Chapter 71

The command bridge of the flagship.

Most of Earth, now desolate and transformed into a sandy hue, was being observed uneasily by a single figure.

With a protruding jaw resembling a crocodile mixed with a lizard and scaly reptilian skin, the figure’s appearance was already imposing. However, the spikes jutting out like thorns only added to the sinister aura, transforming the figure into someone downright menacing.

Truly the visage of a warrior.

Yet, the outfit this person wore was immaculate—gold and purple combined, clearly the uniform of a high-ranking officer of the Ustansha Empire Army.

The decorations on his uniform gleamed under the faint light filtering through the thick viewport.

This was none other than Jo of the Ssusar, Admiral of the 3rd Interstellar Fleet of the Ustansha Galactic Empire.

Jo of the Ssusar, known for his fiery temper matching his warlike appearance, could do nothing now but look down at Earth with a somber gaze.

“Damn it…”

Clutching his fists tight with rising anger, Ssusar Jo nonetheless suppressed it, knowing all too well that no matter how much rage he felt, the soldiers devoured by native organisms and the sunken ships would not return.

At that moment, a small creak sounded as the door opened, letting a ray of light into the dim room.

“…What is it? If it’s not urgent, I instructed that reports should be given to the flagship captain, not me—”

“It’s urgent, Admiral.”

“…Tch.”

Ssusar Jo glanced toward the room with clear reluctance as the subordinate entered, placing their left hand on their chest and raising the right high in salute. However, Jo ignored the gesture.

“Speak.”

“Yes, Admiral. We’ve lost contact with one of the destroyer ships we left stationed at the ground occupation zone.”

“What? Lost contact?”

As the words registered, the fury that had consumed Ssusar Jo’s mind receded, making way for the cool demeanor of a seasoned commander.

“The ground forces? Weren’t troops dispatched alongside them?”

“Indeed, we’ve also lost contact with the ground forces accompanying them.”

“Hmm…”

Taking a moment to think, Ssusar Jo was uneasy. Waiting idly in orbit while doing nothing had never been his style, but the sudden shift in a previously calm situation made him uneasy.

Questions and concerns flooded his mind, yet the decision didn’t take long.

“What forces are available immediately?”

“Not many. All destroyers are off-duty, so we should probably choose among the larger ships.”

Besides the destroyers, the fleet possessed cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. But sending a battleship or aircraft carrier would seem excessive; thus, a cruiser was the logical choice.

“Dispatch not two but three cruisers in cryosleep to the ground.”

“Three cruisers?”

“Yes, I don’t know what’s happening, but my instincts tell me things aren’t good. We need overwhelming force down there, prepare accordingly.”

“Understood, Admiral.”

…

Wheeeeeng – Wheeeeeeng!

The hollow emptiness of space was pierced by an alarm.

From the fleet waiting in orbit, large ships with thick bodies slowly broke formation.

There were exactly three.

They resembled symmetrical shapes like two round shields connected front to back, with long wing-like structures on both sides. Once safely away from the main fleet, blue flames erupted from the cruisers’ engines.

Whooshhhhhh—

The group of cruisers heading toward their descent points to Earth left trails of light that dimmed into tiny specks in the vast darkness. At that moment, the dormant battleship in the fleet’s corner came alive with lights flashing across its surface.

Its angular and linear body slanted gently, its golden hull reflecting brilliantly under the sharp engine units further ahead. Above it, the command bridge stood out prominently, gleaming.

Standing on the bridge were two aliens observing the receding engine lights of the cruisers.

“Lieutenant, where are those cruisers heading?”

“They’ve been ordered by the Admiral to investigate something.”

“Hmm, investigate?”

“Yes.”

Something in the lieutenant’s tone raised the captain’s suspicion.

Currently, the 3rd Interstellar Fleet had suffered heavy losses from counterattacks by native organisms.

In such a situation, it was highly unlikely they would dispatch three cruisers for a simple task.

A whiff of opportunity was in the air—an opportunity for glory.

Thus, the battleship captain grinned and trembled his antennae atop his forehead.

“Lieutenant, wasn’t our mission patrol?”

“Yes, Captain. Why ask?”

“Good, our ship will break away from this area as per the order, but then we’ll follow those cruisers.”

“Huh? But Captain, that would be a violation of orders…”

“Orders can only be followed for so long—it’s not forever we’ll be a mere battleship captain, you know?”

“…”

The captain’s words struck a nerve with the lieutenant. Though ambition wasn’t entirely absent in the subordinate, they were soldiers, duty-bound to follow commands.

Thus, the lieutenant cautioned the captain.

“Are you really planning to act independently? That could lead to reprimands from Admiral for overstepping your authority.”

“Tsk, that’s why you’re the executive officer, and I’m the captain, got it?”

With those words, the captain waved his chitin-covered fingers dismissively.

“…”

Though upset by the captain’s brusque response, the lieutenant acknowledged the truth; the captain was ultimately in charge, so no objections were voiced.

“Opportunities must be seized when they come, let’s grab this one. Awaken the troops in cryosleep, and activate all weapons.”

“…Understood, Captain.”

…

At the same moment, Forward Base – Future.

Above the base hovered an alien destroyer, within its command bridge bustling with activity. The aliens that were its original occupants had long since vanished, replaced by humans and automatons working side by side.

In the center of the room at the captain’s station, I frowned slightly and exhaled a deep sigh.

“Haa…”

“What’s wrong? Edu?”

Suddenly, Freya leaned in from the right side of the captain’s station.

“Is something worrying you?”

On the opposite side, Ryuje also joined in.

To the right, the supreme commander of the ground recovery forces; to the left, the academy chancellor. It was absurd to have such authority flanking me but this was reality.

“Am I seriously commanding both of you?”

“You can do it, Edu! Trust me!”

“Freya’s right, whether one or two, it’s all about you leading, right?”

“Yeah, Edu can handle it!”

Freya was cheered on by both Ryuje and Nisia.

“…”

Each one of them was no ordinary asset, yet they supported my leadership, so I let it slide.

Regardless, a unique scenario unfolded with me at the center with the academy’s chancellor and the ground recovery forces’ commander, a rare sight. Soldiers glancing at our group as they passed couldn’t help but steal glances.

‘I feel like we’ve become the exhibit in a zoo…’

Gradually, feeling the weight of everyone’s eyes on me, I found myself shrinking slightly.

At that moment, Freya burst in again.

“So Edu, what’s the plan now?”

Her question prompted me to gather my thoughts.

Though somewhat impromptu, the end result had been the capture of a destroyer and the completion of a jamming device, along with far more support than initially expected.

Thus, action was all that remained.

“Hmm, now that we’ve got means to disrupt their communications, it’s time to start actively capturing their ships.”

“Got any ideas?”

“Yes. Fishing.”

“Fishing? So, you’re placing bait to lure in the enemy?”

Upon hearing my explanation, Freya quickly grasped the concept, her strategic acumen as the supreme commander undeniable.

“Exactly, considering we’ve already stolen a destroyer, there’s bound to be some sort of reaction.”

With the loss of an entire ship and its crew, a non-response was simply out of the question, especially given the weakened state of the 3rd Fleet after heavy losses.

Which reminded me of the request I’d made to Freya the previous week.

“By the way, Freya, how’s that request I made last week?”

“A regular reconnaissance of the city where the destroyer was stationed?”

“Yep, exactly.”

Every fleet in orbit, except the first, suffered from depleted strength. As a result, both the 3rd and 4th Fleets responded sensitively to power usage, even placing troops in cryosleep. This naturally led to delayed responses, though there was still a chance that the enemy could miss us by sheer bad luck.

“According to reports up to yesterday, there were no abnormalities. Today’s report will come in shortly.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Despite the fact you’ve recaptured and cleared the people, the city remains deep within enemy territory.”

“True, that makes sense.”

Understanding Freya’s explanation, I took the opportunity to raise another question.

“By the way, Freya, what happened to the people you rescued from that city?”

“They’re currently under the care of the forward base. They’ve never undergone basic training, so they need education. After that, we’ll need to figure out what to do next.”

“I see, thank you for your hard work.”

The large number of people rescued from the colony city were vulnerable and in need of care and guidance.

I worried briefly about the additional burden this placed on Freya, but she chuckled and tapped my cheek lightly.

“Not at all. Sure, the workload increased a bit, but the atmosphere in the base has brightened, which is nice.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yeah, one of the rare victories during what has been a string of defeats.”

With that, Freya momentarily adopted a vaguely wistful expression.

But only for a second. She quickly brightened and placed her hand on my head.

“Pet-pet.”

“Therefore, Edu, don’t worry about things that aren’t your responsibility. The adults will handle that.”

“Agreed, you’ve got important things to focus on.”

Ryuje added from the side.

I felt warmth in my heart from their words.

“Yes, thank you.”

A short silence fell and then Freya spoke again.

“Let’s circle back. Edu, you mentioned luring the enemy, right? What’s the plan?”

“I’ve got an idea.”

A smirk crossed my face unconsciously.

“Freya, are the aliens we captured last week still alive?”