Coda took a deep, shuddering breath then a sip from the glass, letting the alcohol burn away the emotion in his throat. The words were finally out. He’d been wrestling with them for a lifetime, trying to comprehend them, accept them, and put them into action.
“Your father was a good man,” Commander Coleman finally said. “I know I’ve said that, but it’s true. And it’s a shame things turned out as they did.”
“You were there, weren’t you, sir? Everything about that mission is classified, but… I know it. I can see it in your eyes. You were there. You know what happened.”
Commander Coleman’s eyes fell from Coda to his glass. He stared into its contents and licked his lips. “I was there.”
“What happened, sir?” Coda knew that he was breaking a thousand military regulations and putting the commander in an uncomfortable spot on top of it, but he couldn’t hold back. He had to know the truth.
Commander Coleman looked up from his glass with a sad expression. Whether it was from the memory or what he was about to say, Coda couldn’t tell. “One of these days, Coda, I’ll tell you. But now is not the time.”
Coda let out a disappointed breath. He hadn’t expected the commander to answer, but he hadn’t been able to keep himself from hoping, either. Fighting every urge to ask again, to press the commander into action, Coda nodded. He could live with getting answers someday in the future, as long as he knew he would get them.
Commander Coleman took another sip. “I also thought you’d like to know that the results of your review have come back.”
“The review?” The last three days had been such a whirlwind that he’d completely forgotten about the review. Apparently, their victory at Toavis hadn’t settled that. Coda couldn’t help but feel as though he’d been thrown from one inferno to the next.
“Cleared of all transgressions.”
Coda blinked. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“I’m not going to lie, sir,” Coda said, letting himself smile. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while.”
Commander Coleman smiled back. “I’m sure it is, Coda. It also means there’s a place within my squadron if you want it. We could use you, Coda. Command is creating an entire fighter group. Ten squadrons. Your former school is being retrofitted to train future Nighthawk pilots until the Baranyk Disrupter can be countered. Even then, I’m not convinced they’ll discontinue the program altogether. The Nighthawks and Hornets made a hell of a one-two punch.”
Coda studied the commander. There was something in his eyes. Something that told him that, just like when he’d agreed to compete for a spot among the Forgotten, this might be one of the most important decisions of his life. And just as he’d felt back at the academy, he had no way of turning the opportunity down.
“What about Moscow, sir?”
“Lieutenant Krylov? What about him?”
“Will he be a part of your squadron?”
“Your newfound friendship continues, I take it?” Commander Coleman gave him a sarcastic smirk. “That’s good to know. Lieutenant Krylov accepted his position twenty minutes ago. He will be a member of the Forgotten.”
Coda smiled again. For the first time since Joseph O’Neil’s treasonous actions, Coda felt as though he belonged. That his life was finally his. The world might not know it yet, but the O’Neil family name once again had honor.
“Then I accept, sir. It would be an honor to fly with you.”
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Author’s Note
This book exists for two very specific reasons: because I’ve been dreaming about X-Wings since the first time I saw Star Wars, and because my oldest son is named after the title character in my favorite book of all time, Ender’s Game.
So when my youngest son was old enough to realize that his brother had a book of his own and he didn’t, I decided that I would write one for him. Dusting off an old idea, I set out to write the awesomest, geekiest book I could write, filling pages with my version of epic X-Wing battles, and writing a character my son could look up to, just as my son Ender can look up to Ender Wiggin.
I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I hope Callan does too (when he’s old enough), because I had a blast writing it.
About the Author
Craig Andrews graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelors of Arts in English. Growing up on a healthy diet of fantasy and science fiction, some of his favorite memories include being traumatized by the TV shows Unsolved Mysteries and The X-Files. He currently lives in a small town outside of Portland, Oregon with his wife and two boys.
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http://www.craigandrewsauthor.com
