I winced as Nash jerked his hand outward forcefully.
The chain snapped.
Nash held his hand out in front of him and opened it. He turned his hand, and the medal fell to the table.
I said, “Nash, what is that?”
He said, “It’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel. You know, Saint Mary. Patron saint of sailors. Boyle gave it to me.”
I asked, “That’s good, right?”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Nash said. “I gave one to Boyle, too. It didn’t do him any good, did it?”
“Nash,” I said, “a medal doesn’t protect you. It reminds you.”
“I don’t want it.”
“You need to keep it, Nash.”
Nash touched the pendant with his index finger. He spoke slowly and calmly. “What do I need this for? It’s only a little piece of metal.”
Nash swiped his hand across the table, shoving the medal off the table and onto the floor. Waters stepped over to the medal and picked it up.
No point in arguing with Nash. I nodded and said, “Just metal.”
Nash took a deep breath, and still speaking slowly, he said, “I’ve been thinking, Astrid. Our group actually will be better without him. Like you always say, it’s not how many, it’s who. Right?”
I nodded hesitantly. “Right, Nash.”
“And,” Nash said, “Boyle was always creating problems. Can I borrow this, Nash? Or Nash, can I borrow that? You don’t need it. All the time, Astrid.” Nash’s voice wavered a little. “Lots of times he took my stuff without even asking. And he was always talking, saying the stupidest things. And Astrid, he just would never shut up. Honestly, we’re better off without him, you know? You can understand how I feel, right?”
I looked over at Lennox. Her eyes were red, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
I placed the palm of my hand flat on the tabletop and slid it slowly outward toward Nash. I said, “Nash, I understand exactly how you feel. I feel the same way. So does Lennox.”
Nash placed both of his hands over his face and wept softly.
Nash managed to pull himself together somewhat, after many consoling remarks from Lennox. I can’t remember exactly what she said, but it was lovely to listen to her. She said that as long as we remembered Boyle, he would still be alive. She said that when we got back to Annapolis, we would have a little ceremony celebrating Boyle’s life. She said that Boyle had often told her that he admired Nathan Hale and his sentiment that he regretted having only one life to lose for his country.
Whether that last part was true or not, Lennox managed to bring Nash to a point where he could begin to make more sense of Boyle’s death.
And I actually felt a weight being lifted from me, since I realized that I was no more responsible for Nash than Lennox was. And more generally, I saw that the world of the midshipmen did not revolve around me. The three of us were equals. There was nothing special about me, except in my mind.
I said, “Talos, what’s going on now? We haven’t had any updates from you.”
Talos said, “There has been nothing to report. I should have further information soon, though. The Kerleegans are not going to stay uninvolved much longer.”
I asked, “What’s happening on the bridge?”
“Captain Jefferson is alone there,” Talos said. “He is studying monitors and has been doing so ever since the other bridge officers were taken away.”
21
Damage Report
I was glad that we were experiencing this brief respite in the battle. It allowed us to recover somewhat from the ugly events so far, and to do a little planning for what was to come. I said, “Talos, how much damage have we done to the enemy, when compared to the damage they’ve inflicted on us?”
Talos said, “During the principal conflict, we launched four hundred Coffin Nails, and two hundred Piranhas. Our supply of those missiles is now exhausted, except for the Piranhas now mounted to some of the Banshees in the port bay.”
Lennox interrupted. “How is that the case regarding the Banshees?”
Talos said, “A weapons crew is now in the process of rearming four of the Banshees in the port bay with a full complement of six missiles on each. Those are the only remaining Piranhas.”
Lennox nodded.
Talos continued. “We also launched one hundred thirty-two Marlins, and sixty drones. Our missiles destroyed hundreds of enemy missiles and fighter craft.”
I wanted to learn how effective our guns had been. I asked, “And what about our turrets?”
“Our gunfire destroyed dozens of enemy craft,” Talos said. “Additionally, the enemy lost another hundred craft through suicide crashes on the turrets, and many of their missiles detonated on the hull or turrets.”
I said, “From what you’re saying, both sides inflicted approximately equal damage on each other, as to weapons and equipment.”
Talos said, “So far, that is true.”
Waters cleared his throat and looked around at the others in the ready-room. He asked, “And we lost thirteen crew members?”
“Correct,” Talos said evenly.
It seemed to me that Talos’s answer to Waters was completely without sympathy. Yet Talos had said he was sorry when he told me that Adler and Boyle had been killed. Of course, it would be absurd to think that Talos experienced genuine feelings. Nonetheless, I found it intriguing that Talos expressed sadness when he was speaking of two specific people, whom he knew to be important to me and the other midshipmen.
That was similar to the ways people tend to view calamities. If we hear that two hundred people died because of an earthquake, we say, “That’s unfortunate,” but generally we move on without difficulty. But if we learn that a parent or sibling died on account of some natural disaster, it turns our whole world around.
Waters continued to address Talos. “How many Kerleegans have been killed?”
“Including those on boarding craft,” Talos said, “well over a thousand.”
Waters said, “Too bad they don’t seem to care much about losing personnel.”
Talos said, “One other thing to bear in mind is the fact that significant damage has been done to the Valley Forge. And we have expended almost all of our missiles. We have twenty-eight Marlins remaining and then that handful of Piranhas.”
“Talos,” I asked, “what tactics do you recommend?”
“The best advice,” Talos said, “is to keep doing what you are doing. You must be prepared for boarding, and make the fight as bloody for them as you possibly can. The Kerleegans tend to persist far beyond what most nations would find reasonable. They will lose thousands of soldiers to gain a minor victory. They value the lives of their soldiers very little, but at some point they may decide that further losses are not worth sustaining. Their calculations on such matters are entirely unaffected by emotion.”
Waters said, “All right. That’s consistent with what we’ve heard before.”
“Yes,” Talos said. “This is all based on what we have learned from prior experiences in this war. And even if they should annihilate everyone on board—and there is an excellent chance that they will do that—you must make them pay as dearly as possible. Down the line, this may make them more reluctant in future boarding endeavors.”
No one said anything. I think we all were displeased with the rather downbeat assessment that Talos provided.
Although Waters had been participating actively in the discussion with Talos, the other seven Marines had simply listened stoically, not reacting in the least to anything that Talos was saying. The same applied to Nash and Lennox. I’m sure that the deaths of Adler and Boyle had made real the idea that none of us were safe.
I looked at Nash. He now was nodding his head, almost as though he had experienced an epiphany. I was glad that he wasn’t drifting inward with his thought patterns. I hoped that he was reestablishing a semblance of normalcy, at least for the time being, until after our crisis passed.
22
; Nash’s Question
Nash cleared his throat and said, “Other than the generalized ‘kill as many as you can,’ what specific strategies can you offer?”
Talos said, “These are subjective things, but I will be as specific as possible. Some of these might require orders from—from someone. All right. First of all, it is crucial that all strategies and tactics be evaluated independent of Captain Jefferson. Secondly, eleven of our original sixteen turrets are now out. I would migrate shielding from non-critical areas in order to double or even triple the shielding at the remaining guns. Thirdly, I would use this ready-room as a base of operations. Enemy ships will likely concentrate on the forward areas of the ship. Those are less protected than the stern, which contains the engines and reactors and the remaining Marlins.”
Then there was silence.
Talos added, “The crew is now operating under standing orders relating to General Quarters. Someone has to assume effective control of the ship and give whatever additional orders may be necessary.”
Waters said, “That situation is a little iffy. The highest-ranking officers under Jefferson are in the brig. Next highest are a bunch of lieutenants.”
“Well,” I said, “those guys are presumably directing their people. But we do need some kind of overall plan.”
Talos said, “Someone needs to be the commanding officer. One last point. Careful consideration must be given to the deployment of the remaining Marlins. I would say use them on the boarding craft. But, to state the obvious, when they’re gone, they’re gone. In any event, you want to make the boarding a miserable process for them. Let them board in large numbers, and destroy them by the hundreds, via methods of your choosing. I think that covers my advice.”
I said, “Okay, thanks for your contribution here.”
“Also,” Talos said, “I want to thank Midshipman Nash for asking. I don’t often have the chance to act as a captain might. Again, these are all subjective ideas. Be directed by the seat of your pants.”
“All right, then,” Nash said.
Waters said, “Talos, you don’t need any formal authorization to divert extra shielding to the remaining guns, so go ahead and do that. Unless and until Captain Jefferson gives further orders, or we get a different commanding officer in place, we’ll be guided by common sense. We’ll protect the ship to the extent of our capabilities, by every means at our disposal.”
Talos said, “All right, I’m now strengthening the shielding at the remaining guns.”
All was quiet.
Then Talos said, “Enemy drones are drawing near. These are surveillance drones only. No weapons to speak of. The drones will report back to the Kerleegans, and they will believe that the coast is clear for their boarding.”
Waters said, “Makes sense.”
Talos said, “Eight Kerleegan boarding craft are now on course toward the Valley Forge. They are escorted by thirty interceptors.”
Everyone grew silent. As often happened during quiet times, my thoughts drifted to Joseph. He always said he hoped that the two of us would someday be assigned to the same ship. It’s a two-edged sword. If a husband and wife are assigned to the same ship, it may happen that both die. That has actually occurred more than once. The chances of that are greatly lessened if they serve on different ships.
Nonetheless, I fervently wished that Joseph were with me, even though the future looked bleak. I believed that somehow he would find a way out. Also, I felt as though I was out of my depth in some of the situations I was facing. And I believed that my decisions might be more thoughtful and mature if he were around to perhaps provide a little guidance.
Talos said, “Captain Jefferson is now vacating the bridge.”
This brought me abruptly out of my contemplations. I said, “Where is he heading?”
Talos said, “Unclear at this time. His route, however, is in the direction of the port fighter-bay, in which your group landed a little while ago.”
I shook my head and said softly, “Oh, wonderful. What next?”
As I waited for clarification on the captain’s destination, I experienced a few insights. Usually I thought of a battle as an all-out fight between two groups of soldiers. There are some tactics, determined by the leaders. Do we flank the enemy? Do we engage in a frontal assault? That type of thing. The enemies fight, and one side wins. That determines a battle, and a war is made up of many battles. Neat, clear, organized.
In reality, war is nothing like that. War is actually troops that are too tired to march to the battle, and too hungry or sick to fight in it. It’s equipment that is broken or poorly designed. It’s missiles that won’t fire, or which go off course, and which maybe circle back and destroy you. It’s booby-trapped war souvenirs. It’s unpopular squad-leaders getting fragged by their own men.
The miracle isn’t that your side won, it’s more that your forces were even able to find the enemy they’re supposed to fight—and sometimes they can’t even do that. Incompetency is everywhere. The shambolic muddle of war exists in the actual fighting, but even more so, it’s seen in what goes on behind the scenes.
I knew that these things were features of war, but now, for the first time, it dawned on me that these types of things were the very essence of war.
It our case, we had a captain who had gone off his rocker, and who was now wandering around the ship, maybe looking for a golden fleece. And the three next in command were in the brig, but even that had its own wrinkles, since the cells weren’t locked.
Perhaps weirdest of all, we midshipmen were acting like we knew what we were doing, when we were actually trainees. And then there was my firm belief that the Department of Defense had sent us out here like a worm on a hook. We were simply bait, unprotected and forlorn.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by Talos.
“Captain Jefferson is entering the fighter bay,” Talos said.
“Same bay we landed in?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I didn’t wait around to talk. I grabbed my helmet and rushed off toward the bay.
23
Jefferson on the Loose
I made it to the bay, followed by Lennox and Nash. Once again, it seemed as though I were leading them. I hadn’t intended it that way. I think I was a little more rash and impulsive, so that made me act first.
Jefferson was seating himself in a Banshee, one called Pilgrim’s Progress. He turned his head to look back at the raised canopy, then he faced forward and began to strap himself in.
I was about eighty feet from him, and I yelled out, “Captain Jefferson!” I sprinted toward him.
Jefferson stopped cold what he was doing, and he said, “Amundsen, did you hear what Talos is saying?”
I reached the side of his interceptor, and I was breathing hard. I said, “You mean about the drones and the boarding ships and the interceptors?”
Jefferson said, “Yes, precisely. I don’t know where everybody else is. They should all be here by now. But I’m glad to see the three of you here.”
I glanced to my side. Lennox and Nash were standing next to me. I said, “Yes, Captain, we’re here.” And now my heart was truly in my boots. I believed that if we left there with Captain Jefferson, none of us would return. I sensed doom, and why wouldn’t I?
My mind flashed forward to what I was sure was going to happen. I pictured someone asking Waters, in a few days, What happened to Jefferson and those three midshipmen? And in my mind’s eye, I saw Waters drawing his hand across his throat.
Anyway, Jefferson said, “We need to meet force with force. Are you joining me? It’ll be dangerous. This is strictly an all-volunteer mission.”
My instinct was to say, “Are you insane? There’s no way any of us are going with you!”
But for some unknown reason, what I actually said was, “You don’t need to ask. You’re our captain. Where you go, we go.” Then I added, “I should speak for myself. Nash and Lennox may have other ideas.”
Lennox said, “I’m in, Captain.
You too, right, Nash?”
Nash said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
So, it looked like Nash had now recovered, at least for the moment. Or maybe he simply had a death wish. I was disappointed that Lennox had actively encouraged Nash, but at this point I simply wanted to get on with it.
Captain Jefferson looked at my two companions. He nodded and said, “Lennox and Nash.” He looked at me for a moment and then said, “Good job by the three of you, earlier. I’m not surprised to see you three here. I was sorry to lose Adler and Boyle.”
I almost fainted when he mentioned the names of Adler and Boyle, and doubly so when it became clear he was aware that Adler and Boyle were gone. I wondered whether Jefferson’s psychosis—I was still certain he was gone—somehow gave him a special ability to remember names and facts.
I said, “Captain Jefferson, what tactics do you recommend?”
Jefferson said, “We ignore the scouting drones. Eight Kerleegan boarding craft are approaching. Our goal is to knock out all of them. But I’m a realist, Amundsen. Maybe we’ll only get five or six of them. Our computers will do most of the work. Ultimately, we’ll each launch two volleys of three missiles. The computers will coordinate and select the best target for each of us. We launch missiles as soon as we get locks. Then we wait for new locks and launch again. That should take care of all eight boarding craft. Then we loop back toward this bay. Their fighters will come after us with missiles. We launch countermeasures on my say-so. That’s all.”
This sounded to me like a plan that was doomed not just to failure, but to abject, abysmal failure. Eight boarding craft and thirty interceptors, against our four Banshees, didn’t seem favorable. And the fact that Jefferson had been willing to take the enemy on by himself wasn’t exactly an endorsement of his sanity or judgment.
Astrid's War Page 7