Krump looked at Jack and then back at Pan. ‘But I can see why the Captain is using such a tactic against an enemy that has demonstrated a tendency to aaa, lie. We will have to study this lying more.’
“I could just go over and shoot his ass Captain.” Red said. “While those damn Mechs are down being worked on they cannot stop me with only lasers.”
Jack shook his head. “No Red, I know how wearing Mech weapons with all the power you are carrying makes you feel omnipotent but believe me, a mass attack by overwhelming numbers would bring you down easily. Not to mention your eyes are a week spot to lasers not to mention your suit is just a normal suit and would be cut to ribbons leaving you naked. Then I would not have a Godchild to bounce on my knee. No, I won’t chance it besides they will be coming for us shortly if I played my hand right and we will have the protection of the Redoubt and their four to one numbers won’t matter as much.”
The Sargent chuckled again. “Sounds like a good Plan Captain. From what I know of the Commodore he is fuming as he turns into a hurricane of hate. That is if he pulls his normal crap. He would have done us in long ago for refusing to help him slaughter half of his and the other ship’s crew. We have had to be very careful over the last 6 months to stay out of his hair and alive. But he knew that if he took us on directly we would slaughter half his crew leaving few crewmen to take the other ship with.”
Jack smiled as he looked at the line of half-naked women milling around the compound as they waited to join the line headed down the shaft. “Hopefully Sargent. So now we wait and see. Make sure everyone is ready to dive down the shaft if I give the command. I am hoping we can thin the non-mech crewmen out some before we have to face them on the hull.” Turning to Pan. “Please pass my orders to the Gronks to move the aliens back down as close to the lower end of the ship as possible in a defensible position like a hold without killing any more of the armed security forces than needed for their safety and without risking their lives. Pan. Oh and while you are at it, tell them that they are Captain Glen’s crewmen now and that they should give him all the respect and obedience they have given me. You also need to make sure the shaft is clean of all traces of us using that damn hatch to the Engine control room and bow before you close the hatch behind you Pan. I don’t want anyone even thinking we used that hatch for anything if they manage to follow us down.” Taking a breath as he looked at Krump. “You sure you won’t follow Pan, Krump?”
“You need one of us up here to keep an eye on you Captain just like you need Pan on the bridge for when the other boats arrive. Have I not proven myself as an acceptable warrior?”
“Yes it is just that you should not have to risk your life for human stupidity.”
“It has been almost 10,000 years since a Dumont has been able to prove himself in combat. If I die today it will be for my Captain as well as my people. We have been letting others slaughter us without fighting back for far too long and it stops today. For the honor of those Dumont’s that follow me in the future. For without the possibility of death there is no honor in killing.” Krump saluted and turned away as Pan dropped down the shaft.
As Pan and Krump turned to hurrying refugees down the shaft Jack turned to Red. “You will get your Chance red. Just stay close.” Turning to the hallow projection of Captain Glenn. “I will be losing you shortly when the last of the refugees joins you and Pan closes the shaft hatch. Anything you need or questions?”
“No Captain.” The Commander thought for a second and then. “The Gronks will follow my orders simply because Pan tells them to?”
“They cannot even think that she would pass on false orders from me nor would she. They live for defending and taking ships. Follow their advice and they will win your battles for you Captain. They can start taking your ship back and defending it even before you finely breach into the rest of the ship. You will definitely need them if my reinforcements are late or simply do not show up.”
“Captain Turner! They are attacking in mass!” Jack’s comm sounded.
Looking up at the mass of laser shot suddenly streaming across the top of the Redoubt, Jack glanced back at the Captain. “Damn he really must be a little pissed at me. You are definitely going to need those Gronks. Especially if the Damn Commodore and self-proclaimed King wins and wipes us out in the next half hour. Good luck Captain Glenn. It has been an honor knowing you and your crewmen. Out.” Jack cut the feed and the Captain disappeared.
“Everyone to your positions. And get those refugees down the damn shaft now!” Jack yelled at everyone in the compound of the Redoubt. The ladder was full going to the top deck since they were no longer trying to pull the whole over the Commander’s eye. Except Jack realized that he should have given the order to deploy the men as soon as he had pissed off the Commodore instead of waiting.
Mad at himself as the adrenalin started to flow, Jack started to run for the ladder. Pushing off hard to get his heavy armored suit and himself moving Jack found himself flying through the air over the line of refugees headed for the shaft. Shocked, Jack looked down at his leg to see the sole of his boot extended down about 3 feet on a narrow shaft from each side of his boots ankles to his boots soles. All thought of running had deserted him as the thought of crashing to the deck face first flashed through his mind and he brought his legs back under him flailing his arms to keep himself upright and suddenly he saw the sole on his other leg extend out just before he hit the deck. The extended boot soles absorbed the impact bringing him to a quick stop solidly on the deck and the line of troops waiting to climb the ladder.
The trooper at the bottom stood back to let him climb but Jack just waved him up the ladder. Stepping back away from the ladder, Jack looked at the top of the stacked storage containers and squatted a couple of times as he stared. “Damn. I hope this works or I am going to look pretty stupid.” Jack pushed off as hard as he could as if he was in a Zero Gee football game back on the Turner Joy. Not that he had ever played ZG Football that much. His coordination when he was younger was terrible. But he loved Zero Gee Chase with the few friends he had.
Jack sailed up almost hitting the overhead with laser fire flashing past on all sides of him. As he started down he was sure he was going to fly right over the top of the entire container wall and back down to the deck in front of the advancing enemy and all that fire. He finally dropped down to hit the forward edge of the platform just behind the foam armored wall with his extended legs taking the impact and realized that none of the shots were hitting the wall itself or anyone up there as the line of troops climbing the ladder quickly ran to their assigned positions.
Jack watched the three ranks of black suited troops running toward the Redoubt with the line of troops following the front some 50 feet back shooting any stragglers in the back. His Red Troops started taking a toll as the lines rapidly closed.
“Seize fire! Everyone Stop firing!”
The Sargent joined him. “What Captain? They are going to overrun us is we stop shooting them.”
“Damn it Sargent. The front rank are just cannon fodder. They are not even aiming at us.” A beam hit the armored wall next to Jack. “Well most of the time. Stop firing. That is an order Sargent.”
The Sargent screamed into his comm and the firing from the top of the redoubt seized.
“Open the Gate Sargent and let them in.”
“Shit Captain! Are you crazy?’
“Have our troops lining the insides top and bottom with their weapons ready but let them in. the Refugees are on the opposite side of the Shaft so they should be ok if they just lay down for a few minutes.”
The Sargent looked at Jack as if he was crazy but turned and started issuing orders. The remaining troops at the bottom started running to spread out around the edges.
Jack watched the rapidly approaching mass for a few seconds then stepped back and grabbed the Sargent’s shoulder. “Have all the troops on the outer wall start firing at the second ranks who are driving the first rank toward us until the first
rank starts entering the compound then split the line and leave the thumpers to me.” Jack stepped back to the wall and started firing his Assault Blaster at the second rank and was quickly joined by the rest on the wall including the heavy machineguns. Tapping his comm. “Thumpers, drop riot gas on the second rank if you please. Three rounds then frags until I tell you to stop.”
The second line of troops quickly turned orange and then the frags started going off and the second line quickly disintegrated as they started turning back toward the third rank.
Jack turned to the Sargent who was firing from beside him. “You have a comm that can talk to the troops below. Tell them to sling their weapons, put their hands over their heads and come into the compound and they will live.”
The Sargent gave Jack another crazy look but hit his comm and repeated Jack’s message while adding a few words of his own. The firing from the first rank seized except for a few shots amongst the rank itself that left half a dozen bodies behind he as they turned to run toward the Gate on the side closest to and facing the core.
The retreating second rank merged with the third line taking the laser fire and grenade blasts with devastating results and suddenly the third rank was retreating as fast as the second. Bodies dead and crawling were left behind with few attempts to help the wounded in the panic.
“You can split the wall now Sargent.” Jack said as the first of the Black troops started into the compound. They continued to fire at the retreating troops until they were out of sight. The trail of bodies thinning as their speed increased with fewer on the wall firing at them.
Turning Jack stepped to the inside as the Black troops flooded in ringed by Red suits. “Sargent, line them up along the far side as they come in. Shoot anyone that does not comply or takes off.” They soon had almost a hundred Blacksuits lined up around part of one side.
Jack started for the ladder but realized that was not half as cool as how he had gotten up there. Looking down at the deck below. “Damn. I hope this works.” Grimacing as he locked the Assault blaster in the cradle on his back, Jack stepped off and braced himself as he plunged toward an empty area on the deck below. His legs extended just before he hit absorbing the drop bringing him to a smooth stop on the deck. ‘Damn that was fun. I am going to have to do that again.’ Jack told himself as he stepped to the last one in the Black suited line with their backs against the container bulkhead at the now closed Gate.
Jack placed his hand on the guys shoulder and stared at him for a few seconds then shoved him toward the paint cart. “Get your suit painted over there, follow Olson’s directions.” Then stepped to the next one in line and did the same.
The 13th man he started shaking his head. “Did you really shoot two guys in the line before coming in here because they recognized you for the traitor spy you are?”
The man simply looked at Jack as hater grew on face. “So what. You can’t do anything about it you puke faced kid. I was following orders to turn in anyone that spoke against the Commodore or tried to run.”
You were amongst the other front line troops that we were supposed to kill and giving the other troops time to get to our gate and blast it open so they could kill us all. I can’t believe you were willing to die for that maniac.”
“Hell no. I kept behind others to keep from being shot. Besides how can I kill those that run if I am in the lead?”
“Oh yes so why kill the two that recognized you?”
“How the hell am I supposed to get in to kill you and get rich if all those ass holes had to do was point me out once we got inside.” Looking around at the others. “I will find out who squealed and do the same to them even if I have to kill most of you to find the one.” He said bellowing for all to hear.
Jack shook his head as he turned to the Sargent that had taken a few minutes to get off the top of the containers. “Send a squad out to check for wounded including the guys he shot. I think one of them may still be alive. This spy is a lousy shot even at point blank range.”
The man got a superior look in his face as his eyes sparkled. Jack had seen that look in his brother’s eyes many times when he was getting ready to beat him. Even though the man did not talk to himself warning Jack, when the guys hand moved to his belt, Jack’s hand moved catching the guy’s wrist as he pulled the knife with the blade pointing down from his palm. Jack heard the buzz of the micronic blade coming to life. Jack grabbed the guys elbow with his other hand as the guy raised the knife chest high to plunge it into Jack’s chest. Jack pinched the guy’s wrist allowing him to turn the blade held like a vice in the murdering spy’s hand toward the man’s own chest. With the help of the hand he had on the assassins elbow, Jack just leaned into him with his body weight plunging the micronic blade in through the man’s chest armor as if it was cloth and through his heart.
The Assassin’s eyes grew wide in disbelief as blood started coming out of his mouth. Jack quickly stepped backed leaving him still standing against the containers side with the knife sticking out of his chest.
Jack stepped to the next man as the assassin’s eyes followed him. His hand still on the hilt of the knife he had tried to kill Jack with. The assassin slowly fell over forward as Jack concentrated on the next guy in line that watched the assassin hit the deck driving what air he had left out of his lungs spewing blood across the deck behind Jack. Leaving the body humped up at the chest propped up by the blade’s hilt. The still active blade starting to burn the trapped flesh inside of the suit.
Putting his hand on the man’s shoulder Jack said. “Relax, no harm will come to you if you do not lie to me.” Then Jack simply stared at him without asking him any questions. A few seconds later Jack pointed to the paint carts and said. “Get painted and welcome aboard Sam.” Then continued down the line.
As Jack finished, leaving a small group of men stripped and bound outside the gate a few feet down the container, the Sargent came up to Jack. “You keep this up and we will outnumber the Commodore’s men in no time Captain. I just hope you are right about the ones you kept.”
“How many wounded did you get?”
“The medics took a couple dozen up to Sickbay from the front line on our side. They are out collecting the wounded up by the Commodore’s end of the Bay now. They are doing triose in the bay leaving the ones they can’t save in place and without drugs which is no worse than those going to the Sick Bay. They won’t get drugs either because the Commodore is keeping them for himself in the future.” Though from what I can see, most of the ones they are leaving on that end do not look that bad but are known to be the Commodore’s enforcers or have openly killed people.”
Jack heard a short burst of cannon fire and was up on the container top grating in seconds. Another burst of cannon fire streaked out chopping up a wounded man trying to crawl toward the Commodore’s end of the Bay.
The Sargent joined Jack a minute later only a little winded as one by one the living wounded were blasted by cannon fire. Several of the wounded started firing toward the Commodore King’s end as they tried to hide behind other bodies only to have the laser canons vaporize both bodies. The Sargent continued. “The Commodore does like his live targets. Most of the medics did not even get close to the bad ones as they took the others out even though I could hear the ass holes threatening to kill them if they didn’t take them ahead of the others.” The Sargent smiled. Once the regular crew were out, the medics just stopped going back.”
The prisoners they had put out of the Redoubt suddenly came out from the side running toward the Commodore’s side. “Damn.” Jack said. “The last thing we need is for them to make it back to the Commodore to report.” Jack raised his weapon sight down it at the fleeing men for a few second but lowered it. “Oh well, I hope it won’t make that much difference.”
“Don’t worry Captain. If I know the Commodore, you don’t have to worry about them telling the commodore anything.”
Jack looked at the Sargent and then back at the fleeing men just as several cannons
started firing at them from around the core tearing them to pieces leaving body parts scattered across the deck. Not one made it past half way there. Even the one that had turned to run back got cut down as two cannons concentrated on him.
“Damn Sargent, did you let them go because you knew this would happen?”
“No sir. Fact is, I had them double tied because I knew this would happen.” Shaking his head. “There was no way I could scan them for small knives since the Commodore has all the scanners which is why I insisted in putting them out where they could do no harm. They could have done all kinds of damage inside here with even one weapon before we killed them and I bet they had several between them.”
Jack looked at the Sargent. “OK. You are the only marine squad on this ship after taking on what, two or three other crews. What happened to the rest?”
The Commodore sent them all over to the Paprika when to keep an eye on the aliens. He did not trust the aliens or even want them on his ship. My luck of the draw my squad stayed here. The surviving marines have been a pain in his butt ever since we got stranded here and the main reason he has not been able to take the Paprika.”
“So why aren’t you over with the Commodore instead of here? I would think as a marine you would be with your Captain.”
The Sargent smiled at Jack. “Marines are taught to think and overcome with a code of conduct. We are not the mind numb robots the Army is that can’t wipe their own buts without orders.” Jack gave the Sargent a baffled look as the Sgt. Slapped Jack’s shoulder. Disgust welled up into the Sargent’s mind flooding Jack with all the details of a trapped marine platoon on a forward deployed hill top getting the shit knocked out of them with an Army hilltop fire support base camp with troops and artillery the marines could see in the distance. The Army Commander refused to send troops, or fire artillery support from their guns the marines could see or even send ammunition without orders from higher command. The Marines were about to be overrun when the marines on the next outposts down the line to each side (without orders), sent half their troops over to help. A section of Marine artillery landed in the middle of the Army outpost and quickly set up and started pounding the attackers while the Army sat on their proverbial butts watching and waiting for orders. After the attack was repelled, then the Army started shelling the approaches to the outpost.
Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer) Page 54
