Chapter 143

The command bridge of the Iason.

Sita, who had been operating the equipment with Nisia, approached me.

“Sister, the 4th Interstellar Fleet has confirmed the video we sent.”

“Good job, Sita. Nisia, could you please connect me with Ms. Barossa?”

“Yeah, just give me a moment.”

Nisia skillfully operating the communication equipment.

Not long after, Barossa’s face appeared on the holographic screen of the command bridge.

“Did you call me, Edu?”

“The 4th Interstellar Fleet has confirmed the video we sent.”

“Right on schedule. We’ll withdraw immediately and move the frigates to the designated location.”

Barossa nods from the screen.

“Yes, please be careful.”

“It’s not me but Edu and the friends there who need to be careful. Are you really okay with this?”

The worry is clearly audible in Barossa’s voice, perhaps because of the perilous tasks that lie ahead.

“We’re fine.”

With a faint smile, to ease Barossa’s worry, I nod once.

“I’m confident about this kind of thing.”

After all, if I hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have volunteered for this mission.

And, with the Iason, a vessel far superior to the equipment we used at AOE, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to do what we’ve already done countless times before.

Heehee, it’s time to show the old-timers’ strength.

“…Alright, if you say so, Edu. Still, always be careful, will you?”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

“Right, see you later!”

Barossa’s face disappears from the screen.

“Nisia, can you inform Ms. Freya about what we just discussed?”

“Should I tell her that the 4th Interstellar Fleet confirmed the video and that we informed Ms. Barossa?”

“Exactly.”

“Got it, I’ll send the message right away.”

Nisia operates the communication equipment.

At that moment, Sita’s voice, laced with worry, reaches my ears.

“…Will everything go well?”

“Even if it doesn’t, we have to make it so. Don’t worry too much.”

“…”

Sita gazes intently at me after hearing my answer.

Her face softens into a faint smile.

“Come to think of it, you’ve always been like that, haven’t you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Things that look impossible to anyone else, you handle effortlessly without showing any strain. You’re really amazing.”

“Uh….”

Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, I scratch my cheek awkwardly.

At that moment, Seoli, who had been listening to Sita, throws up her arms dramatically and reacts.

“Little Mommy, you’re amazing?”

“Yes, amazing. So, Seoli, you should listen to Little Mommy well, right?”

Sita, while stroking Seoli’s head, responds.

“Yes! Little Mommy is amazing!!”

Seoli cheering excitedly.

At that moment, Nisia’s voice is heard again.

“Edu, Freya says it’s going smoothly.”

“Good, let’s increase the speed further, shall we?”

A mischievous smile appears on my face.

“We need to prepare new friends to welcome the aliens!”

…

A giant golden disc hovers majestically over the ashen city.

Ships begin gathering around it one by one.

The green glow from the engines.

Gelang, who had transferred from the mothership to the battleship, watches the shimmering lights silently while waving his antennae.

Time flows slowly.

Even Gelang knows that not much time has actually passed, but he finds this waiting period excruciatingly precious.

After a long while, the face of the mother ship captain appears on the battleship’s command bridge.

“Admiral, all ships are assembled. We are ready to move at any time.”

“Good, launch the fleet!”

The captain’s expression darkens slightly at the command.

“…You’re not fully recovered yet, are you? Are you sure it’s alright?”

“You know as well as I do that this is not the sort of mission to entrust to inexperienced hands. There will inevitably be unforeseen situations.”

“…”

With Gelang’s confident reply, the captain can find no further words to object.

With a bow, the captain slowly speaks.

“…Understood, Admiral. Fleet launch! Commence mobilization!”

The 4th Interstellar Fleet moves.

The golden fleet cutting across the sky.

The clear marks of the Imperial Army’s emblem gleam prominently on its external armor, showcasing their imposing presence.

The lead battleships at the front, followed by the numerous supporting vessels.

As Gelang observed this, he grits his teeth and issues the next command.

“Realign the ships. The fleet will form a circular formation.”

“Yes, Admiral! All ships, form a circular formation!”

On the order, the ships quickly take their positions.

The battleships and aircraft carriers move into the center of the fleet, while the cruisers encircle them.

Last but not least, the destroyers position themselves on the outer edge enclosing everyone, completing the form.

Although typically, reformation requires a highly trained crew, the 4th Interstellar Fleet executes this smoothly without any noticeable difficulty.

“Good, full speed ahead!”

“Fleet full speed ahead! Mobilize!”

In unison, the large-scale fleet advances.

Thus, after traveling a while, the 4th Interstellar Fleet reaches the area indicated in the video sent by Edu.

“Admiral, we’ve arrived at the place you mentioned.”

“This is just the beginning. Direct all surveillance assets to the ground, launch reconnaissance planes from the carrier to thoroughly search the surface. We don’t know when or what might happen, so maintain maximum vigilance.”

“Understood, Admiral! Direct all surveillance assets to the surface, launch reconnaissance planes from the carrier! All ships, maximum vigilance maintained!”

At the renewed command, warning sirens echo loudly throughout the fleet.

Small spacecraft with capsule-like forms and long wings take off from the aircraft carriers, and the external surveillance equipment mounted below all the ships operate continuously without rest.

The cautious fleet continues on.

As time passed without any change, Gelang recognizes a big problem.

‘Too expansive.’

The search area is excessively vast, while the concentrated use of his fleet doesn’t seem very efficient.

‘Should we deploy all the aircraft carriers? No, that’s too risky….’

Several thoughts arise in Gelang’s mind, but all methods come with certain risks.

For these reasons, Gelang cannot make a swift decision.

Click.

Click.

Dissatisfied, Gelang grits his teeth.

After a long deliberation, a new command is issued.

“…Split the fleet into four. Also, all fleets should use the line formation to search a broader area.”

“Understood. Disperse the fleet! All fleets, form a line!!”

As if slicing fruit, the 4th Interstellar fleet splits cleanly into four.

The four divisions spread out to their respective sectors and continue their search.

A long time of waiting.

As impatience mounted, Gelang could only fidget with his antennae when, finally, the awaited information arrives.

“Admiral! We’ve found the prisoners!”

“Good, send us their location! Gather all ships!”

“Understood, all ships! Regroup at the given coordinates!”

The swift convergence of the 4th Interstellar Fleet.

The screens aboard the battleship’s bridge display the same prisoners depicted in the video, and after a brief moment of relief, Gelang raises his voice.

“Deploy the rescue team immediately and send the cargo ships down. Be cautious, as there could be traps or other dangers. Proceed carefully.”

“Yes, Admiral! Rescue team deploy! Cargo ship prepare to receive the rescued allies!”

Shuttles descending toward the desolate wasteland.

A large transport ship lands while maintaining a safe distance from them.

“Seems to be going well.”

At the captain’s comment, Gelang taps on the command chair.

“…That’s why I’m uneasy.”

“Huh?”

“…”

Ignoring the captain’s question, Gelang recalls past events.

In the Admiral’s mind, he recalls Edu, the native organism of this planet, with its long hair.

“It hasn’t been long since we negotiated about the prisoners, but now they’ve casually abandoned them. This means they likely never considered the prisoners important in the first place.”

Gelang’s antennae tremble slightly, overwhelmed by the unease and uncertainty.

“Though they might seem weak on the surface, they are certainly not an easy opponent. What exactly are they planning?”

Gelang’s contemplation deepens.

“Admiral.”

The voice breaks through his thoughts.

“Speak.”

“According to the rescue team, what seems to be ropes surrounding the prisoners are actually bombs. While the design itself is primitive, the mechanism will take a long time to dismantle, thus it will require some time.”

“Understood. Convey a message to expedite the process as much as possible.”

“Yes, Admiral!”

The deputy commander walks toward the communication soldier.

Click.

Time drags on.

When a different kind of anxiety and frustration started creeping in.

“Admiral!”

“Speak!”

“An object is approaching us at high speed! It’s likely a ship class!”

“Of course…! All ships, prepare for combat!”

“Yes! The enemy approaches! Ready for interception!”

…

“Sister, there’s an enemy fleet ahead!”

“Yeah, I see it! Let’s break through this! Iason, set the barrier to max in front and accelerate!”

“Understood, Captain Edu. Increasing ship speed to maximum and boosting the front barrier accordingly.”

Iason accelerates further.

The white ship flashes and cuts across the blue sky like a streak of light.

“Commence interception! Fire!”

Gelang’s voice echoes within the battleship.

“All ships! Begin firing!”

The executive officer repeats the orders and all the ships’ cannonades unleash streams of fire simultaneously.

Boom! Crash! Bang!

The old-style guns spew black smoke alongside the thunderous roar of laser cannons firing.

“Now! Climb!”

“Climbing.”

Simultaneously, Iason pivots by tilting its bow upward following Edu’s command.

At a narrow margin, the white ship dodges the barrage and steadies itself, returning to level position.

Huuuung! Kuuuuwaaaang!

Missed projectiles impact the ground, followed by successive explosions.

“Alright, we’ll do it once more! Iason, stay focused!”

“Understood Captain Edu.”

“Fire the anti-aircraft barrage! Rearrange the turrets!”

The deputy commander issues rapid orders even before Gelang can speak.

Endless gun barrels aim in Iason’s direction again.

“Fire!!”

At Gelang’s cry, fire bursts from all the ships simultaneously.

“Dive sharply! Duck!”

“Diving.”

The harsh maneuver causes the field of vision to shake slightly, and shells and beams zoom past overhead.

The distance has now shortened significantly.

“Damn it! Fire as soon as you’re ready! We cannot let them approach the fleet further!”

While the battleships reload, continuous barrages pour out from the cruisers and destroyers, but Iason continues to advance, unfazed by the fierce assault.

Finally, the white ship breaches into the core of the 4th Interstellar Fleet.

“Eward! Now! You can’t miss this!”

“I know! Fire!”

The reserve artillery mounted underneath the Iason lets out a blast.

Bang!

A flash glimmers amidst a thick black explosion.

“Prepare for impact!”

Even while Gelang raised his voice, nothing unusual happens to the fleet.

It’s because Iason’s gun was not aimed at them.

The projectile flies in the direction from which they came and disappears into the distance.

Ruuung…

The distant sound of an explosion.

“Alright, keep this speed up and ascend! Let’s disengage!”

“Understood, Captain Edu.”

The nose tilts upward.

With that, Iason disengages from the battlefield.

“Enemy ship continues to ascend! It’s leaving the airspace!”

“Hm?!”

Just as I was wondering if the lone intruder had some ulterior motive, it strangely disappears without anything happening, leaving behind the question marks.

Just then, the eyes of a soldier monitoring the radar widen in disbelief.

“Admiral!”

“Speak.”

“Something’s rapidly approaching! Multiple unidentified movements detected!”

“Unidentified movement? Display the radar on the screen.”

“Ah, understood!”

The radar screen displayed on the monitor.

A blank screen suddenly updates with a chirping sound, revealing something.

A small, round object easily missed.

Another chirp, and more circles appear at the end of the radar.

Chirp.

The number of circles increases.

Chirp chirp.

More circles keep appearing.

Chirp chirp chirp.

Now the radar isn’t showing circles but an entire side of it filled.

Chirp chirp chirp chirp –

“Th-This is…!”

The formerly still ground begins to shake.

Not due to a natural phenomenon, but from countless creatures dashing across the land, bringing the vibrations of death and fear.

Beyond the clouds, dark shapes appear, revealing themselves.

– Kieeaaaah!!!

– Kyaaaaah!!!

Under the commands of the wounded Queen, the monstrous army moves forward, set on destroying everything.

Staining the ground and sky, tens of thousands of Cryptids surge towards the 4th Interstellar Fleet.

“That, those monsters…!”

The deputy commander, struck with shock.

Meanwhile, Gelang can’t suppress his anger as he clicks his teeth together.

“Damn it!”

So, that’s what they were aiming for—using the prisoners to tie us down and using us as fodder for these monsters?

Only now does Gelang understand the enemy’s strategy.

But it’s too late to retreat now.

Even if we abandon the prisoners and retreat, these monsters won’t be satisfied and will inevitably chase after us.

“Do not panic! Prepare for interception! Launch ground troops! All ships commence firing!!”

“Understood, Admiral! Launch ground troops! All ships commence firing!!”