BATTLE FOR STARS

“According to what you just said, wouldn’t the side at a disadvantage be completely wiped out?” Iijima asked, worried.

“Not necessarily,” Elizabeth replied. “You could choose to engage the enemy head-on, break through their formation, and then escape. Losses might be heavy, but at least you’re not being chased and pounded from behind the entire time.”

“You could also scatter and flee. That makes pursuit difficult, because it’s not easy for a fleet to regroup after being dispersed, which complicates any subsequent military operations,” Elizabeth explained.

“So for this operation, we should have the advantage, right? After all, we’ve assembled half of our Confederation fleet along with half of Kramic Kingdom’s starships.”

“Not so fast,” Elizabeth said. “The Hill Empire has concentrated three army groups along the entire border for this attack. Apart from the Epsom System, two other fleets are advancing directly toward the Hanya Federation and Kramic Kingdom. I believe one of these directions is their main attack, and the others are feints.”

“Why?” Iijima asked. He knew that the Reske Empire didn’t border the Hill Empire, so there was no attack from that direction.

“Because the fleet attacking this direction consists of the Hill Empire’s Third Fleet and Eighth Fleet. The Third Fleet’s commander, Donald, is known as the ‘Galactic Tiger.’ His fleet is notorious for aggressive strikes, and even in defeat, they make the victors pay.”

“The Eighth Fleet, led by Augustine—nicknamed the ‘Ever-victorious General’—has rarely lost in recent years, winning battles with minimal losses. They’re the rising stars of the Hill Empire’s military. Sending their two strongest fleets in this direction shows how seriously they regard this campaign.”

“So… do we have a chance of winning?” Iijima asked anxiously.

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied firmly, but she didn’t elaborate.

“Why not tell us?” Iijima pressed, and Matthew’s eyes were also full of curiosity.

“It’s a military secret, not convenient to disclose,” Elizabeth said.

“This campaign has assembled half of the Confederation’s fleet, and Kramic Kingdom has deployed the majority of theirs, including a considerable number of unmanned starships. You can rest assured: even if we don’t win outright, the Hill Empire won’t succeed.”

Vivian had to explain this to the two “leaders” to ease their minds.

After Vivian spoke, both men finally relaxed, otherwise the meal would have been uneasy.

Once they finished, it was time to part ways. Private matters could wait until evening; the day was still filled with official duties. Vivian and Elizabeth would take a military liaison shuttle from the rooftop, escorted by the two men.

“General!” On reaching the rooftop, a female soldier with narrow eyes, a thin face, a high nose, and short ear-length hair gave Vivian a crisp military salute. Vivian nodded and returned it.

“This is…?” Iijima asked, looking at the seemingly familiar woman.

“Can’t remember? She’s my adjutant. You arranged her assignment here years ago. Her name is Yudora, and she’s a returnee,” Vivian reminded him.

“Oh, I remember now,” Iijima said, slapping his thigh. That had been over thirty years ago—he had long forgotten.

A “returnee” refers to someone who came back from the Hill Empire.

Over the years, the Hill Empire had steadily encroached on Confederation territory, occupying many inhabited planets. Some people evacuated with the army, while others stayed behind, unwilling to abandon the ancestral lands cultivated over generations, becoming citizens of the Hill Empire. Later, for various reasons, they or their descendants returned to the Confederation. These people are called returnees.

Most returnees choose to join the Duir Republic because Kramic citizenship is difficult to obtain, and Reske or Hanya offer limited opportunities for outsiders. The Duir Republic, by contrast, accepts them without barriers and provides basic social security.

However, the Duir Republic generally restricts the roles returnees can take, because no one knows if they might pose a problem after years in the Hill Empire.

Yudora had been a defected officer from the Hill Empire. Her family suffered unjust treatment and was nearly wiped out. She sought revenge, but as a returnee, the Duir leadership would not give her a prominent position.

Yudora approached Iijima and, at great personal cost, was assigned to the military, becoming Vivian’s assistant.

Iijima’s motive in placing Yudora in the military wasn’t revenge—it was to manage the situation. She had military talent, so helping Vivian was beneficial for both sides.

It was precisely because of Yudora’s exceptional abilities that Vivian was able to rise through numerous minor battles over the years and ultimately become a fleet commander. In short, without Yudora, there would be no Vivian today.

For the Duir Republic and Iijima, Yudora remained just Vivian’s adjutant, with no real power, making it a safe appointment.

Over the years, Yudora had met Iijima, but only as Vivian’s attendant, so there had been no private interaction. Vivian, meanwhile, rarely mentioned Yudora, and Iijima had nearly forgotten her existence.

It wasn’t that Vivian disliked Yudora—their relationship was extremely close. She avoided mentioning Yudora’s name because returnees rarely held important positions; it was an internal “rule” she had to navigate discreetly.

“Hello, Committee Member Iijima,” Yudora saluted. Though respectful, a subtle displeasure lingered in her expression.

“Looks like your adjutant has been waiting for you,” Matthew remarked, glancing at the liaison shuttle. He knew the shuttle had been ready for some time, usually unmanned, but this time it carried people.

“That’s my duty,” Yudora replied.

“All right, go ahead and get to work. This is your busiest time,” Iijima said, watching the steady flow of transport ships in the sky.

Just as they were speaking, the personal alert devices went off: a nearby civilian airship had suddenly broken free from central computer control and was heading toward them.

It was only a minor one-star alert. Although the airship was out of control, there was only one person aboard, and no weapons were detected.

Such incidents were unusual, especially during a military expedition. No one knew what had caused it.

Everyone wondered: what was this airship trying to do?

The question was answered a few seconds later, as the airship continued heading straight toward them.