Bud and his team are now officially a squadron. An Ensign in the navy is a Pilot Officer in fighters, and both are entry level officer ranks, and rarely ever paid any attention to. A squadron of Ensigns is a contradiction in terms, especially to the new influx of experienced pilots from new Imperium members. But the team are too busy with Eagle Wing to notice the changes happening around them. Magic in combat changes the dynamic. But every time one side gains an advantage, the other will adapt somehow. As the first of the new Excalibur squadrons ready for combat, Bud and his squadron must lead adapting to the Trixone response to their own success. But who is the real enemy? Does magic level the rank structure? Or emphasize differences? Should it even matter? Bud finds himself in the middle of the new verses traditional argument, as the Imperium military expands by necessity. The squadron is still Jane's experiment, but is this way of training the captains of the future really going to work? Magic doesn't solve everything, but for now, Bud must be . . . Ensign Spacemage.