Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  "Well he doesn't need your help doing it Ensign! If you ass wipes would have made it out onto the platform with him I would be charging you 6 with attempted murder right now but thank Godstar you all are too incompetent to make it that far. I said give the glasses to him not throw them. You will pick them up and hand them back into Mr. Collins hands or you will be a hundred years old before you make Lieutenant JG., for disobeying orders of a superior officer." Looking around the group as the Ensign stiff legged over to pick up the glasses. "Anymore lip or crap from any of you and the six of you will be spending your vacation scrubbing pots and pans in the scullery."

  The Ensign walked back to Mark and started to hand him the glasses but when he did not see her out stretched hand she started to throw them.

  "Ensign! You throw or drop those again and you can turn in your uniform and report to the hookers lounge because that is the only place you will find a job. But then as much as I hear you love to spread your legs, maybe that is a better job for you. Either way your carrier as an officer is hanging by a thread right now. You three already have at least a hundred demerits each for what I have seen and herd. Don’t had to it."

  “A hundred Demerits! That’s ridiculous!” She turned and sneered at the old man for a few seconds then bent over and grabbed Mark's hand and put the glasses into it. "There Fu…"

  "Ensign!"

  The group walked toward the bright red tricked out airtruck without saying another word.

  Mark put the glasses on and as the old man turned to have a talk with him. Mark had dragged himself up and started limping as fast as he could out onto the platform, tears streaming down his cheeks. Tripping half way out and falling to the deck still clutching his stomach. He lay there a few seconds and then got back up unsteadily to his feet and staggered out to lean against the side of the bus next to the closed hatch. He leaned against it for a few seconds then reached under the skirt and the hatch opened and he dragged himself up the stairs and into the bus.

  Pop scrawled shaking his head. “Looks like it is about time for you to go on another mission Mark. Get you off the ship for a while.” Turning, Pop started back up the boulevard and raised his head to look at the overhead raising his voice. “You hear that Admiral?” The group around the air truck looked at the crazy old man yelling at the overhead and shook their heads before turning away again.

  Chapter 3 Suicide Missions

  Staring at the Captain, Supreme Admiral Ridgeway sat back in his desk, grabbing a hand full of candies with an M squiggled on top of the little round flattened colored balls. He tossed a couple into his mouth letting them melt a few seconds before crunching down on them and then sat the small dish on the desk within reach of the two officers sitting in front. Motioning for them to take some. “You would not happen to be Admiral Zim’s Intelligence officer. The… How did he put it that night Zim was plastered at the victory party? Oh yes. “The bitch that thought sending a squadron of Battle Stars with his entire fleet into the heart of the Russian empire was a good idea.” I seem to remember a name something like Summers? A Commander if I remember correctly.” Looking at her face with surprised interest. “You came up with the initial battle plan that defeated the Russians?”

  “Yes Admiral; I wrote a battle plan that consisted of grabbing every Battle Star we could lay our hands on forming the core of the fleet. The old Red Dwarf after the prototype engines were installed while keeping the original row of Battleship engines she was launched with, could easily keep up with the battle fleet while her sister ships though slower could still cross vast distances in a reasonable amount of time to provide critical support. As long as we kept going in directions the enemy could not predict, the fleet was safe to strike at the heart of their empire. Something like Sherman's march to the sea in a War so long ago, no one even remembers the planet anymore except as fable, even if it is still in a few of our history books.”

  “You realize don’t you that they were not designed as offensive weapons? They were designed as only mobile support basses able to move up with the fleet after a planetary system had been taken with no offensive capabilities.”

  Fact was, the Battle Starbases’ had been built to save credits by not having to build new facilities on most planets only to be abandoned when the war moved on or destroyed if we needed to retreat. That alone saved the English the cost of the entire Battle Starbase fleet several times over as well as billions of tons of supplies and shortening the war.”

  The Captain popped a couple of candies in her mouth and smiled at the Admiral. “They have plenty of offence capabilities now after the first couple of desperate years of the war when we didn’t have enough ships to defend a moon. With the Red Dwarf over time getting sweat of big 36 inch 202 caliber orbital defense guns along with its mass of Russian 16.1 inch guns and the room for a thousand plus fighters and bombers as well as their own squadrons of sublight escorts Admiral.”

  The Red Dwarf was desperate when they stole the shipment of orbital defense guns that had been headed to a system that had already fallen and slapped them on. Our fleet was still too small at the beginning of the war to attack and defend at the same time leaving the big supply Starbase alone to almost be destroyed by Russian raiders several times before its captain started steeling weapons to arm his big slow ship. While not designed for combat the Red Dwarf evolved into a system defense base second to none to free up our combat ships from having to guard the forward deployed supply basses while quickly repairing damaged combat ships.

  The Captain plopped another candy in her mouth and continued. “With the 4 Red Dwarf class Battle Starbases we were able to grab to form the heart of the fleet, we were unstoppable and independent of supply lines being able to live off the planets we were raiding. And then the moron Zim kept sending the rest of the fleet out ahead, leaving the Battle Stars behind during key battles. Damn near cost us the entire fleet several times splitting them up like that. Luckily the Red Dwarf had the speed and a commander that refused to stay behind, to bail Zim’s butt out several times, always able to catch up to the fleet while we still had a fleet to catch up to.. The Red Dwarf definitely saved us a lot of ships and men since they were able to repair most of the surviving ships while converting the captured ships in record time. Besides, driving those 4 monsters through the middle of an enemy fleet massed to fight off our squadrons attacking from the sides was always devastating to the enemy. It was just a shame it took Zim’s two years to figure that out. Luckily before we made the final push to their Prime Systems.”

  Leaning back in his chair again with another handful of candies the Admiral smiled and tossed a sheet across his desk. “Now that I know exactly who you are. Tell me more about this report the Vice Admiral Edwards keeps shoving at me, about this ass nine proposal to arm Tramps to take on the Pirates."

  Taking the sheet up she started to read it but quickly tapped threw a few of its pages and threw it back down on the desk with a slap. “Ya I wrote it 9 months ago just as we were getting ready to send half our reserve fleet to the neighbors to be destroyed. I thought that if I came up with a better plan you wouldn’t send our fleet off to get anialated.”

  “Now Captain. That is history. Besides we were going to mothball those ships anyway this year. ” The Vice Admiral said. “Tell the Admiral what you suggested in the pages of the report?”

  “Ah let me think.” Grabbing up the report again. She didn’t need to as far as the program went but she needed to make sure what the Admiral had read from a 9 month old report so she could explain what had changed in the meantime. “Something about Arming the Tramp Transports with modern weapons that could actually destroy Pirates ships instead of just fending off attacks” She said sarcastically even though that was the whole point of her report. Then more seriously. “And substantial bounties for destroying or capturing pirate ships, equipment and crews.” Shaking her head she smiled at the Admiral. “Why chase them to kill them after the fact when the transports themselves can kill them before the fact
and they don’t have to hunt for them. “There are thousands of Tramp ships we have turned back, refusing permission to enter the Outback simply because they lacked the weapons to even defend themselves. Not to mention the Tramp Transports that we impounded when they tried to go around and others that went bankrupt trying to upgrade their weapons. We have well over a hundred crews in Tramp refugee camps now with their ships still in port storage yards while finishing the legalities to be sold. We could cheaply upgrade the lot and empty the camps. Saving us millions a day just to feed them and forming one hell of a large fleet that would go a long ways to slowing down our Pirate problem if not end it completely in both England and the newly annexed Russian Provinces.”

  The Captain spent a few seconds thumbing through the report refreshing her mind. Then started reading from it. “With the Tramp ship’s large crews for marines and gunners to defend the ship, and no ties to any planets, they would be viewed as harmless as long as no one in the Outback finds out we are arming them.” Looking up at the Admiral. “Even a few modern 5 inch guns and obsolete smart torpedoes can double their chances of surviving pirate ship attacks though it would take a little more to insure that they could actually kill the pirate ships. Then modern marine armor, assault guns and a few APC’s will increase their odds against even hungry desperate planets while delivering their cargo.”

  Glance through a section of the report she stopped to read from it out load again. “Each adequately armed Tramp ship should last at least six months with several confirmed dead pirate ships to their credits if we provide a big enough bounty.” Glancing up at the Supreme Admiral with a smile. “But even if all they manage to do is take out one pirate before they are taken while damaging others, we will be ahead in the long run.” She read on. “They will take care of the Outback fringe in time, thinning the pirates making it safer for all ships while we defend the home worlds from the eventual mass attack that will happen to the French home system in 6 to 8 months after they start making progress stopping the pirate attacks.” Looking up at the Admiral. “Is what the report says but it only scratches….” She was cut off in mid word.

  “You expect me to hand over MODERN weapons to hundreds of civilian ships that have no allegiance to anyone but themselves and turn them loose into the outback? What is to keep them from turning those weapons into pirating ships themselves, not to mention what happens when their well-armed ship is eventually taken?” The Admiral studied the Captain. “No Captain!”

  "Damn it sir.” The Captain stood up. “Our patrols by combat ships are completely ignored, only to have pirates pounce on lone transports out of range of those same patrols. Even when the Pirates are caught in the act, the single patrol ship that has less armor and weapons than the pirate in most cases that manages to intercept them can do little to help except follow the pirate after the fact until it is forced to break off contact for lack of fuel or damage. Frigates and Destroyers are not always powerful enough if the pirate is well armed. Nor do the average destroyer or frigate sized patrol ship carry a large enough crew of marines to rescue the vessel if it has already been captured or for that matter is in the process of being captured. While our Cruisers are simply too damn big and costly to run around doing patrol work. The problem is that the old Imperial battleships as big as they were or are for the few survivors, could detect attacks light years away though we still do not know their true range. And then most times they could get there in time or at least track down the guilty ship and deal with it even if it turned out to be a squadron. We simply do not have the technology or the finances to send out enough patrol cruisers that are big enough to take care of most pirates.”

  Leaning forward over the Admiral’s desk. “My Job Admiral has been to research the enemy and the facts I have uncovered prove that every State that has tried patrols to fight them has lost the war with the pirates. No matter how big the ships are they put on those patrols. No matter what tactics they used.” Picking out a couple of red candies and popping them in her mouth she continued. “Convoys worked for a while only to have them randomly ambushed by Wolf Packs of Pirates destroying the escorts then taking most or all of the Transports. Convoys always degenerated into fleets for escorts that resulted in fewer and fewer Convoys with bigger and bigger escort fleets and then the planet would go bankrupt.”

  The Russians were a good example. Even at the end of the War, they had more cruisers patrolling their boundaries and escorting transports along the outback than they had fighting us to keep their transport lanes open and the Pirates at bay. We simply cannot afford a fleet even half that big and anything less than twice the size the Russian’s had will fail with the number of planets we now have to protect.”

  Looking around at the Vice Admiral and then the Supreme Admiral, she frowned. “As for the best way to battle the pirates. I told you. You will lose no matter what you do if you insist on taking them on yourself in fleet actions with them fighting a Guerilla war. It will still be too easy for them to hide and then to trap whole squadrons of your fleet far from help and then fade away before you can hurt them. Taking half or even all of the captured ships with them if they have time. This is a Gorilla war now with the Gorilla’s growing stronger while organized fleets grow weaker. It is going to take our fleet using Guerrilla tactics themselves to win it Admiral. And those tactics require using local low cost forces where appropriate.”

  Taking a deep breath. “You best let the Tramps do the dirty work by defending themselves and keeping the planets alive while you save your few hundred ships of the line the Parliament lets you keep to pounce on any pirate build ups or mass attacks they will have to make with the success of the Tramps. We will lose enough ships just doing that. Use your strengths against their weaknesses when they mass and hunting down their basses no matter where they are and we will win.”

  Sitting back and thinking as the Admiral slowly sat cooking up a head of steam with his eyes turning to flame. She continued before the Admiral could say anything. “As for the armed Tramps falling into pirate hands? We can plant the new AI enhanced Self Destruct Bombs we have developed during the war but refused to use, to destroy the ships if they fall into Pirate hands or even turn pirates themselves. Exactly what you need to do to every Fleet Ship from what the records prove Admiral. Cut off their supply of military ships.”

  The Captain smiled at a Supreme Admiral that could not believe he was being talked to that way as she continued and his pressure steadily climbed. “As for the loyalty of the Tramps. Just remember this. They have been taken by pirates for hundreds of years and rarely will one turn to the Dark side and usually then only in desperation or with their families held hostage. They have families aboard their ships and being hunted as pirates does not make for a good place to raise a family. Besides we are going to make hunting pirates so rewarding with bounties and the high cargo prices already being offered in the outback that a Tramp would be a fool to turn.”

  Sneering at the Admiral. “And you are wrong about another thing. They are incredibly loyal to other Tramp ships to the point of risking their own ships to save other Tramps. There is a black hole in Saxony that has at least dozens of stranded Tramps with most of the ships being trapped simply because they tried to rescue the ones already there.” Seeing the Admirals look of incredulousness. “Their families are mostly inter-related with crewmembers changing ships to marry. Most ships have close relatives on a hundred ships or more. You can’t get more loyal than ships risking getting trapped in a black hole and that you can bank on.”

  The Vice Admiral leaned forward. “I have been looking over the Tramps and their ships for a month now Admiral, since it dawned on me that the report was accurate and the French were failing and I have come up with a short list of possible impounded ships we could arm at a minimal cost for a test program. As per the Captain’s suggestions in her report, these ships have small crews that are large enough to defend themselves against pirates boarding them without so large a crew that it reduces the Cargo carryi
ng capability of the ship or presents a juicy target to take the ship and crew to sell on a slave world .” The Vice Admiral studied the Supreme Admiral. “All it will take is a few surplus weapons out of the storage moon or the scrap yard and no ships Admiral. Weapons we can classify as loaned and not sold. Giving us some control on their use as well as costing nothing on the books except maybe installing a couple of old turrets on the transports.”

  Looking back at the Captain. “Her idea of planting the New Scuttling Charges on the ships would be easy to implement while we are upgrading their weapons Admiral. We already have such AI Controlled charges developed in response to the self-destruct charges the Russians were starting to put on their ships the last yearsof the war. After reading a report amongst the last flash from the French system about attacks from captured English Destroyers and Cruisers, adding the scuttling charges to our ships is probably a good idea. With your permission I will have the Fleet add the Self-destruct AI’s as well as the fusion charges to all English ships before they get out of the system.”

  The sudden change of topic stopped the Supreme Admirals building rage as the long heated debate about putting Self Destruct charges on English ships hit a sour bone. Navy’s had always had a problem of the enemy taking damaged ships they managed to capture and repairing and then using them against their former owners. Few space ships were ever completely destroyed in battle, once their weapons and engines had been damaged beyond operation it was a waste of time and ordnance to continue to shoot at a hulk since you could not sink it. Though if a fusion power core was hit, the ship could explode turning it into atoms. While a pierced Plasma Bottle could gut a ship if the safeties and ejection hardware where not well maintained that were added to prevent either from happening. The war with the Russians was no exception, only the numbers seemed to have increased to the point that it could no longer be ignored by the Russian with the English and their Battle Starbases getting damn good at repairing captured Russian ships and getting them back out to fight on the English side.. The Russians had started putting Self-destruct bombs on their ships but with the Captain’s being in charge of the detonators few had actually used them unless they managed to evacuate their crews first and since Russian ships had few lifeboats or rafts that usually did not happen. The English with plenty of life boats and life rafts on their Ships had developed Self-destruct fusion bombs with AI’s that did not care if some of the crew did not get off in time if it could take out an enemy ship with its self-destruction, the little programing glitch that cost the lives of parts of several crews that had not been fast enough getting off their ship, created a debate as whether to even deploy them or not. Restricting their use to only the most sensitive top secret ships such as the Battle Starbases during the rest of the war.