Super Mothership
Chairman Cruze lifted his head and swept his gaze around the room, his eyes passing over the Gemini power core members present before finally fixing on a few high-ranking military officers seated on the left side of the conference hall.
“Now that the neighboring star system has suddenly fallen into chaos, the Pioneer Corps has suffered heavy losses, the Water of Life has been completely seized by the Unity of All Things, and the Solar System’s wormhole lies wide open, I want to hear the military’s view on this matter.”
Although he said he wanted the military’s opinion, the dissatisfaction and tone of blame were obvious to everyone.
“Indeed! With more than a hundred warships stationed in the neighboring system, the enemy still managed to smuggle the Water of Life right under our noses, and we even lost the wormhole stronghold!
Even more unbelievable—despite our superior numbers, why did we agree to the enemy’s request for a ceasefire? I believe someone in the military must be held accountable for this!” another elderly councilor slammed the table and said angrily.
Originally, he had hoped that once the Water of Life was secured, he might obtain some for himself and extend his lifespan a few more years. Now that his hopes had been completely dashed, his anger was not difficult to understand.
“Seconded! The frontline commander in charge must bear responsibility for this!” another councilor echoed.
Sensing the dissatisfaction and anger of the assembly, the faces of the military’s senior officers grew grim. But one person’s expression was even worse—Assad, Isabel’s father.
The so-called “frontline commander in charge” was none other than the corps commander. With Gustav’s betrayal and death, the primary blame would naturally fall upon Isabel.
Still, as a direct relative, Assad knew he had to avoid appearing partial, so he did not immediately speak in his daughter’s defense. Instead, he waited for the military officers to reply.
The generals exchanged solemn looks. After a brief pause, one of them finally spoke with helplessness:
“Chairman, gentlemen—the hidden strength of the Unity of All Things far exceeded our expectations. What’s more, behind them may stand the unknown power of the Ant Empire…
Although their fleet in the neighboring system looked small, their technology and weapon performance were far superior to our corps. Perhaps only the Central System’s elite legions could match them.
Given the disparity, Commander Isabel judged that a temporary ceasefire to await reinforcements was the wiser course.
Had we chosen to continue fighting, not only would we have risked total annihilation, but we might also have provoked them into destroying the Water of Life outright. Post-battle simulations have confirmed that this decision was not unreasonable.”
Hearing this, Assad secretly let out a breath of relief and immediately followed up.
“Exactly! And according to the battle reports, the greatest cause of our defeat was the sudden betrayal of the sea clans’ corps commander, Gustav.
He not only turned his flagship against us to personally escort the enemy from Kara, but also used false orders to disrupt our defenses, giving the enemy their chance!
There is evidence showing that previous leaks of intelligence and failed operations within the corps were also linked to his espionage.
So if responsibility must be assigned, then it lies in misjudging his character and misusing him—that is the true fault here!”
When Isabel reported the battle to the high command, she had also secretly passed the information to her family. Assad had already devised his strategy—shift the blame.
As long as everything was pinned on a dead man, then not only would Isabel be cleared of guilt, she might even be credited: for taking command in a crisis, for turning the tide at the last moment…
If handled skillfully, this could even become a stepping stone to further military merit. After all, “with allies in court, holding office is far easier.”
“Bzzz—” The conference room immediately erupted into noisy discussions.
A corps-commander-level officer being subverted—this was no small matter, and more than enough to cause tremors within the military.
The sea clan high command, who fell under military jurisdiction, looked especially grim. After all, it was one of their senior commanders who had defected. It was nothing short of a scandal.
“Regarding the process of Gustav’s betrayal, there are too few witnesses, so no conclusive account exists. Even the frontline battle reports did not directly confirm this. We mustn’t be too hasty in judgment!” one sea clan officer stood to object.
“Heh! Faced with the Water of Life’s evolution, Gustav admitted his betrayal with his own voice over comms. Could that have been faked? His voice and face might be forged, but command permissions cannot!” Assad sneered.
“What worries me more is this: if it happened once, could it not happen again? Since the Unity of All Things was capable of subverting a sea clan officer of such rank, who’s to say they cannot corrupt a second?
The loyalty auditing procedures of the sea clan military are truly troubling…”
Here’s the full translation of your new passage with the replacements applied (Cruze, Gemini, Isabel):
Sensing an opportunity to suppress their rivals, several other avian (feathered) politicians couldn’t sit still any longer.
“Indeed, the highest-ranking commander defected—those responsible must be severely punished!
At this point, Gustav’s sea clan fleet can no longer be trusted. I propose that even if we go to war, this entire unit must be rotated out and withdrawn from the neighboring star system!” another avian councilor declared.
“Yes! The Unity of All Things’ infiltration of the Pioneer Corps has reached an unimaginable level—the entire fleet must be replaced!
Not only replaced, we must also reinforce our defenses against a possible invasion by the Ant Empire. In the end, this unfavorable situation is all because of the military’s incompetence in battle!”
The faces of the senior military leaders darkened further—this time they had truly lost face.
But who could have imagined that a senior officer could just betray them, just like that?
Were old bachelors really this free of worldly ties…?
(Gustav: “…” )
At this moment, Chairman Cruze, who had been quietly watching, finally stepped forward once the fire had burned hot enough. He looked at the military officers and asked:
“Things have already come to this point. How do you intend to handle the aftermath?”
“Ahem! This defeat is indeed the military’s responsibility. We will severely punish the personnel involved and give the council a satisfactory answer.
But the neighboring star system is remote. If reinforcements truly must be sent, then about the military budget…”
“Don’t even think about it!” Assad immediately cut him off.
“To deal with the Wolfen civilization’s wormhole anomaly, the council already allocated you a massive sum of resources and funding. This year’s treasury spending has already exceeded the budget by 13%. For this operation, the council will not give a single coin more. Steal it or squeeze it—you’ll have to find a way yourselves!”
“Exactly! The previous round of fleet expansion has already left the treasury empty. Warmongering will only bring ruin!”
“…”
Faced with the sharp rebukes from the councilors, the officer who had dared to ask for more funding gave an embarrassed smile. But he had already expected such a reaction, so he shifted his tone.
“In truth, the military doesn’t want to handle the neighboring system’s situation by simply adding more troops.
The Wolfen civilization’s wormhole has already expanded to a dangerous degree, and their probing actions are becoming increasingly blatant. If we split our focus and open a second battlefield at this time, then once the fighting escalates…
Therefore, after much discussion, we in the military believe it is better to temporarily accept the ceasefire agreement.”
“As long as both sides maintain the current balance of power in the neighboring star system, not only can we still obtain the Water of Life for research, but the proxy trade mentioned by the enemy could also help us study the Ant Empire.
After all, we know nothing about them—if a full-scale war breaks out, it will not be to our advantage!
Moreover, if we can acquire their advanced communications technology and powerful warship weaponry through trade, the Gemini military’s strength will rise to an entirely new level.
Those are genuine treasures…”
This was the military’s true desire. While the councilors coveted the Water of Life for its miraculous powers, the soldiers had their eyes on the enemy’s formidable weapons and technology.
New communication methods, terrifying rapid-fire naval cannon technology, and those powerful silver mechs…
If the Gemini could master such technologies, their military might would soar at an astonishing pace.
Even if they couldn’t obtain the technology itself, purchasing the finished products would be enough to give them confidence against the formidable Wolfen civilization.
For the military, trading a small defeat and a temporary compromise for such rapid gains in power was more than worthwhile.
It had to be admitted—the Gemini military had a sharp eye. These technologies were all derivative products of the mechanical swarm, originally advanced technologies of the Ares civilization. If acquired, they could spark a technological revolution for Gemini.
Hearing the military’s proposal, everyone was tempted.
Blaming the generals earlier had been political correctness—but faced with Nie Yun’s enticing promises, it would be a lie to say they weren’t moved.
“Can’t we use reverse engineering to analyze their technology?” Cruze asked.
“Impossible. Their secrecy measures are extremely strict. From battlefield wreckage, we cannot obtain their core technology,” a military officer replied.
“Is there still a chance to seize the Water of Life through military force?” Cruze pressed.
“…That would be very difficult.”
Cruze thought for a moment, then raised his head.
“In that case… agree to their terms.”
Not long after…
At the Solar System’s wormhole, the fleets of both sides remained locked in a standoff, each holding their ground.
To Isabel’s relief, the enemy had kept their word—no additional reinforcements emerged from the wormhole.
At that moment, a small shuttle flew out from Earth’s fleet, moving to the center between the two forces. The shuttle released a square metal box, then quickly turned and departed.
The box, its signal light flashing, drifted forward until it was collected by a waiting Gemini light craft.
Inside the craft, robotic arms carefully opened the box, revealing a vial of shimmering green liquid sparkling with dreamlike motes of light.
Intense scanning beams swept across the container repeatedly. After dozens of security checks confirmed it was safe, the vessel carried the box back to the avian flagship.
According to the agreement, Nie Yun had provided this quarter’s share of the Water of Life as a gesture of goodwill—offering a sweet date after the stick. Having taken such a large benefit, he needed to appease those on the losing side. More importantly, visible profits were the most alluring of all…
On the avian flagship’s bridge—
“The goods have been received. You’ve kept your word this time,” Isabel said after hearing her adjutant’s report, turning to the comm screen before her.
“And we always keep our word with partners who do the same!” said Nie Yun, disguised as the Black Butler, with a smiling face.
“This is this quarter’s share of the Water of Life. Rest assured, over time you’ll see—working with us is a win-win.”
“I hope so.” Isabel’s expression remained calm, neither agreeing nor denying.
“Then… long live peace! May our friendship last forever!” Nie Yun laughed as his image faded from the comm feed…
TL Note- Poltics....
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