by Sam Schal
A loud crash sounded below her almost before she’d finished speaking and she bit back a curse. Talk about “famous last words.” She didn’t need anyone to tell her what happened. She’d recognized the sound and had a pretty good idea who was responsible. Frowning, she scanned the area, looking for the source of the sound.
“Ripper, what the devil do you think you’re doing?” she yelled. As she did, Ortega, as well as Adamson and Talbot, stalked across the deck in the direction of the power armor that lay on its side on the decksole.
“Sorry, Ma’am. The controls on this piece of shit are dodgy as hell,” the burly Marine replied.
“Don’t give me that, Rip. This is the second powered suit you’ve managed to drop today. Next one you drop, I’ll assign to you. And make sure someone gives this suit a thorough going over ASAP.”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
“I’ll make sure of it, LC,” Adamson called up, her expression as serious as Ashlyn’s.
Ash nodded and turned away. Much as she wanted to stay and supervise, that was no longer her job. As battalion CO, she had to trust her command staff. If she didn’t, the rest of the battalion wouldn’t. Even if she did, if she gave the impression she didn’t by always looking over their shoulder, the battalion would suffer. Besides, she knew Ortega was more of a stickler for details than was she.
If that wasn’t reason enough for her to move on, she had a briefing with Admiral Collins soon.
“Are the latest status reports uploaded?” she asked Nolan.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Then, Corporal, let’s go see what the Admiral and his staff have to tell us.”
She managed to take a couple of steps toward the lift when the sounds of another crash filled the bay. Cursing softly, Ash turned and hurried back to the edge of the platform. Anger and frustration spiked to see another powered armor suit laying on the deck.
“Ripper!”
“It wasn’t him this time, LC,” Adamson responded before anyone else could. “See?” She nodded to a second loader, this one operated by a Navy rating.
“Just be careful, everyone, and check that suit as well,” she growled before turning back to Nolan. “Let’s go before something else happens.”
* * *
“Admiral on deck!”
Ashlyn quickly climbed to her feet and braced to attention. Around her, more than a dozen other Naval and Marine officers did the same. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as one of the two civilians who were also present for the briefing followed suit. He might have been dressed in dark trousers and shirt but there was a distinct military bearing to him. She had noted it when he first entered the room and now she had no doubt he had spent a number of years in the military. What she couldn’t figure out – yet – was why he and the other civilian were present.
Admiral Richard Collins moved to stand at the head of the conference table, his aide, Captain Julianna Jareau a step behind him. For several moments he held everyone at attention, his eyes moving from one to the other. Ashlyn knew he didn’t miss a single detail about their appearance, their expressions and, more than likely, what they were thinking.
“Have a seat,” he said.
Following protocol, everyone waited until he had taken his own seat before doing as he said. Then they waited, anticipation filling the air.
“I know each of you would rather be supervising the final preparations for our departure, so I promise not to take too much of your time,” Collins continued as half a dozen young ensigns appeared and poured coffee for those who wanted it. A few moments later, they disappeared as quickly and silently as they had appeared.
“The first order of business is confirmation that we will be breaking orbit in twelve hours.”
Groans sounded from around the table. That didn’t surprise Ash. She couldn’t remember a single briefing where a ship’s commander hadn’t wanted another day – or week – to make sure all the bugs were shaken out before breaking orbit. The fact that this particular taskforce had been put together such a short time ago probably didn’t help either.
Collins had apparently anticipated the response as well and he held up a hand to prevent any interruptions.
“FleetCom has received new information that makes it imperative that we ship out immediately. So if you have repairs going on, make sure the yard dogs know they have ten hours to finish or they will be making the trip with us. If they give you any trouble, let Captain Jareau know.”
“You might remind them that the last time a yard dog tried dragging his feet, he got a free ride to the front lines and saw more action in the few months we were gone than he had in a twenty year military career up to that point.” Jareau’s green eyes sparkled and almost everyone chuckled. “In the meantime, be sure to send me updated reports on any repairs or maintenance that is still being done on your ships.”
“From this point forward, all personnel are confined shipboard unless their duties require them to go dirtside. If there is any breach in our security, if I find out that anyone has said when we are scheduled to ship out, not only is the operation in jeopardy but so will the careers of whoever is involved. That includes their COs all the way up to ship commanders.”
“What the Admiral hasn’t said is that FleetCom is confident that the enemy is monitoring local media broadcasts,” Jareau took up. “A review of the events leading up to the attack on the capital shows that there had been increased media coverage of the fact that much of First Fleet would be out of their normal patrol patterns as it took part in training exercises. That coverage made it easier for them to sneak the ground troops in. It also gave them a timeframe in which to strike. So we don’t want to give them warning that we are about to make a strike against them and especially not at a target they have started to assume we have no interest in.”
“I’m afraid you’ve lost me, Captain Jareau.”
Ash glanced down the table in the direction of the speaker. Captain Gideon Afolayan, commander of the Thanatos, leaned back in his chair. His hands rested on the tabletop, his fingers laced. To the casual observer, he might look relaxed, almost bored. But Ashlyn knew better. She saw the way his brown eyes watched Jareau and Collins, waiting for one of them to answer.
“Our mission has, from the start, been to repatriate territory taken by the Callusians since hostilities resumed. However, after the invasion of the Nystrom System, part of FleetCom, not to mention the Administration, thought our best chances for victory would be to go to the Nystrom System. The thinking was that the enemy wouldn’t have had as much time to dig in and set up their own defenses, not to mention that there might still be an active resistance we could hook up with.”
That made sense. The Callusians had been in control of the Cassius System for two months now. That had given them time to do more than just interdict the system. They could have brought in more ships to hold the system as well as set up defense platforms, laid mine fields and more.
“But then we received information that makes it imperative that we move on Cassius Prime as quickly as possible. Jules.”
Jareau nodded and typed in a quick command sequence using the virtual keyboard on the table before her. A moment later, the holo screen at the end of the room activated. Ash leaned forward, shocked, at what she saw. The ‘feed might not be the best quality but it was good enough. She counted at least a dozen people wearing Fuerconese uniforms. Her jaw clinched and her stomach knotted. She had a pretty good idea what they were looking at. Hell, she’d spent two years in something very similar.
Anger flared only to die a quick death as disbelief replaced it. She shouldn’t be seeing those uniforms. All the information she had seen up until now about the invasion of the Cassius System had pointed to the Tarrant being destroyed with all hands onboard shortly after her commander managed to get off a warning about what was happening. Other than the Marine guards stationed at the Fuerconese embassy, there should have been no member of the military on planet at the time of the invasion. That
meant only one thing – the crew of the Tarrant, or at least part of it, had managed to abandon ship before it had been destroyed.
Eyes flashing, she turned to look at Collins. For a moment, their eyes locked and he nodded, his expression betraying his own anger. Then he rapped his knuckles on the table, calling everyone’s attention back to him.
“It is clear the crew of the Tarrant wasn’t lost, at least not all of them,” he continued, his voice hard. “Add to that the fact that it appears at least part of the Callusian picket is pulling out. So that is our target. We are going to retake the system, free the prisoners and bring our people home.”
“Admiral, where did this ‘feed come from?” Mikhail Volkov, captain of the Kresnik, asked.
“Fortunately for us, there is a resistance movement on Cassius Prime. It is being led by members of the government that were able to get into hiding before the Callusian ground troops took control over the capital and they have reached out for our help.” He glanced down the table to the civilian Ash had earlier guessed was former military.
“Ambassador Joachim Gunderson, the Cassius System’s representative here on Fuercon, has joined us as has our ambassador to the system, Collier Thomas-Hutchison. Both will be accompanying us on our mission. For the moment, we are to consider Ambassador Gunderson as the government’s voice for his home system.” Now Collins pinned each of them with a firm look. “Ambassador Gunderson.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” Gunderson said as he got to his feet. “I know there is a great deal we don’t know about the current situation in the Cassius System. However, I am here to answer what questions I can and I will start by letting you know that I have the schematics for our defense platforms as well as the government and security buildings in the capital. Even if the Callusians have changed the security protocols, this information should be of help.”
“Ambassador, what sort of support can we expect when we get there?” Colonel Isaiah Johnson, the Marine CO for the mission, asked.
“Not as much as any of us would like, Colonel, but certainly more than I’d dared hope for even a few days ago.” He smiled grimly but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Most of our military and government officials have either been killed or captured. There are a few who appear to be working with the enemy. My guess is that most of them are being coerced to do so, probably by threats to their families. But there are some collaborators and that means the resistance is having to be careful about who they approach. However, they are armed and they are working to find a way to take down at least some of the defense platforms when we arrive. They will also hook up with the Devil Dogs when they drop groundside.”
That would help, as long as they could trust those they were hooking up with. But that wasn’t a concern Ashlyn was ready to voice – yet. She wanted to hear more of what the ambassador had to say.
“We will, of course, refine the plan of attack as we approach the Cassius System and we get up-to-date readings on the system defenses. For now, plan for both boarding as well as groundside operations. If we can retake the orbital platforms without having to destroy them, we will. Colonel Shaw, we’ll be relying on your people for that as well as for the groundside operation.”
“Understood, Sir, and we’ll be ready,” she assured him. “Ambassador Gunderson, is there anything you can tell us that would make it any easier for the boarding parties?”
“With Admiral Collins’ permission, I’ll be glad to meet with you at your convenience, Colonel. I have information about each of our platforms as well as the orbital stations that goes beyond the schematics already mentioned.”
“Of course,” Collins said and Ash nodded in appreciation. Any additional information they had ahead of time could help them successfully conclude their mission. Taylor-Hutchison shifted in his chair, his frustration clear. For a moment, he reminded Ashlyn of her five year old son when he didn’t get his way about something. Frowning, she waited to see if he did or said something to explain his attitude. As far as she could tell, no one had done or said anything to upset him. So what was his problem?
“While I understand why you have to be prepared to use force to retake the system, there are a few considerations you need to keep in mind,” he began without waiting for Collins to give him the floor.
The moment the words were out of Taylor-Hutchison’s mouth, it was as though time stopped in the room. Ashlyn watched as all eyes focused on him before shifting to Collins. No one interrupted a briefing without damned good reason.
“Ambassador.” Collins’ voice might have been soft but his eyes flashed. Seeing it, Ash was glad she wasn’t in Taylor-Hutchison’s shoes just then.
“It is just as important that we do nothing to interrupt trade in the region as it is that we retake the system.”
Amazingly, he seemed completely unaware of the look Gunderson gave him. Not that Ashlyn blamed the ambassador. It was his homeworld they were discussing and she knew she wouldn’t be worrying about trade routes if Fuercon had been invaded. Freeing her home would take precedence. Trade routes could be re-established afterwards.
“We also have to think about the economics of it all. If retaking the system costs too much in terms of manpower and ships, well, I hate to say it but we are at war.”
Ash ground her teeth, fighting the urge to speak. But it wasn’t her place, even if it was her people who would be doing much of the fighting, especially once the fight went groundside.
For his part, Collins stared at Taylor-Hutchison as if he’d sprouted a second – and maybe a third – head. Then he slowly stood. He placed his palms against the tabletop and leaned forward, his attention focused solely on the man sitting midway down the table. The man who did not appear to understand what sort of trouble he’d just brought on himself. Leaning back in her chair, Ash relaxed slightly. It was obvious to her and, judging by the way most everyone else at the table reacted, to most of the others as well that Collins was about to educate Taylor-Hutchison on the error of his ways.
“Ambassador, I will say this only once. I am well aware of the fact that we are at war. I assure you that every man and woman in this room is well aware of it. But what you seem to have overlooked is the fact that Cassius Prime is our ally. We don’t abandon our allies to the enemy any more than Colonel Shaw and the rest of the Devil Dogs leave any of their own behind.” He gave Ash a quick nod before continuing.
“Unlike you, FleetCom and the Administration also realize the danger of leaving the enemy in control of the Cassius System because of its location in relation to us. If we don’t retake the system and make sure it is held against further attempts by the Callusians to invade, it becomes a launching point for attacks against our own holdings. It would mean they could bring the war directly to us and to our home system.” Collins paused, as if waiting to see if Taylor-Hutchison understood what he meant. When the man remained silent, he continued. “Ambassador Gunderson, I assure you that FleetCom has instructed me to do everything possible to free the Cassius System and return it to your people. We will make sure it is defended until your own navy is able to take over.”
“I know, Admiral. Unlike my counterpart, I did make the briefings with President Harper and his staff, not to mention the representatives from FleetCom.” Disdain filled Gunderson’s voice as he glanced across the table to where Taylor-Huchison sat. “I am here to be of whatever assistance to you and your staff and crew that I can be.”
“I beg your pardon!” Taylor-Hutchison puffed out his chest, outrage suffusing his expression.
“To get back to the matter at hand,” Collins said, pointedly ignoring the smaller man. “Do any of you know of anything that might cause a delay in our departure?”
For a moment, no one said a word. Then someone cleared his throat before speaking.
“Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I have heard some things that make me wonder if the Devil Dogs are the best choice for this mission.”
Ashlyn’s fists clinched in her lap and her eyes flashed. How dare he que
stion the Devil Dogs! Anger flared at the insult. As she opened her mouth to respond, she realized Ortega had pushed back her chair and now stood. Much as Collins had before, her palms were flat against the tabletop and she leaned forward, every fiber of her alive with anger and outrage.
“Stand down, Captain,” she said before Collins could intercede. Then, knowing better than to say what was on her mind, she looked to the Admiral. How he responded to this slight would set the tone for the rest of the mission.
“Commander Powell, I assure you the Devil Dogs are more than the best choice for this mission. They are the only choice.” Collins’ displeasure was obvious.
“But, sir, it is common knowledge that two of the companies have brand new COs and that there hasn’t been time for them to integrate with their companies, much less the rest of the battalion.”
Ash felt sure her fingernails were digging holes into the palms of her hands as she fought to stay silent. This wasn’t her show – yet.
“Colonel Shaw, would you care to respond?” Collins asked.
Ash pushed back her chair and stood. As she did, she almost choked to see the Admiral give her a slow wink. Unless she missed her guess, he was giving her permission to verbally – and possibly physically, if necessary – take Powell apart for his absurd allegations.
“Commander Powell, I assure you FirstBatt is more than ready and capable of handling this mission,” she began. She kept her voice even, calm. She wouldn’t play into his hands by showing how angry his comments had made her. “Yes, I did replace two company commanders as well as several NCOs. By doing so, I made the companies stronger and that, in turn, makes the battalion better able to carry out the parameters of our mission.” She paused when she felt Ortega touch her arm. Her XO gave her a slight smile as she handed over her datapad. Ash glanced at the information on it and fought back a grin. She should have expected Ortega to find something to use to rebut the man.
“Both of the captains have served with the Devil Dogs before. They were transferred to new assignments at the end of the last war. Both had requested to return to the battalion and I was more than glad to have them back. They are credits not only to the battalion but to the Corps as well.”