“You look like I felt when I was first read into the new mission parameters, Ash.” There was little humor in Okafor’s voice. “But, as much as I hate, it, I agree with their thinking. We can’t risk the mission on a taskforce that might have one too many weak links. That’s not a knock against Admiral Tremayne. Far from it. But think about your problems trying to bring the Devil Dogs up to your standards. Now multiply it to include all the personnel and ships the admiral has to deal with.”
Ashlyn nodded, suddenly glad she only had a few officers and non-coms to worry about.
“So Admiral Collins is meeting with FleetCom and his senior officers to establish Task Force 119, codenamed Freedom Strike. You, as well as Colonel Johnson, will meet with Admiral Collins and his people tomorrow morning at 0800. What I can tell you now is that FirstBatt needs to be ready to move out, all of FirstBatt, in two weeks. You should be receiving a full timeline from your mother by morning.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That means you have to seal up any problems you see with the battalion without delay.”
Ashlyn nodded. “I understand, ma’am. I removed two of my company commanders and they are being transferred out. I should have heard from Captain Ortega and Master Sergeant Adamson as to whether they feel we need to transfer anyone else out of the unit by the time I return to my office
“General, you’ve obviously had time to read my preliminary report.” She paused, waiting until Okafor nodded. “I’d appreciate it if you’d help push through Loren Nichols’ reinstatement to the rank of captain as well as his transfer to FirstBatt. Specifically, I’d like to put him in command of Delta Company. He’s served with many of the company and I have full faith that he’ll be an asset not only to the company but to the battalion as a whole.”
“I happen to agree, Ash, and it is being taken care of as we speak.”
“Thank you.” That was one concern off her shoulders. If only all the others were as easy to deal with. “As for Gamma Company, I received a transfer request from Captain Teryl Monroe. She was CO for the company during the last war and was one of many of the Devil Dogs transferred out – against their wishes – during the build down. I’d like her back.”
“Consider it done.”
“Thank you.” She felt better knowing the company command slots would soon be filled. But there were still the senior officers and senior non-coms she had to worry about and two weeks wasn’t nearly as much time as she’d like to do those reviews and bring the battalion up to speed. But it was all she had, so she had to find a way to make it work.
“This is yours, Ash,” Okafor said as she slid a datachip across the desktop in Ashlyn’s direction. “Your orders are on that, along with all the intelligence we have to date. I will warn you now, the orders probably aren’t exactly what you and your people expect. But they are necessary. Review them tonight. Discuss them with your mother, but no one else – yet. You’ll be released to do so tomorrow after your briefing with Admiral Collins and FleetCom. If there are any questions you have of me, just comm.”
Ash’s fingers closed over the ‘chip. As they did, her stomach did a slow roll. Even knowing the Devil Dogs would be shipping out in two weeks hadn’t made it as real as knowing she now held their orders in her hand. Ready or not, when the two weeks were up, they would be off-planet and thrust back into the thick of things.
“There is one more thing, Ash,” Okafor continued before she could ask permission to leave so she could study the data on the ‘chip.
“Ma’am?”
“JAG will be moving over the next two days to make arrests pursuant to their investigation into the facts around the false charges that were leveled against you and your people.”
The breath seemed to explode out of her as the general’s words sank in. Finally! She’d tried telling herself that there was no reason to doubt the JAG. But she’d put her faith in the system once before and the results had been almost fatal, not only to herself but to the six who had survived the Arterus mission with her. But now, if it really happened, she would no longer have to live with the ever-persistent fear that the current administration was as apt to betray her and her people as the previous had been.
God, she prayed the general was telling the truth.
“Ash, breathe.” Now Okafor did smile, a reassuring and understanding smile. “They will move first on Sorkowski and O’Brien. They don’t want to risk them learning of the warrants for their arrest and finding a way off-planet before they are in custody. Once they have been secured, Lt. Liu assures me there are others, around a dozen or so, who will then be picked up.”
Damn, she didn’t want to ask but she had to. “Any members of FirstBatt, ma’am?” Her voice was soft with concern.
“No. However, I have a feeling among those being rounded up will be your friends Brodsky and Hines.”
Good!
Ashlyn grinned, satisfaction filling her. “That is most welcome news, ma’am.”
“I thought you might think so. I certainly did.” With a smile that matched Ashlyn’s, Okafor stood. “That, too, is to be kept to yourself until JAG or my office says otherwise. Let’s not risk tipping our hand just yet.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.” She waited as Ash stood. “I’m sure you have something you’d rather be doing right now, Major. Dismissed.”
Ashlyn braced to attention and left the office. Okafor had been right. There were several things she wanted to be doing just then. She wanted to see the Devil Dogs’ new orders and the intelligence material included with them. She also wanted to spend time with her son. There wouldn’t be much spare time over the next two weeks and she needed to spend it with him. She had to let him know that she was going to do her best to come home to him.
God, let me keep that promise this time
.
M
OVE
O
UT
!
C
HAPTER
E
IGHT
A
SHLYN
LEANED
BACK
and rubbed her face as if that simple action could scrub away the almost overpowering exhaustion that gripped her. As she did, she sighed heavily. Somehow, without her knowing it, night had slipped away and dawn now crept into the room.
And she had yet to find her bed.
Breathing deeply, she pushed away from the desk and slowly stood. Her muscles screamed in protest, reminding her it had been hours since she had last moved. Hours? It seemed like days. Without meaning to, she had stayed up all night, reviewing her orders and the reports that had accompanied them, trying to digest all she read.
Stretching her arms over her head and arching her back, Ash worked to ease the kinks out of her shoulders. Then she walked to the window. She rolled her head from side to side, wincing slightly as her neck cracked. She simply couldn’t believe it was morning. The last time she’d checked, it had been two. She’d poured herself another mug of coffee before promising herself she would go to bed soon. All she wanted to do was read one more report. . . .
Now the sun crept over the horizon, painting the sky with beautiful yellows and pinks. In the distance, the greens and golds of the trees seemed to come alive. Bird song filled the air, calling to her with the hope a new day brought. How magical dawn was and how beautiful.
She reached out, touching the window with the palm of her hand. Sunrise had always been her favorite time of day. How badly she had missed the simple pleasure of watching the dawning of a new day those nightmarish years on Sirocco. Now she could enjoy that magical time once again. But it wouldn’t last. All too soon, she would be shipping out and there were no guarantees she would return. They were at war and, in war, people died. All she could hope for was that when her time came, her death helped secure a safe and peaceful future for her son and others like him.
Stop it!
Frowning, she forced down the doubt and the fear trying to worm its way into her belly. Any Marine with an ounce of common sense knew she might die in battle. That was part of being a Marine. But that wasn’t what ate at her. There was still that nagging doubt born from betrayal that plagued her. She had to get a handle on it now, before it managed to take root.
Add in exhaustion and worry about whether or not the Devil Dogs would be ready for the mission and it was no wonder she was having doubts. But this was a new day, one in which those who had betrayed her no longer held positions of power. More importantly, those who had taken their places were dedicated to protecting Fuercon and its interests. She knew them and knew she could trust them.
A new day had dawned for her, figuratively and literally. It was up to her to remember that. She had to remember that each dawn promised a new day with new opportunities. Ash had grown up believing every individual had the almost sacred duty to make the most of the new day. For as long as she could remember, she had tried to do just that. Now, after the seemingly endless night of her time on Tarsus, it was especially important to make the most of each new day. One way to do that was to be the best commander the Devil Dogs had ever had and to come home safe to her son.
A soft knock at the study door interrupted her musings. She shook off the negative thoughts and turned. As she did, the door slid open and her mother stepped inside. Like her, Elizabeth wore a pair of BDUs. Unlike hers, however, her mother’s were crisp and fresh. Her dark hair was pulled back into a braid and she carried two mugs of coffee in her hands.
Without a word, Elizabeth crossed to where Ashlyn stood. She handed one of the mugs to her daughter and then glanced at the desktop strewn with data chips. For a moment, she stood there, studying Ash, a slight frown playing at the corners of her mouth.
“I should probably be worried that you haven’t been to bed,” she said as she motioned to the sofa against the far wall. “But considering that I only managed to get a couple of hours of sleep myself.” Now she shrugged. “I assume you were reviewing your orders and the information that went with them.”
Ash nodded and then sipped her coffee, almost sighing in pleasure. Then she settled at one end of the sofa and watched as her mother sat at the opposite end and angled so they faced one another.
“I was.” Another sip of coffee. “And I was trying to figure out the best way to get the battalion ready. Whether we want to admit it or not, there are bound to be some members of the Devil Dogs who still have doubts about me as their CO. Add in two new company commanders and several senior officers and senior NCOs who need to be replaced or reassigned and we aren’t anywhere near the state of combat readiness I’d like.”
Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond and then closed it. Ash smiled when she did. She had no doubt her mother had been about to tell her she had nothing to worry about. That would be Elizabeth’s first reaction as mother. But, as Ashlyn’s commanding officer, she would know better. There never had been and never would be a unit where someone didn’t doubt its CO at some point.
“True, but there are several things you need to remember. First off, you’re lucky Pawlak was their CO before you. You know he kept them as close to combat ready as he could. Yes, there are members of the battalion he had concerns about. I don’t know of any unit larger than a squad where there isn’t at least one member who doesn’t quite fit in, at least at first blush.
“Second, because of who the Devil Dogs are and the missions they are sent on, most of the battalion are combat veterans. A great many of them served with you before, so they know they can trust you to lead them into battle. The others, they’ll learn. Remember how you felt before going into your first battle under Pawlak’s command. You didn’t know him well and you weren’t sure how he would do under fire. Those concerns disappeared pretty damned quickly once the DDs had their boots on the ground.” She waited until Ashlyn nodded.
“Finally, and in a lot of ways most important, every member of the Devil Dogs know you are one of them. They know you’ve earned your rank and that you’ve earned the command. And, by the end of tomorrow, those who might still harbor some doubts will see that the Corps and FleetCom have no doubts about you.”
Ash frowned, unsure what her mother meant and not sure she wanted to know. But then, not knowing could be even worse. She had never been a big fan of surprises and there had been too many of them of late.
“What?” she asked simply. When Elizabeth didn’t answer, she cocked her head to one side and looked at her mother in suspicion. “What are you up to?”
“Let’s just say that General Okafor and the powers that be at FleetCom have decided to make it very clear that they know they have the right person in command of the Devil Dogs and that those responsible for sending you and your people to Tarsus are going to pay dearly for their actions.”
For a moment, Ashlyn didn’t say anything. The best news she’d had recently was learning it was only a matter of hours, maybe a day, before Sorkowski and O’Brien would be arrested. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t relieved. A lot of the doubt that still lingered would be eased if she saw the two in custody before the battalion shipped out. It would also mean one less distraction on the mission, which was a very good thing.
Then she almost groaned at the thought of having to face the media once JAG announced the arrests. Maybe she could move onboard a ship, any ship, before that happened. . . .
* * *
Another day, another reminder of everything he’d lost.
Admiral Alec Sorkowski (Ret.), sat on the edge of his bed. Resentment filled him as it did most mornings. He missed starting the day onboard his flagship. He had grown used to having a steward there, robe in hand, before he even sat up. A mug of coffee would be waiting on the bedside table and the steward would inform him of anything he felt the admiral might need or want to know.
Then there were the other perks. The additional monies he’d made from his dealings with certain
businessmen
in the sector had been set aside, for the most part, for his retirement. Now those funds were beyond his reach. Some the JAG investigators had found and others he didn’t dare try to access for fear they’d be discovered. He wasn’t about to let them know just how much he had managed to put away over the years. Not when JAG and most everyone else at FleetCom suddenly seemed to think that bitch Shaw was exactly what they needed instead of dedicated officers like himself.