Cadet Daart is trying his best. Whether or not that’s enough does matter; however, thorough, earnest effort is all a commander can ask for from a soldier. 

I left Daart in his quarters after making my disappointment with his meddling clear. I arrived on the bridge at 1400 hours to oversee the departure to San Nicolas Island (SNI). At 1430, I visited the CVIC, only to learn from Sham that there was no update on the missing AKLUT Minisubs.

Daart’s at an age where he’s just starting to develop a sense of adulthood. It doesn’t help that he’s both an extraordinary species and confined by the rigidity of military protocol. Leaving the CVIC, I headed for the boys’ quarters. I’d left him to think about his actions long enough. Now some guidance was appropriate. But when I arrived at his quarters, he wasn’t there.

I’d spent about twenty minutes trying to locate him when Petty Officer Muldown informed me that he’d seen Daart in the Hangar Forward Bay. I found that curious. That was where we were storing the experimental Thunderbird wreckage.

When I arrived at the hangar, I found Daart looking at its broken parts, confused. Scattered near him were a small assortment of screwdrivers and socket wrenches.

“Daart, what are you doing?” I asked, catching him by surprise.

“Oh.” He stood up to salute. “Commander Stone, sir. I was attempting to repair the Thunderbird.”

“At ease. Cadet, this is USAF property. Our mission is to ship it back. You have no authorization to make any repairs,” I said.

“With all due respect, sir, El Ray is like a brother to me. Quillroy, too. Even Albert VII. If I didn’t do everything I could to fix my mistake and save them, the guilt I feel would eat me alive. I figured if we repaired the Thunderbird, we could use it to search for the rest of GK Delta. It’s fast enough to catch up to the USS Allen W. Dulles before it’s back at SNI, right?”

“You do realize that this is the military’s most sophisticated technology, right? Your devotion to your fellow soldiers is admirable, however it is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to repair it without schematics or proper tools.”

I expected Daart to fold at that. Instead, he simply said, “I have to try.”

I was impressed Cadet Daart’s actions demonstrated the tenacity and comradery found at the core of every great soldier. What’s more, he was right. Our best chance to salvage the GK Delta project was to search sooner rather than later. It was my call to try, despite protocol. 

I radioed the bridge. “Continue on course to SNI and send a crew of aircraft mechanics to the Hangar Forward Bay.”