Mars Space Patrol

By S L Hendrickson

For the crew of the Olympus, the war with Earth is over but not for Captain Westlake. They easily defeated the ships from Space Force and Mars won its independence. Now he is getting a new XO an exchange program to build cooperation between Space Force and Mars Space Patrol, but can he trust her? She may be a spy to get information on the new Admiral class ship so Earth can plan another attack and bring Mars back under their control.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S L Hendrickson
• Release date: Jul 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215677407

S L Hendrickson

After serving in the Army, I earned a B.A. Degree. I've worked many different jobs: Security Guard, Printing Press Operator, and Loan Processor. I know write full time mostly erotic fiction also science fiction. Sometimes I combine the two. I live and write in Phoenix, Arizona.

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MARS SPACE PATROL

Published by STEVEN HENDRICKSON at Smashwords

Copyright 2023 STEVEN HENDRICKSON

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All characters are 18 years of age or older

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Captain Ivan Westlake thought the mood on the bridge was tense. It hadn’t been this way since the war. He looked intensely at the ship on the screen, wondering why the ship wasn’t trying to escape. It didn’t have a transponder which was illegal in Mars space territory. The transponder was an automatic signal identifying the ship and its flight plan.

Can it outrun us? Bomber asked.

Maybe, but it doesn’t seem to be in a hurry. Comm any response.

None, sir. Comm was the communications specialist. It was synthetic and knew fourteen languages.

Westlake put on the headset. Unknown ship, this is Mars warship Olympus; stop your engines and prepare to be boarded.

Captain, at its present speed, it will be out of our jurisdiction in fourteen minutes, Quinn, the navigator, said.

The ship would be out of the one hundred million kilometers that surrounded Mars and its moons, which was the patrol area of Olympus.

Thanks, Nav. Bomber, prepare the Hammer.

Yes, sir. He always got excited about using one of the weapons was once a miner handling explosives, and was one of the first to enlist when the war started with Earth. The Hammer was a hundred caliber loaded with armor-piercing rounds. It could fire a thousand rounds per minute.

Weapon ready, sir.

One short burst across the bow, engage.

Ten rounds went in front of the ship. Anyone on the bridge could see the red tracers.

This is Mars war ship Olympus; stop, or you will be fired on.

The captain waited, but still, there was no response.

Target their engine, sir? Bomber asked.

The rounds would destroy the engine.

Use the EM pulse.

If they don’t have shields, the entire ship could be destroyed.

They were warned.

Bomber sent the pulse out, disrupting all the electronics around the engine. The ship was slowing.

Bomber, take Carter and Hugo. I want weapons and full body armor. You don’t know what you’ll be running into.

Yes, sir. They were once Marines on Earth and were paid by the Martian government. They were soldiers for hire. The shuttle was designed to carry twenty, but since the treaty was signed, the crew of the Olympus was reduced. The ship once had a crew of twenty-five, three shifts, always combat-ready; someone was continually operating the weapons. The leaders at Earth Space Force thought that just the sight of their ships would make the leaders on Mars back down but didn’t anticipate the Olympus and its crew.

Hugo was the shuttle pilot and took the controls. It was fast and maneuverable, and the plasma engine could get the craft up to one-quarter light speed. The shuttle docked with the ship. Since no one was on the ship to open the hatch, it had to be done manually by turning a large lever on the door. Bomber was grunting. It took considerable strength because it was never opened this way. Carter and Hugo stood behind him with their Scar’s at the ready, a fifty caliber assault rifle with one hundred rounds, shock, and gas grenades. Besides the body armor, they were wearing helmets with small rebreathers just in case there was no air on the other side.

When the door flung open, Bomber checked the datapad.

There is gravity but no air.

They turned on the air supply. Bomber turned on the camera on the top of his helmet. and Nav watched the camera feed as they passed through the ship. He ran the ship through the database, but there wasn’t a match. They went slowly, checking every corridor, and didn’t run into anyone as they reached the bridge.

Captain, I believe this ship is automated, Bomber said.

There were no seats on the bridge for people to sit.

That explains why they weren’t in a hurry, saving fuel and not worrying about a crew to feed and provide air for.

Carter was paging through one of the display screens on the bridge. I’ve seen this language before.

Comm, take a look, the captain said.

It viewed the screens from Bomber’s camera. "It’s