41

Seven deaths. Thirty-one withdrawals. Sixteen injuries severe enough to require more than a few days’ recovery, washing those trainees out.

On the final day of the sixty-day program, Kira stood next to John Estanza on the edge of the Shadow Ward landing field. They’d eventually received enough nova fighters for all their pilots to train at once—even including Sinisters and Escutcheons.

Now the trainers were lined up in their spacesuits, watching almost two hundred and fifty nova fighters make their approach, six at a time. The spacing was greater than Kira would have wanted for veterans, but it was closer than she’d have expected even ten days earlier.

Starfighter after starfighter swept in to soft landings on the low-gravity field. Squadron after squadron took shape over the course of about fifteen minutes while the mercenary and RRF trainers alike stood at attention.

“They’re not what I’d want,” John Estanza admitted on a private channel to Kira. “But they’re better than I’d dare hope.”

“Agreed.” Kira watched the “lucky” pilots who’d drawn the heavy fighters today bring up the end of the formation. “The irony is not lost on me, either, that one of our best students was the Institute spy who cheated her way through half the course.”

Estanza chuckled.

“You know she’s going to be lucky if she manages to avoid getting stuck with Traitor or something similar as her callsign, right?” he asked. “I’m glad we gave her another chance, her situation was horrific, but no one is going to let that go any time soon.”

“Everything we see suggests her defection shattered the Institute network on Redward,” Kira pointed out. “We came out ahead for her being a ‘traitor.’”

“And that is why she’ll be flying for you,” Estanza agreed. “Still seems weird to have a Commodore answering to a Captain.”

“We’re business partners; I only answer to you sometimes,” Kira replied. “I figure we’re adults and can handle it.”

“That we can.” The last squadron edged toward the ground. “Speaking of being adults, how’s Bueller?”

“Exhausted and stretched to paper-thin, like everyone else involved in ship construction right now,” Kira said. “On the other hand…they did it.”

“I hadn’t heard that officially yet,” Estanza murmured. “Where are we at?”

Baron and Duke are just closing up plates today; they’re done,” she told him. “They officially launch tomorrow. The destroyers were finished a week ago, and the last of the carrier conversions was done yesterday.

“We didn’t lose a ship in the process, though…” She sighed. “Konrad stopped talking about the death numbers with me weeks ago. Official death toll is over three hundred.”

“I know,” Estanza said. “That’s going to hurt him. Fuck, I’m torn up enough about the kids we lost.”

“Me too. They were volunteers and they knew the risks, but fuck if I don’t feel like I killed them,” Kira agreed. “And I swear, the ones that lived through it all… I’m not feeling much better about sending them into a goddamn war.”

“Not much choice,” the carrier Captain agreed. “But for now, we graduate them and we send them to get a drink.”

“And us?” Kira asked.

We have a briefing with Their Majesties,” Estanza reminded her. “And unless I miss my math, that means the first covert couriers are back and we have some idea what the Cluster looks like today.”

* * *

Briefings and the future would wait. Kira and the rest of the trainers split to lines on either side of the path as their graduating trainees made their way back into the underground segments of Shadow Ward and the marshaling ground where Estanza would give the final speech.

It took less time for the pilots to enter the asteroid than it had taken for the fighters to land, and the trainers followed them in at the end. Kira accompanied Estanza to the podium at the front of the big room and stood at his right hand as he removed his helmet and looked out at the class.

“Pilot Trainee Class One,” he greeted them. “You are no longer trainees.”

That earned raucous applause, made louder by the flight suits the pilots were wearing. Armored hands smacked together loudly, echoing in the large man-made cavern.

“As of today, you are graduates of this rush training program,” he told them. “We all know this program was more compressed than any of us would like. You rose to that challenge and exceeded our expectations.

“The price has been high,” he said grimly. “Don’t forget those we lost to get here, but you all know why we were rushing. An enemy fleet blockades this system. You will not go from this training program into easy peacetime service.

“You will go from this training program into war. Within days, weeks at most, you will pilot your fighters in a breakout attempt against the best that Bengalissimo could muster in mercenaries and loyal patriots alike.

“I wish we could have given you more time,” Estanza admitted. “We have given you all we can. I have faith in you to rise to your training and your gifts. To become more than we dare hope.

“I have faith in you to save Redward and the Syntactic Cluster—and I remind you all that I will be right with you the whole way, as will most of the pilots who’ve trained you.

“Forty-two of you are officially mercenary recruits and will be joining me aboard Conviction,” he continued. “You’ve received your orders and contracts with Conviction LLC already. Shortly, I will be delighted to welcome you aboard my ship.

“The rest of you aren’t going to dragged all over the galaxy by my ancient ass,” he continued to a loud series of chuckles. “Five carriers, four cruisers, and a dozen stations like Shadow Ward itself call for your services. If you have not already received your orders from the RRF, you will be receiving them shortly.

“For all of you, mercenary and royal officer alike, your next set of orders is the same: you are being given thirty-six hours’ leave. Shuttles are awaiting to return you to Redward for a final visit with friends and family to celebrate your graduation.”

He smiled at them, but Kira could feel the shadow behind the old pilot’s eyes.

“Make the most of it,” he told the graduates softly. “Because very soon, we are all going to war.”

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