“Good going Sargent.” Jack stepped to the hole cut in the redoubt and peered out watching the smoke screens get thicker and thicker. Taking a deep breath. “Time to go. No one fire. Just get to the core hatch. Now. Charge It!” Jack yelled as he started to run as he wondered why he had said (Charge it). Then he remembered the stupid credit card Commercial he had probably seen a thousand time on video. “Damn, that was lame.”
And then Red zipped past him like he was standing still with Krump passing her. They quickly made it to the core hatch and disappeared from sight. Jack was shocked to see heavy laser fire reflecting off the inside bulkheads through the big cargo hatch. And then nothing. Cursing his stupidity he flipped down his darkened visor but could only find Red and Krump as they headed in opposite directions up and down and then a half dozen cooling blobs scattered around the core decks as they worked their way up and down.
Just before Jack reached the hatch. “Core and 3 decks up cleared.” Came Reds voice on the comm.
“Core and 6 decks down cleared though I haven’t found anything below the 3rd deck.” Krumps voice echoed her. “Do you want us to continue clearing core decks Captain?”
“No, return to the Gundeck. We will clear the rest later.” Jack said as he entered the core. Turning around he was glad to see most of the laser fire streaking over or hitting the Redoubt and not the line of men streaming across the open space. Even though there was a constant stream of scattered laser shots lighting up the smoke screens. No one had gotten smart enough to simply plant a half dozen guns firing across the smoke in fixed streams creating a fence that would cut down anyone headed for the core even though they could not see through the smoke. They were lucky they were facing amateurs and not seasoned well trained troops.
Jack heard the first of the Sargent’s bombs go off and saw what looked like parts of a shield wall fly up into the air above the smoke screen hugging the deck slowly drifting toward the air handling ducts. All firing from the enemy shields on that side suddenly stopped. It was a good 5 seconds before shots again started hitting the redoubt again. Though the fire from the redoubt never slowed.
Jack kept issuing orders spreading the men out covering the hatches and ramps as they streamed in. He realized that he had a lot more than 20 men and then noticed the paint gals staggering through the hatch under heavy loads of weapons and explosives in combat armor and not their light weight ship suits. Lieutenant Shepperd bringing up the rear. “Damn it Shepperd. Why did you bring the paint girls and I don’t remember ordering you to come along.”
“You didn’t order me to stay either and the girls came on their own. They are pretty good shots by the way.” The Lieutenant looked at Jack with a smile. “I want to be there when you capture old fuck face on the other side of the core. Or kill him if he tries to escape.” Shepperd winked at Jack.
Jack looked up at the overhead. “Well shit.” And headed for the other side of the Core now everyone was safely across. Hitting his comm. “Sargent Meyers, get ready to assault out the far side hatch.” Jack dropped his visor again. With only one thick hull to look through he could now see the staging area the Commodore had been using and quickly found a group of troops only a few feet from the closed personnel hatch that looked like some kind of command group. Jack smiled and he assigned half his men to come out the main cargo hatch some 30 feet around the core and a squad to blow a hole in the core hull some 30 feet on the other side. Jack got ready to go through the middle personnel hatch with a half dozen men as he waited for the hull to be blown feeling a good sized explosion every few seconds as the Master Sargent played with his catapult.
“Fire in the Hole Captain.” And the men that had placed a rope around a section of the inner hull in the shape of a rough door quickly ran for cover.
“Ok what the hell did that mean?” Jack said to himself and then he found out.
The side of the core 30 feet away exploded creating a ring of flames and then smoke racing away from it and then and other explosion at the center of the ring banged and the door was just a vacant hole. The cargo hatch to the other side of him blew open to Jack’s surprise. The hatch in front of Jack was slammed open and Jack watched troops pore through all three openings. Jack wondered for a fraction why the hatch in front of him had not been blown as well feeling a little disappointed as he followed.
The officers were quickly rounded up as Jack looked for the Commodore. But he could not be found. Jack was glad to see that all work had come to a stop on the almost completed airlock. Turning to the Commander at the center of the officers lined up along the core hull Jack asked. “Where is the Commodore King?”
“Fuck off Turner.” A Commander’s pearly white smile across his coal black face in his flat black combat suit stood out like a beacon.
Shepperd stepped in pulling a knife as the sound of a micronic blade filled the air. “Now Commander. You made me play with your dick yesterday. How bout I play with it now. Fact is I was so impressed with its size, I think I should take it back to my cabin as a souvenir.” Smiling from ear to ear as she placed the micronic blade against his crouch. “Without you along of course.” The blade started penetrating increasing the pitch of the micronic sound.
“No! He is in that damn new Mech.” He pointed around the core with his chin. “He is going to make sure he kills you Turner.” He started to smile but suddenly started screaming.
Shepperd backed away from the Commander. “Ops. Looks like I slipped. Better call the medics before your balls and dick piss all your blood away.” Looking down at the blobs rolling out onto the deck from the code piece of his suit after it hit the deck. “Ops wrong again, looks like you lost them. Oh and you do remember Marie don’t you? The gal you stuck a knife up her cunt and let her bleed to death because she wouldn’t service you properly.” His eyes got big. “Good.” She took another two steps down the line and stuck the blade through the eye of another officer without saying a word and kept going. Wiping the blade off on another officer that started screaming even though she had not hurt him.
Jack had already turned and was walking away in the opposite direction the officer had pointed. “Sargent, we will attack the old Mechs first.” Jack grabbed one of the demolition bombs that had been made up. I am going for the far one I need two volunteers to take out the other two at the same time.” Jack started running across the bay to get directly behind the Mech farthest away before closing with him. Two marines joined Jack with one dropping off next to a body directly behind the closest mech and wait for them to get into position.
The second marine dropped off and then Krump zipped past and Jack heard. “Go! In his comm.”
The two marines leaped forward as Jack stopped in surprise watching Krump head for the distant Mech by the outer hull cages. “Damn you Krump.” Jack grabbed his Assault Blaster off his back and dropped to his knee covering all three from behind. The satchel charge on the deck next to him.
As Krump and the two marines approached their targets he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned his head slightly, Redsuits were lining up next to Jack with their weapons pointed toward the black troops massed behind their shields. The line quickly extended clear across the Bay behind the attacking Blacksuits. Laser guns with a Thumper every couple of Redsuits along the line. A couple of the Paint girls took up positions flanking Jack to his surprise. The line of troops making room for them as they spread out along the line.
Jack could not believe that no one along the line got itchy trigger fingers as they waited. He watch Krump slow down to make sure he did not reach his target ahead of the rest.
Finally the three slapped their charged on the backs of the three Mechs with a second of each other and started running back away from the Mechs. Jack touched his comm but waited to make sure all were well clear then hit the detonator.
The three Mech simply blew up getting the attentions of some of the Blacksuits on the closest shield walls and then the Redsuit line fired as one.
The Bla
cksuits behind the closest shield walls fell as one in the first half second. The second line fell almost as fast with several trying to climb up over the shield wall but not making it and then the fire shifted to the next line of shields. Jack stood up and started running to get past shield walls that blocked other shields from being fired upon. The whole line started running a couple seconds after Jack. “Master Sargent we are attacking. Smoke only please. Two rounds each then stop.” He wanted just enough smoke to confuse the enemy. Not enough to hamper their attack.
Jack leaped over the nearest shield wall. His leg extending to push him over the top with little effort. His suit compensating for the recoil of the Assault blaster. Red with her heavy back pack not far away leaping over them with little effort as well. Firing her laser cannon in a steady stream across the backs of shield wall after shield wall. Cutting down dozens of black suits. The Thumpers hitting the back sides of each shield wall with grenades. The Red suits running around the ends of the shield walls, zig zagging across that side of the bay quickly crossed the distance. The laser fire finishing of the few stragglers missed by the heavy cannon fire and grenades. Krump raced back and forth above adding his fire to the gaps that always appeared in any attack, making sure none survived to shoot into the backs of the rapidly advancing Red line.
Thirty seconds later the shield walls on that side of the core had all been taken without a single loss on Jack’s side as he slid to a stop against the last shield wall as cheers started filling his Comm. Looking past the Redoubt he could see several shields on the other side approaching the Redoubt around the other side of the core. Undamaged forklifts having been moved around to power them. Mass fire still streaking toward the redoubt. The Redsuited troops quickly moving from this side of the parapet to the other to add their much needed support even though the last of the blasters on the wall had been knocked out. Turning, Jack started running back the way they had come. “OK people, save the celebrations for when we finish the battle. Back around the Core now.”
Reaching the back side of the core Jack still had his demolition charge so he headed straight for the New Mech on the far side only to have Krump pass him holding a new Demolition charge in his hands. Jack turned to head for the middle Mech as he saw a Red suit with a Charge head for the closest Mech to the core.
As more Redsuits caught up and started to line up across that side to the bay to repeat the same attack Jack ran for the middle Mech only to see it start to turn toward the core. Its short legs thumping up and down as it slowly turned with its cannon cooling. Cargo Mechs were not designed for speed but to lift heavy containers.
Jack speeded up trying to get to it before it could target the Redsuit rushing for the back of the Mech at the core.
The Mechs laser cannon fired and Jack watched the Redsuit headed for the other Mech get cut in half and then his charge went off in a huge explosion that was too far away to damage the Mech he was headed for.
Jack slid to a halt against the side of the Mech slapping the charge on the armor covering its laser’s power pack. Pushing off, Jack ducked away from the Mech as it continued to turn around bringing its cannons to bear on the rapidly forming line of Redsuits.
Seeing that Krump was already speeding well away from his Mech, Jack brought up the detonation button on his Comm and hit it. The Mech only a few steps behind him blew up as he was hit from behind with a hammer sending him flying across the deck face first.
Jack slid to a stop as he watched the Red line erupt in fire as they attacked the rearmost line of shields. Rolling over onto his side stunned, Jack looked back to see the Mech at the core start to turn around toward the Redsuit line. Admiral stars lined the Mechs shoulders and helmet.
Shaking his head, Jack tried to make sense of things as he instinctively pulled his Assault Blaster off his back with what was left of the frozen Mech he had just detonated his charge on not far away sending a tower of flames and smoke toward the overhead. He had been so close to the explosion that he would have died if he had been wearing any other Combat suit. The Bay’s air system was starting to have a hard time cleaning the smoke out of the air from all the fires and explosions.
Jack watched the Mech firing its cannon across the bay at the Redsuit line that was attacking the shield walls ignoring the Mech. The large laser streaks shooting over the top of the line of men, hitting the hull far beyond. The Mech lowered the laser cannon firing its bursts across deck after the scattering Red suits now moving too fast to hit easily.
Jack rolled over as he brought his Blaster around off his back and sat up into a sitting firing position only used at the firing range with the blaster in his hands and elbows on his knees, Jack aimed for the Mech placing several solid hits on the side of its armor that was slanted toward him without hurting it. The Mech’s laser cannon finally cutting down a Redsuit when Jack’s blaster shells started exploding on its thick armored side.
Without thinking Jack fired again at the only thing on the Mech that was not protected and in full view from his side angle, the laser canon. Four shots later the cannon was junk as he shifted to where the power line entered the side of the Mech to the power pack. If he could penetrate to the power pack it would incinerate the Commodore inside his suit that seemed to have twice the armor as the rest. Making the suit even slower than the rest as it waddled along which was why the Commodore was staying close to the core and taking his time advancing.
The Mech turned toward Jack and seemed to stare at him for several seconds and then back down at the ruined cannon. Jack kept firing at it even though he could no longer see where the power cord to the weapon entered the suit.
Jack continued to fire his Assault Blaster as the mech started walking toward Jack. The blaster shells knocking chunks out of its front armor as it came. The Redsuit line continued to assault the lines of Shield walls that were now starting to realize that something was wrong in their rear and were actually trying to turn some of them around. The rest of the attack force ignoring the impotent Mech. Jack continued firing at the Mech that was swinging its now useless cannon from side to side as it approached. Jack plasma balls eating away at its thick steeply slanted chest armor. Jack’s little voice telling him that he was wasting his time since the mech did not even have a backup weapon but it did not matter. Jack knew that once this monster was taken down the rest of his troops would surrender and the fight would be over.
Four lasers started streaking into the Mech from beside Jack. His HUD showing him Olson and 3 of her painting crewmen mimicking his sitting firing position, pouring there laser assault gun fire at the same hole Jack was shooting at.
The Mech stopped yards from Jack beating its now worthless cannon on the deck as a voice blared from a speaker making Jack stop firing to listen. The laser fire next to him stopping as well. “I was going to thank you Captain Turner for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to hide from humanities coming annihilation but now I am going to beat you to a pulp before I kill your compatriots. Though I do want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to kill off most of the mail population of the ships without risking a mutiny when the majority figured out what I was doing. Hell, now I can even finish killing off the rest of the fat ugly women that are just gross to even look at let alone fuck.” The burning Mech next to Jack sent a sudden whoosh of flames and smoke out of its top toward the overhead. “Though I had planned on butchering the bodies for food later. Now there are simply going to be too many of them to get in the freezers before the meat is spoiled. But then I can’t have everything perfect though I will could keep some as cattle.” Thumping the useless Cannon on the deck again, the Mech started clomping toward Jack again.
The wreckage of the burning Mech Jack had just blown up only feet away keeping him from seeing the rest of the battle. Though his still fuzzy mind was still focused on the slowly approaching mech. The thought of running from the slow Mech thumping its useless weapon good only for bludgeoning onto the deck, not even crossing his still half dazed mind.
/> Jack started firing at the one spot again trying to drill a hole through the Mech where he knew the Commodore’s chest had to be. But it was going way to slow as the shots seem to be weakening. Jack realized that the Commodore had gotten his hands on a plate of God armor. Now regretting stopping to listen to the fool brag even if he was trying to understand why anyone would do what the Commodore had done. The 4 Assault lasers beside him joining in again.
At point blank range Jack continued to calmly fire, still sitting with his elbows on his knees and the gun cradled in the Marksmen position with the four women crewmen, driving shot after shot at point blank range into the chest of the Mech as the Commodore raised the Cannon over his head to strike down at Jack. Smoke pouring from the repeated hits in the crater in the armored chest.
Then the Mech’s arm with the weapon fell off as something flashed through the air from behind the Mech. A second flash and the Mech’s other arm fell off leaving sparks flying out the shoulder joints.
Jack stopped firing in surprise as the Mech just stood there. Jack watched Red swing her long Micronic Blade down and around again cutting off one of the legs of the Mech at the knee just below the Commodore’s real leg inside the suit. The Mech’s brain automatically balancing the load over the remaining leg. The blade flashed again whacking off the remaining leg at the knee and the body of the mech dropped straight down to land up right on its stumps only a few feet from the burning mech that was still sending out a stream of smoke toward the overhead.
Putting her blade away Red pulled out her laser pistol and slapping the top hatch back down as it started to open, she used the laser pistol to weld the hatch’s external lock in place. The lock that was to keep anyone from getting in to sabotage or use the mech without authorization now keeping the Commodore locked into his prison.
Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer) Page 56