Trampship Wars 2

by L. D. Roberts

  She did not like the fact that F f ailing to save the hostages and take care of the AI would kill her career and make arming the tramps impossible. Even though she could do nothing with the General in command but sit and wa it for her career to end .

  The only hope, (even minor as it was), was what this kid had gotten organized. If anyone could pull it off the kid and his AI could but she was not going to hold her breath. But then if they could not pull this off; they sure as hell did not stand a chance of rescuing the Admiral on the Third Moon or surviving pirates and desperate planets in the Outback .

  Captain Summers turned to look at Mark as her eyes narrowed for a couple of seconds and then a smile came to her lips as she said to herself. “ She needed to do something. But then, i I f Mr. Collins Mark got a quarter million people killed along with himself , the Tramps could be readily blamed since they were on an unofficial operation . That would hold me totally i nnocent and able to continue my work. ” , hol d ing her innocent and able to continue her work.

  B ut if she sat around while the General played with himself and a quarter million hostages were killed anyway, she would be the one getting the blame because she represented the Navy and the Queen . No ! , She needed to do something. S s he did not want to think that she had decided to cover her butt but that was what she did.

  Standing up Captain Summers smiled from ear to ear. “Captain Cook; Don’t be in such a big hurry. Stay and have lunch with the General. You do not want to miss the Charming General’s lunch stories Captain Cook , he has some doozies.”

  “That would be just fine Captain but I need to get back to my crew before they think I have deserted them and go ne A . W . O A . L.”

  The General stood up. “Ridiculous Captain. You will join us. I did not realize it was getting so late. I am starving. I am sure your crew will forgive you as soon as they get their stomachs full of hot food. Come, give them your orders for a hot lunch and relax and I will tell you about my Pie African expedition during that planetary civil war uprising . A fascinating tale.”

  The sudden look of a condemned man being told that the Governors call for a reprieve was just a joke washed over Mark before he took a deep breath and bucked up. His face going cold white as he swallowed. Captain Summers felt sorry for the kid. The thought of telling him that his ship would get their life boats no matter what happened in when he lost the battle , crossed her mind briefly. But then she realized that there was a couple of things she could do to help improve his chances without officially admitting it.

  “General; you have a couple thousand riot and crowd control troops and their equipment sitting at the police station waiting for transportation to the tower. You need to get them their before a quarter million people panic and start rioting, damaging property or people get trampled to death. It would not look good in the news. With your permission Captain Cook. Commander Collins , ; please have your 4 shuttle s, s transport them to the tower. A hundred are needed on each of the 8 landing platforms on the roof, the 5 upper bridge mall landing decks and the 6 Park landing platforms.”

  “Park landing platforms?” Mark said.

  Captain Summers smiled. “Yes it was an old industrial section at the thousand foot level of the tower with the loading platform able to handle 6 starships that was turned into a park. You can land your shuttles on th e old platforms em without damaging the grass ” . She ” She ignored Mark’s open mouthed stare as the gears turned over speed in his mind. “Originally it was designed to allow Star Cargo ships to land and load the valuable electronic modules manufactured on the surrounding levels but that proved to noise for the inhabitants and the surrounding towers.”

  Turning back to her screen. “Oh, I also need a boat to hall some platoons of reinforcements to the lower secure floor. Have that done first while you are surveying the landing platforms to deliver the riot troops. Though they need to be delivered within the next half hour and be careful; just the fact that you are landing military shuttles safely could spark a riot if they stay on the landing platforms more than a couple of seconds. Don’t even think about picking anyone up. Besides the AI controller would see and might do something stupid. Thank god you aren’t using transport boats like you took to or bit . They would be mobbed and possible destroyed before the transport s could take off again. Without riot troops you could get people killed in the mob s rush. I have seen whole starships mobbed and destroyed on dying Outback planets by desperate mobs trying to escape. Something like this very situation.” She cut the screen showing 22 transport boats with a squadron of bombers just entering suborbital boosts from the military base on the other side of the planet headed for the city and the tower. “You have better get going now Commander , those riot control troops should have been delivered hours ago. The The reinforcement troops s for the lower floor will be at your number 1 Shuttle ’s staging area behind the ridge 1 shuttle by the time you get there. Ready to board the APC C’s and APC’s. ”

  “Park landing platform s .” Mark started tapping his fingers on his thigh. “Yes, riot police would be important with things as intense as they are in that tower. The last thing we need are hostages rioting and getting killed before the A.I. gives himself up.” Heading for the hatch at a fast walk that threatened to break into a run with each step getting longer. At the hatch Mark turned around glancing at Captain Summers with a big question mark across his face. Before disappearing through the hatch.

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  Mark bumped into the C ommandant aptain Sounders of Marines coming ru nning out of the Command transport.

  “Mr. Collins; where is the Captain?”

  “She is going to lunch with the General.”

  “Lunch. I figured lunch was over an hour ago. He needs to be in the Command APCC right now before the battle begins.”

  “Ya; I thought lunch was over already as well. She is going to keep the General occupied and out of our hair.”

  “Did the Captain object to any of the changes we made or make any other changes to our plan of attack other than what you texted ? . Delaying the assault to get the riot troops to the platforms as well as the additional landing platforms in the park?” Almost growling . “Damn the English for not passing the orders for transporting reinforcements to the lower front line floor before now . ” Getting a shit eating grin on his face. “But we will manage . I have already added the rest of the APCC’s and APC’s to your raid to that floor and the core to cut the security conduits. ” The n repeating his first question. “Did the Captain object to any of our changes?”

  “No . I got the impres sion that she approv ed of everything but what I texted you about t that she told me about C ommandant aptain . Though I think even with the delay, I am going to have to hurry to get everything done that we already had planned. You should be getting the attack code words shortly along with any other changes Captain.” Mark climbed into the Jeep. “Oh; there was one other thing . S s omething about moving the command APCC closer to the battle sounded like a good idea C ommandant aptain .” It just downed on Mark that with the delay it would be harder for the Captain to interfere if the Command APCC was not close by. “Though I don’t think she had any specific location in mind.” With the coils humming he smiled. “Come to think of it, the APCC’s defensive missiles and guns could be of some use as reinforcements and support around the tower if things get rough. You could park it next to one of the SPG’s. Oh yes. As for scouting She wanted the landing platforms scouted before the boats arrive with the reinforcements. Don’t land. You would be mobbed. Just scout the approaches for hazards and if there is some easy way to restrict loading access to the transports . while the scouts and I plant the trunk taps. At least this delay will give us a longer loop to play back down the video taps. By your leave Captain.”

  The Commandant Marine Captain put a finger to his ear and smiled. “Got the word Commander. We have the Command code to go.” The Captain Commandant and Commander of what was now a Marine Brigade, ran back into th
e Command APCC.

  Mark gunned the shot up jeep that was little better than junk and sped away headed for the number 1 shuttle. Telling himself that he needed to trade it in on a newer model . Along with the 4 Self Propelled guns , Mark had brought as many of the Tanks, APCC’s, APC’s , (packed with equipment) as he could get o n the lower deck s of the shuttle s with the troops and their personal equi pment on the upper grating deck. At t T he last few minutes Mark h e had tasked the 4 APCC’s and 24 APC’s they had brought packed onto the lower decks of the shuttles with the job of delivering the fresh English troops as Captain Summers had directed . The Majority of the but adding most of the Star Q q ueen Marines mixed in to get them onto the tower were they would be needed before the assault began were scheduled to reload in them after words and then assault the tower from the m and the assault shuttles when they dropped down to take out the torpedo bays . Basically the Marines had already abando ned ning the ring of camps leaving only the Self-propelled guns for support fire with the bot light tanks free to escort and cover the APC’s and Assault Shuttles during their quick assault s while the bombers dropping in with the transport boats (now orbiting a hundred miles out from streaking in from the other side of the planet with orders now to orbit the City until everything was prepared), to cover them until they made it to the tower and then again when they lifted off after rearming .

  Mark dropped down toward a Shuttle with the big red number One painted on the fins. Now sitting behind the SPG sitting above on the ridge behind where its marines had been emplaced only hours before. The ridge was steep enough to block any sensors on the tower from seeing the Shuttle. Busses were leaving the area as English Riot police in raged lines walked up into the big Assault Shuttle getting ready to be transferred to the tower landing platforms. The Queen’s marines were scattered farther away waiting to board for the main attack as soon as the Shuttle returned. APCC’s and APC were spaced along the ridge loading the English reinforcement troops that would go in with his little group to tap into the security conduits. Mark just hopped that going in with half a hundred APCC’s and APC’s would not be noticed to much more than the single APC he and the Squad originally planned on going in with.

  Mark shook his head. The operation had gotten a lot more complicated than he had planned but then he had lost control of the whole thing long ago. Too many other people were calling the shots now. Hell, he was not even sure if the bombers were going to get reloaded in time to drop new flash bangs to hide the transports when they had to leave to dump their first load of refugees not to mention getting them back to the tower again. Shit! The transports he had tasked with the job of suppling the bombs and shells had been retasked without asking or consulting him.

  Shaking his head. Worst yet the main marine attack had been moved up with the first flashbang barrage to cover the arrival of the now 21 transport boats landing on the towers platforms in spite of his objections instead of after the civilians had been evacuated and the tower was basically empty. Commandant Saunders was afraid that the AI would start assaulting up the tower with the arrival of the transports if they were spotted by the bots. He wanted our marines there with the first barrage to stop them just in case.

  Mark took a deep breath as he looked down at the Assault Shuttle he was approaching. He was basically just along for the ride know. Only being allowed to go with the security feed tapping crew to allow Mickey to make sure the feed being sent down to the AI worked.

  Mark took a deep breath as he looked down at the Shuttle surrounded with equipment and what looked like a thousand troops. It looked like total c h a os ayu se . Mark just hopped the little sensor ball was ready.

  The Torpedo Chief had said that he would be done with the sensor ball by the time he got back from the Command Center but Mark had his doubts. The Chief seemed to be of the impression that the little ball could do magic in his excitement at getting his hands on a n intac t complete Imperial Sensor Ball complete with a propulsion module. Mark was not so sure though Mickey said she could make it almost that good.

  Mark just hopped that the little ball would make it a lot easier to find the hostages and then the AI so Mickey could neutralize him. That is if the damn propulsion module was any good to begin with. There may be a reason no one ha d s used it for a thousand year . Or s… or at least now. I i t simply could have been worn out with usage or even damaged in the past.

  Mark suddenly saw a little shinny chrome steel black ball zip out of the back of the shuttle as the Chief walked up to the edge of the ramp. As he flared the jeep to land , the little ball slid up to and in through the open passenger window of the moving jeep to hover next to Mark.

  “Mark, this is the sensor ball, fully fueled and ready to go.” Mickey said in his ears to Mark . “I had the sensor leave as soon as the Chief finished adding the new comm and refueling connectionisms I designed for it. You do not have time to land. The APCC is waiting for you. I will finish downloading the new programing I have created for it on the way.”

  Mark turned from staring at the little ball and gunned the jeep to climb back into the air to head for the APCC waiting for him. He knew it would be a mad house as well.

  The jeep riddled with laser and blaster holes and missing parts getting strange looks from the troops he passed over.

  Mark could not believe what was happening even though he had started the ball rolling. But like a comet. The operation just kept getting bigger the closer it got with a course all its own.

  Chapter 20: The Attack Chapter----------------

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  Ten minutes later APCC number 9 slid in through the hole that had been blasted in the side of the building and dropped onto the floor that had been sealed off and heavily guarded to prevent the bots from advancing any farther up the building. Though the Criminal AI controlled bots did not seem to be inclined to even try. The AI was evidentially happy to simply prevent the majority of the hostages on the upper floors from escaping after taking out the mass transit bridges to the surrounding buildings. Mark walked out of the back with a squad of Star Queen scouts and their bot buddies following a couple of platoon s of English reinforcements that were not happy about the bots. Tons of supplies on pallets were being pushed out behind him.

  Some 24 APC’s that had grown a small gun turret on the front right corner and 3 other APCC’s hit the building at the same time from as many directions. The 4 Assault shuttles sliding in above them dumping over two thousand riot police on to the platforms Captain Summers had told them about while shooting down the dozens of torpedo’s that were fired at them with the help of the Queens Bot controlled light tanks. The none military AI trying to conserve resources stupidly , firing one torpedo at a time at each of the Assault Shuttles giving the torpedo’s plenty of time to be destroyed.

  Stepping to the edge of the hole blasted in the building’s outside wall to allow heavy equipment to land directly on that floor , . Mark looked down across the park land surrounding the building. Mickey showing him the underground shipping and utility tunnels leading away from the building and the blockades placed in them about the same distance as the surface ring of troops around the huge building.

  A blaster’s plasma ball streaked out to intercept one of to the tanks flitting around the building. That was answered with a barrage of shots back at the building where the shot had come from but Mark knew the bot that had fired that shot was long gone even though the return fire was almost instantaneous. He had been told that the fire from the building had been much greater before he had played sitting duck target for them to shoot at. Though it did not ease his feeling of stupidity for sitting in the SPG jeep and being shot at. Circling the building a dozen times letting the bots shoot at him now seaming just as stupid.

  Then he saw several of the 8 inch SPG light tank 105mm blaster rounds from the low hill s in the distance streak into the base of the tower below him just as a short burst of small blaster balls streaked out from the targeted location. Most of t
T he stream of small shots from the location sweeping across the sky far not coming from anywhere even close to any of the tanks and Shuttles , making Mark smile. Evidentially the Class 5 A.I.'s the Queen’s gun crews in the SPG’s he had p ut in the light tanks with their b ot scouts and sensor disks forward deploy ed close to the tower were just the ticket for taking out the bot snipers with their fast reaction times and superior sensors. The stream of wild shots after the first somewhat accurate shot, telling Mark that the sniping bot had died as he pulled the trigger. Unlike humans, the bot’s finger would stay frozen in whatever position it was in when it died. Even pulling a trigger.

  Turning around , Mark started back into the building. Passing the APCC he noticed a cou p le of medium weapon’s blaster streak s on the side of the big Armored Personnel Carrier still hot from a recent impact s . “Ok? That must have been th ose at little jolt s just before we landed.” Surprised that the AI still had any large weapons left but knowing deep down that he should have expected the AI to keep a few in reserve. Shaking his head as he reached out to touch the closest still hot steak with his gloved hand . Without the APCC’s armor, any one of those that blaster hit s would have shredded a good portion of the Star Queen’s Fantrucks hull and everyone inside in that area. Possible knocking the truck out of the sky if one of the fans had been hit. No wonder the Captain wanted them to deliver the reinforcements and the riot troops. Maybe she was not deliberately helping them as he had suspected when she gave the orders. Even if the additional landing platforms in the park and riot troops greatly increased the chances of pulling this off.

  As the English troops dispersed to their stations Mark joined his squad though he was mostly just tagging along . He was only th ere so Mickey could make sure the cores that the marines had brought along were programmed correctly when the tap feed was initiated. Which he figured gave him plenty of time to look aroun d while the marines taped into the conduits. He had not expected them to , they wait ed for him before heading in toward the tower’s core and the buildings cargo elevators and service trunks to place their taps . Shaking his head, Mark finally realizing that as an officer they considered him their leader of all the stupid thing s.