Chapter 2 - My Rank is Major General (NEW)

“What?!” Lieutenant General Montel exclaimed in disbelief.

“You want Livy to pilot the Pure-Hued Lady?! Stop joking around!” The older man chided Claude.

“That aircraft’s system is far too complex; its speed is comparable to that of alien aircraft! It’s so hard to control, finding a pilot who can do so is downright impossible! Its technology completely exceeds our human capacities; it’s far too advanced for any of us to use! No one will be able to fly it, and Livy is no exception!”

Lieutenant General Montel furrowed his brows. “I know the Pure-Hued Lady is the result of your entire team’s blood, sweat, and tears. I know it’s as expensive to build as two fortress cities! However, such an aircraft is extremely risky to fly, and my conscience won’t allow us to use the lives of our pilots just to test it out!”

“Is that so?” There was an unfathomable expression in Claude’s eyes.

“In any event, you’re wrong about one thing: that the Pure-Hued Lady is completely impossible to pilot.”

Claude smiled. “The limits of human endurance have always surpassed those of human imagination. In the year 2012, the world couldn’t even fathom fighting on a level playing field with the aliens, but now, the speed of our aircraft is ninety percent that of alien aircraft. And, the speed of that young lad Livy’s fighter was merely ninety percent that of alien aircraft, yet, despite the odds, he was still able to defeat them. When we all thought it was a lost cause based on our own experiences, we saw for ourselves how he succeeded. Doesn’t this speak for itself?”

Montel sighed in defeat, “The Pure-Hued Lady is your creation, so you understand it best. It may not be my place to question your views and decisions when it comes to it. Therefore, I will not interfere within your jurisdiction; you do as you please.”

※※※

Meanwhile, Livy was sent to the ICU.

Because he had received a series of life-saving treatments, the pilot’s internal temperature, heart rate, and vitals were gradually returning to normal. The only reason why he was still unconscious was because of his extreme exhaustion.

The doctors and nurses who were responsible for his stabilization also had complete confidence that the young man would wake up after much-needed rest. Despite this, they were still monitoring his condition.

Suddenly, the door to the hospital ward wherein Livy was staying opened, and Claude walked in with one hand tucked inside his pocket as he stepped closer to Livy’s sleeping form.

He quietly scrutinized the young man’s sleeping face. Now that he was unconscious, the young man’s expressions had finally relaxed, and his handsome countenance, which looked a little stubborn, could be clearly seen — free and unrestrained. Everything about him, from the shape of his eyebrows, his closed eyes, to the little hollows by the corners of his mouth, painted him as a person who had not a care for the world.

This was the man who, in pushing the Blue Crisis to its limits and flying it at an unprecedented speed, showed the entire K11 Air Force Base what miracles looked like.

“How could I have failed to spot a prodigy such as yourself?” Claude started laughing self-deprecatingly.

Even though it had taken humanity several decades to have aircraft such as the Blue Crisis and the Pure-Hued Lady, the pilots who could fly the Blue Crisis with the same level of skill as Livy were rare. Most battles, regardless of whether the numbers were in favor of the human fighters or not, ended in one outcome: death to humanity.

Developing advanced aircrafts seemed pointless without a supply of skilled pilots to pilot them. To this day, the Pure-Hued Lady still remained inaccessible; even the most experienced of pilots could not control it. Though he acted confident in front of his skeptics, Claude himself doubted the Pure-Hued Lady would ever fly, at least in his lifetime, until this young pilot showed him it was possible to fly the Blue Crisis to its full potential.

“Perhaps, all this time, the Pure-Hued Lady was waiting for you. Maybe, it exists because of you… for you to fly it.” Claude whispered to himself as he watched the steady rise and fall of Livy’s chest.

Just then, a bespectacled young man barged inside the room. “Claude!” the visitor exclaimed anxiously, “I heard you were going to let this unseasoned fellow pilot the Pure-Hued Lady!”

“Hush.” Claude silenced him with a gesture.

“Miller, he needs rest.” Saying this, Claude silently walked out of the sickroom with careful but deliberate steps.

Seeing this, Miller followed Claude closely while scowling, “Tell me: what you told Lieutenant General Montel was just a joke, wasn’t it?” Miller indignantly asked.

“The Pure-Hued Lady cost us a fortune; it’s the fruit of everyone’s hard labor! I definitely don’t want to give it to some inexperienced chap!” He added.

“The chap’s name is Livy Van Perle,” Claude pointed out calmly. It was as if he hadn’t even acknowledged the fury in Miller’s eyes.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if his name is Livy Van Perle or whatever… didn’t you look at his files?!” Miller exclaimed as he waved the rustling documents in front of Claude’s face.

“His grades show that he barely passed his subjects in the Air Force Academy! Here, take a look at his technical flight reviews; it says ‘Disorderly and Chaotic’… ‘No Teamwork’… ‘Disregard for Flight Regulations’… Furthermore, the comment on his aerial marksmanship says his hit rate was only sixty percent! Again, he barely passed!” Miller grew more hysterical by the second as he read out the reports to Claude.

“As expected of you, Miller, your research is as thorough as always,” Claude told his companion with a thin smile. Then, he took the files from the former.

Claude flipped through the pages of the documents with relish, “Ah, see this?” He showed a page to Miller.

“Apparently, his grandfather used to drive a pesticide sprayer, and his grandmother drove an agricultural tractor. It’s genetic! No wonder he is so skilled at piloting.” Claude grinned.

Miller gave Claude a look of deep aghast.

“Claude…” Miller’s voice rose a pitch higher, “I’m not kidding with you!”

“Relax… breathe; Miller, why are you so anxious?” Claude chuckled lightly as he handed the documents back to him.

“Whether or not Livy earns the right to sit in the Pure-Hued Lady depends on his passing the simulated exams. If he, like the previous pilots we’ve tested, experiences vomiting and vertigo or doesn’t possess the adequate neurological reflexes, even I won’t give him the Pure-Hued Lady,” Claude reassured. However, Miller still looked unconvinced.

“But…” Miller looked as if he wanted to say more, but Claude had already calmly turned around.

His parting words were as follows: “Miller, I believe that you, too, wouldn’t want the Pure-Hued Lady to not have a pilot forever. You know that if it cannot fly up into the skies, it’s no better than an overpriced scrap of junk.”

Miller was then left behind to brood in the shadows, but the remnants of Claude’s voice continued to reverberate through the corridors.

※※※

Two days after his narrow escape from death, Livy finally regained consciousness.

He waited impatiently as the doctors thoroughly examined every part of his body — from his cerebrum to the condition of his heart — before officially announcing it was safe for him to leave the hospital ward.

Livy did the first thing on his mental agenda: finding his fighter jet.

It was necessary if he wanted to fly back to his base as soon as possible.

Throughout his search, Livy was privy to the pleasant greeting of every single person he passed by. More specifically, he frequently came face to face with a special ‘eye salute’, which was shot at him by all the residents of the air base. Regardless of whether they were ordinary workers or epaulet-wearing officers, all stared at him with the same appreciative expressions painted on their faces.

The entire way, Livy sported a dead fish look.

“What’s wrong?” A slightly teasing voice broke his reverie. “Don’t you like having the attention and admiration of everyone around you?” The voice added, and Livy turned around to see a man standing behind him. The stranger had an aristocratic countenance and was dressed in a camouflage uniform.

Though the military uniform was something Livy was already familiar with, the simple attire was unable to mask the sophistication and inherent charisma which radiated from the man; it was clear to Livy he was no ordinary soldier.

Livy smiled casually and absentmindedly tucked his hands into his pockets. He then gave a carefree shrug. The movement caused the lower hem of his T-shirt to rise. “I don’t like it,” Livy admitted to him.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve always been a problematic student. I’m used to receiving criticism. Condescending military instructors only care about well-behaved students who follow all the flight regulations, after all. I’m used to receiving others’ disdain, but not this.” Turning on his heels, Livy was ready to dismiss the short exchange when realization suddenly dawned upon him.

He quickly turned around and stared at the man indignantly, “Ahh… I recognize your voice! You’re that b*st*rd who fired the Alpha Missile! The one who designed my jet.” Livy exclaimed as he put two and two together: the voice of this man was the same one that had spoken to him two days ago!

“What kind of sh*tty fighter did you design?! It almost steamed me alive!” Livy angrily added.

“Then, do you want an even better fighter?” Claude asked as he stared at Livy’s expression with interest.

For a moment, Livy looked at him in shock.

He took a few small steps towards Claude; the latter couldn’t help but notice the sparkle in the former’s eyes. Livy suddenly started speaking, “I mean… is there even a better fighter than the Blue Crisis in this world?”

“But, even if there was, I have no f*cking interest at all!”

Bluntly stating his opinion, Livy quickly turned around and stomped away. Claude couldn’t sense any hesitance in his actions. Livy then spotted his fighter jet and marched towards it.

Reaching it, he noticed that it had been recently polished; its entire surface gleamed with unparalleled brilliance.

“Why did they even bother cleaning it? I liked its scruffy, wind-battered, and dusty outer appearance. It was manly that way.” Livy whispered to himself as he pressed his entire face onto the cold surface of the jet. He spoke and caressed it in such a loving manner that it was akin to those movie scenes wherein old lovers finally reunite.

However, Livy’s emotional reunion with his fighter jet was cut short when Claude walked over and leaned against its surface as well. The latter then opened his mouth, “It’ll be impossible for you to fly it back to your former base.”

“…And why is that?” Livy was nonplussed.

Claude brushed his fingertips against the aircraft’s wings, “Because I will not permit anyone to equip this fully-enclosed warplane with oxygen.” His calm smile held a hint of deviousness.

Livy stared at him in annoyance, “Why?” he asked again, but when Claude remained silent, Livy let out a long sigh.

“Look, while I’m grateful that you still let me into the base even though you guys didn’t even send a single fighter jet to aid us when all my teammates were dying in action…” The sarcasm could be heard from Livy’s tone as he spoke, “…I still have every right to return to my own base.” Livy’s voice lowered in pitch. It was clear from the former’s tone and expression that he detested the feeling of being controlled by others. The light in Livy’s eyes grew colder by the second as he stared at Claude.

“I can’t authorize your flight because I have the letter with your transfer order right here.” Claude told him as he calmly took out a piece of paper from within his pocket; he then opened it up and laid it flat before Livy’s face.

“You are now officially a soldier of the K11 Air Force Base. Furthermore, my rank is major general, and you are a technical sergeant. Not only do you have to salute me when you see me, but you are also legally bound to obey my orders.” Claude announced.

“What?” Livy’s eyes widened as if he had just suffered a terrible blow.

“Then, what do I do with my cake coupons? I can only cash them in at my former base! All the fighter jet models I collected are still back at home. If I don’t return, my roommate will take them all for himself! And… what about my Lily?! She promised that when I returned home, she would personally cook steak. Then, we’d have a candlelit dinner together and, afterwards, enjoy a hot night…” Livy’s voice started to trail off as he listed out all the reasons why he needed to fly back to his base. He felt as though he had been handed the short end of the stick when he should have been rewarded.

“First of all, here at the K11 Air Force Base, not only will we distribute cake coupons as part of your benefits plan, but, in addition to it, we will also give you laundry coupons and even fitness coupons. Secondly, we will also provide you with a single dormitory, so you won’t need to have a roommate. Thirdly, I can guarantee you that before your previous month’s cake coupons are used up, the next month’s cake coupons will be issued to you again. However, regarding the fighter jet models you have been collecting, I regret to inform you that you can only try and collect them again. Lastly, about the lovely Miss Lily, I can assure you that — besides yourself — there will be many other pilots who will rush to have that candlelit dinner with her, including that perfectly hot night you speak of.” Claude pointed out and then stepped closer to Livy. He then lowered his face to look into Livy’s eyes.

There was barely any distance between their bodies, and their breaths brushed against each other’s cheeks.

Although Claude had deliberately created this slightly awkward atmosphere to tease Livy, the latter seemed to be completely unaffected by his ministrations and only sneered back, “I still haven’t told you the most important point of why I can’t stay…” Livy told him.

“I. Hate. You.” He finished while emphasizing each word. Claude only smirked at him in reply before taking a step back.

“It’s quite a pity we cannot resolve that last point.” Claude started to walk away.

“Please report to me at the training base, Zone Z, tomorrow at nine in the morning,” Claude commanded while Livy stared at his retreating back.

“What are you going to do if I don’t go?” Livy blurted out; his expression was still reluctant.

Claude stopped in his tracks and gave him a sideways glance, “Then, in the future, you won’t have any cake coupons, laundry coupons, fitness coupons, shopping coupons, or even meal coupons. Moreover, you will not have a single dormitory — not even a shared one — but will have to endure the din of the open-air parking garage with all the other aircrafts that are being repaired. Most importantly, I will never give you the opportunity to date Lily, Lucy, or any other girl for that matter,” Claude told him, before leaving the dumbfounded Livy behind.

Livy couldn’t even protest; instead, he found himself rolling his eyes towards the heavens in defeat. He knew he had no choice but to accept his fate.

※※※

The operational efficiency of K11 Air Base was so high it could leave one speechless. This Livy noticed while his transfer was being finalized.

After completing the formalities of his new assignment, Livy was led to his designated dormitory by a female officer clad in a standard military uniform.

During their walk, Livy learned that the female officer accompanying him was named Kathy. She chattered animatedly about his current situation.

“If your performance that day hadn’t been so brilliant, no one would have believed a technical sergeant like yourself could receive the treatment of a captain,” she told him.

As she was talking, Livy couldn’t help but notice that her dashing military uniform seemed to outline the graceful curves of her body; the slit on her skirt made her legs appear even more slender.

Livy took in Kathy’s long legs with great interest; his eyes followed the sway of her hips with each step they took. Such was the only thing he did until they arrived at the entrance of his new dormitory.

Kathy must have noticed him ogling her for far too long, as she turned to stare at him in amusement, “What are you looking at?”

Livy replied without missing a beat: “At the most beautiful scenery in the entire K11 Air Force Base.” However, when he uttered those words, neither did his face blush nor did his heart flutter.

“Thanks for saying that,” Kathy replied before handing a stack of cake coupons to Livy.

“These are part of your benefits. Major General Claude Sien told me that before giving you the rest of your benefits, I should hand you the cake coupons first.”

“Got it — you didn’t have to, Kathy,” Livy propped himself against the door and shot her a smoldering look.

“To be honest, I don’t really like cake, so can I give them to you?” Even though Livy asked this innocently, the expression on his face was suggestive.

Kathy started laughing at him, “You are so cute.” She gave him a little poke on the forehead.

“I’m not really fond of cake, but if you have laundry coupons, I’d gladly accept those instead,” she added.

“Furthermore, I don’t like men who are younger than me,” she said with a smirk before walking away.

Livy watched her leave and admired her long legs one last time before shrugging his shoulders and closing the door behind him.

As he turned around, Livy allowed himself to take in the appearance of his new quarters.

The living room area alone was massive. Livy cursed under his breath. Just thinking about the luxuries he had now compared to what he was used to before made his blood boil. “What’s the point in making a single room so big? This is such a waste of space. This room is proof that corruption is real, I tell you!”

Livy then set off to finish some work which still needed his attention and by noon, Livy’s fingerprint, voice record, and pupil identification data had all been registered into the system. He was even able to use the voice system at the mess hall to connect with his account at headquarters to pay his bill.

To Livy, the whole process was so smooth it was almost depressing. He then decided to grab a quick lunch and found a spot to eat.

He ordered a large portion of fried squid rings and an oversized beer and ate monotonously while admiring the few young ladies in the area. It didn’t take long for his handsome appearance and good-natured demeanor to be noticed, and with the help of his (sparkling) sense of humor, he was able to have a lively conversation with two female officers who were sitting near him. When nighttime came, he finally retired back to his dorm and collapsed onto his warm bed.

It was clear by that time that Livy had already thrown all the things Claude had said to him to the moon.

**Special Note: Image by RENE RAUSCHENBERGER from Pixabay

To access the unedited version of Chapter 2, please click here .