AMP Private War (10 page)

He fell quickly to the floor.

Milly spoke next, "Chief, we need to clean out every room as we move. If one or two of them get in behind us we could be in for a world of hurt."

The first door we came too was littered with signs of different foods. It was the mess hall for the freighter. Barg pushed open the door slowly.

Before he could step in a Milgari cook lunged at him with a butcher knife. "Holy..."

Ak-ak-ak-ak!

Barg spoke, "Chief, I'm beginning the think Milly was right. What if there were 20 of them coming at us? You know, it looks a lot easier watching on those monitors. I'm thinking we..."

A second Milgari sprang from behind a counter, again a large butcher knife was raised in the air and a screeching howl was let out as the second cook charged.

Ak-ak-ak-ak!

The Milgari fell as he swung the knife. It cut down through the center of Barg's left boot, stopping when it wedged between two plates of the steel deck below.

At the same time more screeching could be heard in the hallway. I pushed Davis through the mess hall door and slammed it shut just as half a dozen ravenous Milgari crewmen arrived. The door locked from our side. The crewmen threw their bodies at it violently. With the door’s somewhat flimsy design, it was only a matter of time before they would break through.

I spoke as I looked through the porthole window in the door. "Barg! How's the foot?"

He took several seconds to answer. "Chopped right between my toes Sir! But my boot is pinned to the floor!"

Davis assisted as we leaned heavily on the door in an attempt to reinforce it. "Take that boot off and get behind that counter over there. Milly sweep that back room! We don't need any surprises!"

"Arrrg!"
Crunch!
"Arrrgh!"
Crunch!

The crewmen rammed the door with their bulky bodies. Once Milly and Barg reported back, we took refuge behind what looked like a buffet counter. The smell of the food was putrid.

I spoke, "That door is coming down any second. There are at least half a dozen out there, maybe more. Make your shots count!"

The door burst open, falling to one side as the first Milgari fell inward onto the floor.

Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

They were cut down as fast as they could enter the room. When the gunfire ended nine Milgari crewmen lay dead or dying on the floor before us.

Milly was the first up to deliver the decisive shots to their heads. "Chief; would have only taken one of them to get through. I think we pull back and let the pros handle this."

As I looked back into the hallway I replied. We are only 500 meters from that Bridge. I think we just got the worst of it right there. This barge, even though it is immense in size, has got to mostly be automated."

"I would bet if there are any Milgari troops they are stationed down on that planet. Which brings up an interesting thought... slaves. The Milgari use slaves in their mining operations. I wonder if there are not thousands or millions of slaves down there being worked to death. If we steal this barge and leave we might as well be killing them ourselves. That planet does not look to support much if any life."

Davis then spoke up. "It would take days if not weeks to collect them and bring them up here to transport. There is room, but I doubt there is sustenance on this ship to support them all. They would have been brought in on transports that could land on that planet down there. To be frank Sir, I don't think there is much we can do for them with what we have available. We are not set up for a mass rescue Sir."

I remained silent as I moved down the hall. Davis was right. There was nothing we could do for the poor souls who were trapped on the planet below. I called back to the Swift. "Frig. Can you do a deep scan of those mines down there? I want to know how many slaves they might have working them."

Frig responded, "We did have discussions about taking out the Milgari who were likely garrisoned down there, but I don't recall any discussion about others. What are you proposing we do Sir?"

We passed through one of many airlock doors as we moved down the hallway. It was good to be back in atmosphere, but the stench of the Milgari was almost overwhelming. "Close those external filter ports. This air ain’t worth breathing!"

As I kicked open a door and Davis stepped in. The storage room was empty and our attention was turned back towards the hallway. "I'm not proposing anything. It just occurred to me that there may be a lot of slave workers down there and we don't have any plans whatsoever to offer them any aid. If we just pick up and leave with the freighter they will likely be dead in a short time."

Frig hesitated before answering. "That is a sustained operation down there. They likely have food stores that would last them for months if not longer. We aren't exactly near any colonies out here Sir. Whatever system they have down there is likely for the long term as far as provisions go."

With my gun raised, I quickly turned the corner into an open room, it was empty. "I hope you are right my friend. I guess it doesn't matter much either way as there is not much we can do. We might give it some thought once we are mopping up this mission. By the way, how's the Colonel coming with his progress?"

Frig replied. "They have advanced to Deck 15 Sir. The resistance is becoming progressively higher. I think the Milgari Marines are the ones involved in the fight now Sir. The Colonel has four dead and six wounded, five of those casualties in one incident. Take heed that the professionals are having a tough go of it Sir. We need you back in one piece."

We rounded a corner and were confronted with a long stairwell going upwards. I looked up through the center and could see at least 20 stories above us. It would be a long hike up to the top leaving us fully exposed until we reached the Bridge doors on the 18th level. "That's our prize through those red doors up there. Let's get climbing!"

We began the long climb up the stairs, always looking back down from where we had come. When we reached the 18th floor I offered up a moments rest. "Take five before we go through there. We might be facing five crewmen or fifty once we go through those doors. If it's the later I want you all to turn and haul ass back down those stairs."

"We might be able to hold them off in that long hallway down there. It's narrow enough to keep them bunched up. These stairs are a bit wide. And check your clips; we want to go in there fully loaded."

Barg placed the plasma charges around the locked door. We moved back down the stairs two levels, just far enough to maintain a safe distance.

Bang!

The red doors to the Bridge blew open. We waited, hunched on the stairs for the onslaught of Milgari crewmen. Several seconds passed with no sign of activity.

We cautiously moved up the stairs and through the doors into the wide Bridge, it was nearly 200 meters across. Any numbers of consoles were up and running, displaying data on the ships systems and cargo load. All stations had been abandoned.

Davis spoke. "Chief, I think that might have been the Bridge crew who attacked the mess hall. From the number of stations in here it looks like the empty chairs match up to the crewmen we encountered. It looks like we have taken the Bridge Sir!"

I walked over to the giant transparent wall that looked out over the massive ore bays behind the Bridge. The ten battle cannons lay in ruin on a platform just below us. The closed cargo holds seemed to stretch out in an endless line before us. The ship contained low grade Tantric ore. Frig had reasoned that the mammoth ship would be filled every three months. Once refined, it would be the equivalent of several years of our production.

Barg spoke. "Chief; there are bound to be other crewmen on this barge. I say we see if we can pull up the ships diagrams and figure out how to seal off this fore section. We can let the Colonel and his men… ho! Davis!"

"Arrrrrgh!"

The Milgari captain charged at Davis from behind a console, a long sharp knife in his right hand. Davis’s only reaction was to drop onto his back while thrusting his right boot up into the air. The Milgari captain dove onto Davis’ outstretched leg and was vaulted over him to the open doors beyond.

The captain tumbled through the doors and down a flight of stairs before coming to a stop against a rail. Several seconds of groggy reaction ensued before he rose and started down the stairwell. Barg rushed out. "Chief! I got no shot. He’s getting away!"

I helped Davis to his feet. "Let him go! Davis, you OK?"

Davis looked himself over. There was a long gash in his suit from his navel up to his left shoulder, but the skin beneath had not been broken. "Got all my parts still Chief." I turned back to the others. "Let’s get this Bridge secured. We can deal with the captain later."

Within a few minutes we had a small gas torch out and were welding the hardened Bridge doors back into their frames. The right door remained functional while the left door had to be welded in place. We took several extra pieces of steel from the Bridge, welding them in place around the doors to add an extra level of stiffness. With the Bridge secured we took a few minutes to rest.

The Gray Ghouls continued to climb up the levels of the cruiser. When they secured Deck 12 their progress came to a halt. The Milgari Marines had constructed a barricade and were using a fire hose to keep the Colonel’s men from advancing up the stairwell to Deck 11. The Ghouls had taken another 19 casualties bringing the total to 29 out of 144 Marines involved in the assault.

The Colonel came on the comm. "I don’t know what you think you are doing over there Mr. Grange, but I don’t like the distraction. We got a war going on over here and I don’t need to be worrying that you are getting your ass kicked by some Milgari ore hauler. If you want to get involved that badly then get your ass over here and assist with the wounded!"

"I have fighters down below doing those tasks when I need them up here. We’re down 20% now with another 5% chewed up in triage. If you have crewmen to spare we can use the support. That freighter you are on isn’t going anywhere!"

We abandoned our fortress on the Freighter Bridge and made our way back down and out onto the deck where Frig was waiting with the Swift. We were quickly ferried to the cruiser and were soon on-board, waiting to assist those who had been injured. I looked at the 12 dead Ghouls laid out along the far wall as I stepped into the triage area.

A medic yelled out, "Can someone give me a hand! I’ve got two more to get down the stairs!"

I hustled over to offer assistance. The medic was covered in blood as I helped him lift the injured Marine.

I spoke, "Just tell me what I can do!"

I tried to read the nametag on his battle suit, but the blood had it obscured.

The medic replied, "The name’s Dennison Mr. Grange. They call me Butcher although I don’t think that is appropriate at the moment. I don’t much care though, so call me whatever you like. Set her over here. And keep pressure on that wound until I get back!"

I did my best to stop the blood that was spurting from her side. Corporal Hash had taken a stabbing hit from a makeshift halberd. The wound was deep. The corporal opened her eyes and reached up to grab my face. "No worries Mr. Grange. Wound cut through my liver. It’s only a matter of time. No amount of patching is going to stop what’s coming." I looked at the Marine with a stunned stare.

She continued, "It’s OK Mr. Grange. I took out two of them with my knife before the third swung from around the corner. All part of the job. You win some… you lose…"

Hash winced in pain before her arm fell back to her side. The Milgari had claimed another Ghoul. It was an experience I would not soon forget.

We had lost others in our tiny force. People that I had gotten to know, people that stepped up to put their lives on the line for the cause. But this death had happened up close and personal. I sat motionless for a moment as my emotions began to run wild.

A hand grabbed my shoulder. It was Maria Rodriguez. "Let’s go cowboy! We’ve got others that are still with us that need our help. Hash has moved on to a better place."

An outstretched hand helped me to my feet. The next two hours were spent assisting the medics with new casualties as they arrived. Once stabilized, the injured Marines were transferred back to the frigate where an operating team, led by George, was hard at work patching them up.

When the bulk of the injured had been moved across to the Slaughter I took it upon myself to move up the stairwells towards the fighting. The Colonel and his men had cleared the way up to Deck 10. He was busy fighting a group of Milgari Marines that were holed up behind a bulkhead door.

The Colonel yelled, "Masters; take three with you down that hall back there and start cutting through those walls!"

The Colonel turned towards me with a scowl on his face. "Grange; I should kick your ass for pulling that stunt. I’m trying to run a war here and you think it’s some sort of game. Marines are dying Mr. Grange. I don’t like it when my people die! If you are adding to my worries you are helping the enemy. They don’t need your help Mr. Grange. They are doing fine on their own!"

The Colonel spit a wad of Omega root on the floor beside me. You want to help? Then do as I asked with those wounded!"

I held up my AK, "We have that under control Colonel. Tell me what I can do to help here. I do know how to use this thing you know."

The Colonel looked at me with the same scowl. "You are stubborn like your Daddy."

He hesitated for several seconds. "Take your sorry ass down the hall there with Masters and his team. Give them cover while they break through those walls."

I nodded and turned towards the hallway. The Colonel shouted as I ran. "And keep your ass alive Mr. Grange! I still want to kick it when we get back!"

When I rounded the corner Masters and his team had a torch lit and were burning a hole through a wall. The gas torch burned hot and a steel plate almost a meter in diameter was pushed through to the other side. The thin panel fell to the floor with a hollow clang.

Masters spoke, "OK, Moss. Spray down that cut with coolant and let’s get that equipment through to that bulkhead. We are going to cut a peephole first so we can clean out the room beyond. Grange! Keep your eyes peeled on our backs. These critters like to hide in unusual places. Half of our casualties have been by attacks from behind."

I nodded as I turned back towards the door, sticking my head out into the hallway for a brief look.

The bulkhead was an inch and half thick plate steel. The torch cut through it slowly. I spent my spare moments flipping my helmet display from the Colonel’s video feed to that of my fellow pilots down in triage. The Colonel was still held up at the door while the triage area had been cleared of the injured. Milly and Barg were busy carrying bodies back to the Slaughter. No Marines would be left behind.

Ten minutes after beginning the cut, Masters and his men had a small hole opened into the next room. After spraying it with coolant Moss stepped up to have a look through. Flames erupted from the hole and quickly engulfed Moss’ helmet. He rolled backwards onto the floor before spraying himself with the coolant. His helmet was scorched but the seals had not broken. The flame stopped and then came through the hole as a stream.

The Colonel asked for status. "Masters; how’s my hole coming?"

The sergeant stepped back and replied. "We are hitting some resistance Sir. Taking steps to push through now. Got some crazies on the other side shooting flames at us. Will let you know when we are through."

Moss moved to the side and up next to the wall. He attempted to spray the hole with coolant with the hope of somehow extinguishing the source of the flame on the other side. It was a move that was going nowhere. Masters asked the others for possible solutions. I raised my AK, took careful aim and…

AK-ak!

The flame stopped.

Masters turned back with a smile, "It’s always the greenhorns!"

As I began to smile back the flames shot through the hole again. This time hitting the torch equipment and setting it on fire.

Masters called out. "Go! Go! Go! Clear the room!"

I stepped back into the hall as the others ran towards me.

Booom!

The tank for the gas torch exploded with a fury. Masters was the last one moving through the doorway and the concussion threw him hard into the far wall. The face shield on his helmet shattered as he impacted the wall, he fell backwards unconscious.

I took command. "Dothan, Keller! Get him back to the medics and bring us another torch!"

The Marines moved quickly, gently picking up Masters and moving him back down the hall towards the others. I took the opportunity to once again fire a round through the hole.

Ak!

The flames once again stopped as the holder of its source took another hit. I stood and fired two more rounds through the hole.

Ak-ak!

I gestured to Moss as I fired another round. "Charge that hole and put some lead on the other side. It’s time we put some hurt on ‘em."

Moss complied. "Yes Sir!"

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

A scream of pain could be heard through the hole. Moss continued to fire until one of his rounds found their source of fuel.

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Booom!

The room shook as the bulkhead absorbed the impact of the explosion on the other side. A small flame shot out of the hole before all went silent. The room on the other side of the bulkhead had been cleared.

Dothan and Keller soon returned with a new torch. "Cut your hole over here while Moss uses that one to keep that room clear. Colonel wants a hole opened and we are going to give it to him!"

As the others proceeded I stepped back and checked the hallway behind us, all was clear.

Several minutes passed before I received a message from Frig. "Sir, this is Frig, we have two small craft approaching from the surface. What should I do?"

I suddenly felt the urge to run back to the Swift, but there was no time. "Call the Hammer and get after them. If you can, try to neutralize their drives and then push them into the ion web. If they are trying to run it might be someone of importance. Do whatever you feel is necessary to shut them down. We don’t need some crazy ramming into one of us."

The bulkhead wall took another 15 minutes to cut through. The heavy steel plate we had cut fell to the floor with a loud clang. Moss stepped up and swept the room while Dothan and Keller cooled down the metal. Moss stepped through the hole with me close behind.

"Colonel, this is Grange. We are through the bulkhead."

The Colonel replied. "It’s about time! Hang tight as I’m sending you a team. They already have instruction of what to do. And don’t be a hero Grange! They will be there in a sec."

Dothan came through the hole and took up a safe firing position behind the charred remains of a metal desk while Keller returned the torch to the support team by the central stairwell.

I looked around the charred room. Three dead Milgari were stacked against one wall, a fourth body was headless beside the door. All burned beyond recognition. I took up position on the other end of the desk from Dothan. We had a defensible firing position as we waited the less than a minute for the new team to arrive. We could hear sounds from the hallway beyond. The first Milgari through the door then charged us in a rage.

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

He fell silent.

A rumble and grunts could be heard coming down the hall from outside the door. A squad of screeching Milgari Marines rounded the corner and began to pour into the room. We opened up with everything we had, they just kept coming. Dothan emptied his clip and quickly switched out for another, taking down a Milgari just before it reached his position.

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

My clip ran dry. I yanked out the empty and pulled a full one from my bag. I rammed it in and pulled back the slide. The gun jammed. A Milgari was soon diving over the charred metal desk in front of me.

"Arrrrggh!"

As I rolled back I pulled my knife from its sheath. The Milgari gnashed his teeth at my face as I held him off with one hand jammed up under his weak chin, his sharp teeth scraping against my face shield. Somehow, I could only guess it was by instinct, I swung the knife around in one motion, thrusting it into the attacker's neck. The Milgari squirmed for only a moment before collapsing.

Only seconds after the rush had begun it was over. Ten Milgari lay dead in the doorway and across the floor in front of us. I had just pushed the dead Marine off of me when I heard another rumble coming down the hall. This time it was louder.

I tried repeatedly to unjam my gun as they approached, but it was not coming free. I tried in vain, with my knife, to free the stuck bullet as the first Milgari came through the door.

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

Dothan, Keller and Moss opened up. The Milgari continued to charge in.

Four plowed through the door at once with the first three being cut down by the others. The fourth was charging directly at me. Then, from behind me, through the hole came the sound of more AK-47s.

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

The Colonel's men had arrived! One-by-one they made their way through the hole and into the room. The 16 Milgari Marines who had attacked, all lay dead in a pile by the door. The Ghouls moved forward out into the hall beyond.

Dothan slapped me on the back. "You done good Sir! Happy to have you by my side!"

He winked, spit Omega root on my pant leg and then followed after the other Marines. The Colonel then came on the comm. "Grange! I hope you aren't tagging along with those guys! Get your ass back here. We need to talk!"

I stood, wanting to rub the sweat from my eyes, my helmet denied my hand. "I'm heading your way Colonel. I think I've had my fill of fun for the day."

I was covered with oozing brown Milgari blood. When I arrived back at the Colonel's position the Marine squad that had assisted me was opening the bulkhead door.

The Colonel looked me up and down. "Grange! You are a mess! Hahahaha! You've had your day in the sun. Head back down to the triage and get some rest. I'm guessing we probably have another eight hours of this picnic ahead of us. And hey, your Daddy would have been proud son."

The Colonel put his hand on my shoulder and spit down on my pant leg with a wink. He then turned me around with one solid move and shoved me towards the central stairs. When I looked back he was moving through the bulkhead door, barking orders, with his shotgun at the ready.

The assault continued for almost as long as the Colonel had predicted. His team of 144 Gray Ghouls had cut down 972 Milgari Marines and 268 crewmen. The entire ship was swept three times for stragglers, none were found. An hours rest was ordered that would be followed by cleaning up the dead bodies. Ten hours after the last of the Milgari had fallen; the remaining corpse was ejected into the black void of space.

We had lost 14 brave soldiers with 32 others receiving injuries. It wasn't a fair fight, but the Milgari had the advantage of numbers. When the Colonel's men moved on to the frigate there were nine Milgari still alive after the injection of toxic gas. They were quickly dispatched.