Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Quvillion Under Siege
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"System check. No anomalies."
"Engine response normal. No issues with output either."
Three days had passed, and the appointed time had finally arrived.
The battleship's crew consisted of just me, Roze, Frederick, and ten other crew members, plus two mechanics—a total of fourteen.
Even so, with the bridge packed full, it didn't feel all that empty.
"Increase speed. Follow Drive Gate control's instructions and head to the assigned point."
"Yes, sir!"
The bridge spanned 20 meters, structured with the captain's chair at the center and two descending levels below.
Right in front of me, down on the first level, Frederick sat in the senior crewman's spot, overseeing all the crew.
Flanking him were two instructor crewmen acting as lead hands, while the bottom level held seven academy graduates, each at their assigned stations.
"Malph! Double-check the acceleration values. This is the ship's maiden voyage, so we need to be extra careful."
Frederick had multiple windows open in front of him, verifying data while keeping tabs on the other crew without missing a beat.
From launch procedures to every step along the way, he handled it all without the slightest slack. Impressive.
'He's got real skill.'
Today marked my first time as captain.
Yet not only did my inexperience not show, he was actually making things easier for me. That said it all.
"Captain."
"Report."
"Your power is incredible. Look how fast we're picking up speed, and we haven't even pushed the engines that hard."
Frederick spoke without taking his eyes off his work.
His slightly excited tone didn't sound like mere flattery.
"It's the latest Monarch family ship. Of course it's good."
"At this agility, it could take down a ship a class above us no problem."
"That depends on the crew's skill."
"Don't believe me? Give me an enemy right now, and I'll prove it. Shame there isn't one."
Frederick's quip softened the bridge's tension.
Jokes weren't standard on a bridge that should stay solemn, but I let it slide.
Regulations existed to be followed, sure, but we weren't in combat, and clamping down on that much would dry me out first.
Besides, the crew kept right on task, undistracted by his humor.
"Captain. To test the ship's performance, I think we should push it hard once."
"For data accumulation?"
"Yes. The preloaded data shows no errors, but since we're attempting an AD Drive, we need to be cautious."
"We've got time, so go ahead."
Diving straight into an AD Drive on a maiden voyage was risky, no doubt.
At the insane speeds of AD Drive, even a tiny glitch could snowball into massive deviation.
We could estimate distance using Drive Gate signals as beacons, but with limited accumulated data, miscalculations could spell trouble.
Of course, this wasn't a true maiden voyage.
As a cutting-edge ship, it had undergone multiple test runs during construction to verify completion.
That data was preloaded, but Frederick apparently found it insufficient.
"Rapid adjustment! Ramp engine output to 60 in one go."
The ship bucked wildly for a while.
Sudden accelerations, abrupt stops, sharp turns—it was chaos.
Each time the engines roared, a strange whirring hum vibrated through the hull.
"Whoa...!"
Roze, who had no assigned seat and was perched on a borrowed chair in the corner, let out a shriek.
I glanced back, wondering if she was scared.
No need to worry.
She was thrilled, like a kid on a roller coaster, loving the ship's wild maneuvers.
'No concerns there.'
Sure, its size dulled the intensity compared to the high-difficulty stunts I'd pulled in a racing hovercar.
But this had its own flavor.
I watched Frederick closely, memorizing his commands and cues.
Some of what he did was my job as captain.
I couldn't handle it yet, but diligent study was key to living up to the role.
For the chain of command to function, I'd have to pull my weight eventually.
"Permission granted."
Amid it all, Frederick murmured to me.
Drive Gate control had approved our AD Drive.
The designated airspace was cleared of civilian ships to avoid any getting caught in our entry.
I waited for the right speed, then gave the order.
"Activate dimension opener."
"Activating!"
The device fired up, warping and tearing open the space ahead in our path.
A rift linking to the Astral Dimension.
It looked eerily similar to ones aliens ripped open.
"Drive in!"
Confirming the rift's shape held steady, the ship plunged straight through without slowing.
"Entry successful."
"Navigate per protocol, tracking Drive Gate signals."
"Yes, sir!"
The moment we entered, silence blanketed the ship.
Engines thrummed at full power, yet it felt trapped in a void, unchanging.
External sensors had flatlined.
But one thing was clear: our speed kept climbing.
'No wonder it's tense.'
The Astral Dimension was profoundly unnatural.
Here, objects could accelerate past light speed, scoffing at the usual laws.
Physics bent conveniently for practical use.
Back when I wrote stories, it was just a setting to shrink vast cosmic distances.
Now, it was humanity's lifeline for sustaining space civilization.
Stranger still: after nearly 600 years, no major advancements.
Drive Gate construction got safer and more precise, cutting accidents, but that was it.
No revolutionary changes.
I closed my eyes, then opened them, head suddenly cluttered.
AD Drive entry done, our job from here was minimal.
We'd rotate bridge watches and rest until arrival.
The rest—maintaining optimal speed via Gate signals and ship status—fell to the main computer. Humans had little left to do.
"Estimated time to arrival: about 42 hours."
"How's the watch rotation?"
"We ten crew planned three shifts. First shift: me and..."
The bridge couldn't go unmanned.
Emergencies demanded human response; AI had limits.
That's why ten seemed like overkill now, but it wasn't.
"Skip that. How about duty watches instead?"
I shook my head after hearing Frederick out.
Keeping three or four people here full-time, with nothing much to do, was inefficient.
Better: two on duty off-hours (one lead, one regular), eight during peak. Body rhythms mattered.
"Good idea."
Nothing special, yet Frederick praised it.
Likely to bolster my authority.
He assigned the first duty watch on the spot, reported it, then urged me to rest.
"We'll hold the bridge."
"No. Actually, I have a favor to ask..."
"Yes?"
I requested training from Frederick.
Studying alone hit walls; better to learn from an academy instructor, even if it bruised my pride.
He paused in surprise, then smiled warmly.
"Smart choice. Academy training isn't specialized."
"True. It was surface-level."
"From what little I've seen, you're not far off. As the ship's true owner, let's polish the basics then focus on combat tech. You'll catch up fast."
"Thanks."
"Part of the senior crewman's duty."
He called me to a regular crew station.
Hands-on experience with every system was fastest, he insisted.
Captain's view differed from here, indeed.
'I can see it like this too.'
I spent time absorbing his nonstop explanations.
The session was packed, intense.
*
Our destination: Quvillion Planet, beyond the third defensive line.
Not part of the lines but close enough to escape major damage even after the fourth fell to aliens.
New fourth line centered on Triple Link made it safer still.
Why head there? Metal Gear Mercenary Unit.
Quvillion hosted their HQ, home to refugees and retirees they supported.
Normally, they'd be too busy for visitors.
But after the mutant corp secret lab raid request, their leader finally accepted my offer following some deliberation.
With my funding, they refurbished housing and prepped to board—likely all on-planet now.
"Almost there."
Quvillion's Drive Gate signal locked in solid.
Ten-minute variance from estimate—not bad for a first run.
Minor enough to recalibrate.
Bridge buzzed adjusting, then prepped Drive Out.
"External observation ready."
"Transmit ID code to planetary government on arrival."
"Yes, sir!"
Drive Out sequence initiated.
The riskiest phase of AD Drive.
Even with Gates slashing odds, bursting from Astral back to reality was unpredictable.
Could smash a drifting asteroid or shred from exit velocity.
"Drive out!"
No issues, thankfully.
Crew rattled off status and scans by the minute.
"All clear" reports echoed, easing tension.
Then, overdue for planetary response—nothing.
"ID code sent?"
"Resent for confirmation, hailing now."
"Contact Drive Gate control then."
"Got it!"
Response should've been routine.
Unknown ships near planets always got priority scrutiny.
Five minutes with no word screamed problem.
"Captain. Combat reactions detected on Quvillion."
"Combat?"
I pulled up the feed.
Too distant for details, but unnatural flashes and blasts stippled the surface.
"Message from Drive Gate control."
"Display."
The bridge fell silent reading it.
Shocking contents.
"Massive hatchery activity? What the..."
No one grasped the gravity faster than me.
This poor planet was plunging into war's maw—for a good long while.
Us too, having just arrived.