Duty from Ashes

by Sam Schal

  BOOTS ON THE GROUND

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ANTON KASUN, OCCUPATIONAL GOVERNOR of the Cassius System, raced across the green outside the main administration building. Around him, others raced here and there. Some would be going to their posts. But some, too many he knew, would be going to ground, hoping to keep their heads low and pass unnoticed as the damned Fuerconese retook the planet. Much as he wanted to do the same thing, he couldn’t. He had one job he had to do. He had to make sure nothing existed to tie what happened here to anyone besides the Callusians. The agreement his government had made with their so-called benefactors would bring ruin on them all if it were to come to light.

  Damn it, he’d really thought this was going to be a good day.

  The doors slid open and he burst inside. Instantly, his ears were assaulted with the blaring of the alert signal followed by someone, probably some low level rating, ordering all persons to their posts. The fact that the order sounded like it was meant for soldiers and not a bunch of bureaucrats and paper-pushers would have been funny under other circumstances. But not now. Not when he knew he was probably one of the very few with more than the minimum required military training left in the build.

  But there should be others and, by the gods, he would make sure those left did their duties. They would hold this building and take as many of the enemy with them before they died.

  “Peltier!” The head of security ought to be in his office by then. “Captain Peltier, get your worthless ass in here now!”

  He turned and moved to the far wall. His hands shook as he punched a code into the almost hidden keypad at shoulder level. There was a soft snick and part of the wall slid away, revealing a safe. It took two tries to get through not only the biometric security level but the old-fashioned combination. His frustrated mumbling as he spun the dial right and then left before slamming his palm against the safe door filled the room.

  He paused and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He had to slow down, calm down. He didn’t have time to panic. The Fuerconese were the enemy, yes, but they also played by the rules. His employers, on both sides, did not. So if he wanted to get out of this alive and with some chance of living after the war, he needed to calm down so he could do what needed to be done.

  Finally, the door to the safe swung open. Without hesitation, he reached inside. His fingers closed around a stack of data chips and a single sheet of old-fashioned paper. Leaving the door to the safe open, he carried the items to his desk. As he did, he listened to the latest report coming in. Damn it, time was running short.

  He hadn’t believed it at first when his chief of staff woke him with news that the defense platforms were off-line. He’d actually been foolish enough to assume it was nothing more than a technical glitch, probably caused by the few members of the Resistance they had yet to round up. Then reports of the Fuerconese ships being spotted – well inside the System – came in and he knew time was up.

  That had been half an hour earlier. Since then, he hadn’t stopped. He couldn’t stop. He’d thrown on some clothes and made his way to the office. Now he had to destroy the databanks and make sure there was nothing to lead the Fuerconese to the puppet masters pulling the strings in this new war.

  “Where is Peltier?” he demanded as one of the lower level office drones appeared in the doorway.

  “He is in the building, Governor.”

  “Find him and bring him here.”

  Damn it, he didn’t have time to play games with Peltier.

  Peltier had been nothing but a thorn in Kasun’s side from the start. The security chief had made it very clear that he felt his talents were being wasted as part of the occupation force. He wanted to be on the front lines, fighting and causing as much pain and terror to others that he could. In the early days after the invasion, that sadistic streak had been of use. But now it only confirmed what Kasun had long suspected. Peltier was the worst sort of bully. He was a coward would didn’t have the balls or the guts to stand up against those as strong, or stronger, than was he.

  As he waited for Peltier to finally make an appearance, Kasun sat behind the desk and activated his data center. His fingers flew across the virtual keyboard as he brought up status reports and scanned the projections for how long they had until the Fuerconese landed troops in the capital. Gods above and below, how had all this happened?

  He had options. He had to remember that. He always had options. To buy time to scrub the databanks, he could use the prisoners. He could use them as human shields and he could use them as bargaining chips. The Fuerconese proved during the last war that they would do almost anything to protect those they viewed as innocent victims – and he just happened to have a whole camp of innocent victims, including more than a few of their own.

  He would and could use them. Hell, he might even get lucky and manage to disappear in the confusion that would follow the landing of Fuerconese troops.

  Gods, let him be so lucky.

  But where the hell is Peltier?

  “You wanted me?”

  A tall, swarthy man with a permanent sneer lounged almost negligently against the door frame. His uniform looked as if he had slept in it. His thick, dark hair stood out in spikes, as if it had rarely, if ever, seen a comb. But it was his insolent expression that spoke volumes. Kasun knew Peltier, like most of the security force, hated him. That was fine as long as they feared him.

  Kasun knew exactly why they hated him. He had forbidden the troops from killing their prisoners simply for the fun of it. If a prisoner was to be executed, Kasun had to approve it. Even worse, he had put an end, at least temporarily, to the sexual favors the troopers had demanded from the prisoners, male and female alike. Now only those who proved themselves loyal to the governor could demand those favors.

  Kasun glanced at his head of security and hid his own sneer of contempt. If Peltier and those like him had done their jobs properly, none of them would have anything to worry about. The Fuerconese ships would never have been able to slip in-system undetected and the defense platforms would never have fallen to them without at least squawking off a warning.

  Not that all the blame fell to Peltier and his people. High Command had pulled most of their ships out of the system in order to join the fighting. Now he had too few people to hold the planet, much less the entire system, against the Fuerconese.

  “Captain, we need to make sure the enemy is slowed down,” Kasun said coldly as Peltier dropped onto one of the two chairs situated in front of the desk.

  “And?”

  Again, insolence won out over discipline. It really wasn’t surprising the man had been left behind when the cream of the occupation force had been pulled out. If they didn’t have to worry about the Fuerconese landing troops at any moment, Kasun might actually allow himself to deal with Peltier once and for all instead of just daydreaming about it.

  “We use the prisoners. The Fuerconese commander won’t let them be harmed. You know how soft they are.” Kasun noted the flash of anticipation that lit his companion’s expression and knew he had to be careful about what he said next.

  “How?” Peltier sat up straighter, his eyes alert as he waited for Kasun to explain.

  “Have the dependents of the political prisoners rounded up. Bring in the old men and women too. We’ll use them to convince the Fuerconese not to force entry into this building. I want the Fuerconese prisoners and the senior political prisoners held in the center of the camp. Let them be seen and let the invaders see that there is no way for them to get to the prisoners before they are killed by our people. I want them bound and secured so they can’t flee. Then have your people dig in. I doubt we can hold the enemy off indefinitely but it will give us time to make sure they find nothing here they should not.”

  Peltier nodded, clearly enjoying the mental picture of it all.

  “Have that son of a bitch Donnelly brought out last. Hood and gag. If we have to make an example of anyone, it will be him.”

  “Very good,
sir.”

  “Then get it. We don’t have much time.”

  * * *

  Ashlyn entered the hangar bay and paused, looking around. Ranged around the bay in various poses of relaxation were the Devil Dogs assigned to the lead elements of the landing. Not that it fooled her. She had been in this position too many times before. They were making sure their equipment and weapons were ready for the landing and they were thinking of home, of their loved ones and of who would be left alone if they didn’t make it back. They covered their worry, even their fear, with bawdy jokes and an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude.

  God, let them all come back from this mission.

  Standing beside the lead attack shuttle were Admiral Collins, Captain Jareau and Talbot. They looked up as Ashlyn approached. Without a word, the Admiral motioned for her to join them. She nodded once and moved purposefully in their direction. Hopefully, they had an update on the latest intelligence from the surface.

  “Are you ready, Angel?” Collins surprised her by using her call sign.

  “Yes, sir. The Devil Dogs are ready to do whatever’s necessary to retake the capital.”

  Even if it meant any or all of them wouldn’t make it back.

  “Then get your people in place. I’d say it is past time for us to take the fight directly to the enemy. We’ll keep them off of your backs from the air.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  “Keep your comm open, Angel.” For a moment, Collins let his gaze wander over the Marines. Then he nodded in satisfaction, obviously pleased with what he saw. “Master Guns, when you hit the ground, I want you to stick to your CO. She’s a stubborn one and doesn’t understand just how important she is to the rest of us.” When Ash opened her mouth to protest, the Admiral shook his head, his expression firm. Then he motioned for her to walk with him a few steps away from the others. “Ash, you are not to take any unnecessary risks. I mean it. You need to make it back home for your son. Not to mention the fact that I do not, absolutely do not, want to have to tell your mother that anything happened to you. She’d have my head.”

  She couldn’t help smiling because he was right. Her mother would try to take his head, or another part of his anatomy, if she thought he had not done everything possible to keep her safe.

  “Not to mention the fact I received word from JAG that they would very much appreciate it if I could see to it that you were back on-planet in time for the trials of both Sorkowski and O’Brien.”

  Ash inhaled sharply. As she did, she felt a layer of tension falling away. The arrest of the two, as well as the others who had had been involved in the events leading up to what happened on Arterus, had helped convince her that things really had changed in the Corps and the military as a whole. But knowing that they would soon be facing trial and that she would have a chance to finally tell her side of the story and, hopefully, get justice for those who died as a result of greed and treasonous actions went a long way toward letting go the last of her doubts.

  She wasn’t there yet, but she was getting closer.

  “When?” That was all she could say. She didn’t seem able to form any other words just then.

  “They are giving us three months to get things in hand here and then get you and your staff back home. So, Ash, think you can get things wrapped up here in time to make it to court?”

  “Damned straight, Sir.” She grinned, feeling better than she had in a long time. Then she sobered. As much as she relished the news, she couldn’t let it distract her, not when they were about to put boots on the ground and – finally – take the fight to the enemy.

  “Then let’s get this show on the road.” Collins extended his hand and she took it. Just then, they were two warriors about to head into battle. Mutual respect and the need to rely upon one another bound them together.

  “Devil Dogs, you’re the best we have. I’m counting on you to not only retake the capital and, with it, the planet. I’m counting on you to show the enemy just how foolish they were to think they could attack one of our allies and not face our wrath. Do the Corps, the Fleet and Fuercon proud.”

  “Oo-rah!”

  “Let’s do this by the numbers, boys and girls,” Ashlyn took up. “Alpha Company will drop in as close to the administration buildings as possible. The LZ has been marked. Check your maps. Gamma Company, you will move toward the camp on the outer edge of the capital where the political prisoners are being held. Beta Company will join up with you there. Delta Company is being held in reserve.” She paused and glanced at the Devil Dogs, the men and women who would follow her into Hell and back.

  “I want you to know that I’m proud to say I am a Devil Dog and even more proud to serve with each and every one of you. Now, let’s go kick those Callusian sons-of-bitches off this planet!”

  “You heard the Colonel!” Talbot said, his voice carrying throughout the bay.

  “Company commanders, get your people onboard the shuttles. We have ten minutes to launch!” With that, Ashlyn turned once more to Collins. “Sir.”

  “Good hunting, Colonel,” he said, shaking her hand once again. “Give them hell, Devil Dogs!”

  “Oo-rah!”

  “Any questions?” Talbot asked and then glanced around, opening the discussion to the Marines standing nearby.

  “Just one, Master Guns,” one of the female Marines began, quickly climbing to her feet and bracing to attention.

  “Yes. Corporal Russell?” Ashlyn waited for the corporal to continue.

  “Ma’am, what are your orders concerning prisoners? Do we leave them dirtside or bring them with us?”

  “We’ll figure that out after we retake the capital,” she replied evenly. “Our priority is to get control of the capital, especially of its defense grid. That is first and foremost. However, don’t take unnecessary risks and don’t do anything foolish. You’re all veterans. I trust you to act like it.

  “I want you to remember one thing, Marines. We don’t start trouble—“

  “But we will, by God, finish it!” Talbot finished for her.

  Ash nodded. Each of them would do whatever was necessary for the successful completion of their mission. She knew it just as she knew she would do whatever it took to get them all home safely. Then, catching a signal from Captain Jareau, she called the Devil Dogs to attention.

  “Good hunting, Marines.” Collins returned their salutes and then left the bay, Jareau on his heels.

  “All right, boys and girls,” Talbot said after Ash put them at their ease. “You heard the Old Lady. We’ve got a job to do. Finish your preflight checks and get onboard your assigned shuttles. Let’s get this done!”

  “Ooh-rah!”

  * * *

  Alec Sorkowski shuffled into the small, sterile-looking room and paused. As he did, the door slid shut behind him, bringing home yet again the dismal change in his circumstances. Mere weeks ago, he had lived in one of the most sought after residence buildings in the capital. His name may have been sullied by the charges that bitch Shaw had leveled against him, but he still had a comfortable life. He had been sure that between his connections and those of the people he had helped over the years, the charges would never amount to anything.

  God, he’d been wrong. So very wrong.

  Gone was his comfortable apartment and more money than he knew what to do with. Gone was the freedom to move when and where he wanted, a freedom he had taken for granted. Now he spent his days in a small cell in the detention block of the Security Building. Twice a day, he was escorted under armed guard to the gym where he was allowed half an hour to exercise. No one spoke to him. No one even looked at him if they didn’t have to. When they did, they seemed to look right through him. It was as if they refused to admit he even existed.

  Worse than the feeling of being reduced to nothing was the fear. He hadn’t been there more than a week when the first threat was delivered. With his guards turning a blind eye, another prisoner had cornered him in the showers off the gym. His message had been short and brut
al. If Sorkowski wanted to continue living, he was to keep his mouth shut. One hint that he was even considering cooperating with the authorities and he would die. But that would happen only after he’d seen proof that everyone he had ever cared about had died a slow, painful death. Then came a quick sample of what he could expect if he didn’t do as instructed. He had lain on the floor of the showers, sobbing in pain, until the guards found him. But he’d kept his mouth shut. He’d kept it shut as he tried to find some way to get out of what looked like a no-win situation.

  Now that fear had been brought home once again. Just that morning, his guards had taken almost sadistic pleasure in telling him what happened to O’Brien the previous evening in the showers. Other prisoners, or one of the guards, had jumped his former Marine CO. They had treated O’Brien to a beating – and worse – that would leave him in the medical ward for weeks. If he recovered and that was not guaranteed. The unspoken message was simple. Sorkowski was to watch himself or he would soon be joining O’Brien.

  Damn it. It was all that bitch’s fault. If she had died on that mission on Arterus like she was supposed to, none of this would be happening. But no, she had survived and had even managed to find enough champions to clear her and the others to survive the mission of the charges he’d leveled against them. Now it was his life on the line and he could do nothing about it.

  Nothing!

  If only he had something the authorities and Fleet wanted. Well, he did but he had no way of offering it to them without that bitch Moreau finding out. In so many ways, she was worse than Shaw. While Shaw merely demanded that everyone stick to the rules the way she did, Moreau had no qualms killing to accomplish her goals.

  So, even knowing what he did, he could not use it to barter for his freedom. He would no more risk the lives of his family than he would of himself. He either had to accept the fact he would never again see a day of freedom or he had to find a way to end his life.