Honor from Ashes (Honor and Duty Book 3)

by Amanda S Green

  The screens flared as the LAC tumbled, skipping along them like a rock on water. Moments later, the attack craft broke apart. Almost instantly, its torpedoes exploded. The shields shimmered and Ashlyn heard someone nearby curse softly before they began issuing a series of orders to bypass the damaged circuits and route additional power to the shields where the LAC had struck.

  A second LAC followed the first. Somehow, it managed to avoid the defensive screen laid out by the Nagato’s turrets. Ashlyn frowned, knowing what was about to happen. Without waiting for confirmation, she used the battle net to order the Nagato’s Marines, as well as the Devil Dogs still onboard, to prepare to assist all Damage Control teams. Unless Guns managed to get a lucky shot off at the last moment, there were going to be casualties.

  Cursing again, Ashlyn grabbed her helmet where it she had racked it on the back of the Captain’s chair and slammed it into place. Her fingers worked automatically as they checked the seal. The moment the HUD came online, she scanned the readouts. Everything read green. How long it lasted would be in the hands of the Nagato’s crew, their expertise is battle and God.

  Ashlyn clung to the back of the command chair as the second LAC hit. Once again, she looked for Thrasher and another curse was torn from her lips. Instead of strapping into his shock frame as she’d ordered, he had started moving toward the Tactical station.

  The idiot!

  The Nagato rocked violently as the LAC’s ordinance exploded, a small ship being tossed ruthlessly on a wild and unforgiving sea. For one moment, Thrasher seemed suspended in time between one step and another. Then flew forward like a rag doll tossed carelessly aside. There was a sickening thud at he hit the bulkhead before sliding to the decksole, unconscious.

  Damage reports poured in. Calls for medics did as well. On the bridge, the lights flickered, went out momentarily before coming back on. Still clinging to the back of the command chair, Ashlyn took stock, first of herself and then of the bridge crew. Her HUD showed what she already knew. She was, so far, uninjured but her pulse and respriations were up. Battle tended to do that.

  Even better, the bridge crew appeared battered but, for the most part, still able to function. Several had taken injuries but there was a reason why the Fuerconese Navy insisted on back-up crewing for all major stations. Of more concern was the damage being reported to some of the stations. Even that would not be a major issue as long as AuxCon and CIC were operational.

  “Comms, send for a medic!” Lance Corporal Connery ordered from where she knelt next to Thrasher. “Colonel Shaw, I will repeat what you told the Captain. Get your ass into the shock frame before we take another hit.”

  “Everyone, helmet up,” Ash said before doing as Connery ordered. Like it or not, until control was transferred to AuxCon and Lt. Commander Stiles, she was in command. “Get me AuxCon.”

  “AuxCon is off-line, Colonel,” Comms reported a moment later. “Damage Control is on its way. Preliminary information is that last explosion breached the hull in that section of the ship.”

  “Weapon status?”

  “Turret One down but the gunnery team are already working on it and says it will be back up in half an hour.”

  “Shields?”

  “We are shunting additional power to the forward shields, Ma’am. They are holding at 60 percent.”

  Ashlyn nodded, trying hard to remember those sims at the Academy dealing with similar situations. “Status of the other ships?”

  “Minor damage.”

  At least that was something in their favor.

  “Order them to shore up formation. Until we get our shields and Turrent One back up, they have the lead positions.” She studied the tactical display. Their LACs were managing to keep the enemy LACs away from them but it was only a matter of time before another broke through or, worse, the enemy opened fire. “Guns, Tactical, continue with the fire and response patterns Captain Thrasher approved. Comms, get me Admiral Tremayne.”

  “Aye, ma’am.”

  Ashlyn listened as reports continued to pour in over the comms. There was nothing she could do to help with Damage Control or repairs. Medical teams reported in, relaying orders to Sick Bay when needed. AuxCon remained off-line but reports from that part of the ship indicated it could be as simple as a comms failure. Part of Ash hoped that was all and XO would soon assume command. Then she remembered Thrasher asking her to make sure that did not happen.

  Damn it, things got complicated in battle.

  “Admiral Tremayne, Ma’am,” Comms reported.

  Ashlyn thanked her and opened comms. “Admiral, the Nagato has taken two strikes from suicide LACs. Damage is moderate but Captain Thrasher has been injured and, for the moment at least, AuxCon is silent. Probable explanation is a comms failure but the hull has been breached in that section of the ship.”

  “Maintain command until the status of AuxCon is determined, Colonel Shaw,” Tremayne ordered. “We are closing in on your position. Maintain contact with the enemy.”

  “Understood, Admiral.” She didn’t grimace, at least she didn’t think she did, but it was a close thing.

  “Your LACs?”

  “Cutting a very nice hole in the enemy defenses, Ma’am.”

  “Keep putting the pressure on, Colonel.”

  “Aye, Ma’am.” She frowned, knowing she had to ask but not wanting to over an open channel. After switching to privacy mode, she continued. “Ma’am, there is some concern about the XO’s ability to command under pressure. Captain Thrasher expressed those concerns before we engaged the enemy. He instructed me to take command should anything happen to him.”

  “I am aware of his concerns, Colonel, and concur. You are to maintain command until I am on-station and this battle is concluded. Then we will review the sitation.”

  “Ma’am,” she started but her protest died when Tremayne shook her head. “Aye, Ma’am. I would appreciate it if you would tie me in with Tactical. I’m a Marine, Ma’am, as you know, not a space jockey.”

  “No worries, Colonel. New order of attack coming through shortly. Until then, maintain your current status.”

  “Aye, Ma’am.” She paused as the lift door opened and a medical team appeared. “Medics are here for the Captain, Ma’am.”

  “Relay his condition to me, Colonel, as soon as you know it.”

  “Aye, Ma’am.”

  “Keep comms open, Colonel. Tremayne out.”

  Ashlyn entered the command to end privacy mode and once more turned her attention to the bridge crew. As she did, she realized Connery had assumed the position next to the command chair she had taken before Thrasher’s injury. She gave the lance corporal a nod of approval. Then she studied the tactical display.

  “Comms, order to all LACs. They are to begin their run against the leading edges of the enemy fleet. Let’s see if we can’t get their birds to follow ours and give us some breathing room.”

  “Aye, Ma’am.”

  “Tactical, status?”

  “With the Colonel’s permission, we will begin Attack Plan Peracles.”

  “Captain Thrasher approved the plan?”

  “He did, Ma’am. It’s designed to utilize the other ships as the screen you ordered while still letting all three ships have maximum weapons effect.”

  “Do it.”

  The ship rocked again as another missile made its way through their defenses. Almost instantly came the report that the shields held. Without a word, Ashlyn punched a series of commands into her terminal and studied the results on her screen. So far, their counter-measures were dealing with incoming enemy missiles but that would not last long. The enemy had them outnumbered. Sooner or later, the Nagato and its sister ships would start running low on offensive and defensive ordinance. All they could do was hope the rest of the fleet arrived before the situation went critical.

  “Damage Control. Lt. Commander Seaver,” a woman’s harried voice said in response to Ashlyn’s hail a moment later.

  “Commander, what’s our status?
” Ashlyn asked. As she did, she wanted to sigh in relief. She had served with Seaver before and trusted the woman not only to do everything she could to keep the Nagato up and running but to also tell her the truth.

  “Auxiliary Control is still off-line, Colonel. The hull breach in that section is two compartments away. Unfortunately, it severed major system controls in the section. Preliminary readings show essential systems are running on backup, so they should have O2 but we won’t know for sure until we can make entry. A crew is working its way there now.

  “I also have crews working on levels 17-B, 31-A and 2-C as fire control. Your Devil Dogs are a great assistance.”

  “Thank you, Lt. Commander. Keep me informed.” She turned to Comms. It was time to bluff and see if the enemy commander blinked. “Send this out,” she said and carefully considered what to say. “This is Lt. Colonel Ashlyn Shaw, First Division First Battalion Fuerconese Marine Corps. No more games, Captain. Your ship has been positively identified as the Anubis, a Callusian battlecruiser. The Anubis and other ships in your taskforce were responsible for the invasion of the Cassius System, in violation of the cease fire in place at the time of the invasion. You are also responsible for the destruction of the Tarrant and the deaths of most of her crew.

  “You have one chance to survive this encounter with your ships intact and your people alive. Stand down all weapons and prepare to be boarded. You have committed an act of warfare by encroaching on Fuerconese space. Failure to immediately comply will result in your destruction. Shaw clear.”

  “It’s sent, Ma’am.”

  “Lance Corporal Connery.” She looked up at her Marine escort, glad now that she hadn’t tried to convince her she didn’t need a babysitter. “I need you to get down to the bay. Inform the LT that he will be leading the boarding party on the Anubis. I want vid on every move and I want you on the LT throughout the mission. So keep your comm linked with me.”

  For a moment Connery looked as if she might argue. Then she glanced around the bridge and nodded. Ashlyn had a feeling they would discuss her decision to send Connery away from her post later, after they had dealt with the enemy.

  “Aye, Ma’am.” Connery saluted and quickly left the bridge.

  “Comms, send a message to the Flag. Let them know what’s happening,” Ashlyn continued, removing her helmet and racking it on the side of her chair.

  “Aye, Colonel.”

  With that, Ashlyn leaned back and closely watched the plot before her. The feed from the LACs confirmed the enemy fighters had broken away from the Nagato and her sister ships. Now they were engaging the Fuerconese LACs, trying to keep them away from the Callusian ships. A slight smile touched Ashlyn’s lips as she saw one and ten another enemy LAC destroyed. This was the kind of fight her LAC pilots excelled at. She trusted them to do everything possible to winnow down the enemy ships and keep them from once more engaging the Nagato.

  “Guns, target the lead elements of the Callusian taskforce. Our orders are to try to take at least one of the ships but if we have to destroy them, we will. The safety of the Home System must be maintained.”

  “Missile trajectories plotted, Colonel,” Tactical reported. “Recommend including noisemakers along with our standard payloads.”

  “Do it.” She leaned forward, forearms on her knees as she considered their options. There were simply too many unknowns, not the least of which was why the enemy had chosen to attack here, of all places. It didn’t make sense. “Guns, confirm the fire plan with the other ships. Once you have confirmation, open fire.”

  “Aye, Ma’am,” he said as the Nagato was once again rocked.

  “Comms, order all ships to open fire,” she commed when the Nagato was once more rocked. “Take them out.”

  “With pleasure, Ma’am.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s keep these sons-of-bitches busy until the Admiral and the rest of the fleet arrive.”

  * * *

  “This is Lt. Colonel Ashlyn Shaw, First Division First Battalion Fuerconese Marine Corps. No more games, Captain. Your ship has been positively identified as the Anubis, a Callusian battlecruiser. The Anubis and other ships in your taskforce were responsible for the invasion of the Cassius System, in violation of the cease fire in place at the time of the invasion. You are also responsible for the destruction of the Tarrant and the deaths of most of her crew.

  “You have one chance to survive this encounter with your ships intact and your people alive. Stand down all weapons and prepare to be boarded. You have committed an act of warfare by encroaching on Fuerconese space. Failure to immediately comply will result in your destruction. Shaw clear.”

  Damn them!

  Dorescu could no longer sit still. How had they identified his ship, much less the others in the taskforce? More importantly, how had they tied them to the invasion of the Cassius System? One possibility came to mind and he snarled angrily. Had their Midlothian allies betrayed them as they had Fuercon?

  He’d put that very question to Hughes as soon as they dealt with the Fuerconese ships. Shaw must think him a fool if she believed he would surrender a taskforce to her three ships.

  “Sir, their LACs are breaking off!”

  He turned to the tactical display. Why would they call their LACs off after issuing their ultimatum? It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense. That meant one thing. They had something up their sleeves and thought they could catch him unawares.

  “Missiles incoming!” the scanner tech barked.

  Dorescu waited, barely daring to breathe, as the missiles closed in on the taskforce. One part of his brain noted when their countermeasures were launched. The first wave was always the most dangerous. Neither the computers nor the crew had a firing pattern to analyze. All he could do was hope their greater firepower – and greater number of available countermeasures – did the job of protecting their ships.

  “Enemy missiles deploying active countermeasures. We can’t lock onto their missiles.”

  “Go to manual targeting,” he ordered. “Reroute all unnecessary power to the shields.”

  “Aye, Sir. Rerouting to shields.”

  “XO, analysis?”

  “Two things, Captain. Why is Shaw in command? The Fuerconese have never let Marine officers command warships. Also, why were they in this sector? It is almost as if they were expecting us.”

  He nodded, his expression grim. The first question posed by Kovacz was not nearly as important as the second. It also went hand-in-hand with how the Fuerconese knew about the Anubis and its role in what happened in the Cassius System. Even if they had managed to recover the data his ships had downloaded to the servers planetside on Cassius Prime, they should not have been able to break the encryption. That meant someone had to have leaked the information to them. No matter how he looked at it, he kept coming back to the same explanation.

  The Midlothians had played his superiors for the same sort of fool they had played the Fuerconese.

  Little good that knowledge did him right them.

  “Order all ships to open fire. Press the attack and let’s deal with these fools once and for all.” He returned to the command chair and sat, thinking hard.

  Alarms screamed, threatening to pierce his skull, as other missiles made it through their defenses. Damage reports choked the ship’s comms. They were venting atmosphere from several areas. It didn’t matter. The essential areas of the ship remained untouched and all turrets and tubes were undamaged.

  Let the Fuerconese score their hits. It didn’t matter. They were only prolonging the inevitable.

  “Sir, bogies approaching!”

  He watched as one after another red light appeared on the tactical display, each one representing an enemy ship. That answered the question of where the rest of the Fuerconese ships had gone. Somehow they had cloaked their position as they closed in on Shaw’s ships. That was their bad luck. He would deal with them just as he would deal with the Nagato and her sister ships.

  “IDs?” he snapped
.

  “Tentatively identified as Second Fleet. Flagship is the Phoenix Rising commanded by Admiral Miranda Tremayne.”

  It had been a trap and he had led his taskforce straight into it. The last intel he had on Second Fleet, provided by the Midlothians, had it leaving the system almost two weeks earlier. That had been the deciding factor in moving this part of the operation up. He never would have attempted the mission had he known Tremayne’s command was still in-system along with First Fleet.

  Now he had no choice. To flee without scoring at least one kill would be to lose face. Worse, it would be all the opening Kovacz needed to try to take the ship. Should that happen, Dorescu knew his superiors would look the other way. They suffered failure even worse than did he.

  “Order the taskforce to shore up the formation. They want a fight, we will give tem one. Focus all fire on the Nagato. Secondary target to be determined momentarily.” If the gods were with him, Tremayne’s flagship would be the next to die.

  An almost insane gleam in his eyes, Dorescu listened as his orders were relayed to the rest of the taskforce. The fire teams kept up a running report as they fired on the approaching enemy ships. Unfortunately, their LACs would be caught in the crossfire. It didn’t matter. They knew the risks and they knew their duties. They either did whatever was necessary to damage the enemy ships or they died a coward’s death. This was his battle to win and he would not let anyone, no matter who they were, rob him of it.

  * * *

  “Colonel, a team has reached AuxCom,” Lt. Commander Seaver reported.

  “Status?”

  “We have indications that the crew inside are still alive but the hatch is jammed. The damage from the LAC caused the bulkhead to warp. We’re going to have to cut through the door and that’s going to take time.”

  “Keep on it, Seaver, and keep me informed.” She turned her attention to Comms. “Inform the Admiral.”