It is through the Wildcards that we connect to the turmoil, tragedy, and hope of humankind in the near future. From the very beginning, we meet a group of young men and women who make up the Marine Corps 58th squadron, and as the tale progresses from accelerated training to battle, we go with them as they are thrust into a conflict that serves as a catalyst for comradeship and self-exploration.
The primary squardon members in Space: Above and Beyond are Nathan West, Shane Vansen, Cooper Hawkes, Vanessa Damphousse, and Paul Wang. Each has a reason for joining the service; each has a doubt that darkens as well as a conviction that brightens. And they all know that survival means keeping your friends alive.
They are all loyal to their commander
, T.C. McQueen, a leader who knows well that death is ever upon them and that he bears the task of preparing them for a moment when one or more of them won't return. "Either they come back or they don't" he says to one. "It's OK to be scared" he says to them all, and each of them knows he would die for them.
