Battle Bound (Honor and Duty) Read online

  “The task force is in place to launch the mission. However, something’s not right.” She produced her comp and typed in a series of commands. A moment later, the holo display at the far end of the staging area came to life. It displayed the latest data the task force had received from the probes. It didn’t take long for the first muttered curses and questions to begin. “As you can see, it appears the main force of the Callusian fleet has left the system. Since that seems unlikely, the Admiral had decided to alter the initial battle plan. Instead of the entire taskforce hitting the system, she is sending in a diversionary force first. The squadron will, hopefully, draw the ships out from their hidey hole at which point the rest of the task force will move in.”

  “Question, Major?” M. J. Adamson, the company’s senior NCO, asked as she studied the holo display.

  “Go ahead, Sergeant.”

  “Meaning no disrespect to any of the Admiral’s staff, but has this data been confirmed?”

  Ashlyn’s lips twitched once in a smile she refused to let come. She had made a mental bet on how long it would be before the blonde asked just that. Adamson hadn’t disappointed her.

  “It has been.” She gave the Devil Dogs time to think about that for a moment. “It has also been confirmed that, as of forty-eight hours ago, the Callusian force was close to full-strength. There are no readings from any of the probes to indicate the other ships have left the system. That, as well as past history with the enemy would seem to confirm the Admiral’s suspicion that the they are trying to lure us into a trap.”

  “Begging the Major’s pardon, then where are they?” Lieutenant Brandon Hall, her senior LAC pilot, asked.

  “That is the question we hope to answer before the diversionary squadron is overrun, Falcon.” And this, she knew, was where things would get tricky, at least as far as Hall was concerned.

  “I’m not going to like this, am I, Major?”

  “I don’t know, Falcon. It’s a mission I would trust only to Devil Dogs.” Before he could ask anything else, she waved him off. That part of the briefing was best held in private. “What we have to focus on right now are these.” She highlighted the new defense platforms. “They are aimed not outward but toward the planets. More specifically, the best we can tell is that they are aimed at some of our targets. We have to take those platforms offline before we drop dirtside. Lieutenant Probst, get with your attack shuttle crews and draw up a plan of action. Be ready to present it in half an hour.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “The rest of you, make sure your gear is ready. If everything goes according to plan, we will drop in six hours. We will move to the attack shuttles in four. Platoon leaders, inspection in three hours. Move it!” She waited as the platoon leaders ordered their Marines to different parts of the staging area. Then she turned to her LAC commander and Adamson. “Walk with me.” With that, she turned on her heel and moved across the staging area in the direction of what was euphemistically called her office. From what she could tell, it had been a storage area before the Devil Dogs joined the mission.

  “Grab coffee and something to eat,” she said as the hatch slid shut behind them.

  The sight of a carafe of hot coffee and tray of sandwiches was all the others needed. While Hall did as she said, Adamson put several sandwiches on a plate and handed it and a mug of coffee to Ash. Then she turned to fix herself a plate.

  “What didn’t you tell the rest of the company, Angel?” Adamson’s use of Ashlyn’s call sign was as close to familiar the sergeant would get, at least as long as Hall was present.

  “Falcon, we are going to have to make the diversion look good. That means you are going to have to send some of your LACs in with the squadron.” She shook her head when he started to interrupt. “I know each of the ships in the taskforce have a LAC complement. Normally, we would rely on them but this is anything but normal. We have to assume the Callusians know Delta Company has been assigned to the taskforce. That means they will be looking for our LACs in the attacking force.

  “But that isn’t all. The Admiral is going to use the diversion created when the squadron engages the enemy to have three LACs break away from the main force. They are to go here, here and here.” She brought up the system map on her datapad and highlighted the designated target areas before handing it over to Hall. “Their mission is to launch additional probes. Those probes will, if all goes according to plan, let us know what vector the remaining Callusian ships will be attacking from. Once the probes are launched, the LACs are to get out, hopefully without being tagged by the enemy.”

  For a moment, neither Hall nor Adamson said anything. Ashlyn knew they were processing the Admiral’s orders. She also knew Hall would be determining the best approach vectors as well as who he could ask to carry out the mission with him. At least that was what she would do, were their positions reversed.

  “It’s risky,” Hall commented.

  “Very, but we’re Devil Dogs and that’s why they pay us the big bucks.” Ashlyn allowed herself a small smile. “Falcon, there is one thing. You will not be leading the mission. Admiral’s orders and orders I agree with. You’ll be needed to lead the bulk of the LACs when we do enter the system.”

  “Ma’am.” He looked at her, his expression blank but his eyes hard.

  “Falcon, I understand. You never ask your people to take an assignment you aren’t willing to take yourself. I feel the same way. But that is also part of being an officer. There are times when you can’t be out front with your pilots. This is one of them. As important as it is that we get the probes in place to give us a better idea of where the enemy ships are – or aren’t – it is more important that we have our best ready to go in with the taskforce.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He didn’t like it one bit and she knew it, just as she knew he understood she did not like having to tell him to stay behind.

  “The Admiral would like the LACs to launch in thirty to meet up with the ships going in ahead of the bulk of the taskforce. Can you have them ready?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “Good. You’re dismissed.” She waited until the hatch closed behind him. “MJ, we’re going to have to split our forces as well. We need to hold at least two squads onboard in case they are needed to help secure the defense platforms. As troublesome as the new platforms are, we can’t forget the original platforms. Those are manned platforms and it would be better if we can take them intact.”

  “Understood. I’d recommend taking one squad from Second Platoon and another from Fourth Platoon.”

  “Agreed.” Ash made a note. “With the exception of the LACs, our people will remain with the bulk of the taskforce. Our mission remains the same. We are to secure the targets dirtside.”

  “Understood, Ma’am.”

  “Good, then let’s go brief the company and get ready for the fight.”

  

  “Would someone please explain how the hell the Old Lady can sleep through all this?” one of the Marines demanded as the attack shuttle rocked once again.

  From the cockpit, the pilot reported their shields were holding – for the moment. For her part, Ashlyn hoped their luck held. So far, it had and that was a miracle. Enemy fire had been heavier than expected. At least the plan to draw out the Callusian’s hidden ships had worked. Even better, the bulk of the taskforce had been able to move in before the diversionary squadron had taken too much damage. Added to the plus column was the fact the three LACs had launched their probes and returned to the taskforce without being detected.

  LACs had then been dispatched to deal with the defense platforms. That had proven easier said than done, especially once the Callusians launched their own LACs in an attempt to intercept the Sabres. Ashlyn had yet to receive a final injury report but she knew the LACs had been hard hit. Even so, Falcon and his pilots had done the job. Only two of the platforms had been able to fire on their planetside targets. That was two too many but it certainly beat the alternative.

  “She’
s not sleeping, Short Stack.” Adamson’s comment brought Ashlyn’s attention back to the present. “Trust me.”

  Her expression hidden behind the faceplate of her battle helmet, Ashlyn smiled slightly. It never failed. Whenever someone new joined the Devil Dogs, one who had not served with her before, they always made the same mistake. They assumed she had to be asleep because she wasn’t taking part in the conversations around her or looking over the shuttle pilot’s shoulder. Private First Class Antony Jacobucci, call sign Short Stack, proved to be no exception.

  “She has to be. No way she could be awake and not react to the way we’re bouncing around.”

  As if to punctuate his comment, the sounds of someone else losing their breakfast filled the compartment. Another of the newbies, unless Ashlyn missed her guess.

  “Nope. She’s awake and aware of everything going on around her,” Adamson said as the shuttle bucked again, bringing with it another round of stomachs being purged followed by none-too-subtle ribbing from the veterans.

  It really was a good thing Short Stack couldn’t see her smile. Ash recognized the sergeant’s tone of voice. It was the vocal equivalent of a cat playing with its prey just before moving in for the kill. The only question was how much the good sergeant would win off the private. Perhaps she ought to put a stop to it before it went any further. The last thing any of them needed was to be distracted just before they dropped.

  “Private, not only am I awake but I know we are less than six minutes from the drop zone.” A touch of the control pad by her right hand released her battle armor from where she had been attached to the bulkhead. “Squad leaders, make sure everyone is ready. Heavy armor, you drop in five. The rest of us will follow.”

  “You heard the Old Lady, boys and girls. Let’s go show those sons of bitches what Devil Dogs can do!” Adamson said as she, too, released her armor from the safety harness.

  “Ooh-Rah!”

  “The other shuttles report minor damage but they are on target, Ma’am.” Before he could continue, the shuttle pilot cursed softly and sent the shuttle in a dive steep enough to have Ash reaching for a handhold. “Sorry, Ma’am. Groundside defenses are stronger than anticipated.”

  “Aren’t they always?” She switched to a private channel. “Hunter, chances of all four shuttles making the DZ under current conditions?”

  “Three to one, Ma’am. Yertle’s drive is down to sixty percent. I’m reading venting from the rear compartment.”

  Damn it! Even if the Yertle’s pilot hadn’t apprised her of the damage, Lt. Hardesty should have.

  “Can we take out the defenses near the DZ?”

  “Possible but my recommendation would be to put down behind them and go in on foot. At least if you want to be sure you have a way off this rock.”

  “All right. Find some place close enough to put us down, even if it is a drop only, that won’t throw our timetable completely out the window.” She turned and studied the others as they made their final preparations for the drop. It was her call to alter the drop zone but it wasn’t one she would make without letting the Admiral know what was going on.

  “Hunter, patch me through to Admiral Tremayne,” she said as she motioned Adamson forward. A quick hand-signal told the sergeant to join the com-link.

  “Talk to me, Captain.” Tremayne’s voice sounded almost too calm, especially since Ashlyn knew the battle continued to rage between the Fuerconese taskforce and the Callusian invaders.

  “Slight change of plans, Ma’am. We can’t make it to the drop zone without losing at least one of our shuttles. My pilot is relaying the new drop coordinates. It shouldn’t impact the timing of our mission too badly.”

  “Understood and not unexpected. Keep me advised and take out those groundside defenses and move on to the capital.”

  “You can count on us, Ma’am. Shaw out.” She nodded to Adamson, trusting the sergeant to make sure their people were ready. Then she activated a link to the other shuttles. “Angel here. Operation Cold Vengeance is now a go. I repeat, the Op is a go. Coordinates to follow.” With a nod to the shuttle pilot, she turned her attention to the others. “Listen up! We’ve all been around this war long enough to know no battle plan lasts beyond the first encounter. Well, this one has changed yet again. We will be dropping behind the original DZ and going in on foot. Be ready to drop hot and be on your guard. I don’t want to lose anyone because they got careless. Understood?”

  “Understood, ma’am!”

  “Good. We go to call signs from this point on. Time to drop, Hunter?”

  “Three minutes, Angel.”

  “Heavies, you’re up first.” She nodded as they moved to the rear hatch and prepared for the drop. “Hunter, what’s it look like down there?”

  “Bogies approximately one click from the new DZ.”

  Too close for comfort but far enough away, hopefully, that she could get her people down before the enemy overran them.

  Three minutes later, Ashlyn signaled Adamson to open the rear loading hatch. Her HUD instantly flashed everything from their current airspeed and altitude to the wind speed and temperature on the interior of her visor. The drop would be choppy to say the least. Before she could say anything, Adamson spoke up. The sergeant quickly ordered everyone to make sure they noted the new data. Those who failed to take the current conditions into account on the jump and were foolish enough to damage their armor or weapons would wish they died in the jump.

  “I will not – I repeat, NOT – haul your sorry ass to back to safety if you get yourself banged up because you didn’t take the conditions into account,” the blonde continued. “Not to mention what Angel will do if there’s anything left of you after I get to you.”

  “Drop zone in thirty, Angel.”

  “Roger that, Hunter.” She moved to stand opposite Adamson at the hatch and watched the countdown on her HUD. “Heavies, go!” She pounded the bulkhead with a gauntleted fist to punctuate the order.

  “Reaper, I want you on the ground before the newbies hit,” Ash told Adamson over a private channel.

  “Roger that, Angel, and agreed. But you stay up here until last. If we come under heavier fire, Hunter has orders to get you to safety.”

  Ashlyn frowned and told herself she couldn’t respond. This was an age old point of dissention between most senior officers and their senior non-coms. The best she could do was not say anything. That way, Adamson wouldn’t be able to accuse her of going back on her word if she jumped instead of using the shuttle to get away.

  “Hunter, once I’m clear, get the hell out of here. Stay safe until we get the FOB established,” Ashlyn radioed as she prepared for the drop.

  “Understood, Angel. Good hunting.”

  Let’s hope the enemy below continue to be bad shots.

  With that, she stepped out, trusting her suit’s thrusters to keep her on target. Hopefully, they would also keep her from becoming a wet stain on the snow far below.

  “Report!”

  Ashlyn rolled to her feet and shouldered her battle rifle. Her HUD lit up, pinpointing not only where the members of her squad were but the enemy as well. Her lips pulled into a grim line as it all registered. Once again, the Devil Dogs had dropped into the middle of the hot zone, except this time they hadn’t planned on it.

  The sound of enemy fire sent her racing for cover. Snow kicked up as she slid feet first behind a pile of rubble. Judging from the different materials present, she guessed it had once been a storage shed of some sort. It didn’t matter what. What mattered just then was that it offered a modicum of protection as she got her bearings.

  “Reaper, sitrep!”

  The fact Adamson had not reported in worried her. The fingers of her right hand quickly punched a command into the comp pad on her left forearm. A moment later, her HUD brought up a new overlay. She studied it, noting the vitals of each member of her group. As expected, the newbies’ vitals spiked, spurred by fear and adrenaline. At least they had made it down and so, it seemed, had eve
ryone else.

  So why hadn’t Adamson reported?

  Ashlyn dropped to her stomach and inched toward the edge of the rubble. As she did, she switched to another filter on her HUD. A moment later, her visor went to infrared and she carefully peaked around the edge of the rubble. The heat signatures of her people confirmed what she had hoped. They had dug in the best they could, taking cover until they could get a fix on the enemy. The only problem was, they were one person short and she had a feeling she knew who.

  Doing her best to become part of the snow covered ground, she scanned the surrounding area, her HUD showing where the enemy had taken up position. At least there weren’t as many as there could have been. Unfortunately, they held the high ground. That meant she had to be careful how she sent the Devil Dogs in.

  Inching back behind the debris pile, she studied the enemy positions for a moment. Then she switched her battle rifle out for her sniper rifle. She preferred taking the higher position for this sort of work but it wouldn’t be the first time she had sniped the enemy from below. Fortunately, at least so far, they never seemed to expect it.

  On her belly again, she inched forward until her head and shoulders cleared the debris. Carefully, she sighted her first target. She had to act quickly, before the enemy spotted her. Once she took that first shot, she’d lose the element of surprise.

  “Tango, Ghost,” she radioed as she sent two sets of coordinates to two of the Devil Dogs in heavy armor. “First target, designated Alpha, is your Tango. Second Target, designated Gamma, is yours Ghost. Fire immediately after you hear me take my shot.”

  “Roger that, Angel.”

  “Aye, Angel.”

  “Everyone else, fire on my command. I repeat, you will fire on my command. Then be ready to push forward.”

  Reaper, you’d better be clear.

  Carefully, oh so carefully, she spotted her target. She didn’t understand a number of things about the enemy. One of them, the way their senior officers wore different armor or uniforms from the rest of their command, made no sense. But it did make those officers easier targets to spot. Like now. The dark armor stood out against the white snow, even in the shadows of the trees up the hill. All she had to do was time her shot. . . .