Brawl acquired a small shuttle from a nearby neutral colony.
"So, we take this and send a distress signal to the Federation Army, right?"
When I asked, Brawl nodded.
"That's right. But... are you really okay with not bringing Requiem?"
I shook my head.
"Requiem has become too famous now. Not only did it face the Arsenos Army... but it also faced the Earth Federation Army a few times."
"Right, it did face the Federation Army a few times..."
At that moment, Karla cautiously continued.
"Honey... but seriously, do I really not need to come with you?"
I looked at her and nodded.
"Yeah. It just gets complicated if there are too many people. So you and Brawl just wait and be ready to move at any time."
"Understood."
Immediately, Elena and I boarded the small shuttle.
Inside, it was cramped and quiet. An old seat, a single rescue cot, and a worn control panel.
Lillian checked the terminals and signal lines until the very end and said,
"The shuttle signal is connected to Federation Relief Channel Line 2. The emergency signal will activate automatically."
"Confirmed."
I replied briefly and sat in the cockpit. Elena quietly leaned back in the opposite seat.
"Then, both of you, be careful."
With those words, Lillian exited the shuttle.
The entry hatch slowly closed. With a small vibration inside the hangar, the shuttle began to tremble.
I placed my hands on the control panel and said,
"Departing."
It smoothly pushed off, beginning to balance between gravity and thrust.
Elena gazed out the window and murmured,
"I never imagined we'd return to Earth like this."
I glanced at her.
"Are you afraid?"
She chuckled softly and shook her head.
"No."
Side by side, we silently gazed at the universe beyond our view. The shuttle quietly increased its speed along the flight path,
heading towards the Federation orbit zone along the automatic route set by Lillian.
Soon, the distress signal automatically activated. And a short while later-
[This is Earth Federation Sector 2 Control Center. Distress signal received. State your affiliation and ID immediately.]
Elena quietly took a breath, then responded.
"I am Major Elena Eisenhardt, affiliated with the Earth Federation 3rd Fleet. ID Code: Alpha-One-Four-Seven-Echo."
Elena took a short breath, then continued in a clear voice.
"We have survived the Nemesis campaign and are currently out of fuel and provisions due to prolonged stay. Request immediate approval for rescue."
The communication was cut off for a moment. Those few seconds felt unusually long.
[Identity confirmed. Major Elena Eisenhardt ID code match confirmed.]
[Initiating rescue protocol as requested. Automatically guiding to the nearest outer 'Bay-04 Landing Pad' from your current location.]
[Upon landing, follow disarmament and quarantine inspection procedures. Failure to comply with instructions will result in immediate military response procedures.]
Elena quietly turned her head and looked at me.
"...The guidance signal, it's locked on."
I nodded briefly. The shuttle moved along the guided path.
***
Elena and I were quickly examined and transported to Earth. Then, we were separated in an instant.
Sitting in the center of a small, white room, I saw a man with major insignia sitting opposite me.
He was flipping through documents when he looked up at my face and spoke.
"Lieutenant Jin Seoyun. I'll ask again."
This was the third time I was hearing the words from the man in front of me, spoken in a familiar tone.
"From what happened in Nemesis to your arrival here. Tell me everything, accurately."
I slowly nodded and began to speak.
"Understood. I was deployed as part of the 7th Mobile Fleet for the Nemesis Colony recapture operation and-"
I continued my explanation concisely, yet hitting only the necessary key points. The colony's self-destruction. The annihilation of the 3rd Fleet. Elena's and my escape.
When I finished speaking, he put down his pen and closed the documents.
"Good. It largely matches Major Eisenhardt's statement."
"...Then, when will the quarantine be lifted?"
He rested his arm on the desk and offered a faint smile.
"It will be lifted in a few hours. It's merely a procedural matter, so I ask for your understanding. Until then, amenities will be provided, so please rest and recover."
"Understood."
He left, and two soldiers approached to escort me. And Elena was already waiting inside the room.
I approached her, where she was leisurely crossing her legs and drinking coffee.
"You seem quite relaxed, Major-nim."
"Hehe. I am a Major, after all, and I have a prominent family background, so the treatment isn't bad. I used to hate this kind of thing... but it's something to see after surviving."
I chuckled lightly and approached her.
"I was thoroughly interrogated until the very end, that's unfair."
I sat next to her and naturally extended my arm. Then, I slipped my hand into the gap in her military uniform and silently grasped her breast.
"Ha... this is healing."
"Haaht... Wh-what are you doing, you idiot."
"What's wrong with your owner wanting to touch your sow's breasts?"
"Hey... don't call me that here. What if someone hears..."
Even as Elena said that, she didn't remove my hand. I playfully squeezed my hand. Soft flesh filled my palm.
"Just for a moment. I've been repeating the same words for hours, I really need some healing."
"...Do as you please."
She mumbled almost inaudibly and placed a tablet on her lap.
I slowly pushed my hand further in. Beneath her military uniform, above her underwear, I felt a firm elasticity. I quietly stroked it, lightly pressing her nipple with my thumb.
Elena appeared indifferent on the surface, but the corner of her mouth trembled slightly.
"Look at this. News of our survival is already spreading."
She showed me the tablet. Headlines like '3rd Fleet Survivor' and 'Eisenhardt Family Eldest Daughter Returns Alive' were displayed.
"That was fast."
"We'll probably receive special treatment. Though it's likely due to my family's reputation..."
I chuckled lightly. And then, I squeezed her breast once more.
"Your breasts also live up to their reputation, Major-nim."
"......Pervert."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
As I spent some time fondling her breasts, I sensed a presence beyond the door.
I quietly withdrew my hand.
"Huh? Not touching anymore?"
Elena whispered.
"Someone's coming this way."
At my words, Elena's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly straightened her military uniform.
-Clank.
The door opened. And a deep, resonant male voice filled the isolation room.
"Elena!!"
Elena rose in surprise and greeted him with a salute.
"Ah, Uncle-nim."
A middle-aged man with blond hair mixed with faint white, dressed in a military uniform, approached and embraced her shoulders.
"I'm so glad you're safe... When I first heard the news of my brother and you, I was so..."
Elena briefly lowered her gaze at his words. The 'brother' her uncle mentioned-that is, her father.
Her eyes trembled slightly.
"...I'm fine."
Her softly spoken reply was tinged with suppressed emotion. Her way of holding back tears was always quiet and restrained.
He quietly patted her shoulder.
"Still... it's a relief that at least you survived."
A short silence followed. He slowly turned his head and looked at me.
"And you?"
I stood up and immediately saluted him.
"Salute! Lieutenant Jin Seoyun."
At that moment, Elena stepped forward and quietly said,
"Uncle-nim, if it weren't for him... I wouldn't be here right now."
His eyes subtly wavered.
"...Elena's benefactor."
He nodded at me again.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Walter Eisenhardt."
His voice and demeanor clearly indicated a high-ranking officer.
"I currently serve as the Corps Commander of the 3rd Ground Forces Division."
As expected, he was no ordinary person. Elena's father was the Admiral of the 3rd Fleet. This man, her uncle, was a Corps Commander leading the core of the ground forces. It meant that the entire family was deeply rooted in the military.
Walter turned his gaze back to Elena.
"Elena. When the report came in that your unit was annihilated... I thought the last bloodline of our family had been severed."
"......"
At Elena's reaction, Walter sighed and said,
"Hmph... Now isn't the time for such talk. I'll have you released from here, so come to my house. Let's talk after you've had enough rest and recovered."
At his words, Elena quietly turned her head.
Her eyes looked at me.
It was a question of what I intended to do.
'Hmm, if we can get out quickly, there's no harm in it.'
I nodded briefly.
"Understood, Uncle-nim."
After that, Elena and I followed Walter out.
'As expected... power is convenient.'
We immediately boarded a waiting military ceremonial vehicle. During the ride, Elena cautiously spoke.
"Uncle-nim. What is the current situation of the Federation... how are things progressing?"
At Elena's cautious question, Walter furrowed his brow and nodded.
"Don't even ask. Not only the aftermath of the civil war, but the entire Federation has been engulfed in madness since the Mars Incident."
"Wasn't the civil war... resolved?"
"Only the organization was barely reorganized. Internally, it remains fragmented, with each faction merely watching each other. Furthermore, after the Mars Incident, the Federation was nothing short of a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. They-"
Walter exhaled briefly, turning his gaze out the window.
"-made Adele Licencia a scapegoat and diverted attention."
"Uncle-nim... do you also think she was a traitor?"
Walter slowly turned his head and looked at her.
"...I can't say she wasn't."
His tone was cold.
"It's a fact that she attacked Federation military facilities with Sheryl Mortimer and Colonial Army pilots."
He paused for a moment, took a breath, and then continued.
"But... I understand why she made that choice. It wasn't simple betrayal or treason."
He briefly closed his eyes.
"She had contacted our family before, too."
Elena was silent for a while, then cautiously asked,
"...What was discussed?"
"She said she couldn't stand by and watch the world be consumed by the madness of war any longer. So she proposed changing the Federation. For peace. To change the structure and reorganize the system..."
Walter's eyes narrowed. As he continued speaking, his tone was laced with fatigue.
"She genuinely wanted to change the world. But those who accepted her proposal were different."
He shook his head.
"Those bastards weren't interested in Adele's ideals. They only needed her name, her funds, and her connections. They joined hands for their own benefit... and ultimately, they just used her."
Elena remained silent for a long time. Then she cautiously spoke.
"...So, Uncle-nim... did you reject that proposal?"
Walter, without taking his gaze from outside the window, replied briefly.
"In the end, that proposal... was another war."
His eyes were heavy.
"It was a proposal to split the Federation in half, and the Colonial Army wouldn't have stood by and watched."
"You rejected it, then."
"...Yes. At the time, I believed that was the right thing to do."
The conversation ceased, and a short silence filled the car. Walter slowly interlocked his fingers and added in a low voice,
"...But now that I think about it... perhaps, I should have accepted that proposal."