Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 447: Bros!

"F*ck, f*ck, f*ck…"

Wang Hwa was pacing up and down the second defense line, cursing to himself. His face was so dark that it seemed like he was going to tear someone open soon.

Wang Hwa was part of the Black Star Unit, he was part of Yao Yuan's original Special Ops group. He had been through many life and death situations in space and he was also an S-grade Perceptor. He was on special order to stay back at the second defense line, one of the few Homo Evolutis who wasn't called back to the City of Light Moon.

Wang Hwa had a feisty personality, or rather he was a typical soldier. His best friend among the Black Star Unit was Ebon because they shared similar personalities. However, Wang Hwa was slightly better than Ebon because at least he could be reasoned with somewhat.

At this moment, Wang Hwa was in his berserk state. He paced around the base, but alas the number of Black Star troopers who remained to defend this base was pitiably small. Including him, there were only three Black Star Troopers, 140 training soldiers, and 200 Defense Unit soldiers. That was all, and he had to find another Black Star Unit member to vent his frustration.

"What kind of f*cking order is this!? Why can't we go to the frontline and fight? F*ck, we have to sit tight and watch the first defense line fall? What kind of f*cking order is this? Has Ol' Captain been corrupted by the power of Chancellor? Is he emulating Gandhi's no-fighting, peaceful resistance?"

Wang Hwa mocked without filter, but the two Black Star troopers beside him were sweating bullets because if Wang Hwa's words were heard by Yao Yuan… even though the human government didn't have any libel laws, he was slandering Yao Yuan's name, the veritable human hero.

Wang Hwa glanced at the two troopers out of the corner of his eye. "What are you two so afraid of?! If Ol' Captain wishes to kill me because of my complaints, then so be it! I do wish to see whether he has been corrupted or not!"

At the point, Wang Hwa was overwhelmed by his own anger. He lobbed the hand grips in his grasp into the air and growled loudly as he sat back down into his seat. He was so still that the two troopers thought he had died from aneurysm or something.

"Ol' Captain… he is a good man. He has always been like this, shouldering everyone's burden on his own shoulders like it is his natural responsibility to do so. That is just crazy! Doesn't he know there are already too many responsibilities on his shoulders? The greatest human hero, the human savior, the only Immortal in space, the legend who will lead humanity to its peak… at the end of the day, he is just a normal man! Those bastards at the City of Light Moon, those representatives, haven't they been calling for more human freedom and more human rights, more limitations on the military, the Chancellor's power, Black Star Troopers? They have been calling for all those limitations because according to them, those are the voices of the people, so where are they now? Why aren't they relaying the voices of the people at this moment? They're all silent like ostriches and pushing all the responsibility onto the Ol' Captain! At this point, they have all….

"Abandoned the Ol' Captain!"

Wang Hwa suddenly stood up as he continued, "Any sane person knows we can no longer hold back a fleet this size, at least not with humanity's current power, but no one dares to bring up space warp, so Ol' Captain had no choice… but this is not the end, at least for me. This is not the end…

"I may not have the power to sway the government, I may not have the power to influence the people, I may not have the power to argue with those representatives… but I have the power to decide my own life!"

Wang Hwa suddenly smiled and said, "Hey, bros, don't you think… our friends at the first defense line are too lonely? Swallowed like that by a cold, mechanical fleet, they… their souls and flesh could only freeze in that moment, while we, their families and friends, will warp away, leaving this place where they put their lives to rest. Won't they be lonely?

"So, how about this, bros… let's go set up a large fireworks show for these brave souls, to tell them that… we're still here and we're still fighting!

"Let them know that… it is not the Chancellor's intention to give up on them. The Chancellor… was forced to do so!

"Let's go, bros!"

At the same time, in the second defense line's central command, Jacko was in deep discussion with several others members who looked after the base, consoling them, telling them that in the next eight hours, the civilians from the first defense line would reach their base, and that in at most three days, the New Solar System first fleet will arrive at the second defense line. Then they could all retreat to the City of Light Moon.

"The second defense line is large and this meteorite we're on is at least one-third the size of the Light Moon. It is practically indestructible. The first defense line held on for five days, so by that calculation, we can hold them back for at least 50 days. In fact, we might be able to completely eliminate our enemies here, so I wish for everyone to stop panicking and please return to your own areas to comfort and console your people. We're in martial law, so please tell them not to do anything that violates the military law due to their emotions…"

After Jacko sent away this group of civilian representatives, before he could catch a breath, another report came in.

"Commander, the first defense line's civilian shuttle will reach second defense line in 7 hours and 42 minutes; however, right behind him is the robot fleet. Using the creator's particle zone as analysis, it will catch up to the shuttle in at most 8 hours, and after catching up, it'll reach the second defense line in another 10 minutes.

"The robot fleet is already within our cannon's firing range, so Commander, shall we fire…"

Jacko was silent for a moment before asking, "What is the simulation result? If we fire, what will happen to the civilian shuttle?"

The person silently pulled out another report and said, "If we conduct a long-distance cannon fire, the AI fleet will immediately counter-attack. According to the fleet numbers and cannon trajectory… the civilian fleet is in the trajectory, so…"

"It will be shot down, right?" Jacko accepted the report and concluded, "There will be no firing of cannons, send out the order. Continue the surveillance on the robot fleet…"

The person with the report was a lieutenant. He glanced at Jacko before adding, "But before the creator's particle was released, the last order from the City of Light Moon was to do everything we can to stop the enemy… If we wait until the enemy fleet gets too close, then this order…"

"Then, what do you want me to do?!" Jacko suddenly grabbed the lieutenant's collar and roared angrily, "You want me to order for the death of 14,000 civilians? You want me to watch 9,000 children die? You want me to cause the death of these people whom our comrades at the first defense line lay down their lives to protect? What do you expect me to do!? Tell me, Lieutenant! You want me to trample on the lives of these heroes from first defense line?! Tell me!"

After a long time, Jacko finally released the collar of this soldier. However, the lieutenant still held his gaze calmly and said, "Yes, Commander, I know this is inhumane of me to say, but if I was in your position, I would order to fire the cannons… because we have 10 times more civilians in this base! Our own families are here! We need to buy them more time to get back to the City of Light Moon. If you want to save these 14,000 people… then what about our own families? Sir! What about our own flesh and blood, including your wife and children!"

Jacko's face was white. His hands gripped tightly, but he stood there, completely unmoving. He didn't know who to blame, or rather, he was at a loss because this lieutenant had a point because his order could cause 10 times more sacrifices, but…

How could he give the order to fire when the souls of the heroes at the first defense line were still watching!?

Just as the whole central command turned to Jacko waiting for his command, suddenly, another soldier shot into the room yelling, "Re, report! The guardian spaceship that belongs to the Black Star Troopers has left the base and it is carrying with it a sealed box!"

"Black Star Troopers?!"

"We have Black Star Troopers on this base?!"

The atmosphere in the central command suddenly rose, but Jacko's heart fell because he was the only one who knew the so-called Black Star Troopers only had three members, and that sealed box… carried a Steel Nall!

At the same time, outside of the second defense line's orbit, a guardian spaceship was getting further and further from the base. There was in total 180 plus people on the ship, including three Black Star Troopers, 60 general workers, and 100 plus Defense Unit soldiers.

Wang Hwa sat in the captain's car and roared, "Bros, we're…

"Coming!"