The old lieutenant colonel cast a glance at that Major Wu.
He said flatly, "I am old, yes. But not so old as to need someone else meddling in my own small patch."
The smell of gunsmoke had begun to spread.
Major Wu smiled faintly and, of all things, said it outright: "You are making a point at my expense. In truth I would rather not. But this is a carrier starship, and the interstellar fighters are, one may say, this ship's right and left arms; nothing must go wrong with them. Which is why I take such an interest. If you can keep them in order, so much the better. But when I came just now, I saw two flight groups' deputy leaders about to come to blows here. This… My seeing it is a small matter. But if the General saw it. Might he not think it a failure of yours to manage your subordinates, and wonder whether it would affect the whole flight group's fighting? And this Third Group's record has been poor for a good while now. That it is quarreling with the Fifth Group right now surely has something to do with that as well. By our rules, the able hold the place. Otherwise there is no way to command men's respect. And if the General learns of it, he will be displeased. Wouldn't you agree?"
How much real ability this Major Wu had, Zhao Chen did not know.
But at veiled barbs he certainly had no lack of it.
This was open and covert mockery of the old lieutenant colonel.
And on this matter the old lieutenant colonel had to take a position.
For to other warships a flight group might be only an auxiliary.
But to a carrier starship it was of the first importance.
A flight group's leader could hold the rank of lieutenant colonel.
The old lieutenant colonel glanced at the smiling Major Wu.
He looked at the two group leaders, and did not ask the cause of it all.
But barked outright: "This is a hangar, not a boxing ring. Whoever wants to fight, go and fight in the ring. If you beat each other to death, I won't care. First, on this matter. Both group leaders forfeit a month's pay. The two deputy leaders involved forfeit two months' pay. And as for that other business between your Third Group and the Fifth Group. I'll say it plainly here. There will be a campaign soon. We will take part in the fighting. Then don't say I never gave you a chance to prove yourselves. Precedence in the order will be settled by battle results!"
That said.
The old lieutenant colonel eyed the smiling Major Wu coldly. "There. Satisfied?"
Major Wu smiled and nodded.
"The hangar is a military area. Those with no business here, please return where you belong."
That was a dismissal.
Major Wu paid the words no mind, took his leave with a smile and left.
"What are you all staring at! Not enough training to keep you busy? Get back to your posts, the lot of you!" The old lieutenant colonel looked at the crowd around them, mostly Third Flight Group and Fifth Flight Group people.
At the old lieutenant colonel's words, they scattered.
Which left only this wing commander, the two group leaders, the two deputy leaders, and Zhao Chen, who had been dragged into it.
The old lieutenant colonel looked first at the Fifth Flight Group's leader.
He walked over and said coldly, "Li Jian, so quick to go and pay your respects at another man's door?"
"Master, I would not dare." Group Leader Li Jian at once bowed his head, the picture of meekness.
"Don't 'would not dare' me. Your new backer came just now to stand behind you, did he not? I know you have always had an eye on the top three flight order; you prize power and place highly. What is yours, I will give you sooner or later. I do not give it now because you are not yet fit for it. But since you have chosen your own road, I can only hope you have not chosen wrong."
Group Leader Li Jian kept his head down, a cold light flickering in his eyes.
But still he said quietly, "Yes."
"Go back to your Fifth Group's hangar."
"Yes."
Group Leader Li Jian left with his deputy.
"Master… I'm sorry. I've put you in a fix." Group Leader Cao Zhenlong grinned foolishly and rubbed his head.
The old lieutenant colonel looked at this rough fellow and snorted. "I can protect you for a while, but I cannot protect you long. And your Third Flight Group's recent record truly has been poor. I had already meant that if you still showed poorly after this combat mission. I would lower your place in the order. But I never thought certain people would decide I was playing favorites and lose patience."
Group Leader Cao Zhenlong grinned sheepishly.
Lieutenant Zhang, beside him, could not help stepping forward and saying, "Wing Commander, this is not our group leader's fault. I was the one who raised a hand. Let me bear those punishments alone."
"You, lad, have you any right to speak here?" Before the old lieutenant colonel, Group Leader Cao Zhenlong played the big oaf.
Seeing his subordinate step forward, he went straight over and kicked him without ceremony.
"I can see well enough who started it." The old lieutenant colonel snorted, then looked at Zhao Chen, who had been standing to one side all this while.
Seeing it, Zhao Chen knew he ought to say something too.
He stepped forward, saluted this lieutenant colonel and wing commander first, and said, "Good day, Wing Commander. I bear responsibility for this too…"
The old lieutenant colonel cut Zhao Chen short, looked him up and down, and said flatly, "I have read your file. And seen the footage of you flying that ground-air fighter. Results of that kind could not be had even flying our most advanced interstellar fighter. With one T5 ground-air fighter you killed a grade-five alien, and a number of grade-four and grade-three aliens besides. By rights, with ability like that. You should long since have been recruited as an interstellar fighter pilot by special exception. I have also looked over your earlier assessment and trial records, and there is nothing very good in the numbers. How did you come to show so far beyond yourself in this one battle? And to cut down aliens with a light-blade in hand besides."
Cutting down aliens with a light-blade in hand?
Hearing this, Cao Zhenlong and Lieutenant Zhang were both stunned.
For what Zhao Chen had done had not in fact got about yet.
When the bridge assigned Zhao Chen to their flight group, it had only mentioned in passing that this was a ground-air fighter pilot with a very remarkable gift.
It had said nothing of how he had shone in that battle.
Nor of cutting down aliens with a light-blade.
"You cut aliens down with a light-blade?" Cao Zhenlong, that big rough fellow, seemed most keen on such a thing, and stared at Zhao Chen with shining eyes.
"Yes." Zhao Chen nodded.
"On the planet?"
"No."
"Then where?"
"In the air."
"In the air?"
"Yes."
"How did you cut aliens down in the air? Don't tell me you jumped out of your fighter?"
"Yes, I jumped."
"……"
"Then how did you live?"
"After killing the alien, I got back onto my own fighter, restarted it and flew home safely."
"……"
Those words left Cao Zhenlong and Lieutenant Zhang without a thing to say.