“Ergency assembly. Ergency assembly. All personnel must reach their posts within five minutes. Anyone overdue will be executed on the spot.”
Russo, still in his sleep, was jolted awake by the shrill ergency assembly order. Although Russo was only one of the thirty cooks responsible for providing als to roughly three thousand soldiers serving on this City-Class spaceship, although he was not combat personnel, he still did not dare disobey this order.
Since the order said all personnel, it ant all personnel. Even the cleaning staff responsible for sanitation and the workers maintaining entertainnt facilities had to reach their posts within the specified ti.
Russo had long since grown used to such ergency assembly orders. Over the past few decades, ever since the star of the Death Flower Star System was destroyed and the entire Alliance began its flight, such ergency assemblies had beco frequent. The orders following ergency assembly were generally the sa, naly to quickly move to one’s own work post, operate their City-Class spaceship Eight Stars, and depart to fight together with the squad flagship, the Province-Class spaceship Brilliance. However, earlier the Brilliance had been taken out by the Divine Ark Civilization, so their squad flagship had been replaced by the Province-Class spaceship Sharp Edge.
“Is there another urgent mission?” Russo muttered to himself as he quickly put on his clothes and equipnt, then ca to the logistics room and took his place at his post. Several other cooks with the sa duties had already arrived ahead of him.
From outside ca the thudding of bodies pounding against the floor. Russo knew it was the sound of soldiers running in an ergency.
“I wonder what the task is this ti. Not long ago, did we not receive the order that because the Divine Ark Civilization transported a star over to detonate, we should all hide behind Planetary War Star Number Eight?” Russo asked his colleague in so puzzlent.
His colleague’s spirit was sowhat listless. This was normal. In fact, most people were not in good shape. Two days ago they had received an order to hide and rest, and most staff assud there would be nothing to do in the near term, so they indulged themselves a bit. Of course, even indulgence did not allow leaving the spaceship. In any case, the spaceship was fully equipped with all kinds of entertainnt facilities. As a result, their rest ti was a little short, so at this mont their spirits were not great.
“I do not know. Probably more drills, transport, or escort missions.” the colleague answered without much energy.
That guess was quite reasonable. Ever since the Divine Ark Civilization increased the intensity of its strikes against the Alliance, even interplanetary material transport missions sotis mobilized warships, and ordinary civilian flights would have so warships detached to escort them.
“Perhaps.” Russo responded, though his heart felt sowhat uneasy.
As usual, after the ergency assembly, the orders were quickly transmitted through the personal communications terminal into the mind of every person. Transmitted along with it was a disciplinary notice. One unlucky fellow had stayed out too late the day before yesterday and drank too many narcotic beverages. He failed to reach his post within five minutes and was executed on the spot by the supervision squad.
In the past, the punishnt of such an unlucky fellow would have sparked widespread discussion. Now it did not, because everyone’s attention, including Russo’s, was captured by the new order.
“All combat personnel, adjust state for twenty minutes. Logistics personnel, prepare breakfast within twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, begin dining. Dining ti is ten minutes. After ten minutes, follow the spaceship Sharp Edge to intercept the invading fleet of the Divine Ark Civilization.”
This order made everyone’s hearts sink. Russo almost reflexively wanted to ask, “With the star transported by the Divine Ark Civilization about to detonate, leaving the cover of the planetary war stars at this mont is not marching to our deaths?”
But Russo did not voice the question. Years in the military had taught him that any act questioning a superior’s decision ant execution on the spot. Even so, the fear in his heart spread beyond his control. He glanced at his colleague and found that, a mont ago listless, the man had instantly grown tense upon hearing the order.
Russo waited for the superior’s next transmission, naly an explanation of the order. He waited a long ti and heard no explanation.
The order was simple, and it was heavy.
At last soone could not bear it. On the public communications channel, a soldier could not help but ask, “With the star about to detonate, sending us out on a mission now is not sending us to our deaths?”
“This kid is in danger.” Russo thought to himself. “The supervision squad will execute him shortly.”
Russo could not help feeling a touch of respect and sympathy for the kid who dared question the superior, and he also felt grateful, because the kid had asked what Russo had wanted to ask but dared not.
Contrary to expectations, Russo waited a long ti, and no notice ca about the supervision squad executing the soldier. Instead, they unexpectedly received the superior’s explanation.
The superior’s explanation was likewise concise. “First, the Divine Ark Civilization has taken advantage of the gap in our defenses to send a large fleet to attack our lines, so we must dispatch forces to drive them out. The Alliance needs us. Second, I will remain aboard our Eight Stars to command the battle and be with you.”
Within the spaceship, the more than 3,400 combat personnel, staff officers, command personnel, logistics personnel, and others fell silent at the sa ti. The superior’s explanation was simple, but it was clear, so clear that no one could raise a thought of opposition.
Yes, the Alliance needs us, the people need us, the leader needs us. At this ti, if we do not go to die, who should go to die? We are warriors. We are soldiers.
All personnel aboard the Eight Stars began their prewar preparations in this heavy, oppressive atmosphere. As one of the thirty cooks in logistics, Russo also began working nervously. He thodically placed raw ingredients one by one into the preparation machines, then took them out in order and set them into serving ware. Robots would carry these to the cafeteria outside.
“Perhaps I added too much Rosha.” Only after the food was prepared did this thought surface in Russo’s mind. But it was already too late. The food had already been sent out.
Since the twenty Level 5 civilizations had ford an alliance, under the strong leadership of the leader, the civilizations had begun to rge. Various customs and cultures had started to perate one another, including cuisine. This thing called Rosha was a seasoning introduced during cultural exchange. Because of its distinctive taste, it quickly beca popular with soldiers. Of course, there was a set standard for how much Rosha to add to food. If too much was added, it would greatly damage the flavor. Mastering the standard required long practice, and Russo still had not fully mastered it.
Outside, soldiers began eating in an orderly manner. Russo, task completed, rested in the logistics room. Because no one knew how long the battle would last, all logistics personnel had to depart with the ship on every expedition. This ti was clearly the sa.
Russo had a premonition that this was likely his last expedition.
Originally Russo thought he would be terrified at such a ti, but when it truly happened, he found himself unusually calm. His fear of death suddenly vanished without a trace.
Just as the superior had said, the Alliance needed them, the people needed them, the leader needed them. From the mont Russo stepped aboard the Eight Stars, this responsibility had fallen upon his shoulders, to accompany him all his life until he died.
Russo had practiced this responsibility for more than a hundred years. He had personally witnessed the leader’s high spirits, the integration of the Level 5 Civilization Alliance, the Alliance’s strength rising rapidly, technological prowess advancing by leaps and bounds. Then the Alliance encountered the most powerful enemy, the Divine Ark Civilization. He personally witnessed the demise of the Death Flower Star System’s star, then fled with the main force. In that process, Russo experienced countless battles and felt the changes brought by the Alliance’s rapid technological progress.
This technological progress tangibly affected every participant in the war. Just like the Eight Stars, whose mobility grew more formidable, whose safety grew higher, whose firepower grew greater. This march of technology gave everyone, Russo included, a kind of expectation. Everyone believed that although they were at a disadvantage now, the Divine Ark Civilization would ultimately be defeated by them.
“But I will not live to see that day.” Russo thought with so emotion.
The fleet finally set out. The Eight Stars followed the Province-Class spaceship Sharp Edge, the Sharp Edge followed the Nation-Class spaceship Blue Flag, and the Blue Flag followed the Continent-Class spaceship Morris.
The Eight Stars was just an inconspicuous mber of this vast fleet, but in the end, whether it was the Eight Stars or the Morris, the outco would be the sa.
After hearing the superior say, “Farewell, lads. I hope we can et again in hell.” Russo knew the final mont had arrived. Russo knew the star had been detonated. Death was at hand.
At that mont, a thought strangely surfaced in Russo’s mind, a thought that had nothing to do with the current situation. “What a pity I added too much Rosha.”
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