Commander Eads has given you his personal recommendation。”
Scalter opened his mouth； but couldn’t find any words immediately。 He nodded； and then said；
“I would be honoured； Commander Jagdea。 I have been longing to get the chance to fly for my
home world again。”
“That’s agreed then。 Good。 Your designation will be Umbra Seven。 Mil； if you’re busy with
Kaminsky； find someone like Del Ruth or Cordiale to get Mr Scalter oriented； kitted up； and
checked out on a simulator。”
“Yes； mamzel；” said Blansher。 “You off somewhere？”
“I won’t be long；” said Jagdea。
169
Marquall stood by his bird for a while； stripping off his jacket and gloves； not wanting to mix
with the others。
“Everything all right； sir？” asked Racklae。
“Fine；” he replied。 He was hardly going to tell his fitter that he was still smarting from the
dressing down Jagdea had given him。 At least she’d had the decency not to do it in front of the
others。
He wandered across the hangar space； through the teams of working fitters； skirting a power
lifter as it offered up munitions drums； stopping to let an electric bowser trundle past。
Kaminsky was seated on a jerry can beside his Thunderbolt； carefully studying a data…slate of
specifications and procedures。
“Hi；” said Marquall。
The shockingly…scarred face tilted up at him。 “Hello。 Marquall； right？”
“Yeah。 So… you got your wish； then？”
“I beg your pardon？” Kaminsky replied。
“That night in Zara’s。 You said you’d give anything to be like me。 To fly again。”
“Ah； I did； didn’t I？”
Marquall nodded。 “I can’t quite remember if it was before or after you called me a bastard and a
waste of space； and suggested I shot myself to make the sector a better place。”
“Damn；” said Kaminsky。 He put the slate down carefully； but still did not get to his feet。 “I was
kinda hoping you’d forgotten about that。 Yes； I got my wish； Marquall。 And what about you？ Fallen
off any barstools recently？”
Marquall coloured。 “No；” he said。
Kaminsky picked up the slate and started to read it again。 “Then it sounds like things are
working out for both of us；” he said。
Lucerna AB； 16。01
Eads had quarters in the lower levels of the base。 The evacuation influx had put huge pressure on
accommodation。 The rock cut passages down here smelled damp； and the glow globe lighting was
poor。 Some of the rooms she saw were storage bays； and she was sure the quarters she passed had
also been storage bays until recently。
She found Eads’s room and knocked on the metal hatch。 After a moment； it opened and Darrow
peered out。
“Commander Jagdea？”
“I’ve come to see Eads。”
“Yes； mamzel。 He’s expecting you。”
Darrow opened the door and let her in。 The room was small and bare。 Litter had been swept into
one corner。 There was a camp table and two chairs； an unmade cot； and a bottle of amasec with a
dirty glass。
The one concession to comfort was an old； tatty armchair。 Eads was sitting in it； apparently
asleep。
“I can come back；” Jagdea whispered。
“I’m awake； Jagdea。 Just resting my thoughts。 It was a long and demanding shift。”
Darrow collected up a stack of data…slates and paper files from the table。
“I was just finishing the shift reports；” he told Jagdea。 “I’ll get out of your way。”
“No； stay；” she said。 He paused； and put the paperwork back down。
“Excuse the drabness；” said Eads。 “I’m told it’s drab。 I can’t help it。 I came out of Theda with
just the clothes I was standing up in。 Take a seat and let’s get down to business。”
Jagdea sat down； and put the folder she was carrying on the table。 “I saw the white bat today；”
she said。
170
“Did you？” said Eads。 “That devil’s still out there； then？”
“It reminded me of the notice of report that had been circulated at the time of the Lida incident。
This report；” she said； tapping the folder。 “It contains a written account of a brawl with the bat。 Very
useful； very cautionary。 It’s been required reading for the Navy wings。 You wrote it； didn’t you；
Darrow？”
“I did； commander；” the young man replied。
The report also contained your commanding officer’s account。 “I forget his name。”
“Major Heckel；” Darrow said。
“Major Heckel。 Not confined by modesty as you were in your part of the file； he describes the
most extraordinary piece of flying。”
“Heckel was not exaggerating；” said Eads quietly。 “He said it was one of the most gifted
displays of natural ability he’d ever seen。”
“So it seems；” said Jagdea。 “Out…running an expert killer； probably an echelon commander； a
pilot at the height of his powers。 What’s more； doing it in a totally out…classed machine that lacked
the speed； power and vector abilities of the enemy’s bat。 What puzzles me is this； Commander Eads。
When I came to you asking for recommendations； you chose to ignore the young pilot serving with
you on a daily basis。” Eads was silent。
“Commander？” Darrow said softly。 “May I ask… recommendations for what？”
“My wing is short a frontline pilot； Darrow。”
“You… you’d consider me？” he said； astonished。
“I understand you’ve been clocking simulator time on Thunderbolts；” Jagdea said。
“I have；” said Darrow。 “Sixty hours。 Who told you？”
“Major Scalter。 So where does this leave us？”
Eads sat forward； his hands on his knees。 “Enric’s not the one you’re looking for； commander；”
he said。
“Why not？” Darrow asked sharply。 “I’m sorry； sir；” he added； adjusting his tone。 “Why not；
sir？”
Eads addressed his answer to Jagdea。 “He’s barely a cadet； Jagdea！ His combat hours are
minimal。 Oh； he’s got talent。 But that one dogfight？ It was luck。 He got very lucky indeed。 If you
send him into combat now； he will die。 He’s not ready。 My recommendation would be an act of
murder。”
Darrow rose to his feet。 “I disagree； sir。”
“It’s not up to you； Enric；” Eads said。
“Isn’t it？” Jagdea asked。
“How will I ever be ready if I don’t get the experience？” Darrow said。
“This is not the time；” said Eads。
“Oh； I think there’s no time like it；” said Jagdea。 “Enothis needs all her pilots for this war；
Commander Eads。 If men like Darrow don’t try； then there may not be a future available for other
chances。”
“I won’t have his blood on my conscience；” said Eads emphatically。 “I will not recommend
him。”
Jagdea looked at Darrow。 “I think it’s up to an individual wing leader to decide if she needs a
man to be recommended before she takes him。 Your objection is noted； commander； and your
loyalty in trying to protect him is admirable。 Cadet Darrow； I’m offering you that place。 Will you
take it？”
“Yes； commander。 Gladly。” Darrow looked over at Eads。 “I’m sorry； sir。”
Jagdea got to her feet and collected her folder。 “You’ll have to report immediately； Darrow。 You
can come with me now。”
171
They walked to the hatch。 In the doorway； Darrow turned and saluted crisply。 “Call that a
salute？” Eads said。
“Yes； sir。”
Eads rose to his feet stiffly； and then saluted back。 “That’s a salute；” he said； and sat down again。
“Good luck； son。 Prove me wrong。”
Darrow followed Jagdea down the passageways to one of the main staircases。 They clattered up
the stone steps； side by side。 “You alright？” she asked him。
“Yes； mamzel。 I’m very fond of the commander。 It’s sad to see him upset like that。”
“You know he was only trying to protect you； don’t you？” Jagdea said。
“Yes； but I think there was something more；” said Darrow。 “These last few weeks； he’s lost
everything。 His command； many of his men and his friends； then the base itself； and all his
possessions with it。 I think my company was the last thing he had to hold onto。”
“This is war；” said Jagdea。 “War calls for sacrifices。”
172
DAY 269
Lucerna AB； 06。30
“This way； gentlemen；” Jagdea called； walking out into the middle of the hangar three deckway。 The
four aviators followed her； wearing their flight armour； carrying their helmets。 Viltry； Kaminsky；
Scalter and Darrow。 The latter looked especially nervous。 “Relax；” Scalter whispered。
Jagdea stopped beside the ranks of parked planes。 “We have no time for proper induction。
Apparently； there’s a war on or something。”
The crew laughed。
“This is an orientation flight； a shake…down。 It’s the best we can do to get you used to the feel of
the real thing before we start hitting combat。 When I say you； I mean Mr Darrow； Mr Scalter and Mr
Kaminsky。 Mr Viltry has already been on one sortie。 But I figure the more flying time he can get in
a Bolt； the better。 Zemmic and I will be flying chaperone。 Follow my lead。 Any questions？”
“Commander？” said Scalter。 “What with the pink feathers you all wear？”
“Lucky feathers！” Cordiale called out。 The rest of the Umbra pilots were waiting by the birds。
He came forward； stuffed a hand in the pocket of his flight pants and produced several more which
he handed out to the newbies。 They put them on their lapels dubiously。
“Right；” said Jagdea。 “Lucky feathers。 That’s got the important stuff out of the way。 Let’s mount
up。”
“Are we scraping the barrel or what？” Marquall whispered to Ranfre。 “Two Commonwealth nohopers；
one of them a kid； that poisonous cripple； and a Marauder pilot who’s been through the
ringer。 I mean； he’s got that look in his eyes。”
“Viltry did pretty damn well yesterday；” Ranfre said。
“Even so；” said Marquall。 Viltry’s score from the previous day still irked him。
Primers began to crackle and fire the engines on the six planes。 Scalter settled into his cockpit
and ran his hands around the edges of it with a grin on his face。 Kaminsky allowed the fitter to
fasten his harness； then used his good hand to fix his prosthetic around the stick。
“Okay； sir？” said Racklae。
“The usual nerves。”
Racklae leaned into the cockpit； strapped the speaker phone for the voice system around
Kaminsky’s neck； then plugged its trailing leads into the instrument panel on his left。
“Comfortable？”
Kaminsky settled his mask and nodded。 Racklae closed the canopy。
Darrow’s heart was bearing fast。 He kept licking his lips。 Nothing was how he had imagined it。
The weight of the kit on his body； the sound of the Lightning engines； the smell of the cockpit as he
lowered himself in。
One of the fitters patted his own ears and Darrow nodded； switching on the vox and testing it。
“This is Umbra Leader； let me know you’re ready。”
“Lead； this is Ten； ready。”
“Thank you； Zemmic。 I assumed you were。”
“Leader； this is Umbra Four。 I’m all set；” voxed Viltry。
“Umbra Five； Leader；” called Kaminsky。 “Ready to lift。”
“Umbra Seven； check； Leader；” Scalter said。
173
“This is Umbra Nine； Umbra Lead；” Darrow said。 “Systems clear。 I am ready。”
The deck officers waved them go； and ducked down。
“Flight； go to lift；” Jagdea voxed。
The Thunderbolts’ engine pitch increased sharply as they rose into the air。
“Launch to forward flight；” Jagdea instructed。
The flight rushed up and away out of the hangar mouth and into the sky； lifting their landing
gear。
Jagdea turned them right； across the atolls； and they spent a while practising formation flying
and basic manoeuvres。
Then she started to push them a little harder。 Fast ascents； rolls and power dives。
“Keep looking arou