UCT Ch 14

When Diana returned her tray and followed Richard out of the cafeteria, it was already getting dark outside. With the blackout in effect, she had no choice but to rely on moonlight for visibility. The white paint on the road somewhat helped in finding her direction.

Richard was far ahead. His stride was wide and fast, the walk of someone who never waits for others’ pace. Diana struggled to catch up with the man, panting.

After chasing the leading steps like that, her forehead and the bridge of her nose collided with a massive cliff. Boom. Diana fell down without even a yelp, hitting her backside hard. Only after falling did she realize that the wall she had hit was actually Richard’s back.

“…I’m sorry.”

Diana didn’t expect Richard to help her up, and as she anticipated, he stood there without moving. She felt his cold gaze looking down on her from the darkness.

“Are you not sorry for chewing over your superior’s pathetic family issues?”

Sitting on the ground, Diana looked towards where she assumed Richard was. The surroundings were too dark to see his face clearly. She couldn’t control her trembling voice as she questioned him, feeling somewhat bold because she thought her face was hidden in the darkness too.

“Didn’t you also look into my mind without permission, Lieutenant?”

“…”

“I thought it was only fair that I know a little about your life too.”

Diana took a breath and continued with momentum.

“If I was rude, please punish me.”

Strangely, she didn’t fully realize how crazy her words sounded. The anger from the mind-melding was not easily extinguished once it was ignited. She even felt she could take a beating if it came to that. After all, the man had violated her dignity, casually looking into Diana Green’s intimate memories and secrets, mocking them.

He said it was a trivial life.

It’s not a life you can laugh at. Those were words Diana couldn’t bring herself to say out loud.

Richard didn’t respond to Diana’s words for a while. Only the chirping of sparrows near the base could be heard, and the surroundings were quiet. Soon, his laughter came from close by, a low, chilling tone that made the hairs on her neck stand up.

“Permission? Fairness? The sergeant must be confusing this place with Campton’s dance hall. If you think I should have asked for ‘permission’ from you like asking for a dance before mind-melding, then…”

At those words, Diana fell silent. Now, silence was solely hers. Richard took one step closer to her. Although she couldn’t feel his energy because the channel was closed, she felt an inexplicable chill.

“Tell me, Sergeant, what should I have done in a situation where the new squad member might be an Arke spy? Should I have offered you a cup of tea and been polite?”

Diana could neither answer nor refute his question. As he said, even if she were in Richard’s position, she might have acted similarly. There was no method as sure as looking directly into someone’s mind. Not reporting to the higher-ups could be seen as giving her some leeway.

Understanding Richard, the anger boiling inside Diana cooled down. And a sense of shame for acting impulsively overwhelmed her. Fortunately, it was dark; she didn’t want to show her face to him, which must have looked like that of a shocked fool.

Richard continued to laugh in disbelief, continuing to mock Diana sharply.

“If you came here expecting to be treated like a porcelain doll, then leave now.”

Sharp fragments cut through Diana’s heart. More painful words followed.

“We’re dealing with the Arke Air Force. They live practicing to kill people every day. You can’t fight devils with someone whining behind you. So leave now, it would be more helpful for Bringerton’s victory if you just continue what you’ve been doing.”

Diana’s vision reddened at Richard’s sharp provocation. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingers hurt.

‘Why am I getting angry?’

She couldn’t understand it. After living for twenty-two years, reborn, she believed she had no vanity or pride. But it seemed that tiny bit of pride wasn’t completely dead. She wanted to prove herself to him, to shut his pompous mouth. She wanted to make him regret calling her life trivial, full of complaints. She wanted to prove it, and to do that now, she had to admit she was wrong.

“…I was wrong. I was shortsighted.”

“…”

“I will do as the Lieutenant commands.”

Her voice that came out was surprisingly calm. Diana bowed her head and lowered her eyes. After about three seconds of silence, Richard laughed, then neatly wrapped up the situation.

“At least it’s certain you’re not a spy, so I won’t bring this up again.”

“…”

“But think about what I said before you go to sleep. If you want to give up, now’s the best time. If you whine after taking off, I’ll have no choice but to shoot you down.”

He turned and walked forward again, as if nothing had happened. Diana got up, dusting off her backside. While understanding him as a leader, she was also overwhelmed with the desire to kill him for the insult. It was the first time she felt such complex and intense emotions, excluding her past life, although it was in a completely negative direction.

As if mocking Diana’s dark mood, the beautiful night sky was spread above. The stars were scattered, shining brightly, and even the Milky Way twinkled. Shuddering with an indefinable emotion, Diana followed him.

🌷🌷🌷

The two entered the hangar where the squadron’s fighters were stored. The interior was dimly lit by a faint bulb, making it visible. Five fighters stood side by side under the dim light. Three of them had markings, while the other two did not. Richard gestured towards the two unmarked planes, instructing Diana.

“What are you doing? Pick one.”

Faced with an unexpected choice, Diana’s heart pounded. The two fighters were roughly the same size. One was clearly Dr. Cronin’s, while the other must be from the competing company, Emblem.

‘No matter what, I’ve only flown Cronin’s machines. It might be better to choose this one.’

Diana stood in front of the Cronin fighter. As if he hadn’t just hurled insults at her, Richard naturally added an explanation.

“It’s the Frigate-7. It’s old-fashioned, but it’s very stable.”

It certainly was old-fashioned. Although she hadn’t seen many fighters, the Frigate in front of her was much more rugged compared to the sleek body of the Armada-13. The front was made of steel, but the back was a wooden frame covered with fabric.

‘A wooden frame…’

A spark of nostalgia flickered in the depths of Diana’s heart. Seeing the Frigate reminded her of the triplane she had fondly used decades ago, the ‘Little Falcon’. That airplane was made of wood, often shaking violently in harsh winds and frequently breaking apart after even minor impacts. Compared to the fighters in front of her now, it was practically a child’s toy in terms of durability. Yet, she always thought that no superior fighter could compare to the ‘Little Falcon’. It was inevitable.

Recalling the ‘Little Falcon’, she smiled inadvertently. Diana answered:

“I’ll go with this one.”

“Aren’t you going to check the other one?”

“…I think a proven fighter would be safer.”

Richard nodded, not saying anything more to Diana.

“…Do as you like. The Frigate isn’t bad unless you’re in a head-on (where fighters face each other) situation.”

“Is it weak to frontal impacts?”

Even if she didn’t want to converse with him, she had to ask Richard about things she needed to know. He was the one with the most experience with the newest fighters in the squadron. Richard answered her question straightforwardly.

“The fuel tank is in the front, so if you get hit by a bullet, the cockpit is likely to catch fire easily. If you don’t want to be burned alive, it’s better to observe others from the rear and move accordingly.”

Fire in the cockpit? No, that’s a considerably serious flaw. Diana’s face paled slightly. Richard continued in a calm tone.

“But as you said, its stability is guaranteed. The rear being made of fabric can actually be advantageous.”

“Since bullets will just pass through the fabric, I suppose?”

“Yes, as long as they don’t hit the frame, it can withstand quite a few hits.”

“…I’ll need some luck then.”

“Luck is needed no matter which fighter you fly.”

At Richard’s slightly humorous last remark, Diana turned to look at him. There was a faint smile on his sharp face.

‘…After telling me to get lost earlier, now he’s joking.’

But Diana tried not to feel bad about it. She was too tired to complain further.

“I should definitely go with this plane then. Thank you for the advice.”

At Diana’s words, Ashewood’s expressionless face slightly changed, though it was still almost expressionless.

“…Advice. You can forget what I just said. At 5,000 meters above ground, you won’t remember anything anyway.”

“…”

“Focus on surviving each battle, and your body will learn before your mind does. With that sense, who knows, you might become an ace.”

“…”

“So, don’t die.”

Don’t die? Was that another one of his silly jokes? But the man’s face when he said it was deadly serious, his stern expression so precise that it made the listener feel awkward.

“That’s not something I can control-.”

Richard tilted his head slightly and countered.

“Didn’t you say you’d do as commanded?”

So it was a jest after all. With his opaque eyes and expression, it was hard to guess his intentions. Diana suppressed a chuckle that almost escaped and answered quietly.

“…I’ll try.”

“Trying won’t be enough. When you take to the sky tomorrow morning, think only about surviving.”

“I will do that.”

Ashewood’s lips seemed to curl up ever so slightly in response. But that was all. He didn’t laugh. He wiped his face with a tired look, then left the hangar without even glancing at Diana.

“You should go back to sleep now. You have to wake up before dawn tomorrow morning.”