The lights to his office didn’t immediately turn on. Someone had messed with the motion sensors. “Athena. The lights.” He was tired and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed but he had work to do. Jack hated these days. As Strike Commander, no as the Commander of that particular mission, it was his duty to notify the families of the soldiers who died in the line of duty. None more painful than having to tell the daughter and husband of his best friend that she never made out.

The lights flickered into a dim haze revealing a dark figure sitting at his desk. With a heavy sigh Jack continued to remove his coat and armor. “How much do you know?”

“Enough.” Gabriel rounded the desk to help Jack with the many clasps. “I had fly cams in the area. McCree is already searching. We’ll find her.”

“And if we don’t?”

“Jack... don’t start thinking that way.”

“You weren’t there. I should have--” Jack halted when two fingers pressed against his lips.

Gabriel closed his eyes. “No, I wasn’t there. You got the scientists out, that was the mission. I was listening in on your com. She told you to get out. Ana knows the situation. I’m sure she’s out there.” Gabriel pulled Jack into a much needed hug. Strike Commander or not he was still human. “I’ve already talked to their families. Just not Fareeha and Sam. That’s something we need to do together.”

“It wasn’t your mission.” Jack protested from within the thick arms trying to protect him from his own emotions.

“I still knew them.” Gabriel sighed. “Our teams are already on site collecting the bodies for burial. One more phone call, then some rest. You’ve done enough.”

How to explain that he had left Ana Amari with a sniper after her. Having to look into the eyes of a desperate daughter and grieving spouse and explain that missing in action is all they could list her as. Jack pulled away from the embrace and squared his shoulders. This was one responsibility among many. It came with the job. A title he was proud to bear despite the pain. 

Be Proud Jack Morrison!

Strike Commander

After the grand splash of the first installment, Wing Commander II had been a refinement for fans that wanted a deeper exploration of this new universe. Aside from its second mission pack, 1992 was a bit of a gap year for Wing Commander. The company’s focus seemed to be on the release of the ambitious Ultima VII: The Black Gate, and the Wing team was otherwise occupied. The series wasn’t forgotten, however. Ports of the first game were being released in multiple platforms. The first licensed Wing Commander novel, Freedom Flight, hit shelves, penned by Wing writer Ellen Guon. The universe was expanding, even as the games took a brief break.

As mentioned earlier, Chris Roberts’s attention was elsewhere during the development of WCII and its expansion packs. His new permanent position as Director of New Technologies meant he had to pursue projects that pushed the envelope for, well, technology. Strike Commander was that project.

Strike Commander Reyes & Blackwatch Morrison

STRIKE Commander.

I had been meaning to draw up this idea for a while. I have a little draft idea which you can see below the cut/read more.

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