Maybe forcing them isn't the way, but shaming them? What if I could make those people suitable actually want to come forward and sign up?"
    "I don't see how. They've lost so much. Wanting to go and fight such a vicious enemy does not sound appealing."
    "You leave that to me. Get me an open line to everyone in this fleet. I mean everywhere. Every ship, shuttle, and screen that exists."
    "That's not a problem; a priority broadcast can be initiated in ten seconds with my authorisation."
    "Then do it, Admiral."
    "Right now?"
    Taylor nodded.
    "Seven missions in seven days, Colonel, don't you think some rest and time to prep this might be a good idea?"
    "Yes it would, General, but if time were on our side, we'd do a great many things differently."
    White couldn't disagree.
    “You will be live with the fleet in five seconds, Colonel,” said Lasure.
    Taylor looked to the screen to see a countdown. He expected his pulse to rise as the pressure mounted, but he felt nothing. He watched it count down to three…two…one. The screen simply displayed how he looked to all that would be seeing him on screens, and a message at the top of the screen that read ‘live’ in red letters. There were no prompts at all until Moye finally nudged him in the back. He coughed to clear his throat and righted his posture before looking dead centre into the screen.
    “I am Colonel Mitch Taylor of the Inter-Allied Regiment. I am here for just one reason, so please hear me out. Over the last few years I have seen those serving with and beside me achieve incredible results, but at a phenomenal price. I think probably three quarters of the friends I had before we encountered alien life have now lost their lives. For those out there not currently serving in the military, we have done this for you as much as we have for ourselves.”
    He looked to White for some kind of indication of his thoughts, but he was blank, so he went back to the screen.
    “A good number of you have volunteered for service, but not nearly enough. I am here to tell you that whatever life you have now; it cannot last without your intervention in this war. A good many of you work in professions that we need to support everything we do, but there are still thousands, probably hundreds of thousands who could serve. Those of us who fight are too few. Some of the officers I know want to begin conscription,