Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  "And you let him leave with it fully armed?" The Supreme Admiral still could not believe it.

  "It was too good an opportunity Admiral. Besides we went ahead and added a self-destruct to the fighter while we were at it and we can always take it back before they leave the system if you decide against the program. Though the fighter was legally transferred too and is registered to the Star Queen and the Commander as are all the weapons. We really should take this opportunity to test the Tramp Armament program Admiral."

  “And you think the Tramps can actually save us from becoming part of the Outback." Shaking his head. "This Commander Collins, do you think he is typical of his ship?”

  “Hell no sir. He is not typical of anyone.” The Captain chortled.

  Her eyes glazed over from remembering her own dealings with a Fleet Commander trying to save a dying planet on the edge of Russian space and the Outback before the end of the war. A planet the fleet had come across in its dash into the outback to avoid a Russian fleet trying to hunt them down (as they made their mad dash across the bread basket of the Russian State) and the billions that died from starvation as the fleet watched helpless in spite of all that they had tried to do. It had simply been too little too late. Losing more ships in the effort than battle with the Russians. "Yes Admiral, if we can help them stay alive long enough and survive that first encounter with a pirate or starving planet. Sacrificing them can save hundreds of planets not only ours.”

  “I am still leaning toward sending squadrons in to patrol and escort convoys.”

  “We don't have them now Admiral. You now as well as I Admiral that doing that will bankrupt the English State and its economy and only stave off the death of the region and our planet by a few years.” The Captain shook her head sadly. “It has been tried 12 times that we know about and each time the end result was the Same. System wars across the sector as the convoys are attacked by the local system lords the old States have already degenerated into, jealous of the prosperity and the advantages the convoys represent and the fact that we will need basses on their territory to operate that deeply in the old States territory around the Rim of the Outback. That does not even deal with the planets deeper inside the Outback that are screaming for reliable transport service. By the time it is all done; everyone is bankrupt with no strength to resist the Pirates that will thrive during the wars and coming in from beyond the region. The Same Pirates that have thrived during this last war.”

  The Admiral shook his head sadly. Having made up his mind finely. “No Captain. I am not going to send a lamb to the slaughter for an experiment. They can keep the fighter and weapons for revealing how the pirates have been so successful taking ships and I hope that now we know how and with SOSAP, we can roll that curtain back a few light years. Don’t bother wasting any more time on this Tramp Ship. After all, they are already headed into that hell if they can pass the Safety Beurow’s requirements to get an outback permit.”

  “But. Sir. You can’t believe that every sector that died had transmitters planted on every ship that was taken.” The Captain was practically pleading. “Their Combat suits and weapons are ancient. Let me at least dump enough of our old out dated junk on them to let them pass the Safety requirements sir. Not headed into the Out Back half bankrupt from meeting the requirements could make a big difference as to whether they actually survive long enough to take out a pirate or two or not.” Just let me try Admiral. If I can make it possible for even one Tramp to survive for even a few months longer or even come back out after a year, it would be worth a few pounds of scrap metal as a backup plan Sir.”

  “Forget it Captain.”

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  Blackbeard’s boats where lined up on the only track that was possible from the station to London’s Central City's port some 500 miles away. About 50 miles apart from each other not only making it more likely that one of them would make a critical hit on the fighter between the missiles and the laser cannons as it streaked by but it would make it easy to tell which one of them earned the bounty Blackbeard had put on the Fighter. With the most senior crew first in line to take their shot. No one wanted to share which was fine with Blackbeard who liked sharing least of all. Though it was a big tactical mistake any experienced Commander would have avoided at all costs.

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  It had not taken the Mustang long to enter the planet's atmosphere from the station. Being the first time Mark had gone through re-entry piloting a ship on his own to begin with and having never even ridden anything smaller than a 100 ton shuttle through re-entry; he was surprised and scarred at the rough ride and the fiery ionized air blowing past the canopy only inches from his head. With panic starting to set in he looked over his shoulder at Dian to see her look back at him with a slightly apprehensive but trusting smile as she enjoyed the ride. “Mark re-entry is going fine you need not panic. This is a well-built fighter designed to enter and fight at this speed in the atmosphere.”

  Diane clutched at his hand for reassurance. Remembering panicking running down the Tramp into the Station and the way it escalated Mark took a deep breath and smiled at Dian. “Yes Mickey I am fine.” And sat back to enjoy the ride using Diane’s trusting strength to prop himself up. After all he was probably never going to get to take this ride again. He put off trying to figure out how to get rid of the fighter after he stripped it and just enjoy the ride as he checked the instruments yet again and the navigation screen.

  They finely came out of their ionized cocoon to streak at an incredible rate past small cities and towns below in the waning light of the star setting over the landscape as they rapidly slowed down. Though the rush his body felt from re-entry was still flooding his body.

  “Mark you have 6 boats ahead targeting you with weapons sensors some 5 miles below your course and 15 seconds ahead. I do not know if they are friendly planetary defense vessels or not. The Identification friend or foe is not identifying them but that could simply be that we do not have the codes for this planet. But we are only seconds from them. I suggest giving them a wide space and pull up and to the right to go around them.

  “Come on Mickey. We are on a civilized planet and are in a brand new incredible fighter fresh from the planets main station. Do you really think they will turn around and shoot us down? Besides, we are in the middle of the reentry lane from the station which hundreds of ships use every day. They are just probably picket boats that check out everyone coming down the pipe.”

  “Mark. My military subroutine wants me to tell you that you are headed for the perfect kill zone for any missiles and laser cannons they may have. If they fire, you will have only a fraction of a second to turn into them as I fire decoys to confuse the missiles and targeting controls for their cannons. You will then have to defend yourself by taking them out with your cannons and missiles or they will have a 99% chance of killing you and us.”

  “What are you talking about? Besides what can we do anyway?”

  “They gave you a full load of their best and newest missiles and decoys and this fighter is equipped with their best set of 30mm laser cannons. Yes the weapons are untested and Dian is not trained as a Weapons officer which is why I suggested giving these boats a wide berth to avoid the possibility of having to use the weapons.”

  “But why? I still don’t understand how the hell we managed to steel this thing right out from under them. Hell the Captain may just make us junk it all anyway as soon as we land.”

  “Mark you have only seconds before you are in their kill zone please pull up and right.”

  “Mickey forget it and relax. We are not in Indian territory.”

  “Mark if they fire; you must flip us onto our back and pull as hard as you can into the enemy while I dump decoys. Then randomly corkscrew into them to confuse their fire control computers. Dian, you will have to help from your station; your job will be to fire the Missiles. I will run the jamming comps as well as targeting the missiles for you but
you will have to fire them by pushing the fire key when I tell you Dian. Do you understand?”

  “Mark. Mickey sounds worried. Are you sure we will be ok?”

  “Now Dian don’t you start. Who the heck on this planet would fire on us anyway? This is a civilized Empire planet with a Navy that just won a war. No one would be stupid enough to start something on the English State's home planet. Now relax.”

  “Well what did the Sgt. tell you on the station Mark? I would be willing to bet that if you made a lot of people happy you also made at least a few damn pissed off at you, don’t you think. And these guys don’t look like a welcoming comity to me. I can read sensors as well as anyone and they are armed to the teeth.”

  “We are well inside their weapons envelope already and they have not fired at us so relax. They are just pickets checking us out Ok.”

  Streaks of laser light started passing the fighter. “Mark, the first boat is firing missiles at you. Turn into the enemy please.”

  “No! This can’t be happening! Must be some mistake!” A laser hit the fighter knocking it to the side as the armor vaporized sending a jet of molten metal out to the side pushing the fighter off coarse just in time to miss a half dozen beams that converged at that spot. “Shit!” Mark jerked the stick rolling the fighter completely around several times before stopping upside down and pulling them into a dive towered the apparently enemy boat.

  “Mark you must take the manual safeties off to allow me to fire the decoys and missiles.” Mark fallowed the arrow to the switch on the arming board on the middle console of the cockpit. Throwing the switch the pops of decoys being deployed made Mark look around until he figured out that the noise was as the decoy streaked ahead of the fighter and then to the side for the missiles to chase.

  “Dian. Please push the fire key on your left side stick controller when I tell you. The stick closest to Mark. It is the capped button on top. Just flick the cap up with your thumb and push it. In 3, 2, 1, fire!” The missile streaked away from the fighter towered the second boat.

  ‘Mark you must target the bout firing at you with your cannons or he can launch more missiles at us after we pass him if we survive their cannons scoring enough solid hits to destroy us. They are to close for me to launch a missile at them.” A laser cannon shot streaked by the canopy.

  Coming out of his cork screw maneuver for a second several thousand feet below the boat Mark pulled up and lined up the targeting pip on the heads up display and pulled the cannon trigger. The fighter bucked as a dozen shots left the big guns sticking out from the wings. The big lasers streaking into the boat. "Just like the Sims Mickey except for the damn bucking each time one of the guns fire." The shells zipped into the boat shredding it until a big ball of flame appeared with pieces of fuselage and hunks of engines, missiles, laser cannons and bodies streaked out of the ball above and ahead of them.

  “Were those bodies falling out of that boat?” Dian said as she glanced at Mark and back at the ball of flame dissipating with the rain of junk falling from it in the brief seconds they approached. Small pieces of debris started hitting the fighter like rain on a tin roof just as a mangled body flew by the canopy bringing a scream from Dian.

  Mickey told Dian to fire again as more missiles lift the next boat. Looking down at the targeting screen she hit the fire button again to release another missile. As it streaked away Dian screamed. “You targeted that other boat with that missile Mickey! There are people on that boat you can’t do that. I can’t do that and you made me do that!” and started crying.

  “Dian, they are trying to kill you and Mark and they are out of range of the Fighters cannons. These missiles will save your lives. The second boat has already launched missiles but they still have some left. I am firing decoys ahead of us but you will need to fire our short range missiles at any of the enemy missiles that do not take the bait Dian and since we are already headed for the boat that launched them we cannot maneuver out of there way until they are about to hit us.” A decoy was hit taking out one of the missiles ahead of them in a big fiery ball.

  Mark continued to corkscrew as laser fire from the boat ahead streaked at them. “Dian fire the missile!" Dian ignored her. "Dian one enemy missile ignored the decoy and is too close to fire another decoy at it. You must fire a missile to intercept it.” Dian just sat there crying staring straight ahead at nothing. “Dian; Mark cannot fire the missile, he is busy flying the fighter avoiding the laser cannons. You must fire the missile.”

  Suddenly the fighter straightened up for a second and bucked as Mark fired the cannon taking out the missile only a second from impact. The fireball engulfed the fighter as something else impacted and bounced off a wing. That brought Dian back to the real world just in time to see the first missile impact the nearest boat still miles away with a bright flash. Too far away to see more than the biggest chunks fly out of the expanding fireball, she looked down at the screen focused on the boat just in time to see what was obviously men flapping their arms and legs trying to fly disappear off the bottom of the screen.

  Out of range of cannon fire from the next boat in the line the fighter flew on in peace for a few seconds. “Can we go home know Mark. I think we have killed enough people for one day.” Dian said coldly trying to keep her emotions in check.

  “What about that Mickey, can we just dive away or pull up and go home.”

  “I am sorry Mark and Dian. But any maneuver at this speed will only present a perfect target for the enemy. Your only chance is to continue ahead and take out the boats before they kill you. Dian your second missile is about to hit its target. You can see it has dived away too soon trying to get away but in doing that they have presented the missile with a target it cannot miss. If they had waited another few seconds at their speed, they could have dived inside the missiles high speed turning radius and your missile would have missed.” The missile disappeared into the engines at the rear of the fuselage and exploded. The shrapnel from the warhead tore through the boat shredding the tail end as the engines flew off in opposite directions. Smoke and debris fell out the back, the boat plummeted down leaving a billowing dark ribbon behind it. “The engines and back half of the boat has been destroyed the inert powerless front half of the boat will impact the ground below in one minute 10 seconds. I detect a half dozen bodies still alive in side.” The boat suddenly started tumbling as it proceeded to fall apart. It separated into several big pieces before those turned into smaller and smaller pieces.

  “Mickey she did not need to know that.”

  “I was just trying to help alleviate her guilt. She did no kill anyone inside the boat.”

  “Your semantics are impeccable Mickey and reasoning very logical but stupid.”

  “Why thank you Mark.”

  “It was not a complement.”

  “The 4th boat has launched missiles Mark. Looks like everything they have this time and there goes the 5th boat launching missiles at extreme range. That is more missiles than we have decoys and missiles left to intercept them with. I will deploy our last few decoys, most of the missiles should go for the decoys but that would only leave a few short seconds to take out the ones that don’t with our short range missiles before they are to close for them to track. We need to target our two remaining long range missiles on the second group with our remaining short range missiles on the first. If Dian will fire them and if there are not too many of them ignoring the decoys we may survive.”

  “Dian.” Mark watched the missiles streaking toward them. “I need you to fire the missiles at the enemy missiles when Mickey tells you to please. He will only target the missiles so you don’t have to worry about the other boats.”

  “You order her not to target the boats ok… Then I will. But you have to order her not to!”

  “Ok, Mickey I order you not to target the other boats. OK?” Long ranged Laser fire started streaking past the canopy again as Mark put his cannon sight on the closest boat. "Now fire the missiles Dian when Mickey tells you too."


  “Yes Mark. Sure.” She said whispering.

  Mark took his eye off the target looking at the Dian with a frown. “Ensign Abraham! You will fire the missiles when Mickey orders you to. Is that understood?” Then went back to sighting on the boat lining it back up.

  Dian finely said. “Yes Mark.” Halfheartedly.

  Taking his eyes off the target again as he turned to Dian again taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth. “Ensign Abraham it is customary for an officer when asked if they understand the order, to repeat the order to make sure that order is heard and understood correctly. Is that clear Ms. Abraham!” As Mark went into some gentle maneuvers after a close laser streak.

  “Yes Commander Collins, I will fire the missiles when Mickey orders me to fire the damn missiles. Sir!” Now pissed, her eyes drilling through his eye would have sent shivers through Mark if he had not been as pissed as she was. Turning away he brought the fighter around again to line up on the closest boat again.

  (Mickey I need you to blank Dian’s targeting screen.) Mark said to himself without speaking. (I want you to target that last farthest away boat as soon as we are in range with our remaining long range missiles. Hopefully with our speed we will still be out of their missile range when and if one of them hits. If not I don’t see how we can avoid its missiles when it does fire them. Don't worry about taking out any of the incoming missiles. We are just going to have to dodge them.)

  Mickey immediately told Dian to fire. And without waiting she pushed the fire button. The missile streaked up and away at about a 30 degree angle. A second fire order and a second missile left the fighter. Dian watched them disappear and then looked down at the blank screen and then over at Mark. “Commander Collins. I know trigonometry too. You can turn my screen on now. If I die I want to see what kills me.” The screen came back on.

  “Firing decoys now.” Mickey said.