Hoping she managed to catch her XO before Ortega left for the ‘port, Ashlyn sent the message. Then she turned her attention back to her mother. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“No. You know as much as I do about what’s going on.”
She doubted it, not that she would say so. Instead, she leaned back sipped her coffee. If they had to be in the Commandant’s office in less than an hour and a half, they didn’t have much time to waste.
“Mom, I think you need to call Kate home. I have a feeling things are going to get very bad before this war is over.”
“Your father and I talked about it last night.”
Ash nodded. Not once did she think her mother had broken confidence and told her father what was going on. But her father had been a Marine, a Devil Dog, like the two of them. He knew how to read the signs. More importantly, he understood the realities of war. He would want his youngest daughter home, hopefully well away from the fighting, especially with Ashlyn and her brothers, as well as Elizabeth, all on active duty.
“And?”
“He sent word to her before we went to bed.”
“Let me guess. He used the same code then that he used when we were growing up and one of you wanted to let us know there was trouble and we were to get home ASAP.” Back then, it had usually meant one or the other of their parents had been ordered to ship out. Once her father retired from the Corps, it had been used to warn the children that war was breaking out or heating up and that they were to return to Fuercon as soon as they could.
“Good.” She hoped her sister would understand and return to the home system without delay.
“Unless we want to be late, we’d both better get ready.” Elizabeth stood and started out the room. Then she stopped and turned to look back at her daughter. “Ash, we will get to the bottom of this.”
She nodded, understanding all her mother left unsaid. “I know, Mom.”
Even if Intel didn’t, she would. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that the data they had recovered on Cassius Prime was somehow tied to what happened to her and her people. If that were the case, she planned to find out why. She owed it to those who had died following her as well as to those sent to the penal colony with her.
An hour later Ash stood in the same conference room she had been in just the day before. Unlike then, the room felt crowded. An ensign she didn’t recognize moved around the room, offering those gathered coffee or tea. The lieutenant from the day before stood near the head of the table and she guessed he was making sure everything was ready for the briefing. Admiral Collins caught her eye and nodded once, his expression as grim as she felt. Then he turned his attention back to Admiral Miranda Tremayne. Standing nearby were their XOs.
Also present were Elizabeth and Lt. Colonel Rico Santiago. They stood a few feet away, softly talking. Ash had no doubt her mother was grilling the Intelligence officer. Not that she blamed Elizabeth. She would give just about anything for a few minutes alone with her former commanding officer. She had served with Santiago when she was fresh out of the Academy. They had stayed in touch over the years, even after he transferred to Intel. Like so many others, Santiago had worked behind the scenes to clear Ashlyn and her team. She owed him even though she knew he would disagree.
“What’s going on, Ash?” Ortega asked softly as she joined Ashlyn. “I was halfway to the port when I got your message.”
Ash gave a quick jerk of her head, motioning for her XO to come with her. Not that there was any real privacy for them in the small conference room.
“I can’t tell you, Luce.” She held up a hand when Ortega opened her mouth to interrupt. “I can’t.” She stared at her XO until Ortega nodded slightly, understanding reflected in her eyes. “You will find out soon enough. Listen closely and be ready to ask any and all questions you have. I promise we will discuss this once we’re done here.”
Assuming, of course, that they were allowed to discuss it even then.
Before anything else could be said, the door slid open. Almost immediately, Elizabeth called everyone to attention. As she did, Klingsbury, Okafor and President Harper entered the room, followed by their aides and the President’s security detail.
“Have a seat, everyone,” Harper told them as he took his place at the head of the table. Okafor moved to the chair on his right and Klingsbury the one of his left. “We have a lot to discuss, so let’s get down to work.”
Ash waited as those senior to her were seated before taking her seat at the table. As those junior to her sat, she waited. What new bombshells were the President and the others about to drop on them?
“Yesterday, Secretary Klingsbury, General Okafor and I met with Admiral Collins and Colonel Shaw. At that time, they were ordered not to discuss the reason for that meeting. You are each going to be read into the situation. Fuercon’s war with the Callusians has taken a turn none of us anticipated, as you are about to see.”
He nodded to the lieutenant and the lights went down. A moment later, the holo display came to life. Ash wasn’t surprised when the vid she and Collins had seen the day before filled the display. Even though she had watched it several times already, she did not look away. Maybe this time, it would give her some of the answers they were all looking for.
* * *
“Now you see why I said the war has taken an unanticipated turn,” President Harper said as the lights came back up.
“This has been verified?” Captain Jareau, Collins’ XO, asked. “Sir.”
“It has.” The President looked to Santiago and nodded. “Colonel?”
“This is one of a number of items retrieved by our forces when we retook the Cassius System,” the Intelligence officer began. “From what we have been able to determine, the Anubis, as well as the other ships in the Callusian force, downloaded much of their logs before leaving the system. Under orders from SecDef, I formed a team and we have been going over everything our people found.”
“Sir, I’m not questioning you or your people, but is there any way this could have been faked?” Concern filled Ortega’s voice. Ash heard it and understood. If what they suspected was correct, they were about to find themselves fighting a war against not only the Callusians but a so-called ally as well.
“It is real, Captain, much as I wish it weren’t.” Santiago punched a command into his virtual keyboard and the holo display once more came to life. Frozen before them was the image of the Midlothian “advisor”. “We have identified him as Commander Bernard Hughes. You will find all the information we have on him in the data that has just been sent to your stations. Unfortunately, it isn’t complete because, as Admiral Collins and Colonel Shaw were told yesterday, we haven’t wanted to alert our allies to the fact we might be onto them.”
“Do we know if he is there as a sanctioned agent of the government or if he is acting on his own?” Tremayne asked.
“Ma’am, we don’t have a confirmed answer to your question.”
And that, Ashlyn knew, was the polite way of saying they had suspicions but no solid proof.
“In the information found on Cassius Prime, did we get any schematics or other similar information about the enemy ships?” Ash asked.
“Would that help?” Harper asked in return.
For a moment, no one answered. Then, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, Tremayne nodded. “I think I know what the good colonel is getting at. All of us in this room have been part of discussions about the changes in how the enemy has acted since hostilities resumed. She might be a mere Marine.” Now she grinned and Ashlyn fought the urge to stick her tongue out at the woman she had known most of her life. While her parents had been proud Ash followed in their steps when she joined the Corps, Tremayne had always made it clear she hoped her godchild would join the Navy. “None of us could put our finger on why, but the enemy has changed tactics, and they have had ships and weapons more advanced than they should have been able to get their hands on, even under the farce of the cease fire.�
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“So, if we know more specifics about the ships or their weaponry, we might be able to trace them back to the Midlothians,” Jareau finished for her.
“Exactly.” Ash frowned in thought and then turned in her chair to face Santiago. “Well?”
“Negative, at least so far. We are still deciphering some of the data you and your people managed to secure.”
“How do we proceed with this information?” Collins asked. “And can we read our staffs in yet?”
Everyone looked to the President. He, in turn, looked to Okafor, his expression grim. “Admiral Tremayne and Second Fleet will be shipping out by end of week. Once you are out of the system, Admiral, you may brief your senior officers. The rank and file do not need to know. Not yet, at any rate. You may, however, tell your personal staff with the proviso that they understand they are not to discuss this matter with anyone you do not personally approve.”
“Understood, sir.” The redhead made a quick note on her datapad.
“Admiral Collins, First Fleet is going to resume its position as system defense. That allows your ships to finish making repairs.”
“I understand, sir, and had already issued orders along those lines pursuant to our discussion yesterday.”
“Excellent.” Now the President looked at Ashlyn and she fought the urge to swallow hard. Something about his expression worried her. For a moment, the paranoia flared. She stomped it down, reminding herself that he had fought for her freedom as much as any of the others in the room had.
“Sir, let me,” Okafor said almost gently. “It’s for me to do.”
“Ma’am?” Ash gave a quick, almost imperceptible shake of her head as she felt Ortega stiffen at her side. At least she wasn’t the only one worried by the sudden mood change.
“This next bit affects the Marines more than anyone else,” Okafor said, her expression grim. “And the Devil Dogs more than most.”
Ash looked quickly at her mother. Her worry increased to see Elizabeth’s brow furrow in concern.
“Liz, Ash, I received word on my way here that SecDivSecBat Alpha Company was ambushed on what should have been a routine mission. Colonel Pawlak and more than a dozen others were killed before relief arrived.”
For a moment, the world stopped. Tears burned Ashlyn’s eyes, but she refused to shed them. Paul Pawlak had been her CO when she first joined the Devil Dogs. She had moved up the ranks under his leadership and one of the proudest days of her life had been he handed the battalion over to her. By all rights, he should have been kicked upstairs to Division headquarters. Instead, he had been transferred to SecDivSecBat to bring them up to the same quality as the Devil Dogs.
And now he would not be coming home, one more casualty of a war that should have been ended years ago.
“Has his family been notified?”
“Not yet, Ash. I wanted to wait until you had been told.”
Ashlyn nodded. Okafor’s response didn’t surprise her. The Commandant knew her well enough, and knew her relationship with Pawlak, to understand that she would want to be there when her former CO’s family was notified. Then she would have to break the news to her own son, Pawlak’s godson.
“Thank you, ma’am. I will see to it as soon as we finish here.”
“We will see to it,” Elizabeth put in firmly.
“The pertinents have been sent to you,” Okafor said. “I don’t have to tell you that this has hit the Warlords hard. They are basically down a company and have lost their CO. We need to shore them up until a new CO is in place.”
Ashlyn nodded, already guessing what Okafor was about to say.
“Colonel, Delta and Gamma Companies are to reinforce the Warlords. As much as I hate to do it, Captain Ortega, you will accompany them. I need someone out there who can understand what the Warlords are feeling but who will also keep them striving for Devil Dog discipline until a new CO is put in place.” Now it was Okafor’s turn to hold up a hand to prevent interruption.
“Before you say anything, Captain, I understand that you want to be here for your CO, especially with the courts martial of Sorkowski and the others coming up. However, you are a Marine and you will obey your orders. Besides, you were effectively Hammer’s XO after Colonel Shaw and the others were framed. So you know what he would expect of the battalion. I expect you to continue doing what he started.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Besides, your colonel is going to be dirtside for the course of the trial and probably for some time after that. By the time the Devil Dogs are ready to ship back out to the front lines, you and the two companies will be back.”
Ashlyn wasn’t too sure, but she knew better than to say so.
“Now, with the President’s pardon, I don’t want to delay notifying Hammer’s family any longer than we already have.”
“Of course, General.” Harper stood and waited as the Marine contingent followed suit. “General Shaw, Colonel Shaw, Captain Ortega, you have my sympathies. Colonel Pawlak was a hero and he served Fuercon well. Please extend my condolences to his family.”
“I will finish our part of the briefing afterwards,” Okafor said and called them to attention.
Ashlyn braced to attention and saluted. Somehow, the day had just gone from bad to nightmare. What else could go wrong and did she really want to know?
CHAPTER FIVE
“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL THEM?”
Ashlyn looked at her XO and gave a half shrug. The last few hours were a blur. She had gone from the briefing to the apartment Pawlak shared with his wife. Fortunately, their son was home from university. The moment Paul, Jr., answered the door, he had known. Ash had seen it on his face. Instead of reacting, the young man had looked from General Okafor to Elizabeth and then to Ash herself. With a nod, he asked them in. Once he had shown them to the den, he had gone to find his mother.
Latrice Pawlak, like her son, knew the moment she saw the three why they were there. A single tear had trickled down her cheek. Then, her hand grasped in both of her son’s, she had asked what happened. Okafor told her what she could, including the fact her husband’s body had been recovered and would be returned for a burial with full military honors. Then she and Elizabeth had excused themselves, telling Ash they would wait for her outside. She thanked them before turning her attention back to Latrice.
Half an hour later, she rejoined the others. They had ridden in silence back to Okafor’s office. Once there, the Commandant sent for lunch and they had gotten down to work. Now it was time to tell the battalion not only about Pawlak but about how the Devil Dogs would respond.
“The truth. Not only about Hammer and the rest of it but also about Bravo Company. Now is the worst time possible for us to be at anything but our best.”
Ortega nodded, her expression grim. “What are you going to do about Bravo?”
For a moment, Ash studied her XO, her best friend. She knew there was more to Ortega’s question than just wondering if she planned on changing her orders about having Bravo out on training maneuvers now that Delta and Gamma Companies were leaving the home system. If only she had the answers.
“I have to know what’s going on with them, Luce. You know that.” She waited until Ortega nodded. “But with Delta and Gamma – and you – leaving the system, I have to rethink things.” She blew out a breath. God, she wished there was an easy answer but, in war, there rarely was. “Send orders for Anderson Talbot to return here ASAP. Copy their orders to Noffsinger and the CO for the 103rd BatCruRon. I’ll prepare a private dispatch for Noffsinger. I want him to understand that this doesn’t mean the maneuvers for Bravo Company are cancelled. I’ll have to rely upon him to give me feedback.”
“Ash.”
She shook her head. She knew every objection her XO was about to make and then some. But what choice did she have? “Lucinda, I will keep on top of what’s happening. However, I am not sending you, not to mention Delta and Gamma Companies, off without a senior NCO we both trust watching your back. The War
lords are good but they will be shaken right now by the loss of Hammer and the others. They need to know there is a solid command structure to rely upon until the Commandant gets Hammer and the others replaced. So don’t argue with me about this.”
“All right. I’ll admit to being relieved to have one of our own senior non-coms with me.”
“Me too.” Ash smiled slightly. One hurdle cleared. How many others would spring up before the Callusians were finally defeated? “So, XO, who would you prefer watching your six? Adamson or Talbot?”
For a moment, Ortega did not reply. “I’d be comfortable with either, ma’am. Under the circumstances, I think Adamson would be best.”
“Agreed.”
“Besides, Talbot has been with you since your return from Tarsus. I’ll feel better with him watching your six while I’m gone.”
“In other words, you are going to have a chat with him before you ship out about how he is to make sure I don’t so much as stub my big toe.” Ash smiled to take any sting out of her words.
“I won’t have to. He had that chat with me before he and Adamson left with Bravo Company.”
Ashlyn grinned, imagining the conversation. Her staff – her friends – had made it their unofficial duty to make sure nothing else happened to her. It didn’t matter if she wanted them to or not. As they had told her in not so many words on more than one occasion.
Before anything else could be said, Ortega frowned. Then shook her head. As she did, Ash bit back a smile. She recognized the motion from their years at the Academy. Her XO wanted to say something else but wasn’t sure she should. Well, that was easy enough to deal with.
“Spill it, Luce. What else is on your mind?”
“Ash, do you think Midlothians have sold us out?”
And wasn’t that the question of the day, the year and even the decade?
“I don’t know.” She climbed to her feet and moved to stare out the window. Instead of seeing the Academy grounds below with the latest crop of cadets hurrying to class or drilling under the watchful eye of upper classmen, she saw all the potential problems such a betrayal could hold. “I don’t see the advantage for the government to betray us. Still, stranger things have happened.”
Honor from Ashes (Honor and Duty Book 3) Page 4
