Project Boussh: A New Hope
By Josh Cochran

Sci and Tycho looked startled when the door to their conference room
suddenly swung open and Josh Cochran walked into the room. His stride was
measured and purposeful and there was determination in his eyes. "Josh, I
didn't know you were..." Sci began.

Josh cut him off. "I want in." His tone was hard, his words sharp and
precise.

Sci blinked. "What do you mean, you want in?" he asked patiently.

"I want to be part of the team. You said yourself you could use a good
pilot. I'm the best pilot you know."

Tycho smirked at Josh's last comment, but kept his silence. "Yes, I did say
that," Sci said.

"I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and watch things happen anymore. This
is the most important thing happening on the face of the Earth right now.
Now let me do something."

"Some of it isn't exactly happening on the face of the Earth," Sci reminded
Josh.

Josh waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. You know what I mean. Sci, I'm
not asking you, I'm telling you. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Now
make me a part of the team where I can do some good."

Tycho tilted his head to one side and regarded Josh quizzically. "Why the
sudden change of heart? Last night you tried - a few times - to get yourself
killed."

"I'm a pilot, Colonel. That's all I've ever been. I'm not happy when I try
to do something else, and I'd been doing something else for a very long
time. Until last night. I didn't want to ever give that up again. I've had
some time to think now. I can't ever go home - I went too far to get here.
But I'm here now, and here I can make a difference."

"You already have," Sci told him. "Did you know the rest of the group has
been referring to you as Thirteen already? They picked up on the call sign
you were using on the radio last night."

"Yeah, but we both know there is no Terra Thirteen. I made it up. I want
your permission to officially join the unit. I'm not part of it until you
say so. That's why I'm standing here telling you: I. Want. In."

Sci and Tycho traded a meaningful glance, and Tycho shrugged. Sci picked up
a datapad and pretended to study it for a moment. "Being Terra Thirteen hasn
't been too lucky for you so far, has it? Sharon Kerr has resigned from the
group and will be staying on here in Mendellia as the ambassador to the New
Republic. That leaves Terra Eight open."

Josh nodded, a little surprised. Clearly he'd expected this to be more
difficult. "Thank you."

Sci picked a box up off the floor and slid it across the table to Josh.
"This is your personal effects from the medbay last night. I thought you
might want them back."

Josh opened the box and found his insignia and most of his flight gear
inside. The only thing he could see missing was his knife. As if reading his
mind, Sci said, "Alison still has your knife. Good luck getting it back."

From the box he removed only his pistol and holster, and his flightsuit
nametag. The rest of the US Air Force insignia he left in the box. He
strapped the pistol belt around his waist and the retaining strap around his
thigh. He slid the pistol into the holster and slapped the nametag onto the
Velcro patch on his chest.

"Welcome to the team, Eight," Sci said with a smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir," Josh responded smartly before he could catch himself.

"Now I'd suggest you go find your teammates and get to know them while you
can. We'll be back in combat tomorrow."

Josh nodded. "Good idea. Thank you again."

Josh turned and walked out of the room. As soon as his back was turned to
the two commanders, a big smile broke out on his face. *Terra Eight,* he
thought to himself. *That was easier than I thought.*


As soon as Josh's footsteps could no longer be heard outside, Tycho looked
at Sci. "You know you're going to have him thinking this was all his idea,
right?"

Sci smiled enigmatically. "I know."