Even in such a busy spaceport, the sight of more than a hundred brawny men bidding farewell to one delicate, handsome young man drew plenty of attention.
Yu Lian and the burly men of 101st Company were officially parting ways that day. The cargo ship they'd taken was headed to Gibraltar Beta Starport, so they naturally had to transfer here. Captain Winter and his crew would return to their station aboard their mothership, the cruiser Don Quixote: New Bukhara, three jumps from the stargate. Yu Lian was supposed to take a passenger ship straight back to Earth, but he'd received a message saying an officer from the Outer Ring Fleet wanted to see him.
"See? I told you your name would reach the ears of the senior officers before you even graduated. It really is time you gave some serious thought to your future," Captain Winter said with a smile.
"So you should seriously consider serving in the Outer Rim Military District. It'd be even better if you joined the Hell Paratrooper Division. You might be our regimental commander in just two or three years. For a soldier, the greatest blessing—aside from having reliable comrades—is having a reliable commander," Lieutenant Pakin added.
The burly men of 101st Company were all laughing, and Yu Lian was laughing too. They'd fought a battle—a great victory, and without a single casualty—so everyone was in high spirits. The friendship forged in the heat of battle had formed naturally. Simply put, men's friendship was pure, and a soldier's friendship was purer still.
"Safe travels!"
"Safe travels! Take care!"
After seeing off the men of 101st Company, Yu Lian picked up his luggage and followed the directions in the message he'd received, leaving the starport's cargo-ship berths. As passenger ships bound for the Solar System announced