“Morrison, you ok?”
“I’ll be ok, but I’m out of this fight, Sir,” he spluttered.
Kaufman could see blood beginning to seep out from the hole in Morrison’s suit, it was at least lucky that they were in a zone where a breach in his suit didn’t have any major effect. He knew that the former soldier was putting on a brave face, but there was little they could do for him at that moment.
Barski peered around the corner, he could see three men huddled behind an improvised defensive barrier across the corridor. Then the machine gun open fire and bullets tore through the wall beside him.
“Three hostiles,” said Max.
Kaufman pulled a stun grenade from his belt and twisted the firing pin to activate it. He nodded to Barski to confirm that he was ready. He tossed the grenade down the corridor, a hail of bullets narrowly missing him in return. As he jumped back behind the corner wall a huge flash erupted, illuminating the entire corridor for a few moments.
“Go!”
The four men charged down the corridor, they couldn’t yet see their targets. Kaufman took a running jump over the barricade that was almost shoulder height, he tumbled over it, half landing on one of the defenders and rolling over and back onto his feet. One of the men lifted his automatic pistol and began firing wildly, two of the bullets bounced off Kaufman’s armour as three others smashed into one of the gang members, killing him instantly.
Kaufman made no attempt to disarm the man peacefully, he raised his rifle and put two rounds in his chest, instantly neutralising him. He turned to see Barski slamming his rifle stock into the third man who was still stunned from the grenade.
“Denver, come in!”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Morrison is down, bring your team in now to assist him, he is at my current location.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Kaufman walked up to the wounded man who was clearly in pain and lying against the bulkhead of the side corridor.
“Denver’s team are on their way to you, but we have to keep moving.”
“I know, do it. Go!”
The wounded soldier picked up his rifle in readiness of any villains who may stray his way. Kaufman turned and led his team on. They hated having to leave a wounded colleague behind, but Eric was proud of his crew for being so devoted to their work. In the distance he could hear regular gunfire, so they were all closing in on the central base of the Gadson Gang who were putting up a hell of a fight.
Continuing on through another two corridors they were rapidly making their way through the superstructure of the vessel and heading for the dining halls. It was not surprising that they would be amassed there, as it was a likely area that any group would set up their living space, being close to all the facilities they needed and with plenty of room. Barski hit the door button and the old doors levered open, their position immediately being hit by numerous automatic weapons and forcing them to dig in.
“Davis, report,” said Kaufman into his intercom.
“Four enemy down, we are at the starboard side entrance to the central dining hall where we have met major resistance.”
“Lin, what’s your status?” asked Kaufman.
“Two enemy down, one friendly wounded, we are on the top floor making our way towards you.”
“Do you need medical assistance?”
“Negative.”
“Do you have any explosives left, Lin?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“We need to breach this room and we are pinned down at both entrances. Check the schematics, I want you to blast and enter through the roof exactly in the centre of the room, you’ll be coming down right on top of a fortified position.”
“We’ll get to it,” she replied.
Kaufman and Barski stood either side of the doorway. Every few moments they snuck around the opening and let off a few shots towards the enemy position. They had amassed substantial barricades in the room, fifty metres from the entrance doorway.
“Denver, have you reached Morrison yet?” asked Kaufman.
“We’re in the docking bay now and on the way.”
“Do what you can, out.”
Kaufman reached around to take a few more shots at the defences when he was shocked to see a huge shoulder mounted device aimed at the doorway. Before he could warn his team the weapon fired and a huge projectile soared through the open doorway and hit the wall behind him, causing an almighty explosion. Kaufman was thrown against the wall like a ragdoll and stunned momentarily. A few seconds later he began to regain his composure and got to his knees.
Barski was still unconscious the other side of the hallway but appeared unharmed. Lopez was staggering to get to his feet, while Weber was lifeless on the ground. Kaufman staggered over to the man, two bullets ricocheting from his armour as he crossed the opening. He hauled the man back and out of the way, he was still breathing, but his suit was smashed and he had a number of wounds.
“Denver, we have another man down, send someone forward!”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Lin, I need that breach now!”
Kaufman lifted himself back upright but he could feel an immense pain in his right leg, looking down at his suit a piece of shrapnel had imbedded in his upper leg, and a shard of metal protruded from his right arm. He could still move and fight, simply doing his best to ignore the pain. As he turned back to the open doorway Barski was rousing. Before he could ask about his friend a massive explosion rang out through the ship. A dust cloud filled the corridor as Kaufman realised that Lin’s team had made their move.
“Breach, breach, breach!” he shouted into the comms.
He rushed through the entrance to the huge dust filled room with gunfire already all around. Lopez staggered through with him. They could just make out the shapes of Lin’s team descending from the upper level using their MILAL suit boosters, firing as they came down. The gang members were scattering in all directions, firing wildly. Kaufman raised his rifle and shot the first two in sight, instant kills.
Davis’ team stormed in from the starboard side doorway, firing as they moved, the gang members were being riddled with bullets. Morel took a bullet from an assault rifle through the collarbone, and instantly fell to the floor. Nobody had time to attend to him, doing all that they could to remove the threat around them. Machine gun fire from another mounted weapon rang out and three of the bullets smashed into Kaufman’s rifle.
The high calibre rounds ripped through his assault rifle, destroying it immediately. It was only fortunate that the weapon slowed the rounds before impacting on his body armour. He was knocked off his feet and landed hard on the ground. He quickly rolled over and got up behind the shelter of several stacked crates.
Peering around the corner of his cover, he could see the familiar shape of Maric. The vicious gang leader was looking at the carnage surrounding him, realising that the fight was lost. He turned tail and ran through a breach in the wall allowing him to exit into another part of the ship. Kaufman looked over to the other side of the room and could see that the machine gunner was still blazing away, but before he could say a word the man was hit in the crossfire of two of the IBI teams.
A few shots still rang out around the room as his officers continued to fight, but Kaufman took the opportunity to make a run for the breach Maric had run through. It was a long corridor that only went one way, the other being a small storage cupboard at the end of the hallway. He just caught sight of movement at a turn at the end of the corridor and gave quick pursuit.
Kaufman reached the end and saw Maric in plain view. He was running and partly hobbling down the long corridor, desperately trying to find a way out. He could see that he’d been hit in the leg at some point during the firefight.
“Maric! Stop right there!” shouted Kaufman.
The man froze, he knew that he couldn’t outrun Kaufman’s gun. He stood upright, still with his back to Kaufman. He had a rifle or shotgun in his hands, but it was lowered.
“Drop the weapo
n, now!”
Kaufman had his handgun raised and aimed at the centre body mass of his target. The gunfire in the distance was already becoming far less frequent, the corridor being a quiet and tension filled situation. Kaufman had been waiting for this moment since the very beginning of his new job.
“Put the weapon down!” he shouted.
Maric slowly turned to face Kaufman. He was wearing a simple thermo suit and mask, no body armour at all. He stared at the bedraggled officer with a grin. Kaufman instinctively pulled the trigger on his pistol and fired a quick succession of three rounds dead centre into the villain’s chest. Anton’s face turned to a look of shock and horror as he dropped to his knees and slumped lifelessly to the deck.
Kaufman had not even considered whether or not to pull the trigger, but he didn’t regret it for a second. Nothing good could come of Maric being alive. It would only waste valuable police and court resources. More than that, with such a high profile, it was likely that any surviving associates would do their utmost to free him. There was no doubt in Kaufman’s mind that the colonies were a safer and better place without him.
Footsteps grew nearer from the direction that Kaufman had run from. He turned to see Barski coming towards him. His old friend looked down the corridor at the body of the man they had been so desperately chasing since it all began. It was obvious he suspected that Kaufman had fired without provocation, but he didn’t care and only wished he could have shot the bastard himself.
“Casualties?” asked Kaufman.
“Looks like five of ours wounded, two severely, no dead yet. Nineteen of the gang dead, nine wounded, the rest secure.”
“Fine, get Singh to put the ship down nearby.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Denver, I want you to evac all wounded to Europa immediately.”
Kaufman walked up the corridor to where Maric lay. He kicked his body over to be certain he was dead. One of the shots had gone straight to his heart, it was certain that he was a goner. Kaufman still felt no remorse for the kill, but was glad that he ended the villain with as little pain as possible.
* * *
Sitting in the room of carnage where bodies still scattered the floor, Lin patched up Kaufman’s wounds. He was fortunate that they were relatively minor, a combination of luck and some quite incredible body armour. His helmet was on the table beside him, they had sectioned off the ship to maintain air throughout the zones that were still sealed.
“Hey, Max, walk with me,” said Kaufman.
He got to his feet, his leg wound was only partially hindering his movement. They went out of the halls where the battle had taken place and to a side corridor. Kaufman stopped to look out through a broad window, the view of which stretched across the coarse surface of Ganymede. In the distance he could just see the huge industrial mining structures and the silhouettes of the vessels going to and from them.
“You know why this location was so perfect for the gang, Max?”
“It’s secluded, nobody cares about it.”
“Exactly. Look at all the bureaucratic crap we have had to deal with over the last few weeks, even years. We were at our best when we didn’t have to wade through the red tape.”
“Yeah, nice when a job is over though.”
Kaufman turned to his friend, a puzzled expression on his face.
“This isn’t over, it has only just begun. The Gadson Gang was one of the worst, we have won a key victory here, but we weren’t setup purely to counter just one outfit. We have only justified our existence, the Senator will be keen to continue our funding and operations.”
“So we’re destined to live our lives on the highways of the Solar System?”
“Maybe not. This location has proven how valuable it is to be away from society, able to act independently; I think we just found our new home.”
Kaufman’s intercom cut in.
“Sir, I have Commander Denton on the line for you,” said Singh.
“Put him through.”
“Lieutenant Kaufman, I am getting reports of a major battle on the surface of Ganymede, and our systems show that is your current location, what is your status?”
“The Gadson Gang was based at this location, we identified and breached it. All members of the gang are accounted for, dead or alive.”
“What about Anton Maric?”
“He died in the battle, Sir.”
“Bloody well done! You have done sterling work, Lieutenant. I am pleased to see that we chose the correct man for the job! I will pass on the news to the Senator and President personally. I assume you’ll be heading back to Earth shortly?”
“Actually, Sir, no. We were setup to fight crime across the colonies, and yet we have seen nothing but interference from various parties at every turn. If this outfit is to continue, we need a base of operations outside the reach of corruption and politicians.”
“What are you suggesting, Lieutenant?”
“Sir, we are a new kind of Starforce, we play by a wholly new set of rules, and we get results. The Gadson Gang was wise in choosing this location as their base of operations, but we have now seized it under IBI authority. I am saying that this is our new home.”
“This is what you want? To live and work on a freezing cold moon?”
“It’s not what I want, Sir, it’s what has been asked of us. When you recruited me you wanted a man who knew what was best for the job, I am only pursuing that task.”
“That land belongs to the Europa Colony, they will not take kindly to having an Earth maintained outfit on their soil.”
“Quite frankly I couldn’t care what they are happy with, we’re here now, and God help anyone who dares stand in our way. The IBI just made its mark on history, and we’re here to stay. Commander, do whatever you have to do, Starforce Ganymede is founded right here and now, and our work begins today!”
* * *
Four days later Kaufman’s teams were hard at work on the old colony ship, along with a number of civilian contractors they had recruited from Europa. Much of the repairs were done, but there was still a lot to do to refit the base for their task. Three of the five wounded officers were back on light duties, the other two making a full recovery.
“Sir, I’m getting a landing request from Starship One,” said Denver over the comms.
Barski shot a look up to Kaufman in shock.
“Is this really happening?”
Kaufman ran to the viewing deck that had recently been repaired and stared out into space. Lights fluttered above their position as he could see ten ships hovering overhead, the Presidential ship along with police and military escorts.
“Clear them for landing immediately! Everyone to the docking bay now!” shouted Kaufman.
All the crew aboard rushed to the bow of the ship knowing how important the situation was. They lined up in the pressurised translucent room at the rear of the docking area as the hatches opened, waiting for the ships to pass through and doors shut before they could walk freely without suits.
The Presidential ship was a luxury yacht-like vessel, not unlike the model which Kaufman’s team had been issued. It was escorted by two small military craft, between them filling the docking bay completely. The red lights of the bay flashed as the three came into land. Finally the doors clamped shut and the flashing light turned to a green beacon as the room was pressurised and filled with air, until it finally dimmed down.
Kaufman stepped into into the main docking area, followed by his crew, as the ramp to the Presidential craft lowered. They lined up before the vessel as a number of security staff walked down from the three ships. There was no big introduction or ceremony. Within seconds the President appeared through the doorway and walked down the ramp to greet them. The IBI officers stood in a line, shocked to see the President and unsure of how to act.
“Mr Kaufman!” shouted the President.
He walked straight up to Eric and shook his hand.
“Damn fine job, son, you have the gratitude of all t
he colonies and myself included!”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“I was hoping that you’d return to Earth where we could honour you properly, but Commander Denton tells me you wish to stay here and set up base, is that right?”
“Yes, Mr President.”
“Senator Wilks isn’t too happy about that, but I can tell you this, if you want it, you got it. I have told Wilks to get you whatever the hell you want. Damn fine work you did here, I will trust you and that you know what you’re doing.”
“Thank you, Mr President.”
“Well done again. I am sorry to say I have to leave you boys now, duty calls. I have some medals on the way for you all, I can assure you, as well as the official recognition of your promotion, Captain. Good luck, and thank you all.”
Kaufman and his officers stepped back into the contained environment from where they had watched the arrival of the President just moments before.
“What the hell just happened?” asked Barski.
“We were just given free rein to act as we see fit. We just became the most powerful law enforcement agency in the System.”
“I guess this calls for a celebration?”
Kaufman turned to his old friend with a smile.
“I have the beer en route as we speak.”
The IBI teams broke out into a cheer as Kaufman watched the President’s ship soar out of the docking bay. They had entered a wholly new chapter in all their lives, and Kaufman had finally found his calling, Starforce Ganymede.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Starforce Ganymede Page 20
