BATTLE FOR STARS

“Apparently, there are still quite a few voices opposing unmanned fleets. Will this affect the future production rate of our ships?” Vice Admiral Mack asked.

“At present, it seems not. The unmanned ships are currently concentrated on various medium and small vessels. Motherships and some large cruisers haven’t adopted them yet, so resistance should be minimal,” came the reply.

“The replaced ships mainly went to the Kramic Kingdom? What do they need so many old ships for?”

“Apparently, they’re using them to train new recruits and supplement their local fleets,” the officer explained.

“Don’t they have a relatively small army? What use are all these manned ships to them? It would make more sense to give them to the Hania Federation—they have the largest population,” the admiral remarked.

“That’s not our concern at the military department. But in terms of overall strength, the Kramic Kingdom is recognized as the most powerful. Many new ships and weapons are produced there. Offering to replace allied ships while recovering older models is reasonable,” the officer continued.

“Forget it, I won’t worry about that anymore. From now on, you and the staff plan the next operation. Let’s make sure the Hill Empire knows who’s in charge,” the admiral said, issuing his final command. “Fleet, retreat according to plan.”

Not long after, in a quiet dining area aboard a mothership, two young and attractive female officers were having a meal together.

The purple-haired girl said to her pink-haired companion, “Elizabeth, your Yellow Sparrow plan failed. I can’t believe such a perfect plan could fail.”

“Ira, I was right on top of things! Look at how it was executed. Who allowed the troops to modify my plan? Didn’t I specify that manned fighters should be deployed? What the hell! These old men went and changed it on their own!” Elizabeth, her eyes blazing, vented her frustration.

“Don’t worry. This isn’t the first time execution departments have altered your plan. They always say it’s due to battlefield conditions. Don’t take it personally,” Ira replied.

“It’s exactly because they say that that I’m angry. If they wanted to make changes, fine—make it succeed! But if it fails, how is that acceptable? Do you know how much effort it took to prepare this operation? Just gathering intelligence and arranging three assault ships…”

“Alright, calm down,” Ira interrupted. “It’s already failed, so saying more won’t help. But have you seen the operation report? That enemy captain is incredible—he caught even the smallest flaw. And he used inert spatial mines, without mobility or weapons, as interference mines to confuse our forces. That’s impressive.”

“If he had deployed the mines immediately, the fighters would have opened fire and wouldn’t have fallen into the trap,” Elizabeth sighed. “The Hill Empire really has some talented people. But why is he on a mine layer?”

“That, I don’t know. Maybe a more detailed report will tell us later,” her friend Ira shrugged.

“I really want a chance to meet him, see just how skilled he is.”

“Don’t think too much. You’re part of the staff; you won’t get a chance to fight directly on the battlefield.”

“Even if not directly, at least I could compete strategically,” Elizabeth said.

“Oh, so our little fox has someone she admires too. Maybe next time you meet him, you can challenge each other—not just on the battlefield,” Ira said with a smile before running off.

“What do you mean by that? Don’t run!” Elizabeth shoved her bowl aside and chased after her.

When Landon returned to Elwin Planet, he received a warm welcome from the military.

Elwin was an important planet in the Empire’s secondary defense zone. A military world, it served as a homeport for many ships undergoing repair and resupply, and it also hosted the Westvina Military Academy.

While most schools had switched to virtual classrooms, the military academy retained the tradition of in-person teaching—perhaps one of its unique features.

Aside from reporting on the recent battle, Landon unexpectedly met General Augustine II.

In the Hill Empire, military ranks were named after animals: in order, Eagle, Tiger, Bear, Elephant, Dog, and Rat.

General Augustine was one of the eight main fleet commanders of the Hill Empire. He happened to be on leave at Elwin and, after learning about the recent engagement and Landon’s performance, personally came to “look after” him.

After a long discussion, the general was extremely satisfied. To ensure Landon agreed to join his fleet, he promised that upon completion of the six-month officer internship, Landon would be promoted to command a sub-fleet—a remarkable opportunity.

Of course, the size of the sub-fleet could vary. He might command a small reconnaissance unit of a dozen ships or a large assault sub-fleet of 2,000–3,000 vessels. The difference depended entirely on Landon’s ability.

In recent years, the Hill Empire had adopted an aggressive war strategy. Achievements in combat led to rapid promotions, and capable officers were in high demand across all units.

Landon left the military headquarters elated and took a flying car home. Military personnel enjoyed certain perks; the flight was free, activated simply by scanning the identification device under his arm.

Being a military-grade flying car, it used aerial military routes, far faster than civilian paths. The journey from the military headquarters over a thousand kilometers away to his home took only a few minutes.

With anti-gravity technology highly developed, ground transport was rare. Most vehicles traveled through the air, and the sky was filled with streams of flying vehicles, reflecting the planet’s bustling activity.

The flying car landed smoothly in front of Landon’s home, a four-story residential building. Due to his exceptional performance at the academy, Landon’s family was granted a two-hundred-square-meter apartment, moving them from a cramped sixty-square-meter dwelling. The new apartment was close to the academy and rent-free.

Landon had already notified his family of his return. As soon as he entered, he called out, “Mom, cook something nice today—don’t let the robots handle it again! Every time it tastes the same…”

He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed a few people in the living room.

“Guests? Sorry about that,” Landon said, making an apologetic gesture to those in the room.