Will White, one of the CEC higher-ups, was completely unaware that the fleet he dispatched had been annihilated. He was leisurely enjoying afternoon tea in his luxurious office.
He liked such moments.
He had specifically chosen this office for its angle, which offered a perfect view of the grasslands and snow-capped mountains outside the window, especially in the afternoons when the setting Sun's afterglow cast golden hues upon the snowy peaks.
Such moments, paired with a cup of Britain tea, were unique moments of happiness for an old-fashioned gentleman like him. Beep, beep, beep!
Suddenly, a series of urgent beeps shattered this rare moment of bliss.
Disturbed, Will's face showed a hint of displeasure, and a flicker of anger crossed his deep-set eyes. He had said many times that no matter what, he was not to be disturbed during this time.
But after glancing at the caller, who was the Commander of the fleet tasked with eradicating the Ishimura, the anger in Will's eyes vanished, replaced by an irrepressible look of delight.
"News already?"
Only two days had passed since he issued the order for the surrounding fleet to eliminate the "Rebels" on the Ishimura.
If one accounted for the delay caused by interstellar communication distances, this speed was already very fast!
Will couldn't help but be overjoyed. Eliminating a hidden danger for the company was a great accomplishment!
Perhaps, he could even use this "Merit" to advance further and become a true "decision-maker."
Thinking of this, Will's last trace of displeasure vanished. He adjusted his collar, cleared his throat, and had already formulated in his mind how he would praise them.
The communication was connected.
Will didn't even have time to observe before he lavishly praised the Commander in the projection.
"Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf,
On behalf of the CEC company's senior management, I thank you for your efforts. We will never forget your contributions. I will also recommend to the higher-ups that your authority and position be elevated. I hope you can serve CEC even better in the future!"
"Uh"
Rudolf in the projection, who was the Commander of this fleet, listened to Will's unreserved praise but only looked embarrassed.
Will had been praising for so long that he felt parched, yet the other party still hadn't responded?
He felt a sudden dissatisfaction.
"Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf, I know you have an issue with me, but the matter has been resolved. Shouldn't we be celebrating now?"
Rudolf became even more embarrassed.
It was only then that Will, who had been engrossed in his promotion fantasy, noticed that Rudolf looked somewhat disheveled, as if he had just been tortured, with a bruised and swollen face, severely twisted and deformed, completely unlike a victor.
As for why he ended up like this, he could only blame himself for being stubborn in front of the Dark Angel, shouting about how there were only Commanders who died in battle, never Commanders who surrendered.
Could the Dark Angel listen to that?!
If it were the Wolf Cub, perhaps your courage would be recognized, and you'd be granted a dignified death, but this was the most demonized former "Fallen Angel"!
Thus, the Dark Angel once again brought out their most skilled torture techniques. In less than ten minutes of pain, Rudolf was on his knees, snot and tears streaming down his face, crying and begging them to stop hitting him.
Nothing else, it was too tormenting!
Torture, torture... why don't you actually ask questions first, damn it!
Rudolf, who prided himself on being tough, now shivered at the memory of being locked in a dark room and beaten repeatedly by those black-armored men.
These guys were pure beaters!
The key was that even if he bit off his tongue, he would be revived by a strange man with mechanical implants throughout his body, and then another round of beatings would await him.
Thinking of this, Rudolf burst into tears.
"Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf, what is this—"
Will's heart sank, and he had an ominous feeling.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Will, we lost."
Rudolf wiped his tears, admitting defeat straightforwardly. He hung his head, pursed his chapped lips, and said bitterly.
"Of the 432 combat personnel on the ship, all but 182 who died were captured. I—I am one of them."
As he said this, Rudolf's gaze occasionally drifted to the side, clearly showing the fear in his eyes, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Lost, lost?
Will's mind buzzed, as if countless flies were buzzing chaotically, his thoughts completely blank, like a rock.
"Ru—Lieutenant Colonel, you, you're joking with me, right?!" Will's eyes were bloodshot, suppressing his anger, he said stiffly.
"I know you're unhappy with me, but this is a major matter concerning the company's future, don't joke with me!"
Rudolf, on the other side, was ashen-faced.
"I also wish I were joking with you, but—it's the truth, Mr. Will. Our fleet was completely annihilated within thirty minutes of encountering them."
Thirty minutes—
Will's forehead pulsed with veins, his eyes bloodshot, and he couldn't help but roar.
"Thirty minutes! Thirty minutes! How did you command them?!"
"I f*** you, f***!" Rudolf, who had been rendered speechless, could no longer hold back and began to curse Will's ancestors and mother.
"If you hadn't concealed the intelligence, would we have lost so badly? You call us pigs, but our loss is all your fault, you bastard!"
Will's chest heaved violently with anger, his face turned purplish-red, and his eyes were like those of a daemon.
"Rudolf! I'm relieving you of your command!"
"Relieving me of command?"
Rudolf laughed in extreme anger.
"You'd better make sure your own position is secure first. They are already on their way. I'd like to see how you'll deal with them!"
What?!
Will's face turned pale with shock.
"What did you say? They—they are already on their way, what does that mean?"
Rudolf sneered.
Then, a young, steady voice came from the side.
"It means exactly what it says, Mr. Will."
The camera shifted to the young man with black hair and brown eyes. He smiled.
"There's an old saying: 'It is rude not to reciprocate a courtesy.'"
"You sent a fleet to attack us, and we completely annihilated it. As a return courtesy, it's your turn now. I hope you can hold out a little longer."
Even though he was sitting in his office, Will felt a chill run through him. Looking at the coldness in the young man's eyes, he couldn't help but shiver.
"No, impossible!"
Will was still putting up a strong front. He mustered his courage and said.
"This is the Solar System! Even if you are the United Government, you cannot unilaterally start a war here, otherwise you will face a boycott from all human corporations!"
"An interesting statement."
Emrys tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes, and said with interest.
"But the question is, who told you—that I am the United Government?"
"You, you're not the United Government?!"
Will was completely stunned, frozen in place, but then he frantically shook his head.
"No, if you're not the United Government, then how do you know about the 'Blood Moon Project,' and how do you have these super soldiers? No other corporation could possess these technologies besides the United Government!"
"You're right."
Emrys nodded in agreement.
"But unfortunately, I am neither the United Government nor any other corporation. I am merely a passing rogue trader. You don't need to understand what a rogue trader is, because very soon—you will see for yourself."
Just as Will's mind was in a muddle, he suddenly saw streaks of meteors trailing flames in the sky, illuminated by the setting Sun's afterglow outside his window, like the arrival of the apocalypse, tearing through the firmament!