Tony refused to think of a fellow pilot as a liability, but he did suspect the CO had teamed him with ‘Chiquita’ to help her grow a backbone. The way she flew, the girl stood little chance against the real Enemy. She’d survived three patrols IRL so far, but the record showed she had seen minimal opposition on those. The …

Rissa studied her reflection in the vending machine as her juice poured. The blond hair she pinned back for flight now dropped around her shoulders. It should have morphed her into the pretty teenager that Nature intended, but her steel-eyed gaze ruined it. She lost her schoolgirl facade whenever she stayed in ESDF mode too long. She was glad she …

“What was your next move?” Tony asked the girl as she came through the lock. She pulled off her mask, scowled at him and strode past without a word. He caught up to her. “I want to know, if you don’t mind. What would you have done with a couple more seconds?” “Two missiles up your backside. I had the …

“Are you sure you want to agree to this?” the 77th’s CO asked Commander Ferrar. Devonne Carter had the chiseled features of an athlete. He taught PE at the local high school in Berenice and looked the part. He also looked the part of an ESDF ace. The commanders stood together in the spectator room, away from the various pilots …

An arm pounced, snagging Poe, as they passed the cafeteria table occupied by the girls from the 77th. Tony braked behind him as both of them worked to avoid spilling their trays in the abrupt stop. “Sit,” ordered Rissa Lee from the table. The arm belonged to the taller Hispanic girl, but Cat Girl’s voice made it clear who ordered …

More pain than we went through, and for longer. Every pilot in the ESDF went through the same horrid experience. The Ai’iin, the senior-most Alliance species, allowed Humans to buy their navigation and propulsion systems. But, they didn’t permit anyone to adapt it for direct control by less advanced races. They had an excellent reason. Only those the Ai’iin gave …

Senior Aviator Rissa Lee looked across the Sim bay to the two boys setting up at the far end. That’s them? You can’t be serious, Ginsu! Commander Carter had ordered, “Learn everything you can about those two. I’m counting on you.” Aviator Tony Ang, a little Asian guy with a lazy smirk and all the military bearing of a bum, …

He expected the cadet to wake just in time to get to the sim center. Poe surprised him by showing up in the cafeteria for breakfast, still unhappy but no longer grousing. Perhaps the reality of Farside boredom had already set in. The sooner Poe realized that Tony had done him a favor, the better. For two weeks, the 105th, …

“Ten-five-seven to Ten-five-leader.” It was too soon for ordinary chatter. The tails of the Aviation Corps 105th Pursuit Squadron, the ‘Five and Dime’, had only just cleared the atmosphere. The call came from one of the teenagers bringing up the rear. Given the caller, the numeric call sign and the by-the-book voice procedure meant it wasn’t an emergency. The Commanding …