{"id":637,"date":"2012-01-09T00:01:09","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T06:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=637"},"modified":"2013-02-25T00:16:28","modified_gmt":"2013-02-25T06:16:28","slug":"big-damn-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=637","title":{"rendered":"Big Damn Heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 One good thing about being part of the military of one of the world\u2019s greatest superpowers is that your handiwork gets plastered all over the net and people think it\u2019s great.\u00a0 They think you\u2019re a Big Damn Hero.\u00a0 When things start to get shaky is when they think they want to be<\/em> a Big Damn Hero.\u00a0 Fact is, only the people who think they aren\u2019t, want to be.\u00a0 The rest of us are just dodging bullets.\u00a0 Given a choice, I\u2019ll take the bullet dodger any day of the week.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Big Damn Heroes<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

The rainbow hues of hyperspace surrounded the fighter, broken only by the Guardian Light<\/em> and her fighter escorts.\u00a0 Jack leaned back in his seat, and shut his eyes.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to think.\u00a0 He breathed in and out, holding the scarf wrapped around his neck, and forced himself to relax.\u00a0 The battle was over.\u00a0 He still lived.\u00a0 That was all that mattered.<\/p>\n

He sighed, pulled in another breath, and opened his eyes.\u00a0 He scanned the screens showing the battle in normalspace.\u00a0 The Shang were gone, leaving a field of wreckage behind, the British, French, and Germans securing it with no difficulty.\u00a0 He shifted screens to confirm the locations of the surviving Cowboys.\u00a0 They\u2019d lost an Avenger.\u00a0 He flicked his eyes over to the ready screen and saw Cowboy Eleven\u2019s line faded.\u00a0 Chad and Julie were gone.\u00a0 He scanned again to see that, yes, Jasmine\u2019s Nemesis really had<\/em> been destroyed.\u00a0 It had been her and Drew\u2019s fighter and now it was gone too.\u00a0 He brought his eyes up to look at the cyber wearing her normal jeans and white tank top.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jasmine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jasmine shook her head, but still chewed her lip.\u00a0 \u201cI know,\u201d she answered with a sad smile.\u00a0 \u201cBut I can live without our fighter.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed.<\/p>\n

Jack placed a hand on the console next to her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m still sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jasmine smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 Thank you,\u201d she finished and laid her hand on his.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways,\u201d Jack said with a nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cCowboy One to all Cowboys,\u201d Charles transmitted.\u00a0 \u201cWe have been recalled to the Guardian Light<\/em>.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get back to the barn!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn it,\u201d Jack answered.\u00a0 He turned to the screen showing Ken, Jessie, and their drones on his flanks.\u00a0 \u201cBuckaroo, Dutchman, you heard The Man,\u201d he transmitted and brought the fighter around to close with the Guardian Light<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m with you, boss,\u201d Ken answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cLead the way,\u201d Jessie added.<\/p>\n

They approached the battleship together, and Jack shook his head in amazement at the massive rents running up and down her hull.\u00a0 The Shang had done a true number on the warship.\u00a0 He doubted an American warship that took that much damage would still be moving under its own power at all.\u00a0 They flew into the battleship\u2019s massive landing bay, and Jack\u2019s eyes focused on the large tree at the end.\u00a0 It still felt strange to see a tree inside a warship, but it was beginning to grow on him.\u00a0 He sighed, relaxed back in his seat again, and watched Betty bring their Avenger down to a smooth landing next to the other Avengers.\u00a0 The cockpit opened and Jack popped his restraints.<\/p>\n

\u201cHal?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady,\u201d Hal said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d\u00a0 Jack jumped out, landing on the gravity wave next to the Avenger, and slid down it to the deck.\u00a0 He cocked his head to the side and frowned.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t feel right to do that at the moment.\u00a0 He pulled in a deep breath and stepped away from the fighter.\u00a0 He scanned the Cowboys on the deck and saw their subdued actions.\u00a0 Nobody pantomimed brushes with death or amazing shots.<\/p>\n

He stepped over to where Jay towered over the surviving Cowboys he\u2019d led into battle.\u00a0 The pilots and cybers looked in shock, and Jack felt the urge to do something.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what yet, but something had to be done.\u00a0 He clasped hands with Jay, looking up at the mountain of a man.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Bull,\u201d Jack said in a clear, strong voice.<\/p>\n

Jay rumbled something under his breath and nodded.\u00a0 Winona put a hand on his arm and smiled at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cThank you,\u201d she said and patted her pilot\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

Jay pulled in a deep breath and Jack saw his eyes pop back into focus.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he barked and made his way towards the lift.<\/p>\n

Jack watched Jay\u2019s Cowboys following and turned to Ken and Jessie.\u00a0 He jerked his head towards Jay and company, and the two nodded as they followed.\u00a0 Jack moved in their wake, timing his entry to match Charles.\u00a0 The doors closed behind him and Jack looked at Charles.\u00a0 Charles glanced towards Jay with troubled eyes, but didn\u2019t say a word.\u00a0 Jack nodded and leaned back into the doors, his mind racing.<\/p>\n

Chad and Julie were dead.\u00a0 There was nothing they could do about that now, but go on and be ready to fight again.\u00a0 He glanced at Charles again and saw the worry in the man\u2019s eyes again.\u00a0 The Cowboys weren\u2019t in fighting trim right now.\u00a0 Charles set his jaw.\u00a0 He knew it too.<\/p>\n

The lift came to a stop, Jack pushed himself off the doors, and they opened.\u00a0 He turned and walked out into Cowboy Country\u2019s break room.\u00a0 Comfortable couches and chairs filled one area of it, while a pool table dominated one end.\u00a0 A mini-bar jutted out of one wall, and Jack strode towards it, a firm purpose in mind.\u00a0 The Cowboys needed a drink.<\/p>\n

Jack grabbed several mugs from the cupboard, and began to fill them with the amazing honeyed ale the Peloran made.\u00a0 He took a sip from one mug, smiled, and continued filling the others.\u00a0 He checked to see that Jay and his people were already sitting, back to moping around.\u00a0 Charles stepped up, caught Jack\u2019s eye with a look of approval, and grabbed two mugs.\u00a0 He carried them over to Jay\u2019s men, then came back for two more.<\/p>\n

The rest of the mugs disappeared into the hands of other Cowboys, some smiling, others frowning, and they made their way to the couches or chairs of their choice.\u00a0 Jack took his mug, topped it off again, and stepped away from the bar.\u00a0 He caught Betty\u2019s gaze from across the room and she gave him an approving look.\u00a0 He strode over to his favorite chair and sprawled out in it, careful not to spill any of the thick Peloran drink.<\/p>\n

Jack drank, scanning the Cowboys with each pull, and waited for something to happen.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what would happen precisely.\u00a0 Maybe someone would say something stupid and a fight would break out.\u00a0 Or maybe someone would do something stupid, and a laugh would break out.\u00a0 He watched for signs, drank the amazing ale, and kept himself from smacking his lips.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the right time.\u00a0 His gaze caught on Charles and the two looked at each for several seconds.\u00a0 Finally, Charles cracked a ghost of a smile.<\/p>\n

Charles came to his feet, catching everyone\u2019s attention.\u00a0 He walked over to The Wall where the other dead of the Cowboys rested.\u00a0 Without a word, he tapped the wall and small holograms of Chad and Julie flickered into existence next to the others.\u00a0 The Cowboys raised drinks to their fallen comrades.\u00a0 Cowboy Eleven would be missed, just as the others before them.<\/p>\n

Finally, Charles cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cMay their names never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOorah,\u201d the Cowboys said in subdued tones and without exception took another gulp of their ale.<\/p>\n

Jack frowned at the silence that followed.\u00a0 Movement caught his eye and he smiled as Jasmine and Betty walked over to his chair.\u00a0 The sat down in chairs on either side of him and Jack took another gulp of the ale.<\/p>\n

\u201cJulie\u2026was gone before we got back,\u201d Betty said, in a soft tone that carried throughout the silent room.\u00a0 Jack saw several eyes jerking to look at them, and then shifting away almost as quick.<\/p>\n

Jack glanced at Jasmine.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose that was the easiest way for her,\u201d Jack returned softly, matching Betty\u2019s tone and volume.<\/p>\n

Jasmine nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt was.\u201d\u00a0 She returned his look and sighed.<\/p>\n

Jack glanced around, gauging the atmosphere in the room.\u00a0 They were close to the edge, but not there yet.\u00a0 He touched the scarf with one hand and set his jaw.\u00a0 \u201cDo you\u2026regret it?\u201d he asked, looking at Jasmine in the last instant.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2026and no.\u201d\u00a0 Jasmine shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI want to see her again, to see something new with her, to see her learn something.\u00a0 I miss the dawning look of comprehension in her eyes.\u00a0 I\u2019ll never see that again, outside of memories.\u00a0 That hurts.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed.\u00a0 \u201cBut\u2026she was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack cocked his head to the side, his interest truly captured in spite of his worry for the other Cowboys.\u00a0 \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said it would be different.\u201d\u00a0 Jasmine smiled at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cGod knows, you\u2019re different than she was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack felt something click in his mind and he smiled back at her.\u00a0 She\u2019d given him the perfect opening to say something stupid and he could feel the timing was right.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, she had way better tits than me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jasmine laughed.\u00a0 It was a laugh filled with grief and humor in equal measure.\u00a0 Ken and Jessie laughed as well, shaking their heads at Jack\u2019s out-of-the-blue comment.\u00a0 Jack\u2019s gaze flicked over to Charles, to see the man looking at Jay.\u00a0 Jack shifted his eyes over to see Jay staring back at him in shock.\u00a0 The lack of respect Jack showed at what amounted to a wake froze the big man for a second.<\/p>\n

And then Jay laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou bastard,\u201d he rumbled, shaking his head.\u00a0 And then the rest of the Cowboys laughed, shaking their heads.\u00a0 It was a short laugh, only lasting a few seconds, but it broke the dam.<\/p>\n

Jack chuckled with them until it died down, and took another drink from his mug.\u00a0 He looked at Charles to see a smile of approval. \u00a0He felt a soft touch on his shoulder and turned to see a matching look on Betty\u2019s face.\u00a0 He took another drink, kept himself relaxed, and watched and listened as the Cowboys began to talk about Chad and Julie.<\/p>\n

They spent the next several minutes drinking to their lost friends, talking in hushed tones.\u00a0 Jack smiled and joined in, letting the wake do what it was meant to do.\u00a0 They were never there for the dead.\u00a0 The dead didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 Wakes were for the living, to give them a time to get over the loss.\u00a0 He emptied the drink, filled it at the mini-bar, and smiled as the Cowboys began to move on.<\/p>\n

As the minutes stretched out to a quarter of an hour and beyond, the Cowboys grew louder and more animated.\u00a0 Hands pantomimed close escapes and amazing shots.\u00a0 The sound of men and women laughing, really laughing at amusing stories, filled the room as they remembered Chad and Julie\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

Jack had just finished a story about a bar fight back in Texas, when Betty tapped him on the shoulder.\u00a0 He looked at her and she moved her head to the side, pointing out his favorite chair.\u00a0 He smiled and followed her hint, sitting down in it and relaxing as she occupied the chair next to him.\u00a0 He aimed a questioning look at her.<\/p>\n

Betty smiled and looked back at the group of Cowboys.<\/p>\n

Jack followed her gaze and saw Charles and Dorothy already occupying their seats.\u00a0 He shifted his eyes to watch as Winona pulled Jay over to his couch, and the two sat down as well.\u00a0 Jack chewed his lower lip and watched as, one by one, cybers guided their pilots out of the discussion.\u00a0 He smiled and patted Betty\u2019s hand.\u00a0 They did it masterfully, one pilot at a time, letting the wake slow down to silence across the span of minutes.<\/p>\n

After the last Cowboy sat down, Charles stood up again and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cI know this is a hard time for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cowboys nodded and most took another gulp from their mugs.\u00a0 Jack smiled.\u00a0 It was a good thing the Peloran ale wasn\u2019t very intoxicating, or they\u2019d be in serious trouble by now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t get any easier,\u201d Charles added.\u00a0 \u201cSo, are you ready to get back into The War?\u201d he asked in a serious tone.<\/p>\n

He received several subdued nods and seemed to accept that as good enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 Because if you weren\u2019t, I would have told you tough luck and to be<\/em> ready,\u201d he said in a dangerous tone.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys laughed and saluted him with their mugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d he said with a smile and paused for several seconds.\u00a0 He finally let out a long breath, nodded, and began to speak again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve received some interesting reports that could affect The War and you need to know them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cowboys sat up straighter in their chairs and couches.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on what I can tell, I think we just ended the first stage of this war.\u00a0 Only twenty-four of the Shang ships escaped.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to have to watch out for them, but their strength\u2019s broken for now.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know how many ships they have out in the colony regions, but we just accounted for the vast majority of every single ship we\u2019ve identified near Earth so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack smiled and took another sip from his mug.\u00a0 It was good to see the Shang reduced after what they did to Yosemite.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur estimates on the Chinese are better,\u201d Charles continued.\u00a0 \u201cWe know we just destroyed their entire Earth-based fleet.\u00a0 They may have twenty warships left within fifty light-years of Earth.\u00a0 They\u2019re going to have to call in fleets from the colony regions to make up these losses, and that will take weeks, if not months.\u00a0 Unless both they and the Shang are hiding something, I think we just bought ourselves enough time for the Peloran Battle Fleets to arrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOorah,\u201d several of the Cowboys said.\u00a0 Jack smiled and drank more ale.<\/p>\n

Charles smiled at them and raised a hand before continuing.\u00a0 \u201cNow the real good thing is that since we controlled the fields of battle, we pulled up all the salvage.\u00a0 I just received estimates that we might be able to repair fifty of the Chinese and Shang warships and bring them online.\u00a0 Aneerin has claimed ten of the Shang ships too damaged to move far, but with working fabricators, to use as the nexus for a new repair base.\u00a0 The British, French, and Germans are claiming the rest, and intend to refit them for use against our enemies.\u00a0 This is all going to take months at best though.\u00a0 In the meantime, we have to rebuild our own combat effectiveness.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been working on reinforcements to make up our combat losses.\u00a0 It has been\u2026complicated,\u201d he finished with a wince.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d Jack asked and took another swig from his mug.<\/p>\n

Charles rubbed his chin.\u00a0 He finally grunted and shook his head.\u00a0 He sat down on the arm of a chair and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cLook guys.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be honest here.\u00a0 The nets all over the Terran and Alpha Centauri systems are full of battle footage on us right now.\u00a0 At Fort Wichita, we dropped out of hyperspace and blew away the Shang flank.\u201d\u00a0 Charles shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cTrust me, the talking heads are saying we saved<\/em> the Peloran with that maneuver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay grumbled something that Jack couldn\u2019t translate.\u00a0 It was probably in Navajo, but Jack understood exactly what he meant.\u00a0 He was wiling to bet that if Jay\u2019s momma was here she\u2019d be washing his mouth out with soap right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t agree more,\u201d Charles answered with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cThen we fought beside<\/em> the Peloran and saved the British<\/em>.\u00a0 Every red blooded American likes to remember all the times we saved their<\/em> asses.\u201d\u00a0 Charles rubbed his forehead as the Cowboys chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd we had us blowing away a Chinese squadron without help, incidentally while taking the pressure off another<\/em> British fleet.\u00a0 And I can tell you that the net is already full of our latest escapade, flying through the middle of what they\u2019re calling the Shang Grand Fleet and ripping it apart.\u00a0 And once again saving the British\u2019 collective asses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCrap,\u201d Jack muttered, not liking what he was hearing at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Charles answered with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re turning us into Big Damn Heroes on the nets.\u00a0 And the fact that we did all of this and only lost four pilots makes us all the more Bad Ass according to the nets.\u201d\u00a0 He waved a hand at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cYour meeting with that kid was just the tip of the iceberg.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got volunteers climbing out of the woodwork.\u00a0 Everybody<\/em> wants to be a Cowboy now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease tell me some of them are trained,\u201d Jay rumbled.<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, there\u2019s a Marine Fighter Attack Squadron, the VMFA-911, here on New Earth.\u00a0 They\u2019re a training squadron.\u00a0 They missed most of the fighting here and their pilots are understandably anxious to get some real fighting in.\u00a0 After the fight with the Chinese, the entire Devilcat pilot roster requested a complete transfer as a group to the Cowboys.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cowboys looked uncomfortable at the idea of an entire unit coming over to them.\u00a0 Charles raised a hand to stem off any words.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry.\u00a0 Leiv Eiriksson Command did not approve the transfer.\u201d\u00a0 Charles sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIn short though, we have more volunteers to join the Cowboys than we could ever hope to use.\u00a0 The problem is that very few of them actually have the aptitude to fly a fighter.\u00a0 Complicating all of this is that the Department of Defense back home realized they had lightning in a bottle with us.\u00a0 They want to copy us closer to home.\u00a0 They\u2019ve established an entire new wing<\/em> based out of Pasadena flying Avenger fighters.\u00a0 All new Avenger production is going to that wing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do realize that a Texas-built Avenger could never do what we did, right?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n

Charles grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re aware that the Peloran gave us some serious upgrades to keep up with them.\u00a0 I\u2019m not certain they really realize<\/em> the difference between a local build and an upgraded one though,\u201d he finished with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to lose a lot of people if they don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 Charles shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m trying.\u00a0 The problem for us right now though, is that we aren\u2019t going to get any support at all from home.\u00a0 Without Yosemite Yards\u2026what we have left is strained to the limit right now, and they\u2019ve decided back home that if the Peloran are willing to support us logistically, they can have us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026troubling,\u201d Jay rumbled.\u00a0 \u201cAre they\u2026dropping us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHell no.\u00a0 We\u2019re too much of a recruiting tool to do that.\u00a0 But reading between the lines, things are worse back home than we thought.\u00a0 The media hasn\u2019t reported on this yet, but I\u2019ve been getting feelers from my family.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been polling all of the American manufacturers and things aren\u2019t coming up roses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we lost Yosemite,\u201d Jack said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cOf course it looks bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but it\u2019s worse than it looks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be pretty hard,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n

Charles gave him a dark chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u00a0 It would take some seriously hard work to make it worse.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cAnd we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack blinked in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWe really did it.\u201d\u00a0 He grunted.\u00a0 \u201cLong story really short, we wrote environmental regulations that made it so expensive to build factories on planet that we built them in orbit.\u00a0 Then the orbital<\/em> regulations made it expensive to pollute the spaceways<\/em>, so we moved them to the Yosemite Point to keep them inside the Lunar Treaty Zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the Shang never signed the Lunar Treaty,\u201d Jay rumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Charles said, arms spread wide.<\/p>\n

Jack chewed his lip for a few seconds.\u00a0 \u201cSo what you\u2019re saying is that American industry in the Terran System is\u2026gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles raised a finger.\u00a0 \u201cHeavy<\/em> industry, pretty much.\u00a0 What we have left is devoted to keeping the ships we have alive.\u00a0 We\u2019re not going to be seeing any new warships for a very<\/em> long time.\u00a0 Light industry, we have some backup.\u00a0 We can build small arms until the sun goes dark and we can even build smaller fighters like the Hellcats in what we have left.\u00a0 Larger ships like the Avenger we are effectively assembling by hand though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Hell,\u201d Jack muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d\u00a0 Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cBut the factories we do<\/em> have operating are building enough Hellcats to keep up with everybody who passes pilot training.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019re not going to get any replacement pilots from Earth?\u201d Jay asked.<\/p>\n

Charles frowned and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot a single one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that leaves us with what\u2019s at Alpha Centauri, right?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n

Charles let out a long breath and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cExactly.\u00a0 I just received an updated message from Leiv Eiriksson Command.\u00a0 They have given tentative approval for six Devilcat pilots to join us.\u00a0 It is up to us to choose those pilots, not including their commander of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack raised a finger.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like we need to go down and do some screening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll test them up here to see if they are good enough to fly with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack smiled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, definitely.\u00a0 The skills are important, but so\u2019s the temperament.\u00a0 We need people who can relax with us in here just as well as fight out there,\u201d Jack said with a wave his hand around the room.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t want people who just want to be Big Damn Heroes.\u00a0 We need to find out who<\/em> they are, and to do that we need to go to their base and observe them in their natural environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles frowned in thought and turned to Dorothy with an upraised eye.\u00a0 His cyber cocked her head to the side before nodding.\u00a0 Charles grunted.\u00a0 \u201cYou may just be on to something, Jester.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack blinked.\u00a0 Charles had agreed too quickly.\u00a0 He glanced at the other Cowboys to see the same confusion on their faces.\u00a0 \u201cSir?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Charles ignored him and turned to an empty wall.\u00a0 \u201cHal.\u00a0 I assume you\u2019ve been monitoring?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Guardian Light\u2019s<\/em> cyber flickered into existence in front of the wall and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cOf course I have.\u00a0 Am I right in assuming you have taken the argument to its logical conclusion?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI hope so.\u00a0 We need to more pilots.\u00a0 Best way to get them is to know them.\u00a0 Best way to do that is to live with them.\u00a0 We\u2019re not leaving system anytime soon are we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hal shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot with the damage we\u2019ve sustained.\u00a0 It will take some time to complete our repairs and the salvage operations.\u00a0 You will have much of it to recruit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 I would like to formally request a temporary change in the duty station of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-112 from the Guardian Light<\/em> to the Leiv Eiriksson Spacebase, there to remain until the Guardian Light<\/em> and other associated units are ready to leave system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hal smiled, cocked his head to the side, and waited a few seconds.\u00a0 He finally nodded and returned his gaze to Charles.\u00a0 \u201cAneerin approves.\u00a0 Pack up and launch when ready.\u00a0 Six new pilots you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles sighed.\u00a0 \u201cUp to six.\u00a0 I hope to find that many we want, but I can\u2019t guarantee it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hal nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI understand.\u00a0 I will have Cowboy Country expanded to support fourteen pilots while you are away.\u201d\u00a0 Hal blinked.\u00a0 \u201cWhich is of course easier than expanding while you are still here.\u00a0 Funny how that works, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hal returned the smile and gave Charles a half bow.\u00a0 \u201cWe will keep the home fires burning.\u00a0 Choose well and return with greater strength.\u00a0 We will need it soon.\u201d \u00a0With that, Hal faded back out of existence and left Cowboy Country to the Cowboys.<\/p>\n

Charles turned back to the Cowboys and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI guess that settles it.\u00a0 We\u2019re all going to New Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoorah!\u201d the Cowboys shouted, excited at the idea of spending time on a real planet again.<\/p>\n

Jack found himself holding the scarf again and smiled.\u00a0 He could think of some good points to being on planet.\u00a0 He glanced at Betty to see her smiling at him.\u00a0 He gave her a half shrug.\u00a0 It would be no good to profess innocence in this case.\u00a0 She\u2019d caught him red handed, in a manner of speaking.\u00a0 He patted the scarf and her smile grew.\u00a0 She knew exactly what he was thinking.\u00a0 As usual.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 One good thing about being part of the military of one of the world\u2019s greatest superpowers is that your handiwork gets plastered all over the net and people think it\u2019s great.\u00a0 They think you\u2019re a[…]↓ 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-637","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\/637","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=637"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1839,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637\/revisions\/1839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}