Quarterly Mission: Possess three different models of T3-grade or higher starship (1/3).
Choose one auxiliary-type starship and bring it to a count of five (0/5).
With April's arrival, another of Zhao Chen's quarterly missions had appeared. He ran an eye over it. The first condition was easily met. As for the second — he could simply pick the T2 Iron Hammer and expand it to five hulls. Expanding the fleet down the line would call for plenty of interstellar industrial ships anyway.
Beep, beep, beep.
A video-comm request came through. On the other end was Instructor Qin.
"Zhao Chen — I've talked it over with the teachers of both academies and with the senior Imperial officers who came to our aid. We plan to set out for the Lantian Star System tomorrow. Your ship's damage will be taken in for repairs at the Lantian starport as well. Do you see any problem with that?" Instructor Qin asked.
Zhao Chen smiled. "No problem at all. Just let me know when we're departing."
"Very good — then we'll set tomorrow as the departure time. We really are so grateful to you for all this, Zhao Chen. Although before… when we left your ship, there wasn't time to thank you properly. But once we're back at Northstar Academy, I mean to petition the administration to hold a celebration banquet in your honor." Instructor Qin said it warmly.
Zhao Chen waved his hands quickly. "A celebration banquet and all that — let's leave it."
Counting on the two academies' people to be grateful to him? More than half of those students would be doing well not to hate him. Over the few days aboard his ship, which of them hadn't blown every last bit of "pocket money" in their accounts?
After ending the call with Instructor Qin, Zhao Chen notified Charlotte and Lilith to prepare to get underway the next day.
Part of the T3 Blizzard's battle-damaged hull had been repaired, but some of it couldn't be mended here in the Water Lily Star System — that would mean either returning to Northstar Academy or going on to the Lantian Star System. Munitions, at least, had been fully restocked. The portion that couldn't be repaired for now had no bearing on the T3 Blizzard's normal flight and combat.
"The Lantian Star System… no telling what'll be waiting for me there." Zhao Chen gave a self-mocking little laugh. A fine piece of theater was about to be staged, by his reckoning — and he was its leading man.
A Lantian Star System Starport — Several Days Later
The starport that day was somewhat out of the ordinary: several berths had been cleared, and around them a good many Imperial fleet warships waited. In the waiting area nearest those berths, too, no small number of people could be seen standing about.
At last several starships came into view.
In an instant, every gaze converged on that blue-and-white interstellar battlecruiser — the legendary ship that had, so the story went, charged single-handed into the hive-race-overrun region of the Water Lily Star System and pulled the two academies' teachers and students back out. Plenty of battle-scars could still be seen on the legendary vessel. From the mouths of the two academies' people, they'd learned how the battle had gone, too: with a single warship, it had annihilated one T3 Hive Ship, crippled another, and in the end still escaped alive from the swarm-fleet. It was the very stuff of legend! And so Zhao Chen himself had become a figure of legend.
T3 Blizzard — Bridge
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, Charlotte and Lilith at work to either side of him. His sister Zhao Wan'er and the eldest Miss Chu — Chu Xuan — were on the bridge as well. Su Lan and the others rode aboard the neighboring Imperial warship together with Instructor Qin; as for the two academies' teachers and students, they certainly wouldn't be traveling on Zhao Chen's ship — not if you beat them to death!
"Brother, look — so many people! And an honor guard, too! Looks like they mean to treat you like a hero!" Before the ship had even finished berthing, Zhao Wan'er had spotted the crowds of onlookers up on the docks.
A hero?
Zhao Chen gave a self-mocking smile. That lot had most likely taken him for fish on their chopping block — and a very savory sort of fish at that.
"You've really stolen the show this time, Zhao Chen." Beside him, Chu Xuan was happy for him too.
Zhao Chen smiled and said nothing.
Soon the T3 Blizzard had finished berthing. Just then a video window popped up with a request. On the other end was a middle-aged man.
"Zhao Chen — I'm the Governor of the Azure Star Region. That you could throw yourself, heedless of your own safety, into rescuing the two academies' teachers and students from this hive-race catastrophe that befell our Azure Star Region — for that I have the deepest respect. I've prepared a celebration banquet here; I hope you won't refuse."
Even the Governor of the Azure Star Region had turned out — it seemed his own pull really was no small thing. As to whether he'd disembark, that was no longer for Zhao Chen to decide.
"You do me too much honor, Your Excellency. This is only what we, as subjects of the Starlight Empire, ought to do. Truly, there's no need for any banquet," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
"How can you say so? After a deed this great, never mind a mere banquet — even a formal commendation wouldn't be too much! And there are a great many family members of the two academies' people here who wish to express their thanks to you as well!" the Governor of the Azure Star Region said warmly.
"In that case, I'd best obey rather than stand on ceremony." Zhao Chen agreed to disembark.
"Then we shall await our young hero here." The Governor of the Azure Star Region ended the call with a smile.
"Seems you've kicked up quite a stir this time, young hero." Chu Xuan teased him. But she quickly noticed that the expression on Zhao Chen's face was deadly serious.
"Wan'er — you'll stay aboard the ship. Without my leave, you are not to disembark!" Zhao Chen looked gravely at Zhao Wan'er.
"Why…? I want to go down and have a look too…" Zhao Wan'er didn't understand the arrangement.
"Do as I say!" Zhao Chen said, in a tone that brooked no argument.
Zhao Wan'er looked at him. It was the first time she'd ever seen an expression this grave on her brother's face. In the end she nodded. "All right, then… I'll stay on the ship."
"Miss Chu, there's something I must trouble you with — you'll need to stay aboard as well. While I'm off the ship, if anyone, for any reason, tries to board the T3 Blizzard, I hope you'll use your standing as the eldest Miss Chu to stop them." Zhao Chen looked to Chu Xuan.
Though Chu Xuan didn't know why Zhao Chen would arrange things this way just now, she nodded in earnest all the same. "Back in the Arctic Fox Star System, I already came to owe you; rest easy — I'll do everything you've asked."
Zhao Chen looked to Charlotte and Lilith beside him, and said nothing. He turned and walked out of the bridge.
Their eyes, though, were full of worry. Before they'd ever set out, Commander Zhao had already spoken with them and handed down an order: once inside the starport, the T3 Blizzard was to hold at Level-1 combat readiness — highest alert! No crewman was to leave their battle station! The instant his order came, they were to carry it out at once! It gave them the feeling that something momentous was about to happen.
In the T3 Blizzard's disembarkation gangway, he saw the throngs of people across the way, and the two academies' teachers and students coming down from the Imperial warship alongside. No few of them watched Zhao Chen with gazes like hawks', as though he were some treasure.
Zhao Chen came forward at an unhurried pace, a smile on his face, waving to the crowd — but in his heart he'd made a decision.
If you truly mean to force my hand, then so be it — I'll take the Owl Dragon Fleet and leave the Starlight Empire! Giving up the Owl Dragon Star System would be a wrench, but one day he would come back — and when that day came, he would take back everything that was his, at many times the price. That is the worst of outcomes. But I, Zhao Chen, fear nothing!