San Francisco Incident (4)_2

It was quite understandable and logical; actually, human military equipment also possessed similar defensive systems, like explosive reactive armor. Instead of passively taking a heavy hit from the enemy, it was better to repel the enemy's projectile first. However, it seemed that the defense shield of this alien warplane was excessively powerful. It not only boasted an almost impregnable passive defense but could also actively push away the enemy's missile heads. Those 20 mm cannon bullet heads were dispersing outward in a way that was visible to the naked eye.

From his position on the ground, Bai Zhongqi couldn't see everything clearly, after all, the distance was great. But given that the original direction of the projectiles fired at the alien warplane had changed, with all of them flying outward, it must have been the result of the proactive actions of the shield.

Merely a shield had Bai Zhongqi utterly captivated and bewildered at this moment. What kind of advanced and high-end black technology did this alien warplane possess? In front of it, humanity's nearly most cutting-edge weapons were rendered completely powerless.

Now, the alien warplane also seemed to have lost interest in playing with the F-22 anymore. It performed an inconceivable move in the air, using the nose as a pivot point, the tail of the plane rapidly swayed, drawing a near-perfect 180-degree semicircular arc, instantly aligning its nose towards the Raptor that had just fired at it.

In the next second, only a thin finger-like, seemingly faint red light emanated from beneath the nose of this alien warplane, accompanied by a noticeable upwards motion. This red light existed for barely more than a second. When Bai Zhongqi sharply turned his gaze back to the F-22, he already saw that the part of the F-22's fuselage where it connected to the right main wing had been sliced open by this red light. Having lost its wing, the now unbalanced F-22, like a fly with its wings clipped, spiraled towards the ground.

Inside the cockpit of the alien warplane, a handsome young Iridium Star pilot revealed a cold smirk. The cockpit of this warplane was entirely different from those of Earth's warplanes. There were no displays or control sticks; the pilot was fixed within a single-person cockpit resembling a "coffin." The pilot didn't need to physically control the warplane using their hands or feet; a V2-style consciousness-transmitting pilot helmet was the main control device. The warplane's comprehensive sensors transmitted all visual and other information to the pilot in virtual and augmented reality. The pilot's neural signals were directly processed into electrical and optical signals recognizable by the warplane by the flight helmet. That is to say, with the V2-style flight helmet, the warplane became an extension of the pilot's body, and flying became as natural as controlling one's own senses and limbs, thus making the warplane more agile and flexible.

The first-generation consciousness-transmitting flight helmet, V1, was instantly favored by the Iridium Star Universe Force Airborne Troops upon its introduction. Although switching from traditional flying to consciousness flying was a colossal transition, and many elite pilots couldn't adapt to the new flight mode, the consciousness-transmitting flight helmet conferred a big victory for the Iridium Star Universe Force Airborne Troops in the war against Spiral Mosquito Star. Thousands of Imperial warplanes, as if moving limbs, turned from lambs to the slaughter into fearsome wolves against the initially superior Spiral Mosquito Star warplanes. The Imperial Universe Army even built hundreds of Carrier Cruisers, which were previously unpopular, to launch frequent swarm bombings and surprise attacks against the Spiral Mosquito Fleet and Administrative Star, achieving remarkable victories.

At this moment, the pilot who had come to Earth, Diane, had not participated in that glorious and legendary war, but his father was a pilot then, an unsung hero who had never achieved even a single kill.

Diane wasn't an Iridian by blood; he hailed from Moon Pond Star, the 112th Administrative Star of the Empire. Moon Pond inhabitants had physical differences from Iridians, their skin was paler, a kind of powder-white, quite distinct from the complexion of Caucasians on Earth. Moon Pond inhabitants had golden-white hair that grew extremely fast, almost reaching shoulder-length within a week, and their pupils were gray-white, not particularly known for good vision. This race, during the initial colonization of Moon Pond Star by the Empire, was still in a slave society, quite primitive. However, within the aesthetic standards of the Iridians, they were considered a beautiful race, with elegant bodies and striking features. Thus, for a time, lovers from Moon Pond became a fashion in the Empire.

In the Empire, Moon Pond inhabitants were branded with an indelible impression of being all beauty and no practical abilities; even the people of Moon Pond eventually accepted this stereotype. Moon Pond parents taught their children to learn how to dress and groom themselves, to pursue arts, and discouraged them from wasting time on natural and social sciences, or from attempting to learn anything about administrative management. It was enough for Moon Pond people to just be beautiful. Being a minority with a population of around twenty million, which was less than 0.2% of the Empire's total population, Moon Pond people were rarely seen in any profession other than dancers, singers, actors, and public relations.

When Diane's father became a pilot, it caused a sensation on Moon Pond Star. However, his father, after five sorties during the war and not achieving any victories, was even shot down and never recovered, confirming the belief among all Moon Pond people: "Indeed, we Moon Pond people are not cut out for military professions. We simply cannot excel at it, it's nothing but a death sentence."

However, Diane never felt that way. He saw his father's death and the self-assured fate of the Moon Pond people as a disgrace; he entered the Imperial Flight School with effort a hundred times greater than others, and though he graduated with relatively low scores, he still realized his dream of becoming a pilot. His colleagues mocked and looked down on him, but the more they did so, the less he could afford to give up.

Finally, in the campaign against interstellar pirates led by Captain Xu Lanzhou, Diane achieved his first aerial victory. Even though it was an outdated fighter, it was still the first aerial victory accomplished by a Moon Pond pilot. Military reports even featured a special article affirming Diane's efforts. Initially, Diane thought he had finally made it, but his comrades-in-arms still looked at him with light laughter, suggesting that anyone could have done that.

Diane's heart bled, but he couldn't refute them, for every Imperial pilot was extremely competent. His efforts could only ensure that he wasn't left behind. Like a string stretched too tight no longer able to bear the tension, Diane decided to leave the Universe Army.

However, his superior, Xu Lanzhou, a female officer of a similar age to him, called him to her and said only three words: "Don't you quit!"

As a young girl carrying the glory and burden of the Twelve Knights of Destiny family, Xu Lanzhou faced pressures arguably greater than Diane's. But she had risen from a junior officer to Fleet Commander and was still unsatisfied, conquering others' prejudices against her.

Diane did not retire and accepted Xu Lanzhou's invitation to join the R19 Exploration Fleet. Then he arrived on Earth, tasked with a military probing mission against Earth.

"A second aerial victory?" Diane didn't feel any joy. The so-called F-22 fighter jet opposite him seemed so foolishly terrifying that it was even inferior to the pirate fighter he had shot down the first time. Achieving such a victory didn't give Diane any sense of satisfaction.

New orders came through the V2 Tactical Flight Helmet: "Evacuate from within Earth's atmosphere and do not engage with any Earth weaponry."

Diane sent a confirmation of the order received, thinking to himself — even if he had come to a new universe, his goal of becoming an ace Imperial pilot would not change. Whether it was vulnerable F-22s or powerful enemies like the Spiral Mosquito Star fighters, he would shoot them all down to carve his path as an ace.

Because only then would he be worthy of the beautiful girl stationed on the Sacred Falcon.

The indelible image that was already branded in the depths of his heart.