The old soldier watched the barren wasteland in front of his position. It was early in the morning and a thick blanket of smog and fog has covered the land before him. It made for an eerie, silent morning. Sure, the world had been silent since Judgment Day, but today was different. It was almost maddening.

Down the line, Derek heard a couple of soldiers whispering to each other. After a few seconds, they begin snickering and chuckling. Moving quietly up the line, Derek moves right behind them.

"Something you wish to share with the rest of us?" Derek asked.

Both soldier jump slightly.

"No sir." One of them says quickly. "We're just trying to keep good moral."

"Tell me," Derek said as he looked out into the fog. "How far can you see?"

The other soldier took a look over is shoulder before responding. "I can't see to far out there. Fog's too thick."

"Then I suggest you spend a little less time making jokes and a little more time watching out for the enemy. We are at war and this…this is the front lines now. If you want to live, you have best keep your wits about you."

"Yes, sir." They both said at the same time.

Derek licked his lips and then moved back to where Alison and Kyle were waiting. As he moved along the line, young and old soldiers duck slightly. Derek shook his head. These people were scared. Hell, he was scared too. The difference between him and those on this line was that Derek knew the plan. All they had to do was hold the Machines back long enough for John to make it home. He had to give his nephew a fighting chance.

"You are a bit uptight today." Kyle said as he rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm up.

"We are about to have our asses handed to us because these soldiers are more occupied with a good chuckle then repelling what is coming." Derek said as he adjusted the earpiece that connected to his radio.

"No." Alison said as she ran a rag over her rifle in an attempt to keep it clean. "There is something that you are not telling us. You forget, LT. We have been fighting alongside you for a long time."

"Alison." Derek snapped. "I need you both to refer to me as 'General' from now on. If I am going to make these soldier follow me into battle, they need to see me as a general, not a LT."

"Sorry." Kyle said with a smile. "It is just hard to remember that my big brother is all fancy now."

Derek rolled his eyes and moved towards the earthworks. He moved so that he was standing with his head just slightly above them. The fog and smog was starting to lift. Finally, a stroke of luck.

"Come on." Alison said as she moved to stand next to him. "What is going on? What are you worried about?"

"It is John." Derek said finally.

"John?" Kyle asked. "Our John? John Connor?"

"You have no idea how true that is." Derek said as he continued to scan the horizon. "Turns out, he is related to us."

"Related? How?" Kyle asked.

"I don't understand it all right now. I just know he is related to us. To make it worse, he isn't even from this time."

"What do you mean?" Alison asked.

"Do you remember those rumors about five or six years ago? The rumors that Command was investigating Time Displacement? Turns out those weren't just rumors. I guess that the Machines have sent terminators into the past to help them gain an upper hand in this war. John came here from the past. We can stop this war from happening but only if we can get John back. That means holding the enemy here and now." Derek could see something flashing just inside the dead trees that marked the edge of the camp. "Kyle, they are here. Move to your sector and tell them to keep an eye on the trees. This is going to get ugly real quick, but we have to hold. For John."

"Roger that, brother." Kyle said as he turned and began jogging down the line.

Derek watched him go before turning back to Alison. "Stay close to me. I am going to need you before too much longer."

The first of the T-600s began moving onto the wasteland that should have been littered with mines, explosives and tripwires. Just as they feared, the tin cans were moving unmolested across the land.

Derek pushed the button on the mic that was attached to his throat. "This is Reese. I need artillery directed at the field right before my position, I have T-600s moving move to engaged my line."

"Copy that." Ellison's voice sounded. "Directing artillery now."

It wasn't long before Derek could hear the whistling sound of the artillery shells above him. He watched as the front lines of the terminators were blown to shreds. After a minute, the shelling slowed and then stopped.

"All officers." Derek said into his mic. "Hold your fire. We are limited on our resources so make every shot count. Hold…Hold…" Derek licked his lips as he lifted his rifle. "Light them up!"

The order was quickly passed and a roar sounded from Derek's line. Derek pushed himself up against he earthworks and began picking his targets. With each squeeze of the trigger, Derek dropped another Machine. Derek thought that they might just be able to hold when an HK tank moved onto the field. The first round it fired exploded just feet from Derek. He felt the force of the explosion lift him into the air and throw him back into the trenches. He landed hard on his side and felt something crush under his weight.

"Derek!" Alison was kneeling next to him.

"I'm alright." Derek said as he sat up. "Damn. The radio."

"What about it?" Alison asked as she helped him to his feet.

"I landed on it. Shit!" He moved back to the earthworks and looked out. "We are not going to be able to hold here for long. We are going to need to redeploy some of our forces. Alison, run back to Command. Let them know what is going on here. I am going to try and meet up with the officers and redress our lines. There is too much confusion. Ask Command for their orders and get me another radio. Go!"

Alison nodded before she took off at a run. The trenches were a maze of fortifications designed to give the Resistance every advantage once the Machines breached the line. He could only see Alison for a few seconds before she turned a corner and vanished into the maze.

Derek picked up his rifle and took a deep breath. He looked out at the battlefield again. It looked like they were holding the Machines off for the time being, but it wouldn't be long before the tin cans deployed more T-600s and HK's onto the field. He needed to get the troops on his eastern flank to move down the line and re-enforce this sector or it was going to be lost long before John could get home.