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Transports Ambushed
By Grayswandir
Headline News Service
<graphic: re-enactment of space battle>
For the past several weeks, Nav-Guild Transport ships have been viciously
attacked by Smuggler pirates. Somehow, these Smugglers have been able to
avoid sophisticated UN detection measures by means of advanced stealth
technology. Apparently, these Smuggler fighters are all but undetectable
while running on low power. An information leak is suspected, as the ships
have been found lying in wait along the space routes of the Nav-Guild transport
ships, which were carrying certain raw elements and medicinal supplies to
the Mars stations. The Smugglers' standard tactics include stealth, ambush,
and disabling ships' functions with EM missiles. These EM missiles short
out computerized equipment, including life support. Fortunately, the back-up
life support systems, manually operated, are unaffected by such missiles,
but function only for a short time. The Smugglers steal the cargo of captured
ships, killing crew members at random, then set the ships adrift. Survivors
have indicated that the Smugglers are led by one who calls himself Colonel
Barson, who goes so far as to board the ships himself to taunt the crews.
Meanwhile, dozens of sick on Mars are wasting away due to a lack of medicines
produced with elements not found on Mars. The UN is even now studying tactics
to stop the deprivations of the Smugglers.
