BATTLE FOR STARS

The airship wasn’t moving fast, and it wasn’t heading straight for the hotel rooftop—it drifted toward the space above it.

The group watched as it swayed in the air and stopped a few dozen meters overhead. Suddenly, one of the windows opened, and a bunch of dark objects flew out.

Those on the rooftop hadn’t reacted yet, but the objects were already above them. At first, everyone wondered why the automatic defensive system hadn’t activated, but then they realized what was happening—falling toward them were a bunch of *Moro eggs*.

These were a type of bird egg, a common food in the Duir Republic, similar to Earth chicken eggs. The main difference was that Moro eggs were larger, roughly twice the size of a chicken egg.

Since they were just eggs, the defense computer determined there was no real threat and did not fire. However, for the people below, it was still quite troublesome.

The eggs were not only raw but some were spoiled. Many people were now covered in egg yolk, egg white, and a strong, unpleasant smell.

The one most coated in Moro egg was Iijima. It seemed the eggs were deliberately targeting him.

“Grab the people on that airship!” Iijima shouted, furious. His good mood had been completely ruined by the stinky eggs.

With the order from the National Committee member and the presence of the fleet commander, the military acted quickly. Within minutes, a small reconnaissance ship regained control of the rogue airship, and the person aboard was brought before Iijima and the others.

To everyone’s surprise, it was just an ordinary young man, a new recruit who had been working only a few years.

The young man had short brown-black hair and narrow eyes that almost covered his irises. His deep-blue necktie marked him as a basic Third Grade citizen.

Though his hands were bound by electronic cuffs, a defiant expression remained on his thin face as he looked at the group.

“Who are you? Why are you throwing Moro eggs?” Iijima demanded, itching to slap him but restrained by protocol.

“I am a member of the People’s Truth Religion. I was sent by the Pope to express our protest against the government,” the young man said righteously.

At the mention of the People’s Truth Religion, both Iijima and Matthew tensed slightly.

“What do you have to protest? We didn’t feed you or clothe you?”

“We oppose the government’s mind-numbing policies and war!” the young man said passionately.

The Duir Republic promoted equality and fairness and did not restrict religion, but few religious movements were influential domestically. Among them, the People’s Truth Religion held the most sway.

The religion teaches that under the protection of the spiritual deity, all citizens must be absolutely equal, regardless of their contributions. They oppose war, which they see as pushing people toward death, and criticize many government policies as methods of distraction and control, urging people to follow the Pope to achieve true liberation.

Although leaders like Iijima dismissed these ideas, many ordinary citizens of Grades 1 to 3 were devoted followers, particularly attracted to the religion’s promise of equality, which allowed those usually looked down upon to gain respect.

Because the majority of followers were low-grade citizens, and because the religion did not aim to overthrow the government or possess weapons, the government generally handled them with a combination of appeasement and mild deterrence.

Domestically, the People’s Truth Religion frequently staged small protests and held meetings to spread its teachings, but rarely took direct action against high-ranking officials.

This military campaign, being the largest in decades, drew the religion’s attention, resulting in a demonstration that Iijima and the others had not anticipated.

Once the situation was clarified, Iijima’s annoyance deepened. There was little that could be done—the young man had only dirtied him with eggs and caused discomfort, but no physical harm.

“Take… take this kid to the Reflection Center and strip him of his grade to the lowest level,” Iijima ordered angrily.

The Reflection Center was essentially a prison. The Duir Republic believed that criminal acts stemmed from insufficient awareness, so offenders were sent there to reflect. The young man’s Grade 3 was reduced to Grade 1.

Iijima felt some satisfaction in venting his anger, unaware that this incident would later bring the young man an unexpected “surprise” in the future.

Despite this small pre-expedition incident, things concluded smoothly. Domestic extremists were far less problematic than an attack from the Hill Empire.

Iijima and Matthew returned to the hotel, with Iijima needing a bath before starting work. Elizabeth and Vivian boarded the military liaison shuttle to join the fleet.

The shuttle’s rest area was comfortable, especially for the fleet commander. A large hall of dozens of square meters was divided between a bar and luxurious sofas with massage devices.

Vivian and Elizabeth sat on the sofas, while Yudora stood behind Vivian. A round, plump robot soon arrived to serve them.

The two women each ordered a drink and took the chance to rest on the way to the fleet.

Though Matthew and Iijima were close, the two female companions had never met. Both were aware of each other’s identities, making the meeting somewhat awkward but also amusing.

“How’s the domestic situation now?” Elizabeth broke the silence. As a former Duir citizen, she still had ties there. Her question clearly referred to the earlier incident.

“Not very good. How long has it been since you last returned?” Vivian asked.

“Sigh…” Elizabeth exhaled. “Over twenty years, I think.”

Duir was a painful place for her. She had no remaining attachments, so she had not returned since leaving.

“Oh… it’s worse than before.”

“Really? Still the same old problems?”

Elizabeth wasn’t a government expert, but many were aware of Duir’s fundamental issues: the economy and population.