Quick Wear: Love still depends on two love brains

"Admiral, the air ahead is clear, we can jump, please give instructions." The adjutant's steady voice came from the communicator. It was slightly hoarse after the long journey, but still as precise as a calibrated laser beam.

Pei Jin sat in the cockpit of the "Silver Falcon" mecha, his knuckles resting lightly on the cold metal joystick.

The blue light in the cockpit outlined his sharp jawline, and the black iron badge pinned on the collar of his combat uniform had a matte sheen—it was the Federation's highest military medal, the "Stardust Edge," and its edges had been rubbed smooth and warm over the years.

On the holographic screen in front of him, the star map was refreshing at a speed of three thousand light years per second. The smell of gunpowder from the reef belt seemed to still linger in his nose, interweaving with the cold air sent by the mecha's circulation system to form a strange scent.

"Got it." His voice came through the throat microphone, as calm as a frozen galaxy.

With three taps on the control panel, the optical lens of the Silver Falcon mecha suddenly lit up with a faint blue light, like a lone wolf awakening in the wilderness.

The energy core in the mecha's chest emitted a low humming sound, and the data stream on the dashboard jumped wildly, finally freezing on the green mark of "100% synchronization rate".

"Attention all units, the jump coordinates have been synchronized to the tactical channel." Pei Jin's eyes swept across the team list on the right side of the virtual screen. The light spots of thirty-seven combat units were arranged neatly, like the military formation he had polished with his own hands.

"Check the antimatter engine. Energy threshold locked at 98%. Reserve emergency buffer space."

The fleet of mecha warships behind him responded and moved.

The three hundred warships were like steel rocs with their wings spread out. The energy shields on the ships lit up one after another, weaving a flowing light net in the dark universe.

The flagship in the front row suddenly let out a long whistle, which was the signal of the federal fleet's triumphant return. The sound waves turned into energy ripples in the vacuum, gently hitting the armor of the Silver Falcon mecha.

"Jump countdown, ten seconds." Pei Jin's fingertips hovered over the red button, and the vibrations in the cockpit gradually increased in frequency, like some ancient war drum. "Ten, nine..."

The star map on the holographic screen began to distort, and the distant stars turned into blurred bands of light.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the photo frame on the passenger seat - it was a photo of him and his fallen comrades five years ago. The edges of the photo had been cracked by the resonance of the mecha.

"Three, two, one."

The moment the button was pressed, the entire universe seemed cast into a kaleidoscope. The Silver Falcon mecha was the first to tear through the spatial barrier, its silver-white fuselage trailing a thousand-meter-long tail of light through the jump channel, like a comet streaking through the dawn.

The fleet following closely behind formed an arrowhead formation, with its energy tail flames interweaving into huge wings of light, crushing the meteorite fragments along the way into cosmic dust.

The space and time in the jump channel appeared to be a strange jelly-like shape. Pei Jin could clearly see the distorted starlight flowing on the shell of the mecha, like a group of restless fireflies.

When the light faded away, the outline of the main star appeared in the field of vision.

This planet, regarded as the heart of the Federation, is now emitting a gentle blue-green light. The space station in the synchronous orbit is like a diamond inlaid on a ribbon, reflecting a colorful halo as it slowly rotates.

The airport's gravitational field has been activated.

When the Silver Falcon mecha passed through the atmosphere, the flames generated by the friction between its surface and the air were instantly extinguished by the energy shield, leaving only a light layer of white mist.

In the airport square below, tens of thousands of people were cheering while holding fluorescent signs. The words "Pei Jin Legion" rose and fell in the twilight, like a surging sea of ​​stars.

"Silver Falcon requesting landing, coordinates A7 landing pad."

"Permitted to land. The ground has been cleared. Medical teams and logistics vehicles are on standby in the designated area."

The tower responded with uncontrollable joy.

The mecha's landing gear slowly extended, and the hydraulic system made a slight hissing sound.

When the silver-white soles of the feet touched the alloy ground, the vibration of the airport caused the cheers in the square to instantly rise eight degrees.

Pei Jin turned off the engine, and the cockpit door slowly opened like a lotus. Fresh air rushed in, carrying the unique scent of gardenias from the main planet, dispelling the lingering smell of gunpowder in the cockpit.

He stood up, his black combat boots making crisp sounds as they stepped on the metal steps of the boarding stairs.

The cheers in the square suddenly stopped for a second, and the eyes of tens of thousands of people were focused on him - there was a deep tear on the left arm of his combat uniform, and the dark red blood had dried to the color of rust.

Only those eyes were still astonishingly bright, like stars tempered by ice.

"Major General Pei, thank you for your hard work." The voice of the federal president pierced the crowd. He was wearing a neat dark blue dress, and the federal emblem on his chest shone golden in the setting sun.

The 62-year-old man walked forward quickly, his steps steady and not befitting a man in his seventies. The gene repair technology of the interstellar era made his hair still black, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes hid the fatigue that could not be concealed.

Pei Jin raised his hand in salute, his metal gloves rustling against his combat uniform. "Mr. President, I have done my duty."

"What a great honor to have fulfilled the mission!" The field marshal standing behind the president suddenly laughed out loud, his gray beard fluttering in the wind, and the medals hanging on his chest jingling.

"The Zerg nest in the reef zone has been uprooted. You've really dug up the Zerg's ancestral grave this time!"

The surrounding generals echoed the sentiment, and the Air Force Marshal handed over a glass of amber liquid. "This is Star Dew Wine, a specialty of the main planet. It's chilled and will help you feel better."

Pei Jin took the wine glass, and the coolness from his fingertips relaxed his tense nerves a little.

He tilted his head back and drank it all. The wine had a sweet fruity aroma as it slid down his throat, but it also ignited a warm fire in his stomach.

The people in the square cheered again, and someone suddenly sang the federal national anthem. The singing of thousands of people merged into a torrent, echoing over the airport for a long time.

"Has the casualty report been compiled?" The president suddenly lowered his voice and his smile faded a little.

"One hundred and thirty-seven men were killed and two hundred and nine were seriously injured. They are all currently receiving treatment on the hospital ship." Pei Jin's voice deepened. "The leading assault team was ambushed by the Queen Insect. Captain Zhao Yan, in order to protect the main force..."

"I understand." The president patted his shoulder gently, the gold thread on his tuxedo leaving a faint indentation on the back of his hand. "The pension has been doubled. The names of the martyrs will be inscribed on the Federal Wall of Heroes, and their families will be fully cared for by the government."

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion at the edge of the square.

Pei Jin turned his head and saw a group of scientific researchers in white coats running towards them, pushing instruments. The old professor in their lead was holding a transparent container with a dark purple tissue floating inside - that was the nerve core of the queen insect.

"Major General Pei! The activity of this thing has not completely disappeared. We need to take it back to the laboratory immediately!" The old professor's glasses reflected excitement.

When Pei Jin nodded, he caught a glimpse of a special figure in the crowd out of the corner of his eye - a young mother holding a child, waving the child's little hand at him.

The child's clothes were printed with the pattern of the Silver Falcon mecha, his tender face was stained with fluorescent paint, and when he smiled, two missing front teeth were exposed.

His gaze lingered on the child's face for two seconds before he turned to the president and said, "The Legion still needs to take inventory of its equipment. I'll go take care of the follow-up matters first."

"Go ahead," the president said, smiling and waving his hand. "I'll have the kitchen save the fattest roasted star beast leg for you at the celebration banquet tonight."

The shadow of the Silver Falcon mecha stretched long across the ground. As Pei Jin walked back to the cockpit along the stairs, he heard children in the square singing a newly composed ballad: "The Silver Falcon flies, stardust falls, the Zerg flee, and the heroes return..."

The moment the cabin door closed, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

The night sky of the main star has become completely dark, and countless stars are like overturned diamond boxes, scattered on the dark blue velvet.

The warships in the distance were unloading the wounded. The white lights of the medical ships and the neon lights of the airport were intertwined, like a gentle dream.

Pei Jin turned on the communicator and called up the list of fallen soldiers.

As his fingertips brushed across those familiar names, he suddenly remembered what Zhao Yan had said before they set out: "After we win, I'm going to take my son to see the meteor shower on the main star."

Outside the window, a meteor suddenly streaked across the night sky, leaving a long tail of light and disappearing on the horizon.

Pei Jin tightly grasped the dog tag on his chest, which had the names of all his fallen comrades engraved on it. The cold metal gradually warmed up in his palm.

The holographic screen in the cockpit suddenly lit up, displaying a message from the logistics department: "The urns of all fallen soldiers have been sealed with star nanmu wood and will be personally delivered to the heroes' cemetery by their families."

He sighed softly and restarted the mech's internal lighting.

In this small space belonging to him and Silver Falcon, the lights of thousands of homes on the main planet flickered outside the porthole, like countless pairs of eyes staring at him.

"Going home." Pei Jin whispered to the empty passenger seat, as if his comrade-in-arms from five years ago was still sitting there.

The optical lens of the Silver Falcon mecha lit up again. This time, it was no longer in the cold combat mode, but a gentle light reflecting the stars in the sky.