Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 I was one of the first Cowboys.\u00a0 We were ten then.\u00a0 We were hundreds by the end of The War.\u00a0 We were the tip of the spear that kicked the Shang\u2019s asses across the universe.\u00a0 We were on recruitment posters, telling the kids to grow up quick so they could be one of us.\u00a0 Kids played Cowboys and Aliens in their backyards with families and friends across America.\u00a0 Coming home to that was a real eye opener, especially when I think about how it all began.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hyperspace\u2019s multicolored hues flowed around the squadron, washing the rebuilt Avenger\u2019s cockpit with a rainbow of colors.\u00a0 Two weeks ago, the Guardian Light<\/em> had been a ruin; now it flew beside him, gleaming white armor covered in golden runes from stem to stern.\u00a0 Jack looked at the smooth armor, impressed despite himself at just how quickly the Peloran could rebuild when they had to.\u00a0 Of course they\u2019d done the same to his fighter too, much quicker than any American yard could have.<\/p>\n Five more ships held formation with the battleship.\u00a0 The two cruisers and three destroyers appeared as pristine as the Guardian Light<\/em>, ready for battle after taking damage that would have left an American ship in the yards for months.\u00a0 He\u2019d read that the Peloran ships could rebuild themselves from truly catastrophic damage but never until now realized just how powerful a strategic advantage that could be turned into.\u00a0 Now, flying through hyperspace towards another fight, that realization slammed home hard.<\/p>\n He looked over to where a destroyer flew, focused on it, and the canopy zoomed in to show a larger view of the destroyer.\u00a0 He studied the golden runes running across it\u2019s white hull, looking for the name that had to be there, hidden where he just couldn\u2019t see it.\u00a0 He sighed in frustration.\u00a0 He knew<\/em> it was the Swift Wing<\/em>, he just couldn\u2019t read the Peloran script.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep practicing,\u201d a twenty-centimeter tall Betty whispered from the cockpit ledge next to him, half lying down with what had to be twenty-one centimeter long legs crossed at the ankles.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll get it soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Jack whispered back absentmindedly, still amazed that the destroyer looked as flawless as she did, after the damage she\u2019d taken.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I suppose I will, won\u2019t I?\u201d he added with a bemused shake of his head.<\/p>\n Betty cocked her head to the side.\u00a0 \u201cOK.\u00a0 What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack looked at her in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty crossed her arms and pursed her lips.\u00a0 \u201cAt Fort London.\u00a0 Something happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack gave her a sly smile.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we almost died, but you pulled us through.\u00a0 Nothing important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not<\/em> what I meant<\/em>,\u201d Betty spat back.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s eyebrows rose at the tone in her voice.\u00a0 \u201cThen what did<\/em> you mean?\u201d he asked, a little more snippy than he needed to be.<\/p>\n Betty rolled up onto her feet and looked him in the eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I met you, you never studied anything you didn\u2019t have to.\u00a0 You sailed through life on easy street because that\u2019s all it was<\/em> to you.\u00a0 Easy.\u00a0 No challenge.\u00a0 No reason to try anything but play.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I suppose I didn\u2019t, did I?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty jabbed him in the chest with one finger.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Now\u2026.\u00a0 What happened at Fort London?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat again and rubbed his temple.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to think I\u2019m crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry about that, Jack.\u00a0 I already know<\/em> you\u2019re crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glared at her.<\/p>\n Betty stuck her tongue out at him and jammed both hands on her hips.<\/p>\n Jack laughed, shook his head, and let out a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 You obviously have an idea so why don\u2019t you try me?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty leaned forward and put a finger on her lips as if thinking.\u00a0 \u201cYou almost died.\u00a0 Did you see the light at the end of the tunnel?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack winced.\u00a0 \u201cSorta.\u00a0 It was more a rainbow than a bright light though.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty stepped back and frowned.\u00a0 \u201cA rainbow?\u00a0 You\u2019re certain?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Of course, we were in hyperspace by then, so I figure I just\u2026saw that as a rainbow in my dream,\u201d he finished with another shrug.<\/p>\n Betty pursed her lips.\u00a0 \u201cJack.\u00a0 Do you trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack jerked back at her question.\u00a0 He stared at her in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cWell of course<\/em> I do!\u201d<\/p>\n Betty nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 Then please.\u00a0 Tell me everything<\/em> that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack held her gaze for several seconds before finally nodding and letting out a long breath.\u00a0 And he told her all of it.\u00a0 The party.\u00a0 The other her.\u00a0 Kelly.\u00a0 And walking out through the rainbow.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a pretty vivid dream,\u201d he finished with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n Betty cocked her head to the side with a knowing look.\u00a0 \u201cWhy does it have to be a dream?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cBecause\u2026well\u2026really\u2026it can\u2019t<\/em> be real.\u00a0 If it was\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIf it was<\/em> real, then it means you smiled at Death and told her that you\u2019d never run from her?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shivered.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 That about sums it up.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty let out a satisfied breath.\u00a0 \u201cWell.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have anything to worry about then.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned and gave her a careful stare.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cBecause if it was a dream, there\u2019s nothing to worry about.\u00a0 And if it was real?\u00a0 Well\u2026she accepted your terms.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned in thought.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 I guess so.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned back in his seat and relaxed, gazing out on hyperspace.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I didn\u2019t think of it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you should,\u201d she said, sounding very pleased with herself.<\/p>\n After a few seconds, he felt her light touch as she sat down next to his arm and leaned back.\u00a0 He glanced over to see her looking up and sighed.\u00a0 He returned his gaze to the multi-colored kaleidoscope of hyperspace, letting its randomness wash over him.\u00a0 They lay like that for a long time, just watching and waiting as they sailed through hyperspace. \u00a0The universe faded into them, their fighter, and the currents of hyperspace.\u00a0 Nothing else existed.\u00a0 Nothing else mattered.<\/p>\n \u201cHal!\u201d Betty suddenly shouted and jumped to her feet.<\/p>\n Jack blinked.\u00a0 His mind brought the universe back into focus and he looked around at the screens, taking in the current situation.<\/p>\n Betty straightened her sundress, folded her arms, and nodded.\u00a0 Hal appeared on the comm. panel with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cPrepare to jump,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt will be live combat.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled back at him.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re ready when you are.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded his agreement and scanned the display showing a probes-eye view of their target in normalspace.\u00a0 The supply convoy hung in the stars alone, with only a token defensive force around it.\u00a0 Jack frowned in suspicion.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like it.\u00a0 It seemed too easy.\u00a0 It felt\u2026like somebody was waiting for them.\u00a0 \u201cUm, are you certain this isn\u2019t a trap?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Hal shrugged on the screen.\u00a0 \u201cAs certain as we can be.\u00a0 We\u2019ve sent probes and can\u2019t find anyone hanging in hyperspace to ambush us. \u00a0This appears to be all there is.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 We aren\u2019t in any danger here.\u00a0 Trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned at Hal, his unease remaining.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Something about this just doesn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal cocked his head to the side and examined Jack for several seconds.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have any specific thoughts?\u201d he finally asked.<\/p>\n Jack shook his head and scanned the display of the convoy again.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know how to explain that he felt like a trap was closing on them.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I just\u2026if that were me, I\u2019d have something waiting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Hal said.\u00a0 \u201cWe would too.\u00a0 We have searched but found nothing.\u00a0 This appears as our intelligence suggested.\u00a0 A ripe target.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are they here?\u201d Jack asked.\u00a0 \u201cIn normalspace?\u00a0 Why aren\u2019t they moving?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are rendezvousing with another escort here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we just happened to find out where the rendezvous was?\u00a0 This smells like a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal frowned.\u00a0 \u201cJack.\u00a0 We have searched.\u00a0 We have found nothing.\u00a0 Do you consider this vague feeling of yours to be more important than these concrete steps?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sighed, feeling the pressure to shut up.\u00a0 \u201cWell, when you put it that way, it does seem kind of stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Hal answered.<\/p>\n Jack shook his head, stubbornly.\u00a0 \u201cBut it really does feel like a trap to me.\u00a0 Back when I was climbing through girls\u2019 windows I never did it if it felt like this.\u00a0 And I never got caught by the older brother or father on the other side of that wall.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal cocked his head to the side.\u00a0 \u201cAnd how do you know you weren\u2019t jumping at shadows?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI called their phone.\u201d<\/p>\n One of Hal\u2019s eyes rose.\u00a0 \u201cAnd after that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if I heard it ring, I ran like Hell,\u201d Jack said with a laugh.<\/p>\n Hal echoed his laugh and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHow often did that happen?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chewed his lip with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cOften enough that I learned to trust the feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting. \u201d\u00a0 Hal seemed to look away for a moment before focusing on Jack again.\u00a0 \u201cAneerin shares your concerns by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cThen\u2026why grill me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo see if you stick by it,\u201d Hal said as target markers appeared on the screens, covering all of the escort ships surrounding the convoy.\u00a0 \u201cAssume Raven Formation and prepare to jump,\u201d Hal ordered.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Hal,\u201d Betty said with a nod and Jack watched as the entire squadron fanned out from the Guardian Light<\/em> like a raven\u2019s wings.<\/p>\n \u201cJump in three\u2026two\u2026one\u2026now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack closed his eyes, the universe flashed, and he opened his eyes to see the Shang convoy arrayed in front of them.\u00a0 Large, fat freighters floated in the darkness and his eyes flicked from one to the next, the canopy zooming in on each as his eyes passed over them.\u00a0 Twenty destroyers surrounded the freighters, much smaller but far, far more deadly than the ships they guarded.<\/p>\n He winced as the grav cannons opened up, turning the universe on its side.\u00a0 Only one or two main grav cannons hit each escort, but they hit completely unprepared targets and ripped deep into their armor.\u00a0 Smaller fighter cannons tore into them as well, and Jack focused on the single destroyer his half of the Cowboys fired on.\u00a0 Ten grav cannons twisted into it, tearing parts of the structure away and flinging it off into space as they flickered off just long enough to clear space of the debris.<\/p>\n The tortured destroyer, slewed away from the assault and the first salvo of missiles slashed in, ravaging it further.\u00a0 Then the lasers opened up, shredding the wreckage with their rapid-fire strobe of destruction.\u00a0 Jack looked around to see the rest of the escorts drifting in pieces.\u00a0 All targets were neutralized, without a single loss for the squadron.\u00a0 Jack swallowed.\u00a0 They\u2019d never known what was coming for them.\u00a0 Just like Yosemite Yards or Fort Wichita, the attack from hyperspace had ripped them apart in seconds.\u00a0 Jack shook his head.\u00a0 It seemed a good defense really was<\/em> a good offense when it came to it.\u00a0 It just really sucked to be the defenders in a war like this.<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s face appeared on the comm. screen, and Jack glanced to see the open channel icon on it.\u00a0 The Peloran was broadcasting without encryption in a language Jack did not recognize.\u00a0 Words appeared on the bottom of the screen in American, and Jack flicked his eyes over to smile at Betty who just smiled back.\u00a0 He glanced back at the screen to read it.\u00a0 \u201cSurrender now and prepare to be boarded,\u201d Aneerin ordered the defenseless convoy.\u00a0 \u201cYou cannot escape us.\u00a0 You cannot outfight us.\u00a0 Surrender and you will be treated according to the old rules.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe old rules?\u201d Jack asked, looking over to Betty.<\/p>\n Betty shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cFrom The Great War.\u00a0 He\u2019s saying he\u2019ll honor the old agreements on prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Jack whispered.\u00a0 \u201cLike the Geneva Conventions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Betty said with a pursed lip.\u00a0 \u201cThe ideas are similar in some ways.\u00a0 Oh no,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Jack scanned the area with a flick of his eyes and had just enough time to register the alarms of over a hundred incoming jump points when the screens filled with the tracks of incoming missiles.\u00a0 \u201cOh crap,\u201d he muttered and flicked the stick over as Betty spun the laser turret towards the nearest salvo.<\/p>\n Nearly two thousand lasers in point defense mode from both the fighters and the warships engaged the missile swarm, dotting space with explosions.\u00a0 All around the tight formation of Peloran ships, the missiles moved in like a wall of fire where the flicker of lasers disappeared.\u00a0 The wave front faded away short of the Peloran squadron, and Jack looked around at the ships surrounding them, floating in space.\u00a0 One ship after another zoomed in on his cockpit and he recognized the Shang warships.\u00a0 He frowned in thought.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy aren\u2019t we firing back?\u201d he asked. \u00a0He squinted at the Shang.\u00a0 \u201cAnd why aren\u2019t they firing more missiles at us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWarning shot,\u201d Betty answered.\u00a0 \u201cThey were just getting our attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m pretty sure they got it,\u201d Jack returned.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue,\u201d Betty said with a smile.<\/p>\n The comm. panel came to life with another face and Jack grunted.\u00a0 Like most Shang, the man had dark hair, a vaguely yellow-brown tint to his skin, and slightly slanted eyes.\u00a0 He could have walked the streets of any city in the world and anyone would have taken him for someone of Asian ancestry.\u00a0 The man spoke in the same odd language as Aneerin and Jack glanced down to see the translation.<\/p>\n \u201cYour name is famous, Aneerin ap Taliesin,\u201d the Shang said with a bow of his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt is an honor to meet you at last.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe honor is all mine,\u201d Aneerin answered in a voice far more calm than Jack thought he could have managed in the situation.\u00a0 \u201cMay I ask why you invited us here?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were right,\u201d Betty said in a tight tone.\u00a0 \u201cThey were waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack winced.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I weren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou offered us the chance to retreat,\u201d the Shang said in a hard tone.\u00a0 \u201cNow we make you the same offer.\u00a0 Leave this space.\u00a0 This sector belongs to us.\u00a0 Leave it and we will not bother your people again.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin let out a long breath, and spread his arms out wide in what seemed an innocent gesture.\u00a0 \u201cBut it is such a nice little region of space,\u201d he answered.\u00a0 \u201cI have grown very fond of the locals.\u00a0 I would hate to see them lose everything they have worked for.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a backwater,\u201d the Shang returned.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not worth a war between our peoples.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin beamed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I heartily agree with you.\u00a0 So why don\u2019t you return home and we can act like none of this ever happened?\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang gave Aneerin a grim smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe all know your nature, Peloran.\u00a0 You will not fight for them to the knife, so end this charade and return home now before more blood is lost.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed and let his shoulders slump.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid that this time, you have attacked an ally.\u00a0 We can not stand down.\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang laughed out loud at the statement.\u00a0 \u201cAn ally?\u201d he said in amusement, still chuckling.\u00a0 \u201cThese people?\u00a0 They are too destructive to be a true ally.\u00a0 They will always bite the hand that feeds them.\u00a0 Dispense with this ridiculous charade, Peloran.\u00a0 Leave and return to your own worlds, and we will make certain they do no harm<\/em> to the rest of us.\u00a0 We have no wish to fight your people over them.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack scowled as the man talked.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think he knows we\u2019re here?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019d care if he did.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin shook his head on the screen.\u00a0 \u201cYou intend to harness them.\u00a0 I have another plan.\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang leaned back and blinked in astonishment.\u00a0 \u201cYou<\/em>?\u00a0 You think you<\/em> can lead them better than we<\/em> can?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Of course not.\u00a0 I think they<\/em> can lead themselves better than either<\/em> of us could.\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cAre you serious?\u00a0 They destroy<\/em> everything they touch<\/em>!\u00a0 They are little better than children!\u00a0 They can\u2019t be trusted with\u2026this<\/em>!\u201d the Shang said with a wave of his hand that seemed to encompass everything.\u00a0 \u201cThey will destroy themselves again<\/em>!\u00a0 And if we don\u2019t stop them soon, they will bring down more of us with<\/em> them!\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cThey are not children and you know it.\u00a0 They do not need your \u2018guidance\u2019 to survive now.\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang narrowed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThey are a threat.\u00a0 They will always be a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 They can<\/em> be a threat, and a very dangerous one to those who wrong them.\u00a0 I stand beside them.\u00a0 It is not too late for you to make amends and follow the same course.\u00a0 I doubt the Americans will ever forgive you, but there are other options.\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang worked his jaw back and forth for several seconds before shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cThey are too dangerous to let loose.\u00a0 They will be contained.\u00a0 The only question, Aneerin ap Taliesin, is whether you wish to place yourself and your people on the same level as these people?\u00a0 Do not answer me now.\u00a0 Think about it, carefully.\u00a0 We will contain them, with or without your interference.\u00a0 But if you fight us, all of your people will bleed for them.\u00a0 We have no wish to fight you.\u00a0 We never have.\u00a0 But if you do not stand down, if you prove that you are a threat<\/em> to us, we will burn<\/em> your worlds down around you.\u00a0 Leave this space.\u00a0 We offer you this one chance to leave and live.\u00a0 If you do not take it, you will suffer the same fate as the Albion.\u201d<\/p>\n The Shang nodded and his transmission cut out.\u00a0 The convoy jumped out in a flash of light, and a second later the encircling Shang warships followed them into hyperspace with a series of flashes of their own.<\/p>\n Aneerin did not move for several seconds.\u00a0 \u201cVery well,\u201d he finally said in a sad tone and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAll ships, jump out now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack closed his eyes as the universe went bright white around him and opened them to see the multicolored hues of hyperspace again.\u00a0 A glance confirmed that the comm. panel was empty again.\u00a0 He frowned, not liking what was going on one bit.\u00a0 None of it made sense.<\/p>\n \u201cJack?\u201d Betty asked.<\/p>\n Jack shook his head and looked out on hyperspace as the squadron spun and accelerated back towards home.<\/p>\n \u201cThis doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAneerin won\u2019t abandon you,\u201d she said in a reassuring tone.<\/p>\n Jack snorted.\u00a0 \u201cNot that.\u00a0 That<\/em>,\u201d he said with a wave of his hand behind them.\u00a0 \u201cWe just killed twenty Shang destroyers, and they didn\u2019t even hit us once in return.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Betty whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI see what you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care how important they think that message was, no one sacrifices anything if they don\u2019t think they\u2019ll get something out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, maybe he just expected the Peloran to back off once he gave them the choice.\u00a0 We always have since the Great War.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack pursed his lips in annoyance, barely noticing her mixed language on the Peloran.\u00a0 She still wasn\u2019t certain if she was Peloran or Terran and sometimes flipped her words in a single sentence.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe,\u201d Jack said with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cI just have this feeling that we haven\u2019t seen the last of this.\u00a0 There\u2019s something\u2026\u201d he trailed off.\u00a0 He had the undeniable feeling of another shoe hanging in the air, ready to drop.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I hope you\u2019re wrong this time,\u201d Betty said with a shake of her head.\u00a0 \u201cFor now, Hal wants us to land for refueling.\u00a0 Maybe we can talk to him about this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Jack muttered.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Several hours later, Jack and Betty once again flew in a defensive formation around the Guardian Light<\/em> as the squadron jumped out of hyperspace.\u00a0 He blinked and saw the inky black of space, stars shining bright around him.\u00a0 Alarms began to wail and he flicked his eyes across near space.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no,\u201d Betty said he saw the wreckage where the Peloran base was supposed to be.\u00a0 He scanned further and saw the wreckage of warships surrounding it.\u00a0 The screens began cataloging the debris, labeling some of it Peloran.\u00a0 Most of it though came up with Chinese tags, and he watched as it analyzed one destroyed ship after another after another.<\/p>\n Jack scanned space, seeing more and more chunks of Chinese ships, and swallowed hard at the realization of just how many ships the Chinese had thrown against the single Peloran starbase and the three still-damaged Peloran destroyers at it.\u00a0 And how many they\u2019d lost doing it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh crap,\u201d Jack said as he felt the other shoe drop.\u00a0 The Shang actions finally made sense.\u00a0 The Chinese had finally joined the war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 I was one of the first Cowboys.\u00a0 We were ten then.\u00a0 We were hundreds by the end of The War.\u00a0 We were the tip of the spear that kicked the Shang\u2019s asses across the universe.\u00a0[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2304-forge-of-war-1stdraft","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-jack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=488"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1832,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488\/revisions\/1832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}