Chapter 44 The Number of Lies
With the shimmering of space, a bright red color appeared in the jet-black universe.
The ship was emitting sparks here and there as if stars were twinkling.
At the same time, the crimson body of the ship lost its color as if blending into space, but the crimson color remained as if in a speckled pattern.
Stealth battle ship [Star Vampire]. The crew did not know if that was the official name or not.
The crew does not know if it is the official name of the ship or not, but they are just following the name of their predecessor who found the ship and kept repairing it.
This automatic interceptor thing, can't it be turned on and off?”
The Star Vampire's bridge was wide and semi-spherical, with crew and equipment arranged along its shape.
The unique feature was that all the crew members lined up in a circle faced the center, where a stern white chair was set up to look down on the surroundings, almost like a throne.
Sitting in one of these seats, leaning on her elbow with a slightly languid look on her face, is Lana.
With her jet-black monastic dress intact and only the hood removed, she looked down at the crew around her and asked, with just a hint of irritation, “What's going on?
Hah. It seems that we haven't fully worked out the bugs in the ship's systems yet. The errors in the stealth function, the activation of the anti-beam armor, and the inability to simultaneously operate the armament have been resolved, but some of the autos in the armament section are still linked .......”
The large man in cassock, Robert, answered, but Lana sighed deeply as if to cover his answer. Then the man had to shut up. He didn't want to hear any excuses.
He said, “That's how this ship was almost exposed before. If it had not been for the devotion of the congregation, we would have been exposed. At that time, we had no anti-beam armor or weapons to use. We should really consider ourselves lucky. You don't get lucky that many times.”
“Ha. We will hurry up the repair. However, it is a little disappointing.
“Unfortunate? What?
No, there was a system error that prevented us from using the main gun, but if that destroyer hadn't gotten in the way, we could have obliterated the Sixth Fleet to the last .......”
Robert could not release the last word.
A thump to the side sent his huge body tumbling down from the center of the ship. Fortunately, it wasn't very high, and Robert himself is a big man with a strong body, so he only suffered a slight laceration on his forehead, two broken front teeth, and some bruising.
Robert regretted that he had stepped on the tail more than the pain that shot through his body from the impact of being kicked and falling down.
I don't know what in the world had gone against me, but whatever it was, it was better to apologize honestly.
He said, “I am sorry, too! I spoke out of turn!”
The reaction of the surrounding crew was half and half. Some looked at him as if he deserved it. Some looked away when they saw Robert.
Lana came down from the center of the room.
Oh, Robert. “Oh, Robert, what are you talking about? There are those on that destroyer who have seen the stars. There are those who have seen the kingdom of God. How dare you harm them? You want me to kill the One who is more precious than your petty vengeance.”
No, no, such ......
The excuse that I never said that much in the first place ...... etc. is not acceptable.
I can only apologize.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not the only one who has seen the sea of stars. I want to come with those people. I thought you understood that, too.
Lana's footsteps approached Robert, who rubbed his forehead and stared at the cold floor as if he were crawling on it.
'I was shallow, sir. I was so excited to see the performance of the star vampire. I am ashamed to admit that I have not been diligent enough.
You are right. You are right. I have high expectations of you. I helped you with the slaughter you just committed in order to reward you for all your hard work, but this is the last time I'm going to do that.
Lana did not resort to further violence.
Now then,” she said, ”let's get back to proselytizing. It will take some time for the ship to be fixed. It will be some time before the ship is fixed, and we have to pick up the congregation. Robert, prepare the shuttle. I'll clean myself up.”
Yes, ...... I will have it ready for you right away.”
Robert fought back the pain, stood up, and motioned to some of the crew.
Robert.”
Lana stops at the door leading to the passageway and calls for Robert.
When he turns around, Lana has a natural smile on her face. Like a girl everywhere.
'I hope you won't disappoint me any more.
It was a normal conversation, a tone of voice as if exchanging greetings.
'Yes, ...... Sovereign Lord.'
Robert could only bow his head.
**
The Sixth Fleet was destroyed.
No matter how you try to claim it, you can't hide the fact.
The loss of three main battleships and numerous cruisers and destroyers, not to mention the damage to senior officers and enlisted men, including Rear Admiral Onishi, will leave a huge hole in the Empire's defensive capabilities.
But if it cannot be hidden, it can only be made public.
A soldier's death can be made into any number of stories. And the circumstances were good.
The planet Loulan is exquisitely remote from the Earth's mainland. It was a place that could be called a frontier. Moreover, the fear of the enemy using a new type of battleship would act as a camouflage for the people.
The rest of the plot is simple.
The advance party of the fearsome “aliens” cowardly launched a surprise attack and attempted to invade the planet Loulan. The Sixth Fleet fought hard to stop them. The Sixth Fleet fought hard to stop them, destroying the enemy fleet and dying with honor.
Rear Admiral Onishi, a hero who had made a name for himself hunting pirates, continued to lead the fleet to the end in order to save the subjects of the Empire.
The truth is known only to the survivors of the Sixth Fleet, the Loulan garrisoned fleet that came to the rescue, and Seneca.
The inhabitants of Loulan do not know the details of the battle that took place in space.
The Imperial Army, with the accidental help of the people of Loulan, broadcast the news in such a way that it was reported.
Naturally, there will be no one who questions this, but most will recognize that it is the way it is.
There is some truth in that lie. Above all, the families of the war dead are grateful for such treatment.
The families of the bereaved do not care whether it is a lie or not. If it is not true that they died in vain, it is a relief to some extent.
Well, I'm sure it's something that will be exposed sooner or later anyway. ......
After the Loulan incident. The Seneca crew was paid something like hush money and a week's vacation on Earth, in the land once known as Germany.
In other words, “Just keep your mouth shut.
Lillian, for her part, understood the military's thinking. The military's idea was to avoid any unnecessary confusion. In fact, it is not as if anything would happen to benefit Lillian if she were to disclose the whole truth.
In fact, it would be a hindrance to his own plans, and it is better to keep things quiet for now.
Besides, the military owed the Gekko Fleet a debt, no matter what form it took.
Seneca's activities were not reported in the media. At best, it is said that Seneca was involved in a rescue mission.
The fact that they drove off the stealth ships was not publicized.
We were told to take a break, but that's not how it works.
Can I slip out of that ...... prepared hotel?”
Currently, Lillian was in the back seat of the passenger car driven by Mirei. The next to her was Debonair, and in the front passenger seat was Stella.
The driver, Mirei, smiled a little and looked at Lillian in the rearview mirror.
'It doesn't matter. There's always surveillance anyway. Besides, it won't do us any good to talk about it. Then of course we'd better keep it quiet.”
'That's ...... true, I suppose, but ......
For Mirei, this was a little unconvincing.
So where the hell are we going?
Debonair asked, holding out a travel brochure.
The girls were going out for the reason of going out on the town, so they were dressed in casual clothes.
So, they are dressed in rough clothes.
This is Mr. Sao's place,” answered Stella in the passenger seat.
Stella, in the passenger seat, answered.
Saoh? Ah, the chief mechanic.
For a moment, Debonair did not know who she was talking about, but then he remembered that she was a former crew member of Tiberius.
'But why again?
'Mr. Saou, not only are you a skilled maintenance man, but you're also very knowledgeable. I was wondering if you could give me some advice about that stealth battleship. You see, in the military, there are some things they don't tell you.
I see. But what can that no-nonsense maintenance chief know?
Sao Reinder is the head of the engineering department at the academy.
He is so good that he would normally be offered a position in the Ministry of Technology.
When Lillian answered Debonair's question, Debonair said, “Are you serious ......?” Millet was also astonished at the information that they both learned for the first time, “Really ......?
The Ministry of Technology, as the name implies, is responsible for all kinds of technology handled by the empire, ranging from general life to military affairs. Sao had already been offered a job because of his excellent grades, but for some reason he chose mechanics as his major.
Lillian, however, only learned of this rather recently.
She was originally a mechanic, and Stella seemed to have known about it from the very beginning.
She was the one who initiated this conversation. Otherwise, the people of the Sixth Fleet would not be able to come to their senses.
What? But if she had an offer from the Ministry of Technology, wouldn't she be at a resort like this?
Debonair's question was valid, but Stella answered with a smile, as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
Don't worry,” she replied with a smile! Mr. Sao, I heard that you are starting your own company without joining the Ministry of Technology! That is located near here! That's why I asked him to come here!”