The Martian Marauders
Book One of The Jack Commer Series
a novel by Michael D. Smith

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In 2033 Captain Jack Commer is ordered to drop the planet-wrecking Xon bomb to end The Final War, forcing a hasty evacuation of the remnants of Earth’s population to Mars. But by June 2034 previously unknown native Martians have risen in rebellion, led by their new human emperor, the traitor Sam Hergs. Amid family squabbles arising from the presence of four Commer brothers aboard his ship, Jack finds himself in the deep Martian desert battling Martian insurgents armed with shatterguns that crack their victims into millions of jagged pieces of glass.

Jack's ship, the Typhoon I, is sent to Mercury to destroy a Martian death ray designed to incinerate what the Martians now consider a despoiled Mars. There John, the youngest Commer brother, impetuously rams the ship into the enemy base in a suicide attack, killing all crewmembers and marooning Jack and Joe in deep space.

After the brothers eventually come to yet another Martian base on Venus as captives, Jack falls in love with Amav, a young woman brainwashed to become Emperor Hergs’ consort. Jack and Joe escape, then spy on Hergs ordering the Martians to use their telekinetic Amplified Thought program to vaporize all planets in the solar system.  The brothers free Amav, but Jack falls in love with her.  To his astonishment, freed from Sam Hergs, she reciprocates.

Appointed the pilots of the newly-built Typhoon II with orders to destroy Hergs’ Venusian base, Jack and Joe discover Amav heading back to Venus in her small pleasure saucer. Has she betrayed Jack? Did she really want Hergs all along? Jack shakes off his despair as he and Joe infiltrate the Venusian base disguised as Chef Service personnel.

Jack Commer
Typhoon I pilot

Joe Commer
Typhoon I copilot

Jim Commer
Typhoon I navigation officer

John Commer
Typhoon I sensor officer

General William C. Scott
Supreme Commander of the United System Space Force

General John J. Douglas
The Alien Hunter from the Alpha Centauri war

Sam Hergs
Emperor of the Martians

Amav Frankston
Consort to the Martian emperor

Dar
Leader of the Martian Council to the emperor

Huey Vespertine
USSF Academy dropout and AresNet commentator

Phil Sperry
Typhoon II engineer and physician