The map was thorough, as he’d expected, so he gave it a quick glance over before he tagged it with his electronic signature and approved the plan. The suit’s computer automatically attached the geological estimate provided by the exo-geology lab, just to cover the paperwork required to release the powerful explosives.

“Where are we coming on the evacuation?” He turned, looking for Mehn.

“Those local boys say they’ve almost got the place empty!” the other soldier replied, his voice a bit stressed.

“Are you all right?” Savoy asked.

His HUD flickered, a video window opening up in half transparency, and the sweating face of Eddy Mehn appeared.

“I’m fine, L.T.,” he panted. “Just having a little trouble here.”

“Do you need backup?”

“Negative,” the soldier replied. “I’m almost done. There was some structural damage when the ship impacted. I’m just holding up a wall while some kids get out.”

“All right,” Savoy said, “report back when the area is clear.”

“Yes, sir.”

Commander Stephanos groaned and stretched as he stepped out of his berth and looked around.

“What?” he asked, frowning in confusion as the Archangel flight crew was there, staring at him.

“You tell him, Amherst. I didn’t have anything to do with it,” one of them said.

“Oh, this is gonna be good.” Steph smirked, his eyes settling on Lieutenant Amherst.

“Well, you see, sir. It’s like this…”

Stephanos knew that it was going to be one of those days when Amherst called him “sir.” Informality was the formality of the Archangels, so when his XO retreated to proper military decorum, he’d done something he was half expecting to get spanked for.

“All right, Amherst, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

Lt. Jennifer Samuels lowered herself into the cockpit of the fighter reverently. She knew its every control forward and backward, her hands sliding over each in turn, lightly fingering the firing studs and arming switches. She had a hard time believing that she was sitting in a fighter, let alone this particular one.

Archangel One.

The captain’s own.

She settled her feet onto the form-molded pedals, letting them rest there without pressure, and sat back in the bolster seat that was just a touch too big for comfort. That would be fixed when she suited up, she knew from experience, but it still felt unreal to be here. She was lost in those thoughts when the voice startled her from behind.

“Like a dream, isn’t it?”

Jennifer Samuels twisted in her seat, her eyes wide with surprise. “Captain! I…sorry, sir. I shouldn’t be…”

“Relax,” Weston said. “I hear you’ve accepted the posting.”

She swallowed. “I…that is, yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

He nodded, his face serious. “It won’t be a cakewalk, you know.”

“I know, sir.”

“I’ve checked your records, Lieutenant. You’ll do just fine. Just don’t get fancy, and remember to stay with your wingman. You’ll have the least experience of any of them out there, so you might have some trouble keeping up at first. Don’t let it get under your skin. If you let the little mistakes get to you, they’ll pile up into a big one.”