The sight of DK9566 placing itself before three missiles left everyone stunned.
The next second.
"This is bad! The Squadron Leader's star-shield energy is nowhere near enough to stop three missiles!"
Someone or other cried it out on the channel.
In that instant everyone's blood pressure rose.
Through this battle, nearly every member of the Eighteenth Squadron had come to revere this leader from the heart.
And now this leader, to protect his own man, had put himself in danger!
No one had expected that at all.
The first two missiles struck DK9566's star shield, and sure enough the shield's energy was spent and gone,
which left one last missile.
But the next second no one could believe their eyes.
DK9566's cannon opened fire.
The last missile was hit and exploded some way short of DK9566!
The smoke of the blast even swallowed DK9566.
They marveled at their leader's astonishing skill, and at nerve beyond the ordinary.
For it must be understood that to intercept a missile in flight with a fighter's cannon.
Is possible in theory, but very hard in practice.
First, a fighter's cannon has short range, and a missile flies fast.
Which means the time in which your cannon can truly threaten it is small, perhaps a few breaths.
And a cannon's field of fire is not wide; it is a straight line of shot.
So the moment a missile enters range, one must hit it precisely.
Only then can it be destroyed.
It sounds simple.
But the least error may destroy the fighter and kill the pilot.
And with a star shield up, doing this is of little use, since the blast wave still eats at the shield's energy.
So doing it with no star shield at all is the most dazzling part.
And there is a risk in it too.
If the blast comes too near the fighter, the shock wave may bring the fighter down.
So just then every heart in the Eighteenth Squadron hung in the balance.
Everyone watched the smoke.
The next second, a somewhat battered fighter flew out of it.
It was the Squadron Leader's DK9566!
"Damn! The Squadron Leader's incredible!"
"That maneuver could go straight into a textbook."
"I hereby declare the Squadron Leader my idol for life!"
Zhao Chen paid no heed to the channel's New Year's-worth of celebration.
He first ran a check on his fighter's condition.
Star-shield energy spent.
The airframe somewhat affected by the shock wave just now.
But not greatly.
It could still fly normally.
"Mind your formation. Continue the withdrawal!" Zhao Chen ordered.
"Squadron Leader, that fighter that attacked you is still on our flank. Let us avenge you!" someone said on the channel.
At this, more people spoke up one after another.
"That son of a dog, daring to ambush our leader. My fighter still has one missile, and 15% star shield! Let me take him! I'll see he doesn't come back!"
Listening to the clamor on the channel,
Zhao Chen frowned and barked, "All of you, be quiet. Have you forgotten what I told you? Obey orders, follow command. Do you mean to defy my order?"
Hearing their leader's anger,
those members quieted down and dared say no more.
Zhao Chen glanced at the enemy fighter on their flank, which could withdraw now that its ambush was done.
To think of revenge now might cost them their chance to withdraw,
and add casualties for nothing.
For one enemy fighter, that would be thoroughly foolish.
After that, Zhao Chen's Eighteenth Squadron returned to the mother ship without further alarm, and asked leave to enter the hangar.
Fighters began landing one after another, returning to the combat hangar.
Zhao Chen's fighter was among the later ones.
When Zhao Chen's fighter appeared in the combat hangar and his canopy opened,
Zhao Chen stood up and saw over a hundred people before his fighter, all watching him.
"Squadron Leader!" they called in one voice, and saluted him.
They offered him the highest reverence in their hearts.
"What are you doing here? Back to the ready room, all of you. Wait for the next combat mission," Zhao Chen barked.
The squad members grinned and dispersed.
Some, as they went, kept glancing back at their leader's fighter.
DK9566.
Out in space it had been hard to see clearly.
Now, this close,
one could see dents in the hull, craters struck by small fragments in the blast.
One can imagine how dangerous it had been.
Had those fragments punched through the airframe and struck something vital.
It would have been very dangerous indeed.
And in such conditions their leader had still resolutely done what he did.
It left them admiring him from the heart.
Zhao Chen climbed down from his fighter.
In its present condition it could not fight on; it needed servicing.
And as a squadron in its first battle, they had a privilege.
Namely that after the first combat mission they could break off, with a few hours to rest and recover.
Time meant for pilots new to battle to settle their nerves.
And for the squadron leader and the veterans to criticize and correct how they had flown.
Only then was a new squadron's 'baptism in blood' truly complete.
When Zhao Chen turned, he found one figure still standing there.
"Why haven't you gone back to the ready room?" Zhao Chen asked, puzzled.
At which the fellow dropped straight to his knees.
"Squadron Leader, thank you for saving me. If it hadn't been for you. I… I… I'd have died…" This boy was Little Yang, from the fighter in peril just now.
His eyes were full of tears.
Zhao Chen frowned and stared at him.
Then walked straight past him and said without looking back, "My squad members aren't the sort who only snivel. Nor do they kneel so easily. This time I'll pretend I saw nothing. Get back there, quick. Do it again and I'll have you washing the whole squad's underwear!"
Hearing his leader, Little Yang could not help snorting a laugh.
He stood and looked at his leader's back.
He straightened and gave his leader a salute.
And afterward, when this Little Yang had become an elite fighter pilot of the Star Alliance.
Every time he led a squad of his own, he would speak of this leader of his.
That was his idol.
The idol who had let him live!