There were a million things Jason wanted to say but knew that there was no sense to it now. He looked at the map, tracing out the lines of approach and suggested retreat. He knew as well that they’d never come back. The Tarawa was not a fleet carrier, it simply didn’t have the punch to cut a way through.
It was a ship designed to be expendable.
Banbridge looked around the room, his eyes fixed as if he wanted to say more but couldn’t.
“A team of security people will report to your ships in exactly ninety minutes to load the flight plan into your ship’s navigation computers, along with our latest intelligence regarding jump point positions and routes within the Kilrathi Empire. That is highly classified information and this will be the first time the Kilrathi find out just how much we know. A lot of good people died getting the intelligence data for Vukar Tag and on their internal defenses. We’re blowing a lot of highly classified information on this raid, gentlemen, so I expect you to make it worth something. Your nav centers will be guarded until your departure which is slated for exactly seven and one half hours from now. Your crews are not to know the full extent of this mission until you are inside Kilrathi territory and have revealed your position.
“Colonel Merritt, Lieutenant Commander Bondarevsky, and Captain Ivanova, a special team will brief you on potential landing sites and air-to-ground strike targets, based upon what little intelligence we have, and I want a strike plan profile from the three of you before you depart.”
Jason realized that if they were lost no information would ever come back as to what they accomplished. Banbridge wanted the strike plan before departure so that a rough assessment might be made later of what happened if they did get through to the target.
“Colonel Merritt, you are to move your battalion on board the Tarawa. New landing craft, fully loaded with combat supplies will come over from the 12th Marine transport ship Weisbaden. Those craft will pick up your battalion, move them to Tarawa, and your people will travel aboard that ship.”
“Sir, our flight deck is already crammed to the gills,” Jason said.
“Then it’ll be even more crowded,” Banbridge replied.
Jason looked over at O’Brian as if expecting some backup, but the captain was still in shock, sitting silently, hands folded.
Banbridge looked around the room one last time.
“Good luck, God’s speed, and good hunting,” he said, his voice suddenly husky. He stood up and strode out of the room, Tolwyn following.
“Into the valley of death rode the six hundred,” Merritt whispered.
“Well, I’d better go check on my life insurance policy, see if I have time to double it,” Grierson sighed, as he stood up and walked out of the room.
Jason looked over at Svetlana who sat back calmly, forcing a weak smile. Her commander got up and she followed him out, along with the other two escort ship commanders.
“We’re all going to die,” O’Brian whispered, looking up at Jason.
“Sir, you’ve got to pull yourself together.”
“We’re all going to die.”
“I know that, sir. We’re in the hole, but for God’s sake, sir, you’ve got to lead us.”
O’Brian sat silently.
“However I can help, sir, let me do it.”
O’Brian looked up at him.
“I knew it all along. You’re out after my job, but I’ll be damned if you ever get it.”
Startled, Jason stepped back as O’Brian stood up.
“There’s a plan within a plan, I tell you that. I know the right people. They’ll send someone in to get us out; they just can’t tell us for security reasons. They wouldn’t leave me out there to die.”
He smiled.
“Yes, that’s it, and we’ll all come back heroes. That’s it.”
He walked out of the room.
Not sure if he was more shaken by O’Brian or by the briefing, Jason slowly followed after him.
“Bear.”
Jason looked up to see Tolwyn standing in a side corridor motioning for him to follow.
Jason walked down the hallway and followed Tolwyn into a small wardroom, the Admiral closing the door behind them.
“Have a seat, son.”
“I’ve got to get my captain back to the ship.”
“It’ll wait.”
Tolwyn went over to a side cabinet, pulled out a small bottle, and poured himself a drink. He looked over at Jason.
“Sorry, bad manners, you’ve got to fly.”
“It’s all right, sir, I’ll have a good stiff one once I’m back on Tarawa.”
“It’s a hell of a mess I got you, Starlight, and Doomsday into,” Tolwyn said quietly. “I had no idea about the Tarawa’s mission when I was asked to pick out my best people for a new command. I thought I was doing you a favor.”
“It’s all right, sir,” Jason said quietly.
“No, damn it, it’s not all right,” Tolwyn snapped. “The military lives and dies by its oaths and promises. You pledge to serve and obey. For some countries, in some wars, that’s as far as the deal goes. If you, her warriors, get lost, or taken prisoner, and it’s expedient for a bunch of lousy politicians to turn their backs on you and forget you, well that’s all right. But a country that does that to its soldiers is nothing better than a whore and its leaders should be dragged out and shot.”
“I wouldn’t say that in public if I were you, Admiral.”
Tolwyn smiled. “But I can still think it. A system worth fighting for makes the pledge go both ways. You fight for us, but by God we’ll sacrifice everything we have to get you back. If you’re willing to risk your life to protect us, then we’re willing to risk all our treasures, our careers, everything to bring you back. No one gets left behind, ever. A country that abandons its soldiers and does nothing to save them isn’t worth a pinch of owl dung.”
Jason was quiet, realizing yet again why he would not hesitate to lay down his life for this man.
“I feel like hell over this deal, Jason. The Confederation is in desperate straits. A year ago it looked like we were finally getting the edge, but you know as well as I that the last year’s been a disaster. If we don’t turn things around, and damned fast, the Kilrathi will be dictating peace terms in the burned out wreckage of Confederation Headquarters back on Earth. That’s why Banbridge decided to make you expendable. That’s what the Tarawa and other ships like her were built for.”
“I understand that,” Jason said quietly.
“If you were all volunteers maybe I could deal with it. But you’re not. I suggested that route but Fleet security said asking for nearly fifteen hundred volunteers would be a dead giveaway that something was up, and besides there simply isn’t time.”
“So we got picked.”
“You got picked.”
Jason didn’t know what more to say.
“Son, I’m not going to leave you out there. I’ll do whatever I can to get you out and that is a promise.”
Jason felt his eyes start to sting. He had never really known his father, but he found himself imagining that he was most likely cut from the same cloth as the man in front of him.
Jason nodded his thanks.
“Can I ask one favor?” Tolwyn said.
“Anything.”
“Tell me about Kevin.”
Jason sighed and looked back at the Admiral. He couldn’t give anything less than the truth and he told the admiral about the arrogance, the spoiled haughty displays, the loss of the Sabre, and how he had grounded Kevin until further notice.
Tolwyn’s features reddened.