Vengeance from Ashes: Special Edition with Exclusive Content (Honor and Duty Book 1)

by Sam Schall

  Well, he’d had to clean up after O’Brien before and it looked like he would have to again. Of course, if things got too hot, he’d offer O’Brien up just as easily as he had Shaw. The only question was if he’d be able to before O’Brien turned on him.

  Damned stupid Marines.

  “Well, I must say you’re looking better than you did a couple of hours ago.” General Okafor smiled as she escorted Ashlyn into her office, closing the door behind them.

  Ash didn’t need to look in a mirror to know the general was right. It was amazing what a couple of hours with people she cared about and a tattoo she never thought she’d wear again could do to raise one’s spirits. It might not have eased all her doubts, but it had helped – even if her arm stung despite all Gerhardt had done to prevent her from hurting any more than necessary. In fact, now that she thought about it, he’d been much more gentle as he worked this time than he had been when he first tattooed her so long ago.

  Of course, if she were to be absolutely honest, the three beers she’d shared with her fellow Devil Dogs probably hadn’t hurt any either.

  “I feel better, ma’am.” She reached up and lightly touched her arm in the area of her new tattoo. “Thank you. For everything.”

  “Don’t thank me yet, Ash.”

  Okafor motioned for her to take a seat on the sofa against the far wall. As she did, Ashlyn’s eyes narrowed and that all-too-familiar seed of doubt once more appeared. What did the general mean? Why shouldn’t she be thanking her? Had she let her guard down too soon?

  “Ashlyn, don’t look so worried.” Now the general smiled in reassurance and once again motioned for her companion to be seated. She waited until Ash complied before continuing. “It’s just that there are some things we need to discuss first.”

  “Ma’am?”

  “I have hard copies of your orders here as well as a few other official documents you need to review.” Okafor patted the file she’d held during their earlier meeting. “If you’re still willing to return to duty.”

  “If it means being able to bring my people home, I am.”

  “Good.” There could be no mistaking the general’s pleasure with Ashlyn’s answer. She opened the file and pulled out the top set of pages. “Here are your orders, Ash. You are now officially reattached to the Devil Dogs. You will accompany Alpha Company to Tarsus to retrieve our people. Major Pawlak is going as CO. Remember, however, that you are on restricted duty status.”

  “Understood, ma’am.” A flicker of relief began to replace the suspicion. That flicker turned into a flame as Okafor handed her the hard copy of her orders.

  “This next is a copy of the official notice of your pardon and reinstatement as an officer of the Corps. It will be released to the press an hour after the Magellan breaks orbit. I figured you would want to avoid the press as much as possible.”

  “Thank you.” Ash heard the relief in her voice and felt her cheeks color as the general smiled in understanding

  “The rest of it is pretty self-explanatory. The paperwork is there to assure that you get credit for your time-in-grade for the last two and a half years as well as back pay. It should be credited to your account by the time you get home.”

  “General, that’s not necessary.”

  Not that it wouldn’t help.

  “It is and you won’t argue with me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Ash nodded once.

  “Good. Now, we have a briefing to attend and then you’ll need to meet with Major Pawlak. Spend tomorrow with your son. Your orders don’t require you to report to the Magellan until the morning you break orbit.”

  Ashlyn swallowed against the lump in her throat. The fact the general had thought about her son meant a great deal to her. “Thank you, ma’am. I’ll not argue with you about that.”

  “I know it’s going to take time, Ash, but you need to realize just how glad we are to have you back. I wish I could say there aren’t at last some ulterior motives because you know there are. We need you and the others in this war to help us win once and for all. But that’s only part of it. A small part when considered against the rest of it. We’re glad to have you back because you were wronged and we’re glad that is being corrected. Most of all, we’re glad because it means you will have the chance to help us find out why you were set up and then you can see justice, real justice, done.”

  “I hope you understand that I know that, at least where the Devil Dogs – past and present – are concerned, General.” And, surprisingly, she finally had come to accept it. Perhaps the rest would come with time. She hoped so. “May I ask one question, ma’am?”

  “Of course.”

  “I know my mother was beached after my conviction. I even have a pretty good idea why. She’s never been known as one to stay silent when she feels a wrong has been committed.”

  When Okafor threw her head back and laughed, Ashlyn felt herself responding. From what little her parents had told her, it was clear her mother had made life miserable for a number of senior officers before she’d been beached. If they thought that would silence her, they’d been wrong. No longer worried about chain of command, Elizabeth had gone public with her campaign to not only free Ashlyn and the others but to clear their names as well.

  “And you want to know why she hasn’t been returned to duty. Right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ve tried to reactivate her from the first day I assumed my duties as Commandant of the Corps.” Gone was the humor from a moment before. “She refused. In fact, she threatened to resign her commission if I pushed. She wasn’t going to return to duty until you and your people were cleared of all charges against you and brought home. At least she wasn’t against working with me to do just that.”

  Ashlyn nodded.

  “But, after the attack on the capital and learning you were home, she finally agreed to return to duty. If you don’t mind, I’ll be sending hard copies of her new orders with you when you leave today.”

  Another nod. One simply didn’t tell the Commandant of the Corps to find another messenger. Not that Ash wanted her to.

  “I don’t want you to worry, however. For the immediate future, she will be stationed here in the capital. She’s being assigned to FirstDiv.”

  Ash smiled, pleased for her mother. She knew the Corps meant as much to Elizabeth than it did to her. But more importantly, her mother would still be there for Jake. That was important, especially with Ash about to leave for Tarsus. Jake didn’t understand why his mother had been gone for so long and Ash didn’t want to think about how he’d feel when he found out she’d be leaving again so soon.

  “I seem to be saying this a lot today, General, but thank you.”

  “No need, Ash. You know me. I demand the best of all my Marines, myself included. That means I insist the best people fill command positions. And, now that you’re home, it’s time for your mother to get back to duty.” Okafor handed the file with the rest of its documents to Ashlyn, telling her to study them and let her know if she had any questions. “Now, let’s get to the briefing so you can get home to your son.”

  Grinning, Ash tucked the file under her arm and stood. Maybe things really were going to work out. At least she was finally beginning to believe it.

  Ashlyn nodded in appreciation as a young steward poured her a mug of coffee. As he handed it to her, she smiled slightly to see the Fuerconese Marine Corps crest on the side of the mug. Then she leaned back, cradling the mug in her hands. When General Okafor said it was time for their briefing, she’d expected it to be about the attack. Looking at the others gathered around the conference table, she had a feeling there was more on the agenda than that.

  Okafor sat at the head of the table. To her right sat Miranda Tremayne. No longer the senator, Tremayne wore the daily uniform of the Fuerconese Space Navy. Her head bent, she appeared to be studying something on her datapad. Then, as if sensing Ashlyn’s eyes on her, she glanced her way. Tremayne nodded and smiled in encouragement.
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br />   Ash lifted her mug slightly, wishing as she did that it was that easy. She had a feeling by the time the briefing ended, she might wish she hadn’t agreed to return to duty.

  Also present were Rico Santiago and Secretary of Defense Linden Klingsbury. The former’s presence made sense. If Okafor planned on debriefing them about the attack, Santiago had been one of the senior officers on the ground during the initial phases of the attack. If they were to discuss why Ash had been brought back to Fuercon, he’d played an instrumental role in that. His presence made sense.

  Klingsbury’s, on the other hand, did not. Never before had she been in a briefing where SecDef, no matter who held the position, took part. Her mouth turned desert-dry even as her palms began to sweat. The uneasiness that plagued her most of the day returned in full force. What did Okafor have in mind and what did she expect from Ash?

  More importantly, was it something Ash could give?

  “Let’s get started.” Okafor reached for her own mug and took a sip before continuing. “Secretary Kingsbury, may I present Captain Ashlyn Shaw?”

  Before Ash could stand, Kingsbury waved for her to remain seated. “Captain, it is indeed a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  “Thank you, sir, but the pleasure is mine.”

  As is the paranoia.

  But was it paranoia or a healthy dose of self-preservation after all she had been through? She didn’t know and, at the moment at least, didn’t care.

  “Before we get started, this is an informal meeting between the five of us and nothing said in this room is to leave it. I’ve given Captain Shaw my word on that. After all she’s been through, she needs to know she can trust us.”

  Ash’s breath caught and she swallowed hard. “General, I’ve never doubted that I could trust you – or Admiral Tremayne or Major Santiago. None of you betrayed me or my people.”

  She couldn’t say the same about Kingsbury, however. She didn’t know him. What little research she had done on him indicated he believed much as she did but how much of that was truth and how much spin? Until she had an answer for that, she’d have to watch what she said. The lives of her people back on Tarsus depended on it.

  “Let’s start by everyone agreeing since this is an informal meeting, we aren’t going to stand on rank or formality. We’re simply going to talk. Agreed?” Okafor glanced around the table, waiting until everyone nodded in agreement. “Ash, let me begin by saying we understand your desire to do or say nothing that might endanger your people at the penal colony. What we are going to ask about today is so we can protect them and bring them home sooner, rather than later. It is also to help us start putting into place everything necessary to bring those responsible for what happened to justice. That includes bringing charges against those at the penal colony responsible for injuring or abusing you and your people.”

  Ashlyn nodded once and waited. This was the general’s show, at least for the moment.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get us started.” Tremayne gave Ash a smile of encouragement. “I’ve shared your messages to me, both from before that last mission on Arterus as well as leading up to your court-martial. Some of us have also seen your original orders and have compared them with what the prosecutor presented. It is clear from those, as well as evidence Rico turned up, that you and your people were set up. Hell, kid, I know I speak for all of us when I say you were set up, both on the mission and when you were brought up on charges.”

  She cleared her throat before answering. “Thank you.”

  “That brings up my first question. Why in the hell didn’t you fight harder to prove your innocence?” Anger roughened the admiral’s voice. “I was there for most of your trial. Throughout it, you looked like you had given up and that’s not you. So, what happened? Why weren’t you shouting your innocence at the top of your lungs.”

  She didn’t care if it was a breach of protocol. Okafor said they weren’t standing on ceremony. Besides, she needed to pace. If she answered Tremayne’s question, she knew it would lead to others. Did she dare relax her guard now? Did she dare not?

  “Admiral – Miranda, I couldn’t.” She returned to the table and sat, reaching for her mug. What she wouldn’t give for a stiff drink right then.

  “What do you mean?” Kingsbury asked.

  “Sir, you’re aware of the fact I was held in custody after charges were leveled against me?” She waited until Kingsbury nodded. “Several days before the trial started, I had a visitor. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to do nothing that might prevent a conviction from being handed down. If I did, they would see to it that my people received the death penalty.” She took a deep drink of her coffee more to give her a moment to calm her emotions than because she wanted it.

  “Who?” Santiago asked. “Ash, who told you that?” Even as he asked, he reached for her datapad and she had a feeling he was calling up the visitor’s log for when she’d been in custody. Not that she expected it to tell him anything. If they’d been smart enough to alter her orders, surely they’d been smart enough to erase any mention of the prosecuting attorney visiting her in her cell.

  “Rico.”

  “Ash, look at me.” Okafor waited until Ashlyn complied. “As a Marine, I swear I will personally cut off the balls, literally and figuratively, of anyone who violates your confidence. Then I will turn them over to Gunnery Sergeant Talbot and the rest of the Devil Dogs with instructions to do with them as they will.”

  They were asking so much.

  “Captain Jarrold Burnside.” One of many who had haunted her dreams for so long.

  Santiago made a quick note and then gave a decisive nod.

  “Rico?”

  “Burnside is one of those who was shown the door after the election, Ash,” Tremayne said before Santiago could respond. “There were enough questions about his conduct, not only with regard to your trial but to others as well, to have the CNO give him the choice of serving on the front line or resigning. He chose the latter.”

  “I have to ask this, Captain. If Burnside hadn’t said what he did, would your defense have been different?”

  Ashlyn glanced at the Secretary of Defense and then down at her hands where they rested on the table. “I doubt it, sir.” She shook her head before anyone could interrupt. “Talk to Joseph Anders, my defense counsel. He can give you more details than I can. But I know he tried calling others from the the Corps, especially the Devil Dogs, and the presiding judge wouldn’t let him. He also wouldn’t let him introduce evidence that my orders had been altered. There’s more but Anders give you a more complete answer than I can.”

  For a moment, no one spoke. Their anger filled the room. For the first time in much too long, such emotion did not scare Ashlyn. In fact, it reassured her. They were angry for her, not with her. That made all the difference in the world. It also helped convince her they had no hidden agenda, at least not one that would come back to bite her or her people on the ass.

  “I’ll take a closer look at both the prosecuting attorney and the presiding judge to see if they have any ties to Sorkowski or O’Brien,” Santiago commented.

  “I can answer that for you, Major. Or at least part of it.” Anger roughened Kingsbury’s voice.

  “Sir?” Ashlyn looked at him in concern.

  “I’ve been doing my own investigation into what happened, Ashlyn.” He smiled almost apologetically. “I’m sorry, Captain. I’ve been working to find out what happened to you and why for so long, I feel as if we’ve known one another for years. May I call you Ashlyn?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “Linden or Lin,” he corrected. “As I said, I have some information where that’s concerned. Burnside’s father was best man at Sorkowski’s wedding and Sorkowski is the man’s godfather.”

  Ash ground her teeth. How had they missed that?

  Because they weren’t looking for it.

  Damn it.

  “If they had any contact before or during the trial, I’ll find it,
” Santiago promised. “They’ll pay, Ash. I swear it.”

  “We all do,” Tremayne said. “Will you tell us now about what happened to you once you arrived at the penal colony?”

  “Miranda, I can’t.” She shook her head. Her hands gripped the coffee mug so tightly she worried it might shatter in her grasp. “Please.”

  “We need to know, Ash.” Okafor’s voice, more gentle than she had ever heard, drew her gaze to the general’s face. “Please.”

  For a long moment, Ashlyn said nothing. Even though she wanted nothing more than to get up and pace – no, she wanted to run, as far and as fast from there as she could. If she never thought about the penal colony and all she’d been forced to endure, it would be too soon. But Okafor was right. They needed to know. But she needed to know her people were safe first.

  “I.” She closed her eyes. There had to be a way. Maybe there was a way without her actually saying anything. “You’ve seen the medic’s report after the attack?”

  For a moment, no one said anything. Then, one by one, they nodded grimly. Several of them reached for their datapads and, unless she missed her guess, pulled up the doctor’s report. Instead of watching as they did, she climbed to her feet and crossed the conference room to stare outside. So many secrets could be discerned by comparing her medical reports from before her court-martial to the one upon her return to Fuercon.

  “Rico, you saw what they did to my tattoo. When I say that wasn’t the worst done to me by far, it wouldn’t be a lie.”

  “Is there more besides what the doctor documented?” Okafor asked.

  “I-I don’t know. I haven’t looked at his report.” She wouldn’t look at it, not yet at any rate. She didn’t need a medical report to tell her everything that had been done to her. She would never be able to forget her “sessions” with the guards or with the penal colony’s commandant.