In the second half of the crossing,
Zhao Chen's flight squadron took casualties as well, one after another.
But set against the other squadrons' figures, Zhao Chen's losses could be called negligible.
And the heaviest losses were beyond doubt the vanguard's.
Broadly, by the time they were about to clear the great belt, scarcely one in ten of any vanguard flight was left.
"The rest is yours now."
Zhao Chen looked at a video window in the upper right, at a middle-aged man with a full beard and a cigarette in his mouth.
This was the leader of the vanguard flight on his route.
When they met the enemy's drone meteorite base, Zhao Chen had contacted him himself and asked him to work with him.
And after Zhao Chen's showing, the man had begun talking with him too.
After that Zhao Chen had taken some of the vanguard's load on himself more than once.
The two had known each other barely a dozen minutes.
But already felt like old friends.
"Are you waiting here for us, or going back first?" Zhao Chen asked the smoking fellow.
"Waiting for you, of course. My fighter is all but out of everything. On the way back I'm counting on you young rascals to escort me." The smoking fellow laughed and swore.
Zhao Chen smiled slightly and began giving his squadron orders: "Eighteenth Squadron, all hands. Count your remaining ordnance, remaining fighter energy, remaining star-shield energy. Prepare to re-form the combat formation."
"Received."
"Received."
Zhao Chen looked at the stretch of blackness far off on the chart.
Three minutes' flying left to clear the great belt.
"We'll be stopping here." As the smoking fellow spoke.
Zhao Chen saw the vanguard's fighters ease in against the rocks along the route and hold station there.
"Lad, mind you come back soon. When you see the enemy's gun ships, don't go charging in like a fool. I'm counting on a drink with you when we're home." The smoking fellow came out with it suddenly.
Zhao Chen was taken aback.
He understood what the man meant.
He smiled slightly and said, "Right you are. When we're home, we drink!"
"You're buying, then. I've spent this month's pay." The smoking fellow's shameless voice came through.
Zhao Chen laughed and swore back.
"Squadron Leader, we want a drink too!"
The members' voices came over the channel.
They knew their leader's nature well by now; out of combat, joking with him was no trouble.
"You stinking lads. When we're home, drink and meat till you're full! But if any of you shames me, see if I don't tan your backsides!" Zhao Chen said with a laughing curse.
Zhao Chen seemed very easy, but in truth he was watching every reading.
The vanguard aside, their squadron stood at the very front of the main body; though along the same line there were over a hundred similar flights.
But for his earlier valor,
Zhao Chen still held control of three drone swarms.
He now sent those three swarms ahead to open the way and scout.
And now those three swarms were about to break out of the great belt.
Zhao Chen held his nerve and watched the images sent back by several of the drones.
Soon.
The rocks ahead plainly thinned.
And once one drone passed beyond the belt, the space before it opened out all at once.
But in that instant Zhao Chen's pupils widened.
For he saw warships ahead, ranged in neat order.
Their guns were already trained on this belt.
Indeed, Zhao Chen could already see the flashes of some of them firing.
"This is bad! The enemy is ready. All craft, slow down!" Zhao Chen ordered his squadron at once.
And by now, in the drones' images, the warships opposite were firing in salvo.
Zhao Chen's thousand-odd drones, under that blanket of fire, had no power to answer at all.
At the same time, the flights breaking out in other areas were bathed in the same fire!
In a moment the region outside the belt became a slaughterhouse.
Zhao Chen slowed his fighter and held station.
He looked at the far end of the route, at the balls of fire from the blasts.
That was the enemy's warships firing.
If his squadron charged out now,
nine times in ten they would be nothing but cannon fodder!
He had seen just now that there were over two thousand warships opposite, ranged in a defensive formation.
It seemed they had discovered this attack of theirs.
And were ready long since.
"Squadron Leader, what do we do? The units behind are nearly up with us!" Deputy Leader Li asked anxiously on the channel.
The situation was pressing.
If the Eighteenth Squadron did not go out, they might be brought before a court-martial after the battle,
charged with shirking the fight.
Yet to charge out like this was all but certain annihilation.
"Wait."
Zhao Chen contacted Group Leader Cao Zhenlong at once.
The call connected.
"Group Leader Cao. Outside the belt the enemy has at least two thousand warships standing ready. Their fire is overwhelming; if we charge out like this. The casualties will be tremendous!"
Hearing Zhao Chen, Group Leader Cao's first response was anger.
"So you choose to shirk the fight and not attack! Zhao Chen, do you know that is a grave offense? I order you: your whole squadron launches at once. Never mind two thousand warships opposite, if it were hell itself. You would still charge forward. You are a soldier. A soldier must obey orders."
Hearing Group Leader Cao's words,
Zhao Chen was stunned.
Only then did he truly grasp it.
Yes.
He was a soldier.
A soldier's duty is to obey orders.
How could he shirk because the battlefield ahead was a meat grinder?
Even in the Owl Dragon legions before, had there been no such moments?
And what had those Owl Dragon crews done?
Had they 'shirked before the enemy' as he was doing?
Until just now, Zhao Chen had still placed himself in a commander's seat.
In truth he was only a common soldier who must obey orders.
What his superiors needed him to do, he did,
even if it was to be cannon fodder.
"Understood," Zhao Chen answered in a low voice.
The call ended.
Zhao Chen's gaze was dark.
So now he must lead his own squadron into a fight that meant certain death?
Zhao Chen knew this was the duty of the man he now was.
But something seemed to stop up his heart.
"Squadron Leader, the following squadrons are about to reach our position," Deputy Leader Li urged again, anxiously.