Epilogue
____________________
TAC Officer Myers entered the commandant’s office. In theory, it was his office now, but he knew he’d never feel comfortable sitting in his father’s chair. After twenty years of serving as a TAC officer under his father, it felt strange being there without the commandant being present.
Forcing himself to sit in the commandant’s chair, TAC Officer Myers pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and flattened it out on the desk. It was the last official orders the commandant had given him. TAC Officer Myers read the letter for the hundredth time.
* * *
TO: TAC Officer Gaston T. Myers
FROM: Commandant Thomas R. Jacobs
SUBJECT: Cadet 832, Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy, 637th Cohort
You are hereby notified in writing that your written protest over the training methodology for cadet 832 is duly noted. However, your orders remain the same as they have been for the past five years. You will continue to push cadet 832 to his limits. You will continue to do your best to force him to voluntarily submit his D.F.R. request. Furthermore, you will create a scenario in which cadet 832 will get minimal sleep the night before receiving his DNA baseline. You will also insure cadet 832 is on short rations as well.
As noted in your written protest, you have the right to demand an inquiry by the Inspector General into potential variances in any cadet’s training program that could result in undue risk to the cadet. These orders are provided to you as requested so you may pursue such investigation if so desired.
Signed this day,
Thomas R. Jacobs, Commandant, Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy
* * *
TAC Officer Myers stared at the written orders for a full minute before refolding the letter and depositing it into the commandant’s disintegrator slot on the desk. He waited until the light turned green verifying the document had been destroyed.
Glancing around the sparsely furnished room, TAC Officer Myers remembered the numerous clashes the commandant and he’d had in this same office over the training techniques used on cadet 832. No matter how often he’d pointed out the senselessness of singling out cadet 832 for punishment, the commandant had always held firm. The orders came directly from ‘the One’. Regardless of TAC Officer Myers’ protests, the commandant had always been adamant the continued existence of the galaxy depended upon following the directions of ‘the One’ regardless of personal preferences. In the commandant’s eyes, only ‘the One’ had enough information to make the correct decisions.
TAC Officer Myers had never been fond of cadet 832. Something about the cadet had always rubbed him the wrong way. He supposed it was because they were too much alike in some ways. Perhaps he should have pursued the training matter through official channels, but he’d never been able to force himself to do so. The commandant was his father. TAC Officer Myers would never willingly disgrace him.
‘The One’ is just as responsible for my father’s death as the Crosioians, TAC Officer Myers thought. The Crosioians killed my father, and for that I will make them pay. However, ‘the One’ stole my father from me years ago. I swear, I’ll find a way to make ‘the One’ pay as well.
TAC Officer Myers considered the problem. It might take years, but he was determined to make it happen.
Shepard is the key, TAC Officer Myers thought. He’s the last of the active time-commandos. Somehow, I’ll find a way to use him to get my revenge on ‘the One’. Somehow, someday, I’ll make ‘the One’ pay. I swear it.
[End Transmission]
Copyright © 2016 by Rodney Wayne Hartman
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Angie Abler
Acknowledgments
I want to give a special thanks to my wife, Karen. She not only spent many hours typing and proofreading this book, but she was also my main supporter and encourager. I also want to thank my daughters Emily and Stephanie along with my son-in-law, Jonathan, for their help and advice. Writing a book is not a one person endeavor; it’s a team effort. Thank you all.
About the Author
Rodney Hartman is a retired U.S. Army veteran with over twenty years of experience in military operations ranging from an infantry private in the paratroops to a Chief Warrant Officer flying helicopters during the Persian Gulf War. Mr. Hartman currently works as a computer programmer specializing in secure web applications. He enjoys writing in his spare time, and he has written numerous articles as a ghost writer for various websites. Mr. Hartman lives in North Carolina with his wife and family along with their cat, McKenzie.
Wizard Scout (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 3) Page 59