“Fine Mickey . C ancel the original order but ma ke sure we have enough suit material for everyone aboard the ship with plenty of extra for future repairs and expansion.”
A 10 n 8 by 20 16 foot gravity-coil supply platform arrived dropping down to land on the deck beside them. About 6 9 inches thick with a fold up rail around the outside that folded down into the flat deck for storage allowing them to be stacked 16 10 high to form an easily stored and transported bundle. Part of the side rail s ing folded could fold out up along the sides to form a flimsy looking bench seat when needed. One of the platforms Mark had put on the English Vice Admiral's list for carrying cargo in spite of Captain Summers obj ection . Mickey spoke into Mark’s ear as Mark looked at it surprised . “I thought the Captain could use a ride Mark. She looks out of breath after the jog."
Mark turned to Captain Cook. "Your chariot has arrived Captain." Then stepped onto the open back, walking up to sit on the side bench at the front corner of the platform next to the control panel on its short pedestal. "Let's go see how the shuttles are shaping up and we can talk sir." The Captain Saunders of marines and his officers joined them . A minute later as they were slid ing e on down the miles long warehouse to the far end where the large Transports, destroyer and frigates were located. "Very well Captain; now that you have heard my plan and had time to think it over. What do you think about it?"
"I think it sucks." The Marine Captain Saunders piped up as they slid over cargo containers with glimpses of equipment visible in the display area along the warehouse's central core down the aisles between containers. "You are going to walk right into the basement of that hornets' nest that has already killed hundreds of English troops , unarmed , while we take out the bots and hard points around an Archology building over a mile tall containing a quarter million civilians without harming the civilians or getting my men killed?" Shaking his head. "Shear lunacy even if they have evacuated the bottom floors. If we use too much fire power the whole damn thing could come tumbling down into one big fucking pile killing everyone in and around it including my men."
"That is why I am going in alone and you and your marines are not. The only thing going in besides me are the remotes that will take out the hard points without worrying about casualties to keep the AI busy enough not to notice me as a threat until I am in and it is too late. That is also why you are getting using the remote medium tanks. The Panthers. Their 105mm guns should be able to take out anything the remote troops can't without bringing down the house around my ears and killing its inhabitants."
They started passing lines of small space boats shuttles sitting side by side running toward the center open display area of the warehouse with older combat tri-wing fighters and attack bombers lined up on the other side of the display isle. Each line of shuttles they approached, continued getting progressively larger and larger. From small 10 ton skiffs to 500 ton Assault Shuttles in the distance and finely the 3,000 ton transport that was now back in its original position except that its ass stuck a good hundred feet further up the warehouse than it did before, with several 100 to 200 foot gunboats sitting next to , the Destroyer s Escort and F f rigate sitting at the very end of the warehouse.
Captain Cook suddenly craned her neck around starring at a100 ton general cargo shuttle that looked about the same size as the old shuttles the Star Queen had for two hundred years . , some Some 100 feet long and 20 feet wide , the row of shuttles looked exactly like the same model sitting in the Star Queen’s locks . B ut then many of the Imperial approved designs had been produced for centuries with little change around the Em pire. . Smiling as the platform came to a stop and grounded in the space between the rows of shuttles next to the end of a 250 ton Assault Shuttle as Mark said. "Sorry Captain but these are the ones we are using." The four at the end of the row closest to the outer wall and out of sight unless you were right on top of them, were crawling with men preparing them for flight.
The Flight Chief came running out the back of the nearest shuttle the crews were working on as they approached down the sterns past the rest of the other shuttles sitting side by side in the line from the center section stepped off the platform . "Captain!" H h e shouted excitedly. "Captain! You have got to see the inside of these shuttles. They are incredible. If I did not know they were boats I would swear they are ships. I cannot think of anything they don't have on them sir."
"I know of one thing Air Chief!" An old crew Chief leaned against the corner of the hatch at the top of the ramp. Everyone including the Air Chief turned to look. "These four piss ant 50 caliber gat hatch guns in the corner turrets as well as the single 25mm nose gun are worthless against gunboats fighters or even other boats let alone taking on ships." Shaking his head. “I have been talking to the other ships that have come back from the Out Back and we are going up against tanks, fighters and anti–aircraft guns and missiles and hordes of scared , desperate , starving populations fighting for survival willing to do anything to grab a ship as well as criminals that see each tramp truck or boat as a golden pot. While these are fine for mowing down hordes of people, I f F rankly I don’t like taking pissing on and killing desperate people trying to survive kill us that don’t mind the smell as long as they think it will be someone else that dies . When a good sized gun can get their attention with a flashbang and send them running before anyone gets killed. Mainly us. And frankly I don’t like pissing on a pirate ship. It just makes them made when a good sized dump sends them running. ” The old man turned and walked back into the shuttle before anyone could say anything.
Everyone turned toward Mark expecting an answer. Mark frowned thinking, wishing he had something to do so he did not look so dumbfounded. Finely; "I.. Ah. We are just using these to get the troops and equipment to the battlefield. We are not assaulting anything with them right now."
Captain Cook shook her head in agreement and then turned to the other officers and started talking about details of getting the shuttles ready to go.
Mark took a breath and said under his breath. "Mickey; speaking of under gunned. Didn't you say something about the Queen needing new guns? ”
“Yes Mark. From what I have found out so far. The lack of adequate weapons is the main reason the Tramp Camps are so full.”
“That ’s right you already said that .” Shaking his head , Mark turned to Captain Cook. "Captain Cook; if you please. I need to show you something at the other end of the warehouse. If you don't mind?"
Captain Cook turned as the Officers started argueing arguing as to who was taking which shuttle and what needed to be done first. "Yes Commander. What is it?"
"I have to show you. Please sir. You can inspect the shuttles later. It should only take a few minutes sir; but it is a decision way above my pay grade sir."
The Captain chuckled. "Since when has that ever stopped you Commander. Lest go." Turning to the other officers. "Knock it off gentlemen. I shall return and decide who gets which shuttle though they are all the same damn it . For now just look them over and get familiar with them ." And started for the platform.
"Captain!" The Captain of Marines said. "We need to get back with our troops now that we know exactly what we are doing and how much room we have for equipment . They are familiar with remotes but we have never used them before. So we need to do as much training as we can in the little time left before we have to take them into combat."
"Don't worry Captain." Mark smiled. "They are just like the vid-games most of you and your marines have been playing at home and in training Captain. Besides I was not planning on any one getting into combat with any of this right now. It is mostly for show. But you are right, jump on and I will drop you off at the Transport shipping docks where the squads are being put together with their equipment. You should have plenty of room there to practice without being bothered."
Dropping them off, Mark was impressed with the squads of marines grouped with their equipment scattered across the large shipping area for with the docks serving for the big 3,000 ton car
go boats. The remote troopers and grav-tanks looked bigger and nastier than he remembered them now that they were paired with the marines in their new armor. Even the Gorilla exo-suit Mantanks bristling with weapons looked impressive as they leaped over crates and containers in a make shift obstacle course.
Then even though there were only a few bots with the marines on the course (most of the bots were still packed inside their storage containers off to one side of the cargo handling area) . Mark started notic ing ed a remote Trooper B b ot s jump o jumping o ver an obstacle and fall ing flat on their face s or butts or on their sides, skidding across the concrete. O ther s land ed then head ed off in the wrong direction wo ndering around a bit and then stopping to look around before rejoining the squad . Taking a closer look at the dozen bo ts mixed in with the marines, he notice d that while some Trooper bots seamed to run the course with ease most were not doing very well at all many seamed to get lost easy and spent several seconds after each obstacle standing, looking around for a few seconds before continuing. Some even had problems going over the obstacle while miss - timing something to stagger or fall to the deck before or afterward .
Shaking his head Mark and Captain Cook continued on alone. If you did not count the Bosom that kept following him around just trying his best to look invisible and unconcerned about matters that did not pertain to him. Going to the display aisle running down the center of the Warehouse Mark picked up the platforms speed as they raced over the displays of equipment. Quickly reaching the area containing the heavy weapons at the end where Mark had originally entered the warehouse and was so surprised the day before.
Mark dropped the platform down next to the row of battleship 8 inch single barreled gun turret s . "Captain, Mickey tells me that another problem is our 5inch 38 gun turrets. They are to small and sort ranged or too few to pass the launch fo r the Outback inspection. At least four of the 5 inch 54 auto single barreled turrets would work but it would cost a lot to install them which we don’t have , but I really like this 8 inch 45 72 cal turret with 10 times the range and power of our old 5-38s and it will slide into the turret ring races of the battle ships twin 5 inch turret we now have without any modifications except for junking the magazine and running a couple of main power plasma conduits to the main engines…. Or throwing some generators into the old magazines. Something easily done once we are in orbit. I am not sure how I can get 2 of them it to the Queen before we launch but I will do it. You just need to say the word sir."
Captain Cook turned from looking over the 8 inch turret. "It would look great on the side of the Queen Commander but stick out like a sour thumb shouting that w e are shit-no-stink rich to everyone that saw them. Putting a damn big target on our backs for every damn pirate in the outback . B esides Commander, ut didn't you read your own contract?" Mark looked at the Captain baffled. "It clearly says that you are allowed to take only equipment needed for this mission and the life boats and nothing more. The statement about other equipment needed to pass the launch inspection is too damn vague at this time to apply until we are actually refused permission to launch and a reason is given which could take months. While we go bankrupt waiting for the English decision to go ahead and supply some the turret they finally decide on according to this vague contract." Shaking her head. "No ! I i f you knew that a new or additional guns were needed, you should have listed them specifically." Closing her eyes as she took a deep breath as her head slowly turned back and forth with a frown. "That is what comes with experience Commander."
Mark took the platform up and started back for the boat shipping bay. Dejected and feeling stupid for failing as they left the navel gun turret section with Mark seeing a half dozen turrets that would work including a twin long barreled 6 inch turret that looked a lot like the turret the Queen now had that probably would have been a better fit . With Mickey confirming that it would easily replace their old 5inch 38 caliber short barreled turrets and easily surpass even the 5 inch 6 3 guns most of the ships in the Port had. Mark started plotting with Mickey on how to talk the Captain into allowing them to trade turrets as they started pas t sed the ground forces fire support section and dozens of artillery gun tubes both mounted in gravity coiled heavy ar mored SP tanks vehicles and towed.
The platform was picking up speed when Mark suddenly jerked the platform up on its side as he came back it around to a stop . M m aking the Captain and Bosom exclaim at the abrupt wild move. Starring back at a long grav-truck a dozen rows back, with a long 8 inch barrel tube running from a square slant sided low turret on the back, up the narrow center gap between generator housings along the sides to a lightly armored drivers cab at the fron t t, a dozen rows back . His original thought was to use several of the light weight mounts to replace the open hull guns in the upper lifeboat locks but quickly rejected that for various reasons.
Mark finely stopped talking to himself and smiled as he eased the platform back next to the truck. "Captain; this is a Self-Propelled 8 inch 102cal artillery peace. Basically a light weight armored compact plasma gun turret on the back of a lightly armored flatbed gravtruck with four compact fusion generators straddling the barrel transport notch in the front half . The generators are used for powering the gravtruck for rapid high speed deployment and then to power the gun itself once it was emplaced. Cheaper than the normal heavy armored SP tank type of gun mount and a lot faster. Though it can’t fire on the move. Designed for long range troop support in the export market for planets that don’t have a lot of money."
Mark smiling from ear to ear , very happy with himself, as he turned to look at the Captain. "Sir; the gun has a composite titanium ceramic barrel that will fit into the same trunnion carriage our heavy steel 5 inch manually fed chemically case powered barrels are mounted in with only some minor bushings we can manufacture in our machine shop. Once the old 5 inch charge cases are discarded , the Generators will easily fit into the 5 inch turret’s old magazine with room to spar and we don’t have to come up with generators or run a plasma line all the way down to the engines like we would have had to with the 8 inch turrets I just showed you . Eliminating any possibility of the charge cases blowing and ruining everyone on the mess decks whole day and we don't have to run any power plasma conduits ." Looking back at the SP gun with more than a little pride. "With 4 of these 8 inch 102 cal plasma carbon composite barrel ed tubes that have even better range than the medium barreled Navel gun we just looked at emplaced in the twin barreled turrets on the Queen, we should not have any problems weapon's wise passing the launch inspection for the Outback. And unless you look closely you can’t see the difference except for the barrels being a lot longer. " Taking a breath as another thought came to him. “And we can even change out 4 of the 5 inch 21 caliber barrels in hour hull gun mounts s for the 38’s, giving at least a few of our the gun deck guns some potency.
"Mark." Mickey said so the Captain could hear to. "These are designed to work inside an atmosphere and depend on air to cool the barrels. In the vacuum of space they would go from a firing rate of 10 rounds a minute for 5 minutes and then 2 5 rounds a minute sustained in an atmosphere; to 6 the first minute and 1shot every 2 a minute s sustained after that. They are likely to not pass inspection. They would also need the attachment of a balance weight on the breach end of the barrel to counter the weight built in compensator f of or the longer barrel even though it is half the weight of the heaver solid steel of the short 5 inch barrel s originally in the carriage."
Marks face fell like a meteor for about a second and then. "So we add the weight to the breach and a cooling jacket to the barrel instead of a weight . M A m inor detail s Mickey."
"But Mark, I agree with the Captain that the contract does not allow taking a replacement gun for the Star Queen's 5 inch guns." Mickey said again so both the Captain and Bosom could hear.
"Of course it does." Mark smiled. "Ok! Yes I know That is fine . But w W e won't take this for the ship then. Just add the four of them to the list of needed equipment for the assault on
the AI. Who knows? We may run into something bigger than the light remote tanks can take care of. We will just stop by the Queen on the way out and pick up the Turret Chief and 8 gun turret crewmen to man them."
"Mark." The Captain interjected sadly. "Luckily I had time to read most of the contract when Mickey sent me a copy after it was signed. Your contract also says that except for the lifeboats, you have to return all of this equipment when you are done assaulting and securing the AI. You are wasting your time Son."
"Sorry Captain but the Contract specifically says that I am the one deciding when we are done with and will return the equipment with no time line, set date or conditions for their return other than what I decide . Me being the party of the second part as stipulated in addendum 5, the last paragraph you have evidentially not gotten down to reading yet sir. A paragraph that was traded for a similar looking paragraph that originally said the English planet orbits the English star and we promise not to attack any English ship in the most flowering stupid speak possible that Captain Summers took for granted had not changed since bot h paragraphs look identical including the first and last sentences .” Jack smiled. “And I don't think we will be done with them until we leave the Outback again." Mark started to say (if ever) but bit his tongue.
The Captain looked at Mark narrowing her eyes and then smiled. "Very well Commander; It is worth a try. Car r y on. I just hope you know what you are doing walking into that den when we get there." Turning back to look at the SP as they drifted away past displays of equipment. "You sure the Shuttles will have enough room to carry everything you keep piling in on this mission?"
"Yes sir. And then some." Mark turned around and took a deep breath as his eyes fell on what looked like a small gun turret for a shuttle. "It is the mission to the third moon and the military AI I am worried about. He isn't going to fall for any tricks like I have planned here this but then if he is still in contact with this the financial AI of the empire; then I am screwed." And then to Mickey. "Can we replace the guns on the shuttles with something bigger Mickey like what I am looking at?"
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