[ WP ] It 's been 300 years since Mars was colonized . Now , there is a revolution and the colonies are fighting for their independance . The first space battle in human history is about to begin .

Everything was silent. I could hear my own breathing but with the voice activated coms nothing else. I sat and waited for the assault to begin. I supposed that a Greek warrior fighting the ancient Persians and a marine about to land on Iwo Jima would have had that in common with me. The waiting I mean, not the silence. I was aware that outside the tin can the Mars Authority had shoved us into missiles and counter missiles were playing a deadly game. With any luck, the tin can's defensive lasers and missiles would keep us alive long enough to board the Earther battleship. We were only one of a hundred or more smaller launch ships. Mars did n't have the resources that the Earther's did but we had plenty of cannon fodder to throw at their ships. 
 
 Every one of us was a volunteer. We had to be, since the odds of survival were bleak. Nine weeks of training at grav and zero grav combat made us tough. Some, like Seranto, who sat next to me also were tech specialized. If we did manage to board, they were supposed to be able to cripple the ships internal controls, as long as we got them to a panel. Every one of us knew that was speculation since no one had ever fought a space battle before. We had no idea what to expect but we were willing to die to protect every Martian's right to be free. 
 
 I almost jumped when the com came alive. `` Last call. Somehow that asshole of a pilot has kept us alive. Ready for jump. Go, go go!'' The bay doors opened and we spilled out into space, suit jets giving us a push towards a nearby wall of steel. It was confusing as hell, even with the smart suits automatically identifying a port access and pushing us towards it. We had gone from silent and still into a noiseless chaos. The huge ship could n't fire missiles at a vessel this close but brilliant lasers shot out from the close in defensive batteries, reaching out like tentacles to grab an destroy. Sure enough, a few seconds later one of them pierced the heart of the shuttle and it fell to pieces. 
 
 `` Too late!'' I crowed. `` Too late you fucking bastards. Here we come!'' 
 
 I had n't realized I spoke out loud. `` Can the chatter, Mikowski. Cutters, get that damn hatch open.'' Portable laser cutters lit open the access and within seconds it was off. The first two marines into the access cam flying back out as the pressure from projectile weapons tore them to pieces. 
 
 `` Fuck. Fuck those defences.'' The lieutenant moved to the edge of the access hole and released a portable mini shock. It was a local emp bomb that created both kinetic and electronic damage, designed ( we all hoped ) to destroy automated defences. He hand tossed it into the hole and as quickly he lost his hand as the defences tore it off. `` Fuck, fuck fuck!'' he yelled in pain as the suit cut off the blood loss and sealed the breach. 
 
 Still, the shock worked. It exploded in a blast of light. We were shielded against the EMP by the ship and our suits but inside the access port, all hell broke loose. The kinetic shards ripped through the walls of the ship and destroyed the skin. Meanwhile, the EMP trashed the brains of the defences. Within seconds, we were moving into the vessel itself. 
 
 They were no cowards, these Earthers. They died under our guns bravely but this was n't a troop ship. As suspected, actually boarding them as an assault had never occurred to the arrogant bastards back on earth. They saw this as strictly ship to ship engagement and had designed their vessels accordingly. Hell, it never would have occurred to us either if it was n't that we had no choice. Our lack of ships of the line necessitated what the commanding officers had called a more'creative' approach. 
 
 Our suits were lightly armoured but the smart tech in them allowed our assault to be well coordinated once inside. Seranto managed to access a panel and shut off their internal defences, looking both pleased with herself and surprised at the same time. I grinned and said `` Let's give them hell.'' 
 
 We split into teams of three and made for our objectives. Seranto, Georges and I made for the bridge. If possible, we were to turn the ship against its own but if not, two of the other teams had explosives and were to cripple or destroy her. Our destruction of the access port had vented air and we could see that more than a few of the crew were unprepared. I pushed past one and moved towards the upper deck, where the bridge entry was supposed to be. For all I knew, they could have put the bridge in the middle or even the ass end. Nothing demanded the bridge had to be at the front, since there were no ports or windows, but Earthers seemed to favour a forward bridge. 
 
 Not paying attention almost got my head blown off. As I poked my head up the gangplank, a hail of projectiles sparked off the metal rail. Ducking down I aimed and then bounced a grenade off the deck ceiling into the hallway above. As soon as it exploded I shot up, allowing momentum to bounce me off the deck ceiling and raking the area the shots came from with my laser. Light, fortunately, did not create inertia so my trajectory was n't changed when I fired. Seranto and Georges followed me quickly but there was no need. The Grenade has splattered the brave souls defending the bridge entrance. Their suits were ripped apart and bits of flesh floated around as the bodies drifted lifelessly. 
 
 `` There it is. Shall we knock?'' Georges' gallows humour made me smile. We took positions, and opened the access door. A rush of air blew Seranto back but she quickly regained herself. We waited. Nothing. We waited a whole minute. Nothing. After a few more seconds, we were expecting a response but none seemed forthcoming. `` Seems okay to go in.'' Georges said as she went in first. 
 
 `` Oh, god.'' Georges gagged. No one on the bridge had worn suits. When we pulled the hatch, they lost their air and in the few minutes we had waited, vacuum had torn the air from their lungs and the air pressure inside them had ballooned them up as their skin expanded to match the external pressure. One of them had hit something, a cut releasing the pressure leaving a bloody mess over everything. 
 
 `` Lieutenant. We have the bridge. Hold off on destruction until Seranto sees what she can do.'' I spoke calmly not allowing the revulsion to dictate my speech. 
 
 `` Affirmative. FYI, resistance is gone. Seems they were n't suited.'' The way the Lieutenant sounded, I guessed we were n't the only ones facing a gory scene. 
 
 Seranto plugged her suit interface into a comp port access. Within seconds, lights started coming on across the bridge. Tactical displays starting showing us two sets of blips. Seranto pointed at the green blips. `` That is Earther ships. The red blips are us. The ship has the red blips targeted.'' 
 
 `` Can you change the input parameters, Seranto?'' I asked. 
 
 An evil grin lit up her face, clearly visible through the suits face panel. She spoke a few lines of code, instructed the computer to accept the new commands and waited. The green blips all turned red. The red blips turned green, indicating friend status. 
 
 `` Lieutenant, we have her. Requesting permission to fire.'' I waited. 
 
 `` Granted.'' Her voice was jubilant. `` All able personnel, move to gunnery stations and prepare for engagement.'' It was the command none of us expected but all of us hoped for. `` On my way to the bridge but do n't wait for me. Engage.'' 
 
 I slipped into a tactical station and locked the ship harness into place. Georges took navigation and Seranto remained at the computer. The training we had was basic but it allowed us to identify and target. `` Seranto, see if you can get a message out on our frequency and ask them nicely not to shoot at us?'' I quipped. 
 
 Within seconds the first wave to ship to ship missiles shot out from the destroyer towards Earther support ships. Taken by surprise, our first salvo severely damage two ships and destroyed two others. A second, then third wave. We kept shooting until their was n't a missile left. By the time we were done, the few remaining Earther ships were burning for home or, if unable, had surrendered. One ship exploded with no warning. No one ever knew if there was some damage we did n't see or if the captain was simply unwilling to surrender. 
 
 Decades later, when they told the stories of the defence of Mars against the Earth, it was universally agreed that the assault of Earth Alliance Destroyer Texas was the beginning of the end. Losing the pride of their fleet and most powerful ship to a handful of grunts turned the public against the Earther governments. They still fought, three more battles and a handful of skirmishes, but their heart was no longer in the fight. 
 
 When we arrived home with a ship of the line and almost no casualties ( aside from the two and the hand of one junior lieutenant ) we became instant heroes. Being a hero did n't do Seranto much good when she was killed in the Battle of the Moon. Georges was equally unlucky during a minor skirmish near Phobos. I was lucky. I survived the war but even now, every night, I see them in my dreams. The few, brave few, that rode a tin can into hell and came back to tell about it.
