UCT Ch 16

The shadow in 1459ff3afc the bushes leaped 561845f9b7 out in front 9be04eb4f2 of Fernan. Startled by the sudden f7bea486a3 intrusion, the man stumbled b3329946f5 backward.5ad1e750ea1a7518

“Who are you!”cc628ac9be9ac28c

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What appeared before him d8b06f0ff0 was neither a cat c29a5471d9 nor a rabbit. The identity 19bfeec5c6 of the cbec069046 shadow was 1901f3aaea none other baa494fafc than a d384bae2f1 boy.8bd8e4ebe5c6ab42

He was a boy with pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes, reaching up to Fernan’s waist. He looked up at Fernan.7bbe22e83b94c131

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The boy was 561520791c eerily beautiful. Fernan felt dizzy, afef169032 wondering if he b02b8feb4f was seeing a ea3cb5f458 fairy or a 852cd6c9d0 ghost.58a1d8a6663107ee

Gulp. Fernan’s Adam’s apple moved up and down.f4e8eb16e1d6c213

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The boy was e850031a92 only wearing pants, 879497bad0 his upper body e0711c72d0 bare. Only after 5784bf6163 taking a 5907b0ade0 step closer f2aa797c34 did the a33133f480 upper body 671ce54934 hidden in 14a5c60c33 the shadows 80dba30f7a come into efecade74d view.64b5722a8185c9e7

“…”904fd9bdb98b04ee

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At the gruesome sight before him, Fernan’s breath stopped for a moment.cda851be322f363d

The boy’s small, thin body was covered in scars. They were clearly not from accidents but inflicted by someone deliberately.89f8fd69f1518a79

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Blood was seeping from unhealed wounds, and where there were no scars, there were bruises. Moreover, his limbs were as thin as dry twigs, suggesting he hadn’t eaten properly for a long time.aaec4cf29bd3a2a5

Fernan frowned at the horrific sight, wondering why he hadn’t noticed immediately.2e9dd4cdabbb2b09

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‘That boy might die soon.’a7cc576d543f5849

The boy’s identity didn’t matter at that moment. It was something to figure out after saving him.4d8d5e766fd72240

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Fernan quickly d3c9d0903f approached the abe1b95f16 boy and a960100a66 knelt on e5d6a60908 one knee.956d61f8d5c5a297

“Are you okay?”9bdb7b1b62ad97bb

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That was 27ef40a8f8 the first 2a0fc6bac6 thing he 27197149e0 said to b3ee81c711 the boy.63a9b6e985cf6693

🌷🌷🌷f7ebb58a923c331c

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Diana woke 48511b29bf up before 124f365318 the reveille 19a336dec7 sounded. Her whole 2f5eb73fb9 body was 8b920495e4 soaked from a68e0f7821 the sweat 6d1e01b7e0 of sleep. She wanted to shower 177a7f3b2b quickly.84e563d8d43d6481

Moreover, dreaming about the fb5349d713 day she first met 28f55f3961 Tersion had left her 3caf7fcfaf morning in disarray.b0b81091b9dbe940

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Diana groaned, pressing her dry eyelids with the back of her hand. Beyond her closed eyelids, the boy’s face, as cold as a crescent moon, came to mind.a3e43a7652953e33

Tersion Achaemenion.2b38fe8df92eff09

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At that time, I thought he was either a stray child who had wandered into the palace or a victim of abuse by some bad nobleman. It was only after bringing him to the mansion that I learned he was Dietrich’s hidden son.77de72065d549cf7

A secret prince known only to a select few, the product and evidence of the emperor’s sin.15b6fed6fe1caad2

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The boy seemed to have suffered countless mental and physical abuses. Although he managed to speak a few days after being brought in, his first words broke Fernan’s heart.81c3448966ffd3fe

‘Don’t abandon me.’4f6b54413bbb5976

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Diana suppressed 1c42de85f3 the gloomy 6994342296 thoughts that fcc2ce64c8 kept surfacing 0e4c0cc830 in her cbea83b7d6 mind.42df502ae4c13a79

‘There’s no need to think about this now.’e5fd473908fb53c3

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She didn’t want to start an important day with sadness. Past lives should stay in the past, and Diana Green should live her own life.82b0760b3b2bae0a

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5 AM. Although it 5ec46267ed would be fb3d799cb0 another two 8b03dca4b5 hours before f57a6b9c45 dawn, the 7d85ce0a3b base was 6c8ec89ad8 bustling with 85552e7e8e mechanics and b25df8e8ef engineers repairing 7ad5fefcbf the facilities.99142b8bacd63c26

All pilots of the Saturn Brigade were gathered in the open space at the center of the base, listening to the morning briefing. Their faces were filled with sleepiness and fatigue, but it couldn’t be helped.9596afef92a01364

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Jackfield, being the 606adeaca4 frontline base, had 066b5f69cf to start the 5c229a7b7a day earlier than 9bb2bb467a others.fc57929570130f38

Unlike the 06ca5db759 pilots who a31719bd08 were on 074d906323 the verge 0a1c92e7c1 of collapsing 8afd1e281c from sleepiness, 7609fe887e the face ad6cff8c1a of the c103404bb8 brigade commander e089902c37 on the cba3db78f0 podium was a3062a22c5 filled with e4c966293c determination.3441c538e6e4d366

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He delivered a speech a6f277ecf8 in an oratorical tone 6f58cf246a to the pilots, who 874aa3ca64 were dozing off like e4d45bdd2e sick chickens.cd3ac7f336195138

“Soldiers. It’s been a month since Arke invaded Bringerton’s airspace. But they still haven’t achieved their desired goal. That is, to break the spirit of us in Bringerton.”5033e61a754357aa

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His words contained some truth. Arke’s continuous bombing was intended to spread fear within Bringerton society and force capitulation. However, Diana thought there must be another reason behind Arke’s relentless, intermittent attacks.c764fbce904b6871

That reason was…579c3c8a24107c79

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‘To kill as many Bringerton pilots as possible.’c0f20e34a6f27ad3

By continuously attacking, they aimed to wear down and exhaust Bringerton’s pilots. That was their hidden true intent.f41559ad4ebffa94

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Once Bringerton ran 8c6e74ecae out of competent 3cb34c2fcd pilots, the sky fd59b20b2c would belong to 26c7a28b4a Arke, making their 4e074224c4 landing operation much 926b293b64 easier.5864f27fe61ce13a

Whether it was surrender 307fd149c7 or being invaded, both aeb17a9123 scenarios were undeniably bleak.da9431c781ed566d

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Diana’s eyes darkened.1970eaa21b7b60d4

Even without knowing the ae6a6f8bd3 full details, she felt 1e6af4d8fc this despair; how must 5b50118cb4 Marianne feel? Her head e0c2d157c2 must be 6a94dba7d6 about to 9f1c17ee37 explode. It must ad6c83ad0f be hard c2e9b97d91 and painful df2712f3fc for her.0ee2a8b4dfb9e5f9

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So, all 808d06008c Diana could 4773a351b7 do was 562fe94dd5 to do 5532b05782 her best 9705fc7ab8 in the 01e51162c3 position she a24e6dc3e4 was currently 57edfc1280 in.68422042da3c982e

As Diana steeled her resolve for the day, the briefing ended. The brigade commander gave the order to wait at their “designated locations” and stepped down from the podium.5b9ba2c193421303

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Diana asked Owen, 21ca8c0cf9 who was dozing e42d842cf8 beside her.cfc07edda2b43100

“Where is the designated location?”9d9a9b46408c90a1

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Then, a abc1d1a8d7 chilling voice b06a49ef21 from behind c9dfa32246 answered instead bc6ed9cfc1 of Owen.8458fe3eb1ba341b

“Anywhere you can launch within one minute is fine.”db575c84a0114b7f

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Without needing to look back, she recognized it as Richard Ashwood’s voice, low and dry. The man who answered her question walked up and stood a few steps in front of her.9c3b375dcbdfa9eb

Had he gotten e1f7a023d5 some rest last f778f088ae night? The dark circles under b8f88a2122 his eyes seemed a e7281cd36a bit lighter. Because of 51b8e9536f this, his b623891242 long, thick 8637a7679a lower lashes c59785dc3f were clearly c035b1dae9 visible.46a1783f3e731316

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Though he had an overall masculine appearance, when examined closely, his face could be described as delicate. Regardless, he was undeniably a rare handsome man, even compared to the many beautiful men and women in Arke’s social circles.77e809e43ccb99cc

‘What good is that? He’s got a terrible personality.’6edfdf5141160988

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Suddenly, Richard tossed something into Diana’s palm. Upon catching it, she realized it was a pilot’s wristwatch.c6cf77ab7046843e

A cheap mass-produced item with black leather and no manufacturer’s logo, yet it was essential for navigation and timekeeping.11337ad97f0cbf3e

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Even such a rude 223967f874 and harsh man took cb7a908724 care of his wingmen 1ffc16d42f to some extent.dec50ddd39b56420

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”da1a0377f2cbc772

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Ashwood did not respond to Diana’s thanks. Instead, he abruptly asked her a question.41a911d26deea0e4

“Do you know how to navigate?”ad1c50d144e3f36a

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“Yes.”abd79cf921b6df8d

“Have you flown in formation before?”828612b8327b7f89

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“Just once, in a line…”47c72241d46cee72

In fact, 98f75f9406 she was 2efa7ae9a5 confident she 520fa25a68 could do c675cc06ec both navigation 141f616bdd and formation 3f3e342825 flying with b7e4e96864 her eyes 7cf2f1ad23 closed, but b35e3c5b30 for now, 86e2fb897a she had b0503e6dcf to pretend 5ce58b2840 to be 5ab0cb3764 inexperienced.cfb9243d8112a517

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The man’s lips twisted into a slight smirk.24d319c54916fe71

“Right. There’s no need to get too hung up on the spacing between fighters. Just don’t get lost and follow well.”8509d3df87b3de3e

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His tone seemed to say, ‘I didn’t have high expectations for you anyway’, which once again pricked Diana’s pride.1d020e1664f42933

Diana lowered 2b444d4145 her eyes, 1a4b2e4f73 thinking to 8e8394c694 herself,720bc7bb1e882db6

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‘Let’s not get angry. Let’s not get angry.’533abea2c8d8accd

Since she hadn’t shown her skills, being ignored was natural. To avoid being openly embarrassed in front of everyone, she had to endure.e4a3e7cbcb5489c2

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But, as 690224b4f3 if mocking b5eeb32394 her resolve, 3fd82f0608 the man 49fb11be72 added another 2b620a6674 demeaning remark.be759d86ad4eeef3

“You’re free to choose your waiting spot, but Sergeant, stay by your fighter. No one’s going to wait for you just because it’s your first time.”acc7db215c580167

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Suppressing the 2d9860b29f words boiling e577e849bb inside her, 15622ff1f9 Diana nodded 25e81fdfb9 obediently.6aaf453c733366ad

Richard glanced 5ff609d38a at her d8e11e10b4 dismissively before 3c516a5e09 walking past c413b2c4bf her to ef727b9ba2 the other 0bc55e6c3d side.4280dfaf071ccfb6

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Owen clicked c0d3ec1acf his tongue 7dcf250bda and consoled be4c703201 Diana.bb8340b8a5df7aa6

“Looks like you’ve already gotten on the lieutenant’s bad side on your first day. Bryce was the one talking behind his back, but it’s the Green Sergeant who’s suffering.”484d16e36cbd45d7

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“…I was just curious, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”4f7dab8cc04abb13

It seemed that e2eeeb3e4d Ashwood was being 2eb6d06b18 cold to her 3d2ce289e3 because of something c69277a7ed overheard in the 29384cfea8 dining hall. Owen, not being 8e11e8665d a mind-reader, could bf3facb1a9 only think that d0f3ba184d way.62ee2ac0867683cd

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🌷🌷🌷8cf4cdb525775d76

The sky above the acf635915a northern horizon, where dawn 3353c7f3ba was just breaking, shimmered 1b5b891d60 pink. The vast plains b1fa95a0d1 and low hills e6430f95b6 looked like a 58a8a1b3e8 watercolor painting. However, the 1402b0c447 thought that e3448c6784 hideous enemy 295aed980d machines would 0edf07643a soon be a3f1f705f0 flying over b0ec14562e this scene d728396ed6 made it 24a2c95ebc far from 49af87d216 purely beautiful.53371f8a779eb465

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Diana checked 4432668f67 the fighter dc0b434d44 she was 98cf3df272 to fly.60936b6c667b7360

Its condition was 07122fd730 not as bad 071148fa56 as expected. Though it showed signs 09c7fd1211 of wear, there were 31cdb31851 no glaring defects.edcec8bd25311bfc

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It was a 78b3bb1437 relief that there e823c82e70 was no tradition 558f9c1498 of assigning old 036c718781 planes to rookies.951bda7680f8450e

While inspecting, she watched 703f8a3030 the pilots waiting outside 22180501b3 the hangar. Some lay on b1bfd54fbd the grass or 7fad40ed63 unfolded portable chairs 5fe8f94b59 to sunbathe, looking e5fc760aec as leisurely as bf8e9a86f9 tourists on a 4dec661143 vacation.fb0c2293f30abe50

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But Diana knew 85110429c9 that contrary to 2509cbca87 appearances, their hearts 93f94360ac must be heavy.6a182429db0823ce

The fate 62eb1abe50 of a 6edd30ce3f fighter pilot 26ad9a5165 is to 3853982b3a oscillate between ad468e4d00 intense combat 541d2a29a0 and a 4734015688 leisurely daily d13f67f0db life.14d2072d86effbc3

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However, constantly moving between battle and routine eventually leads to moments where one can’t be sure of anything. During the peaceful moments of rest, tension rises, and in the heat of battle, one might find calm.540b0f9310e33c64

Ultimately, they b7a4f2340a become unable d2ff7f7dff to find 96a4d4aac9 rest anywhere.da05783a5326a567

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She was no 68e9d5fb34 exception in her db2b13dcb8 past life. Would it be different ad403013fe this time?de7783ce7afb7a71

‘I’ll find out later.’1087ebc9851883c3

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Pushing aside the 8f0832b40b gloomy thoughts, she 255adbc618 focused on the acfb2b17fd fighter in front cf7621e94b of her.e72a5b291d05e752

She checked the a4dfff5270 instrument panel and 3ba069804d the wheels, securing 1d172c0031 her lifeline, the cb90920d33 parachute, to the 5220569018 left wing for e78e261bf5 easy access into 35b07b5758 the cockpit.b2be977c9e24e1b3

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Just a few more 504195cba1 checks and the pre-flight 1049ef71b0 inspection would be complete. As she was a2e178fcf8 deeply absorbed, a 15cc9f9027 long shadow fell 18c82bed7c beside her.9fc672127222b636

It was Richard. Despite telling f5df6f6182 her to c116bbe3f5 stick by 1c48607ea4 the fighter, 1d1de3f42e it seemed e0a3b77056 he had 1284036c60 his own b887263286 things to e61b0561e8 check.6273cd7255b146bd

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Diana tried her best not to be conscious of his presence. Fortunately, Owen’s and Bryce’s fighters were between them, but not as a perfect screen.03af3e61e9d25210

Through the silhouettes of 4764dd0e23 the fighters, she caught 3d7641b46a a glimpse of his c91f0fa965 bare hands. Despite trying not 023cf49d56 to look, her 9936468c4f eyes were inevitably ccda5141f3 drawn.6c4c94390d5e9cf3

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His hands, covered in 7fe3d4d072 oil and calluses, with ebf9d1299a prominent knuckles and long 71545ed94b fingers, moved with a 4cd4681ab2 gentleness akin to petting f421eb357e a dog.fae946a6cb44e229

It looked 0e8c6e499e like he 5455e5a058 was crafting 7ea4d42ff5 a delicate b0804578c7 watch or 644596f6a2 caressing petals.4a6819a8a4fdb68a

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For some reason, it was a sight she couldn’t easily look away from.6d5a11ea206b5dcc