Chapter 21

The first morning of the rodeo, when Thad arrived at the Dragons’ ready room, he found Orley Jackson waiting for him.

Orley Jackson was the oldest pilot in the squadron. He had extensive flying experience, having gone on several Starfire familiarization flights during his youth, and the Mars Naval Forces had even attempted to recruit him.

Thad decided to put Orley in as the Alpha lead because of that history. That is also why he assigned Clara Goldhatch and Frank Palmer to the Alpha team.

Clara and Frank were the youngest and least experienced pilots. While they were young and green, they were also very enthusiastic. Thad felt that Orley would be a mentor and calming influence on their enthusiasm.

“Well, Orley, you get to launch first. Are you ready for this?”

“Yes, Sir. The kids are nervous, but we’ve drilled on this until we’re having dreams about it.”

Thad slapped Orley on his back. “Good man. I’ll be in operations watching. I’m sure you guys will do your best.”

As Thad stepped away, he missed the look of doubt in Orley’s eyes. That look disappeared when Lieutenant Commander Morse came out of the ready room. Morse stepped close and looked into Orley’s eyes for a moment. Then he stepped back and said, “Every leader in history has had doubts before the battle. The measure of a leader isn’t that doubt, it’s the confidence he shows to others, to his team. If he does that right, they lose their doubt and gain the confidence they need to succeed.”

He paused for a moment and again looked closely into Orley’s eyes. “Sawyer chose well,” he said. Then he turned and followed Thad.

When Thad stepped into the ready room, the atmosphere was charged. The pilots were upbeat and enthusiastic. But as Thad stepped to the podium, the room quieted down.

“OK, people,” Thad started, “Remember that these guys are mostly older and more experienced pilots. Some of them have fighter time, and a couple even have real combat experiences. These guys are not stupid and they’re not rookies.”