Chapter 1252: promotion: Team leader
The fighting in this theater lasted for a full two weeks.
During these two weeks.
The flight squadron that Zhao Chen belongs to.
From the initial excitement and exhilaration.
From numbness to fear.
Their current interstellar battleground has become a meat grinder.
More than 100 million interstellar fighters and 10 billion interstellar drones have been deployed on this interstellar air battlefield.
According to the intelligence information Zhao Chen had gathered.
On average, every day, in this interstellar air combat battlefield.
At least one million starfighters were destroyed.
To date, the Covenant has lost nearly 20 million starfighters in this battlefield.
The other party has roughly the same number.
The casualty ratio was almost one to one.
Both sides are continuously increasing the number of interstellar fighters deployed to the region.
Zhao Chen sat in the starship restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows; this seat required an extra charge.
Ordinary space soldiers probably wouldn't splurge here.
But in Zhao Chen's eyes, it was just a string of numbers.
He ate a simple meal while looking at the view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Just then, we saw an interstellar supply ship resupplying the mothership.
In one of the semi-transparent docking corridors, rows of folded starfighters were being transported to replenish the starfighters lost in the past few days.
At the same time, a transport ship docked with the mother ship, and a team of soldiers was boarding the ship.
Those were the newly arrived starfighter pilots.
beep beep beep
At this moment, Zhao Chen received a message on his handheld terminal.
That was a message from the newly appointed battalion commander, ordering all squad leaders to proceed to a certain cabin.
These past two weeks have passed.
Zhao Chen's current identity is completely different from before.
Even if Zhao Chen wanted to keep a low profile.
He has now become the captain of a squad.
Captain of the 18th Flight Squadron.
The original plan was to form ten flight squadrons.
However, since it is currently a wartime period, temporary expansion will be permitted during wartime in order to ensure the availability of interstellar fighters.
Adjustments will be made after the war.
Because of Zhao Chen's outstanding performance in the past two weeks, Zhao Chen was promoted to warrant officer.
He is also the captain of a squadron of three hundred interstellar fighter pilots.
Zhao Chen himself felt quite helpless about this reward.
He quickly finished the food in front of him.
Then they headed toward the cabin that had been mentioned.
Inside the cabin, there were rows of people sitting.
They were wearing military uniforms and carrying backpacks; most of them looked rather young.
In front of them, the captains of each squad were gathered together.
"Little Zhao." Lieutenant Zhang waved to Zhao Chen as he arrived.
The other team leaders also greeted Zhao Chen.
After working side by side for so long, everyone has come to accept this pilot who was transferred from the Army Aviation fighter jet division.
I also admire his fighter piloting skills on the battlefield.
"This is the latest batch of newly recruited drivers."
We'll each pick one to take home later.
The captain ordered us to get them ready to fly their starfighters into battle within a day.
The vast majority of these are students from various interstellar fighter piloting academies. "Lieutenant Zhang... no, he should be called Lieutenant Zhang now."
He was promoted as expected.
It is estimated that after this battle ends, he may have the opportunity to become a battalion commander.
"We wanted to teach these greenhorns the real battlefield in just one day."
Hehehe...
"A week from now, we'll be lucky if 30% of these people survive," the middle-aged captain said coldly.
New fighter pilots have the highest mortality rate.
Especially the first five combat sorties.
Almost half of the 'newcomers' fail to overcome this hurdle.
"This is the list, as usual."
The teams select members in order.
"Once the squad is full, the selection process ends." Since the battalion commander wasn't present, Lieutenant Zhang was in charge here.
Everyone started selecting new members.
The newlyweds sitting on the ground were like little chicks, raising their heads and waiting to be chosen.
Zhao Chen made the most selections.
Because his eighteenth squad was the newest, temporarily formed one.
It could also be said that it was specifically created for his promotion to warrant officer.
The unit consisted of three hundred soldiers.
Apart from the ten veterans assigned to Zhao Chen, all the rest had to be selected from these new recruits.
This is a flight squadron.
They are often referred to as the death squad.
The mortality rate in the first battle will be quite high.
Zhao Chen looked at the list that had already been selected.
The captains of each squad began calling out the names on their rosters.
Those whose names were called left with their respective team leaders.
Zhao Chen wasn't in a hurry.
Anyway, he has the most people.
After the other team leaders had all taken their people away.
Zhao Chen looked at the remaining nearly three hundred people, craning his neck to look at his captain.
Zhao Chen stepped forward, glanced at the group of people, and pointed to his rank: "My name is Zhao Chen, Warrant Officer."
This is the commander of the 18th squadron of the 3rd flight group of the mothership.
You are now all members of the 18th squad.
Now you have everything. Stand up and follow me.
After saying that, Zhao Chen walked ahead without looking back.
The greenhorns followed behind.
And among them, quite a few people began to complain quietly at this moment.
"Why am I so unlucky?"
"We actually ran into the Death Squad."
"We're both new recruits and a death squad, a double whammy...sigh..."
"What does 'death squad' mean?" a naive recruit asked.
"You don't even know this?"
The fact that so many people have joined our team all at once means that it is a newly established or rebuilt team.
Since everyone was a stranger and there was no coordination or cooperation among them, the survival rate on the battlefield naturally decreased.
At least they have veterans to take care of them.
What about us?
Another death squad, another batch of recruits.
In the past, records show that the mortality rate of such squads in their first battle can be as high as 70%!
Only after this battle was the squad truly established.
And we are the cornerstone of this team.
Upon hearing this...
Many of the new recruits had fear in their eyes.
Soon, Zhao Chen led the group to a lounge.
This lounge is relatively cramped because it is a backup lounge.
Zhao Chen looked at everyone who had sat down.
He crossed his arms and said calmly, "The Death Squad... is entirely composed of rookies... with a mortality rate as high as 70%..."
I know that most of you are well aware of this.
When Zhao Chen spoke, an aura emanated from him.
It's completely different from before.
The veterans around him looked at the captain with some surprise.
This captain's aura is even more intimidating than that of the battalion commander.
"That's certainly true in theory."
But as long as you obey my orders and commands during battle.
I can guarantee the first battle in the future.
Your mortality rate will be less than 20%!
I will ensure that the vast majority of you return here safely.
Zhao Chen's gaze sharpened: "I, Zhao Chen, guarantee it to you!"