Duty from Ashes (6 page)

“The second question is why hasn’t the enemy announced that it has, as Captain Ortega put it,
liberated
Cassius Prime? The so-called liberation of territories from the hands of the oppressors has been their justification for invasion since before any of us were born. I’ll be honest. The failure to make such a pronouncement now worries me more than the fact that they openly violated the terms of the cease fire agreement. There are too many possible explanations and none of them make me happy.

“Whether the attack on Cassius Prime represents a change in tactical thinking or just something they did for this particular mission I don’t know and that bothers me. For longer than any of us have been alive, the Callusians have followed one basic plan of attack. That’s why it has been relatively easy to defeat them whenever we’ve engaged and have had similar force sizes – and if we had good intelligence.”

She didn’t try to hide the bite in her voice. Every man and woman in the room knew what had happened back on Arterus. They knew the basic details of how she and the rest of her team were set up. They’d been given incomplete intelligence information and had walked into a trap as a result. Worse, once the few survivors made it back to the ship, those responsible had done their best to not only alter the orders Ash had received but had intercepted her communiqués back to her own commanders. O’Brien and Sorkowski had done their best to hide their own illegal activities while setting up Ash and the others.

And it had worked, for a while at least. Not that she could let herself dwell on it just then. There would be time for that later, when the two were finally brought up on charges and made to pay for the deaths of her people.

Ash glanced at her now empty mug and gathered her thoughts before continuing. “The fact that the attack on Cassius Prime followed a different order of battle from before is something we have to assume is a signal of a change in Callusian tactics. Other than the brief attack on the capital, this is the first time they have struck so close to our home system. It is also the first time they have attacked such a close ally, both in distance and in economic and political ties to Fuercon.

“And let’s not forget that they also ran a limited attack on our own capital. We were lucky that it was only a feint, a diversion meant to keep our attention focused on the home system instead of what was happening in neighboring space. They might not have launched a full-scale attack but they managed to plant the seed of doubt into the minds of some of our people. The belief that we would never come under attack here, in our own space, has forever been shattered.

“In a way, that is a good thing because it means home system security will be increased. Our leaders aren’t going to risk a full-scale attack taking place.”

“Is all this leading up to something, Major?” one of the officers down the table drawled.

Ash frowned, her eyes quickly seeking out the speaker. There had been more to the question than simple interest or even the relief to know they might finally get their orders to ship out. While she wouldn’t say anything to the speaker about his attitude just yet, she would make a mental note to discuss it with her staff later.

For a moment, Ashlyn didn’t reply. Instead, she remembered the coded message she had received late last night. It had been short and sweet and it had confirmed at least part of what she had suspected after the events of the previous day.

“As I was about to say, FirstBatt has been put on alert. I expect to receive our orders within the next day or two. Until we do, I am not going to speculate on what those orders might be and I expect each of you to follow my example. What I will do is remind you that we are Devil Dogs. We are Fuercon’s elite SpecOps battalion. That means we don’t get the simple missions. So get your people ready for immediate departure. Expect all training to be stepped up. We will be prepared for any eventuality.”

“Any idea what our destination will be, ma’am?” Talbot asked.

“That I can’t say, not yet at any rate, Master Guns.” She held up a hand to forestall the protests she saw forming. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s because I can’t. I haven’t been told anything more than to get the battalion ready.”

“Did the brass give you any indication as to whether the entire battalion will be heading out or only part of it, ma’am?” Lt. Aron Mitchell asked.

“Again, I don’t know. I would assume the entire battalion and so should you. Remember, FleetCom, as well as President Harper, is determined to show the Callusians that they will no longer be allowed to run rough shod over this sector of space. So, while we wait for our orders, we prepare. We prepare mentally and we prepare physically. We make sure our equipment is ready and we do what Devil Dogs always do. We protect our homes and our people.”

She waited, giving them time to process what she’d said. Seeing how several of them made quick notations into their datapads, she nodded slightly in approval. Unfortunately, that approval was tempered by the fact that three made no notes. Two were from the same company. The third was the one company CO she didn’t personally know. Reaching for her own datapad, she made a quick note to talk to Ortega and Talbot about the three. But that would have to wait until later, after the briefing was over.

“While I don’t know for sure how long we have until we ship out, my best guess is that we are looking at two weeks or less. That means you can’t waste any time getting your companies ready. Along those lines, Captain Ortega will be setting up sims for each company. They will be based not only on scenarios from what we’ve known the enemy to do in the past to sims based on what little we know of the attack on Cassius Prime. Scenarios will be both dirtside and boarding parties. Have your people ready for everything from squad-based sims to company vs. company. Some will be scheduled and some will not be.

“Those who have been with the Devil Dogs and who have seen real combat know that Lt. Colonel Pawlak liked to prepare for any possible scenario. I happen to agree with him on that. So expect the unexpected.” She paused and glanced around the table, her expression serious. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are at war. If you aren’t prepared to take the fight directly to our enemy, put in for a transfer now because, sooner or later, each of us will be shipping out and I only want those in the battalion who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our homeworld and allies.

“I doubt we will have long to wait before we learn what ships we are being assigned to. That said, I want everyone ready to bug out at a moment’s notice. So, from now until further notice, all leaves are cancelled. No one is to be more than an hour’s travel from the capital without my authorization. Understood?”

The same seven who had made notes earlier, responded with a quick “yes, ma’am!” while the others simply nodded. That did not sit well with Ashlyn. The lack of respect, if not for her then for her rank, bothered her.

“Before you continue, ma’am, I have a question.”

Ashlyn’s eyes narrowed and she didn’t try to hide her frown. Instead of speaking, she inclined her head.

“When will the additional training begin?”

“Immediately after the briefing, lieutenant.” She hadn’t planned on it starting that soon but the lieutenant’s question changed her mind.

“We just did a full workout, ma’am!” Captain Landry Hotchner protested.

Without a word, Ashlyn made another note. Then she stood, the palms of her hands resting on the tabletop, her expression hard. “If you think what we went through this morning was a full workout, you’ve forgotten the workouts Lt. Colonel Pawlak put the battalion through. You have also forgotten – or somehow managed to avoid – the workouts I’ve had the sergeant major put the battalion through since I assumed command. If you feel you or any member of your command cannot keep up, then transfer out. That goes for all of you. I hope I’ve made myself clear.”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”

“Review your rosters and let Captain Ortega know of any slots you need filled, particularly any specialty slots. Include anyone currently assigned to your companies that you feel will not be assets on the coming mission.”

Just as she planned to do with regard to those company commanders and their senior noncoms.

“Captain?” She glanced at Ortega and nodded.

“Thank you, Major.” The dark haired Ortega punched in a command and the holo changed to show the schedule for the next few days. “Let’s start with today’s exercise. . . .”

*     *     *

Evan Moreau paused and watched two couples enter the restaurant. Doing her best to be as unobtrusive as possible, she studied the restaurant entrance before glancing up and down the street. So far, she had seen nothing to indicate she was about to walk into a trap. Not that she was about to let her guard down. She hadn’t managed to stay alive this long by getting careless.

Perhaps she was being paranoid – better that than dead. Especially since her employers were getting impatient for results and her pawns were running scared. It was only a matter of time before someone demanded something from her she wasn’t ready to give and, if her luck had finally run out, that time had come.

Still, she had to wonder about Sorkowski choosing to meet in such a public location. He might not have been especially effective as an admiral but he knew how to save his own skin. His real problem was that his greed had led him to rely on others who weren’t as competent at covering their tracks as was he. Not that it would help him if he tried to turn on her now.

Moreau blew out a breath. It was time.

A moment later she stepped inside the restaurant and glanced around. Before the maitre’d could do more than nod in greeting, she waved him off. She’d spotted Sorkowski almost immediately. Maybe she had reason to worry about why he’d chosen such a public place for their meeting. She’d assumed he’d think himself safe there should she decide he presented a danger. But there he was, sitting almost directly across from the door where anyone entering could see him. Then there were the security monitors and the fact the table could be seen from the street. It was either a stroke of genius or the move of a man who didn’t have an ounce of situational awareness to him.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure which and that only put her more on edge.

Schooling her features so none of her uncertainty or displeasure showed, Moreau crossed to the table. As she neared, he looked up and nodded. Her jaw tightened when he just sat there instead of standing to greet her. The few times before when they’d met, he had been the consummate gentleman. So much so, in fact, that it had grated on her some. So what had brought about this sudden change? More important than that, what did it mean?

She didn’t like it but she took her cue from him, Evan Moreau reached out and waited until his hand closed around hers. Hopefully, anyone glancing their way would think this was nothing more than a simple business meeting. In some ways, they wouldn’t be wrong. She was there to discuss business with the man. But simple it would never be. Too many lives and too much money depended on what happened in the next few minutes.

Almost as soon as she sat, a waiter was there to fill her water glass and ask if she wanted anything else to drink. Without a word, she waved him off. Because of the early hour, no one would think it strange she didn’t allow herself even a glass of wine. The truth was, however, that she was already slightly off-balance by her companion’s change in attitude. She wasn’t about to dull her senses with alcohol until she knew what was going on.

“All right,
Admiral
,” she drawled. “I’m here.”

For a moment, Admiral Alec Sorkowski (ret.) said nothing. He didn’t need to when his expression spoke volumes. He no more liked her lack of respect for his rank, or for himself, than she did his change in attitude. Well too bad. He was risking both their lives with this meeting.

“I need to know what’s going on.”

Interesting. His outward attitude might have changed but his demand showed he was still just as worried as ever. Good. She could work with that. His arrogance and failure to cover his tracks in the first place was what led her to him. She’d not hesitated a moment in using him as one of many cogs in her mission. But that same arrogance and carelessness now made him dangerous. So did his demands to be kept in the loop.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t remove him – yet. But that day was coming and she looked forward to it.

“What do you want to know?”

He opened his mouth and then shut it with a snap. She watched as he ground his teeth in frustration. If both of his hands hadn’t been visible, she’d have been reaching for her weapon where she’d carefully secreted it that morning. Instead, she waited, hoping he wasn’t so foolish as to call more attention to them than he already had by demanding this public meeting. He might not have been brought up on charges yet but the whispers were there. People knew that he’d either been behind what happened to Ashlyn Shaw and her people or had been so derelict in his duties that he’d let it happen without stepping in to stop such a “grave miscarriage of justice” as the media was calling it.

“Damn it, you know what,” he growled.

“Calm down.” She leaned in and placed her hand over his. To anyone looking on, it would look like she was simply trying to reassure a friend or colleague. At least she hoped it did. “And keep your voice down. Or do you want everyone here to know what you and O’Brien did?”

He hissed in a breath, his hand fisting under hers. “What have you heard?” he demanded, his voice soft enough that no one at the nearby tables could hear.

“First tell me what has you so worried.” She leaned back and reached for her water.

For a moment, it looked as if he’d refuse. Then he nodded, as if to himself. “I had another
visit
from a JAG investigator yesterday.”

Her heart beat a bit faster and she fought to keep her expression from changing. That fool! If she had known about his latest visit from the JAG, she would never have agreed to meet him in public. She had no doubt the JAG had eyes on him now and that meant they had eyes on her.