Zhao Chen was just then turning over how Song Chen and his high men would decide, faced with this state of things,
when an electronic window sprang up before his eyes.
And the man on the other side was, of all people, the senior colonel who had gotten in touch with him before.
"Major Zhao Chen. I am giving you a combat mission, and an urgent one. Our fleet has at present been ambushed by the enemy. And the enemy has used long-range communications jamming to stop us sending out word of how matters stand here, a call for aid, and our coordinates. Our interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships have been set upon by the enemy as well, and cannot get clear of this fighting zone. So I have need of you to put together a fighter forlorn hope. To charge out, and in a zone where the jamming does not reach, to send out how matters stand here, the call for aid, and the coordinates! That is your mission! Is that clear to you!" There was nothing but gravity in the senior colonel's face.
By which the weight of this mission could be seen.
And which wretch has thought up this mission, now.
Zhao Chen cursed inwardly, but there was nothing on his face save the same placidness.
For he was at present a soldier under the man's hand.
And must carry out the task the man set him.
"Understood," Zhao Chen said gravely.
"Major Zhao Chen, I know this mission is a hard one. But it bears upon the safety of the Leader's fleet. So I ask it of you!" And the senior colonel, having said it, gave Zhao Chen a salute besides. "I have faith in your flying. I saw what you are capable of with my own eyes. It was I, with the Leader, who put you forward for this mission!"
Oh, let me say thank you…
Zhao Chen truly wanted to land one on the bridge of the fellow's nose.
And rather regretted, at the same time, having let this fellow stay and watch while he was establishing his authority.
Which came to lifting a stone and dropping it on his own foot.
"I understand. I shall do what I can to see the mission through." And having said it, Zhao Chen cut the link with this senior colonel.
He truly had no wish to look at the man's face.
The thought of it alone made him angry.
But the task was taken now, so naturally it must be carried out.
Zhao Chen looked over his ten flight squadrons.
And got in touch with three of them outright.
"First Squadron, Third Squadron, Sixth Squadron. Assemble at once, and make ready to carry out an urgent mission." Zhao Chen reached the three squadrons.
And at the same time gave an order to the department with charge of the interstellar drones. "Release ten thousand Rose Fairy-class interstellar drones at once."
"Yes!"
And now three communication windows appeared before Zhao Chen's eyes.
These were the leaders of the three flight squadrons.
Zhao Chen made a long story short, and gave the three squadron leaders the task in hand.
"What? Have us break out now, and carry a call for aid outward!" The Third Squadron's leader was greatly startled.
For this mission was plainly more of ill than of good.
The enemy had intercepted even your interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships.
And seeing your fighters attempt a breakout, how should he not know what you are about, and send force naturally to cut you off.
And even should the breakout succeed at the last, and the call for aid go out.
You must still make the voyage home.
For an interstellar fighter, its fuel once spent, must return to the mother ship to resupply.
Or else it goes down.
Which means that these flight squadrons of theirs must walk twice past the gate of hell.
And a mission so dangerous as this had been set upon their own heads.
In the hearts of some, thoughts naturally arose.
Above all in Cao Bing of the First Flight Squadron.
He knit his brows slightly, and could hardly help wondering whether this were not Zhao Chen settling a private grudge on public business.
To hand so dangerous a mission to his own First Squadron was nine parts death to one of life!
But very soon, Zhao Chen's words did away with their misgivings.
"Upon this urgent mission I shall set out along with you, and the directing of it is mine."
Zhao Chen said it.
And then got in touch with the Second Flight Squadron's leader.
"For the time that I am gone, the command here aboard the mother ship is given to you. Let everything proceed by the plan I laid down."
"Yes!" the Second Squadron's leader answered.
Whereupon the three squadron leaders set to this urgent mission had nothing left to say.
Their own group leader was setting out in person; what was there left for them to say?
To say more would be to cling to life and fear death.
Soon near a thousand quasi-T6 Rose Knight-class interstellar fighters and ten thousand quasi-T6 Rose Fairy-class interstellar drones stood assembled.
Every one of them setting out with a full load of ordnance and fuel.
"Execute combat flight order C5. Flight bearing **. Seventy per cent of the fighters' speed will serve." Such was Zhao Chen's first order.
And this first order left them much puzzled.
Setting aside that, upon an urgent mission of this kind, you do not fly at your full speed.
The bearing was, of all bearings, that of the thousand interstellar warships which had appeared first.
They could not make out what this group leader of theirs was thinking.
One who did not know would have supposed these fighters were going to take the interstellar airspace from the enemy.
Hm?
Cao Bing's heart gave a jolt, and he looked past all believing at the window that had stood all this while in the command channel beside him.
At Group Leader Zhao Chen, whose countenance had not changed.
And just as they were on the point of reaching the fighting zone.
Zhao Chen gave his order all of a sudden.
"Whole air group, change bearing to **, and fly at full speed!"
And in that moment the whole air group turned very nearly a right angle.
And in that moment they all knew their group leader's thinking.
It was a plain feint to the east to strike at the west.
First to have the enemy suppose that this air group came for the interstellar airspace,
while in fact it held another purpose altogether.
And by this time the enemy's fleet had discovered the air group's true purpose.
And sought at once to cut them off.
But save for a very few fighters near enough for their fire to reach these craft, by speed alone there was no catching interstellar fighters and drones of T6 grade.
Which left only the intercepting of them with fighters and drones of the same sort.
And so a great number of fighters and drones came swarming out,
and bore down upon this flying host of Zhao Chen's.
In number a full several times their own!
"Fly at full speed. Do not be alarmed. Obey my orders in everything!" Zhao Chen's voice sounded upon the command channel.
"Yes," said the three squadron leaders.
Soon one flight squadron had bitten onto their tail.
Whereupon Zhao Chen directed a squad of interstellar drones to turn about and charge this flight squadron of the enemy's.
Which is a very simple tactic of interception and attrition.
But Cao Bing was soon staring dumbfounded.
For these interstellar drones had tactics of their own, of all things!
And all of it under Group Leader Zhao Chen's direction besides.
This group leader was capable indeed: flying his own interstellar fighter, and with a hand to spare for directing these drones.
To direct a thousand interstellar drones takes a very strong ability.
But what happened next left Cao Bing's mouth open in spite of himself.
For as the enemy's flight squadrons grew in number, the drones Zhao Chen had told off rose to three thousand.
Three separate local engagements!
And for all that, Major Zhao Chen upon the command channel was as unruffled as ever.
For all the world like an elegant hand at the piano.